For a first trip, base yourself in Seminyak or Canggu on Bali and add about three nights in Ubud if you have a week. Prices swing 30 to 50 per cent between low season and July, August and December, so any figure is a band rather than a rate. Passports are taken at check-in because providers register foreign guests.
- Seminyak or Canggu for a first visit - Seminyak is the more polished, with beach clubs and hotels at every price; Canggu is relaxed and café-driven.
- Add about three nights in Ubud if you have a week or more: temples, rice terraces, and a much quieter evening inland.
- Kuta is the cheapest and the most party-oriented; Uluwatu on the southern cliffs is the luxury end.
- Prices rise 30 to 50 per cent in July, August and December. Treat any quoted range as a low-season floor.
- Many Bali villas quote in US dollars but settle in rupiah. Take rupiah when the card terminal offers you the choice.
- Your passport is taken at check-in - accommodation providers register foreign guests.
- Book the first nights before you fly. Arrivals at Ngurah Rai skew heavily to the late evening, which is the worst time to be looking for a room.
- In Jakarta, stay on the MRT - SCBD/Sudirman or Menteng. Kemang has the dining but no metro.
Where to base yourself
Bali:
- Seminyak or Canggu for a first visit. Seminyak is the more polished - beach clubs, restaurants, hotels across the whole price range. Canggu is more relaxed and café-driven, where surfers and long-stay remote workers cluster.
- Ubud, inland, is worth about three nights if you have a week or more: temples, rice terraces and a much quieter evening.
- Kuta is the cheapest and the most party-oriented - skip it unless that is the point of the trip.
- Uluwatu, on the southern cliffs, is the luxury end, and the transfers are longer.
Jakarta:
- SCBD / Sudirman - modern hotels with direct MRT access.
- Menteng - leafy and central, near the National Monument and walkable to Bundaran HI MRT.
- Kemang, South Jakarta - the expat dining and nightlife district, but not on the MRT, so everything becomes a ride-hail in Jakarta traffic.
What it costs
Bali accommodation prices move a lot, both by area and by season, so these are bands rather than rates:
| Type | Typical band per night |
|---|---|
| Hostel dorm bed | 100,000 - 250,000 IDR |
| Budget guesthouse, private room with air conditioning | 150,000 - 400,000 IDR |
| Good guesthouse in Seminyak or Canggu | 400,000 - 1,000,000 IDR |
| Private villa with a pool | from around 500,000 IDR outside the peak, well above that in season |
- Add 30 to 50 per cent in July, August and December. The bands above describe the rest of the year.
- Seminyak, Canggu and Uluwatu run 20 to 30 per cent above the island average for both rooms and food.
At check-in
- Check which currency you are being charged in. Many Bali villas and hotels quote in US dollars on international booking sites even though the bill settles in rupiah. Take rupiah when the terminal offers you the choice, so your own bank does the conversion.
- Your passport is taken and scanned - providers are required to register foreign guests.
- Carry cash away from the southern strip and Ubud. Smaller guesthouses add a card surcharge or take no card at all.
- Book the first nights in advance. Flights into Ngurah Rai land disproportionately late in the evening, and arriving at midnight without a room is a bad way to start.
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