Bali Travel Guide
Bali for First-Timers
Everything to sort before and after you land in 2026 — the tourist levy and e-Arrival Card, visas, temple dress and the new rules for visitors, cash and cards, drivers versus scooters, and how to plan around Bali traffic.
Bali is easy to love and surprisingly easy to get wrong. It looks small on a map, about one hundred and forty kilometres across, but the roads are slow, the sights are spread between the coast, the hills and the far east, and since 2025 the provincial government has introduced a series of rules for visitors that every first-timer should know. Get the basics right before you land and the island rewards you with some of the most generous hospitality, beautiful landscapes and living culture in Asia.
Before you fly: three online tasks. First, the visa. Many nationalities can get a visa on arrival, and the electronic version, the e-VoA, can be bought in advance on the official Indonesian immigration website; at the time of writing it costs five hundred thousand rupiah and allows a thirty-day stay, extendable once. Your passport needs at least six months of validity and you should hold an onward or return ticket. Check the official immigration site for your nationality, because rules differ and change. Second, the All Indonesia e-Arrival Card, which combines the customs and health declarations; complete it online shortly before travel and keep the QR code on your phone. Third, the Bali tourist levy.
The tourist levy. Every foreign visitor entering Bali pays a levy of one hundred and fifty thousand rupiah per person, once per entry to the province. Pay it in advance on the official Love Bali website run by the provincial government, lovebali.baliprov.go.id, and save the voucher with its QR code; you can also pay at counters at the airport if you have not paid beforehand. Beware of copycat sites charging inflated prices, and check the web address carefully before entering card details. Officials may check vouchers at attractions and hotels rather than at the airport, and visitors without proof can be asked to pay on the spot or refused entry, so keep the voucher until you leave. If you fly out of Indonesia and come back, you pay again; trips to other Indonesian islands and back do not count. Holders of certain residence and non-tourist visas are exempt.
The rules for visitors. A governor's circular issued in 2025 sets out what is expected of foreign tourists. The headlines: respect temples and holy places, especially during ceremonies; dress modestly at temples, attractions and in public; do not enter the inner courtyards of temples unless you are praying in traditional dress, and women who are menstruating should not enter temples at all; do not climb sacred trees or monuments or take inappropriate photographs at religious sites; avoid single-use plastics such as plastic bags, straws and small plastic bottles; change money only at licensed money changers displaying official Bank Indonesia certification; ride a scooter only with a valid licence and helmet; and use licensed transport, accommodation and guides. Visitors who break the rules can face penalties under Indonesian law, and there have been deportations for serious misbehaviour.
Temple etiquette in practice. Wear clothing that covers your shoulders and knees, and a sarong and sash, which most temples lend or rent at the entrance. Never stand higher than a priest or an offering, do not step on the small palm-leaf offerings you will see on pavements and doorsteps, and do not point your feet at shrines. If a ceremony is taking place, keep to the edges, ask before photographing people and never use flash. A local guide makes temple visits far richer and is required at some cultural and natural sites.
Money. The currency is the Indonesian rupiah, and prices run into the thousands and hundreds of thousands, so check the zeros carefully. Cards are widely accepted in hotels, larger restaurants and shops, and digital payment is spreading, but small warungs, temple entrances, donation posts at rice terraces, markets and parking still need cash. Use bank ATMs in shopping centres or banks rather than standalone machines, and use only licensed money changers. Tipping is not obligatory but is appreciated, especially for drivers and guides.
Getting around. The single most useful thing you can do is hire a private driver for day trips. Rates are reasonable, drivers double as informal guides and they know the back roads; your hotel can recommend one, and many drivers are booked by the day. Ride-hailing apps work in most of the south and in Ubud, though some areas restrict app pickups. Scooters are everywhere, but traffic is chaotic and accidents are common: rent one only if you are an experienced rider with an international licence valid for motorcycles and a proper helmet, and check that your travel insurance covers it. Distances deceive: Ubud to Uluwatu can take two hours at the wrong time, and the roads around Canggu, Seminyak and the Bukit jam in the late afternoon. Plan one area per day.
Health and safety. Drink bottled or filtered water, carry a refillable bottle and wash fruit. Use insect repellent, particularly in the wet season. Swim only between lifeguard flags on the west coast, where rips are strong. Travel insurance is essential, especially for hiking, diving and scooters. Bali is generally very safe, but watch your belongings in crowds and around the monkeys at Uluwatu and Ubud.
Volcanoes and advisories. Bali and its neighbouring islands are volcanic, and ash from eruptions elsewhere in Indonesia occasionally disrupts flights; in 2026, ash events have cancelled flights on a few days, although Bali airport has not had to close because of the Lewotobi volcano on Flores. Check your airline and the volcano alert levels before hiking Batur, and buy insurance that covers disruption.
Nyepi. Once a year, on the Balinese new year, usually in March, the whole island observes Nyepi, the day of silence: no flights, no traffic, no lights, and visitors must stay inside their hotels for twenty-four hours. It is a remarkable experience, preceded by the noisy ogoh-ogoh parades the evening before, but check the date if you are planning a trip in March.
How long to stay. A week is the minimum to enjoy Bali without rushing: three or four nights in Ubud for the culture, terraces and Batur, then three or four on the coast. With ten days to two weeks, add the east coast, the highlands or a night on Nusa Penida.