Discover Bali on a Cheap Budget

BACKGROUND

Bali is a hugely popular Southeast Asia tourist destination, especially for Australians, Singaporeans and Malaysians. I’ve been there many times for diving, quick getaways, and even attended a wedding — My most recent trip being in August 2023.

The region is split into five distinct tourist zones: North, Ubud, Central, South, and Islands.

North Bali: Contains Mount Batur, Mount Agung, Nature Activities (e.g. Trekking, River Rafting, Waterfalls). Not easily accessible and not for day trip tourists.

Ubud Region: Contains Ubud Town, Rice Terraces, Coffee Villages, Yoga Retreats. Requires a grueling 2–4 hour car ride (one-way) from Central or South Bali. 

Central Bali (Main Tourist Districts consisting of Jimbaran, Legian, Canggu, Seminyak, Kuta): Famous for its plentiful accommodations and many attractions such as Beaches, Beach Sports, Water Sports (Surfing), Cafes, Bars & Clubs, Seafood Restaurants, Massage & Beauty Parlors, Shopping.

South Bali (The “Foot” of the island consisting of Uluwatu, Pecatu, Ungasan): Known for Beaches, Surfing, Cafes, Bars & Clubs, Cliffside Resort Villas, Uluwatu Temple. At least a 1 hour ride, with many bumpy and winding roads, from the airport or Central Bali.

Smaller Islands (e.g. Nusa Penida): Crystal Bay is a famous dive spot to see the rare Mola-Mola (Ocean Sunfish). Manta Point is an excellent place to see many giant manta rays up close.

FLIGHTS

Many budget flights operate to and from Bali, which start around S$200 (US$150) per pax for a direct round trip from Singapore (depending on seasonality factors and demand).

For Aussies, the price starts from around A$300 (US$195) per pax for a direct round trip from Sydney.

ACCOMMODATION

There are thousands of hotels, villa resorts, or homestays such as Airbnb all over Bali, at different price points.

Airbnbs are usually in less accessible spots and do not come with breakfast options.

There are numerous cliffside villa resorts in South Bali, such as Nagasutra Villa or Pandawa Cliff Estate in Pecatu, and picturesque jungle villa resorts like the Kanyon Jungle Resort in North Bali. More costly but great for party or wedding events.

For most trips, I suggest a hotel in Kuta, a tourist enclave which is walkable to many attractions including beaches, and does not take prohibitively long to travel from the airport.

Hotel Cost: S$45 (US$32) per couples room per night (Includes all Taxes and Fees)

WEATHER & GEOGRAPHICS

Bali is prone to minor earthquakes, as we found out on our last night. Our room shook for a few minutes, which can unnerve people. Tsunamis can also strike in a rare event, such as in 2004, however Bali’s tsunami alert systems have considerably improved since (or so I heard).

CURRENCY

Most transactions are done in the local currency Rupiah, and many places accept credit cards. You can exchange money in tourist areas, most give a decent rate (often better than airport rates).

All Indonesian Rupiah currencies are quoted in ‘000s for this article.

INTERNET & ROAMING

You can get a 18GB SIM card for both S$25, or you can just rely on Wifi the whole trip. Wifi is available in all accommodations and most restaurants.

ARRIVAL & TRANSPORT

When you touch down at Bali’s airport, be prepared to wait 1–1.5 hours to clear immigration and customs (you have to do an online declaration at their computer terminals provided). 

Grab or GoJek rideshare services from the airport is very sketchy (You can try to book but likely cancelled) so the easiest way to get to your accommodation is by hired car. You can request an airport transfer by your hotel, if they provide, or from Klook at about 250 IDR per car (US$16). 

Traffic in Bali has gotten from bad to apocalyptic over the years, which I believe is due to increased tourist arrivals and stagnating road infrastructure, with 95% of roads being one-way lanes. It can take 1 to a whopping 4.5 hours to get from airport to accommodation, depending on time of day and location. Traveling around Central Bali and to Ubud is equally unforgiving. 

The worst time to travel is early mornings (sunrise to 10 am) and evenings (5 to 7 pm) when tourists come and go to various tourist spots all over Bali. There are several modes of transport, each with their pros and cons:

DINING

First off, do not drink the tap water, even at your accommodation. Drink bottled water, and also for brushing teeth.

There is a great variety of awesome food in Bali, both local and western. Cafe hopping is a growing trend for brunch lovers (usually about 170 IDR/US$11 each), or try out a whole range of delicious Bali cuisine, such as mee goreng (fried noodles), bebek (duck), and babi (pork).

Babi Guling is a popular BBQ pork dish unique to Bali. We ate at the famous Warung Babi Guling Pak Malen in Seminyak (pictured above), which was very tasty (Only 70 IDR / US$4+ per dish). Do take note it is not accessible due to notorious traffic conditions, and a no-frills eatery setting.

If you’re going to Ubud, try the original Naughty Nuri’s Ubud, which opens at 1 pm with its signature pork ribs (250 IDR / US$15 per pax). 

