Bali Travel Guide and Tips for First-Timers!

Indonesia’s most popular island for holidaymakers is Bali, especially for us Australians. I’ve traveled to Bali 7 times & each trip has been slightly different. I’ve had the relaxing pool days at Bingin, snorkeling trips to Amed, party trips to Legian/Kuta, and the times I just went for the shopping. There are so many amazing options when it comes to travel in Bali. 

This is why I love Bali, there are so many different ways to travel! We hear a lot about tourists visiting for a week-long bender, and yeah that is happening but there’s also a very spiritual side to Bali. So many yoga & meditation retreats, surf camps, snorkeling areas, and of course the shopping is amazing!

Accommodation in Bali

This time Lawrence and I stayed in Seminyak with his 3 kids, so it was one of my most “touristy” trips. For 6 nights stayed at Suzuki Villa 2, and this was my first time staying in a villa. Having a villa with a private pool was so convenient for kids. Also, the villa was only built a couple of years ago so everything was very modern and comfortable.

Accommodation prices in Bali vary a lot, so it depends on what you’re after. If you wanted a villa big enough for a family of five, you’d be looking at upwards of $200AUD per night.

There are so many options for food in Seminyak, cheap eats, take away & trending “insta worthy” cafes. I’m not going to talk about all the places we ate at, as there are plenty of options around. But I often searched #seminyakfood for ideas. Whenever we ate out the total bill for 5 people was around $45-$50AUD. 

If you’re staying in an area like Seminyak it’s possible to walk nearly everywhere. Especially because there’s so much to see along the way. If not, I’d recommend cheap transport from Uber or Go-Jek, or you could easily hail a Blue Bird Taxi. These taxis do have meters but often the driver won’t turn them on and instead offers you a set price, (generally way more than what the meter would have equaled). We always insisted they turned on the meter or if we knew how much the trip should cost we’d barter until we reached a fair price. 

Travel in Bali ~ Quick Tips For Your First Visit

Keep your cash in small notes; If you’re bartering and after a cheap price, it’s not the best look to then pull out a massive note and ask for change.

Be respectful when bartering and have fun with it; Usually, in the end, you’re only arguing over getting a couple more dollars off, just let it go! There’s a good chance you earn a much higher wage than they do. (but that’s not to say let them rip you off, just be reasonable)

Explore outside of Kuta/Legian/Seminyak areas; Even if it involves a long car ride it’ll be worth it. Especially if you’re after amazing beaches. 

Yes, Bali is cheap but try to stick to your budget; When you travel to Bali there’s always so much to do, see & buy. So it’s very easy to overspend. Especially at high-end restaurants and beach clubs, (prices there are very similar to Australian venues)

Don’t drink the tap water; A little bit on your toothbrush won’t hurt but much more could upset your tummy & give you diarrhea. I’m sure nobody has time for that!

If you want to see the monkeys at Ubud or Uluwatu, hold onto your valuables; These monkeys are little smart asses and will grab whatever they can haha.

Travel around Bali with a driver?

For two days of our holiday, we wanted to get out of Seminyak and travel to other areas in Bali. Prior to arriving we booked a driver, I’d spoken to me on messenger and we roughly planned out where we wanted to go. I think this is a much better way to travel in Bali compared with group tours. There’s a lot more flexibility, we never had to wait for others and prices for a private driver are very reasonable.

Bali Travel Day 1

Tegalalang Rice Terrace:

It’s so pretty here, the rice terrace is so green and lushes! The entrance was only a short walk from the car park and there’s no entry fee but it’s expected you leave a small donation. We came here because we thought we should experience a famous Bali Swing. For those who wanted to swing, it was Rp.200,000 and they gave you plenty of time on the swing. I actually started to get a bit of motion sickness by the end so I was ready to get off haha. You had a turn facing forward and backward, but swinging out over the rice terraces was amazing. 

Afterward, there are walking tracks through the rice terrace with a few little selfie spots (ie. I♥️Bali sign).

Tirta Empul Temple:

This temple was only about a 20-minute drive from Tegalalang and there was a nice restaurant along the way to have lunch at. Tirta Empul is a Hindu temple where worshippers come to bathe in the famous holy spring water. While we were visiting there was a Hindu festival happening and although it was super busy it was beautiful to see. So many locals dressed in white, creating offerings to the gods and playing music. To enter the temple everyone will need to have their legs covered, so wear or take something long to cover yourself up with. You are able to borrow a sarong when you arrive, but I can only imagine how much the previous person could have been sweating! 

As you exit the main temple area there are heaps of shops as well. You’ll notice they sell many of the same goods that can be brought in Seminyak but for a much lower price!!! 

Tegenungan Village Waterfall:

There’s an entrance fee to this waterfall and the money goes to the local village, Rp.10.000 for children and Rp.20.000 for adults. From the car park, it’s a long walk, and 165 steps down to the waterfall.

Surrounding the waterfall are many slippery rocks so I recommend taking footwear. Thank you to Aleader for collaborating with me on this trip, as we share a passion for travel & outdoor adventures I knew your water shoes would come in handy in Bali.

The swimming area is safe (even for kids) as long as care is taken on the rocks and especially the ones underwater. It’s a shame you can’t swim right underneath the waterfall here, they have it roped off!

Bali has so many beautiful waterfalls to discover and with my new water shoes keeping my feet safe & comfortable, they’re going to be so much easier to discover.

After you’ve swum at the waterfall there’s a small “hot spring” pool you can have a dip in before you hike back up the stairs (although I didn’t find the water to be very hot).

Bali Travel Day 2

Uluwatu Temple:

Located on the edge of a cliff, the temple offers the most amazing ocean views. The views are much more impressive than the actual temple. The entrance cost is Rp.50.000 for adults and Rp.30.000 for children. I’d recommend coming here in either the morning or later afternoon as it’s always so hot and most of the walk isn’t undercover. You’ll also need to have your legs covered up, again they’ll have something you can borrow if you didn’t bring yours.

The kids were excited to come here because we’d told them they’ll see plenty of monkeys. There were heaps less compared to past trips but they’re still just as scary. These monkeys have no shame and will snatch whatever they can from you and don’t even attempt to take food with you.

Padang Padang Beach:

This beach has become so popular they now charge an entrance fee, Rp.15.000 for adults and Rp.10.000 for children. To enter you walk down a staircase, partly through a cave to the most beautiful beach. The water is such an impressive color and there are waves out the back for anyone who wants to try surfing. But close to shore it’s very safe to swim. You could easily spend all day here, without even leaving the sand you can get, surfboard hire, local shopping, food & drinks.

Melasti Beach:

I’d never been down this end of Bali before, driving down through the limestone cliffs we got the most beautiful views. The water was crystal clear and clean. Unfortunately when we arrived the tide was out so the water was only knee-deep. It wasn’t the best for swimming or snorkeling but still beautiful. The area itself wasn’t much, we only saw a couple of big resorts & a few small restaurants. It didn’t even feel like we were in Bali, literally felt like somewhere in the middle east. I’m glad we went down though, something different and the water was incredible.

When you look at a map of Bali it seems like such a small island but it’s really not. There’s so much to see and do when you travel to Bali. If you have any other questions about holidays in Bali please comment below.

Another area of Bali I love is Amed. This is a much quieter area of Bali and is perfect for travelers who love to snorkel.

Amed is about a 2.5-hour drive from Denpasar airport.

I’ve put together a guide of the best snorkeling spots, click here for Amed Travel Guide!

Thanks for reading, 

Happy Travels.