Cost: Usually from 70 to 200 IDR (US$5–15) per meal per pax depending on cuisine and setting

We also tried food deliveries using GoFood, it was very smooth and value for money (~50 IDR / US$3 per pax)! You can order anything from the comfort of your hotel room, from decent mee goreng to juices to desserts, with deliveries taking about 15–30 minutes.

ATTRACTIONS

All the attractions in Bali are very touristy, including Uluwatu and Ubud (plus even the waterfalls in the Guyiana region). Car travel between the different regions are a killer with frequent snail-pace traffic, so prepare for long travel times.

Going beyond Ubud to North Bali is usually through a private operator. Most popular is trekking Mount Agung, which can be done overnight via a private tour (from US$80/S$108 per pax).

North Bali

Have never explored North Bali personally, but it’s worthwhile if you have the time. Mount Agung and Lempuyang Temple (can see Agung between the gates on a clear day) are two of the many famous destinations there.

Ubud Day Trip

Ubud has many interesting attractions to offer, but it’s a hellish ride to get there from Central Bali and back. 

If you must go, Ubud Town is the heart of the area, with a couple of temples, many restaurants, and a flea market. 

Around the town are numerous Coffee Villages, Rice Terraces (the most famous being Tegallalang Rice Terrace), Bali Swings (the most popular is the proclaimed original Bali Swing), Cycling Tours, Yoga Retreats, and many other activities.

There are also numerous hillside resorts, such as the Kayon Jungle Resort with its uniquely beautiful Wanna Jungle Pool and Bar. This pool club costs 500 IDR per pax (S$44), which includes a 300 IDR drink credit.

Some famous waterfalls are located in the Gianyar region which private hire cars charge an extra 250 IDR (S$22) to go to. The top three are Kanto Lampo (10–15 minute moderate hike), Tibumana (10–15 minute hike with steps; only had time for this), and Tukad Cepung (15 minute easy hike). Beware, the waterfalls are often crowded and  impossible to get that gram-worthy picture (gotta reach at sunrise for perfect lighting and no photobombs).

Central Bali (Main Tourist District)

The main tourist enclaves in Central Bali (especially Canggu, Seminyak, and Kuta) is where most tourists hang out and stay, with many things to see and do. There are beaches, rows of street shops and massage parlors, flea markets, cafes, restaurants, bars and pubs. 

Further up north is the Tanah Lot temple, a major tourist destination and 1.5 hours drive from the main tourist district.

South Bali

This area is more quiet and tranquil, known for its beaches, watersports, cafes, bars, clubs, and resort villas. The perfect place for visitors looking for a more laidback Bali experience. There is also the popular tourist destination Uluwatu Temple in the extreme south-west.

WATERSPORTS

There is a wide variety of water sports. Snorkeling around the main island isn’t recommended, with poor water conditions and lack of marine life.

Many people just relax and get a tan on the beach, or just frolic in its shallow waters. Surfing is plentiful and cheap in Bali, with beginner surf lessons widely available for online booking, such as Klook.

Scuba diving is really popular in Bali, especially at Nusa Penida, which contains dive sites such as Crystal Bay (to see the famous Sunfish) and Manta Point (to see the magnificent Manta Rays). Travel time by dive boat there is about 45 minutes (one-way), the boats are usually quite large so you would probably not get sea-sick.

Note it is not guaranteed you can see the elusive sunfish, even with two to three dives. Depends on seasonality and bit of luck, I suppose.

Nusa Penida Dive Package Cost: ~3M IDR (~US$200/S$265) for 1-day 3-dives day trip (Book a dive travel package at your local dive operator for better rates)

MASSAGE

Massages are more pricey compared to Batam or Phuket, but still very cheap compared to Singapore and Australia. Do not pay more than 130 IDR an hour for a basic massage, that’s way overpriced.

You can even get masseuse(s) to come over for a massage in your hotel room (at a higher rate of 200 IDR / US$13 per pax per hour), via websites like Soul Massage Bali.

Cost: Typically 125 IDR an hour (S$12/US$9)

NIGHTLIFE 

There are clubs, pubs, bars at every corner of Bali! Potato Head Beach Club and Kudeta are two of the more famous clubs, both located in Seminyak. Bookings should be done in advance to avoid disappointment, especially for Potato Head.

SHOPPING

Most of the souvenirs sold in the shops are gimmicky and overpriced, but we did pick up clothes and cheap stuff at the flea market (must haggle a lot) and snacks at stores and the coffee village (Bali is famous for their crackers and nuts).

SUMMARY

There are plenty of things to see and do in Bali. Unique attractions include cultural monuments and natural spots, diving and snorkeling at the pristine smaller islands, delicious and varied cuisine, and affordable massages and all kinds of activities (surfing, kite-flying, horse-riding. etc). 

However, my major pet peeves are the soul-crushing traffic, heavy pollution, and large crowds.

To maximize your time enjoyed there and avoid losing precious hours in traffic, I suggest planning your itinerary to avoid long distance travel during peak periods of the day (essentially sunrise to late evenings), or better still, not at all.

Total Cost: S$600 per pax all-in for 5D4N Trip from Singapore or AU$700 per from Australia

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