Bali

The short version

Bali is a predominantly Hindu island with surf breaks, rice terraces, clifftop temples and resort beaches. Air New Zealand flies seasonal non-stop services from Auckland in about 9.5 hours, and New Zealanders buy a 30-day visa on arrival or apply online before they fly.

It suits couples, surfers, culture-minded travellers and families who base themselves somewhere calm, such as Sanur or Nusa Dua. It is a weaker pick for a pure beach week, because several of its best-known beaches, such as Kuta and Seminyak, are surf beaches. Its pull is culture, food and variety.

The catches are the long flight, congested roads and a handful of traps. An NZ car licence does not clearly cover a scooter, spirits can be contaminated with methanol, and the US CDC has a current Zika notice for Bali that tells pregnant travellers to avoid it. Our verdict: a high-value, culture-rich trip for couples and adventurous families who will use taxis or drivers and settle into one or two bases.

Who Bali suits

Each score is out of 5, against the other islands we cover.

Best for

1. Couples: 5 out of 5.Seminyak is called the high-end spa capital, Ubud has terraces and galleries, and Uluwatu stages a sunset kecak dance.
2. Culture: 5 out of 5.A predominantly Hindu island with temple offerings, a UNESCO-listed rice landscape, sunset kecak and the Nyepi Day of Silence.
3. Value for money: 5 out of 5.Visa and levy together are IDR 650,000, so the flight, from NZ$889 one way, is the main fixed cost. Our judgement: we found no official survey of meal or room prices.

The catch

The long flight and the roadsIt is a long flight from New Zealand, the roads are congested, and an NZ car licence does not clearly cover a scooter.

Show the other nine ratings

• Honeymoons: 4 out of 5.Cliff-top Uluwatu, Ubud spas and Nusa Dua resorts suit a honeymoon, though the flight is long and the roads are busy.
• Adventure: 4 out of 5.Surf breaks for every level, a Mount Batur climb, Ayung River rafting and diving at Amed, Padang Bay and Nusa Penida.
• Food and wine: 4 out of 5.Seminyak is described as a food-lover’s haven, and Ubud has both Balinese and international restaurants.
• Luxury: 4 out of 5.Nusa Dua is an enclave of international luxury hotels with deluxe spas and golf, and Seminyak has high-end spas.
• Families: 3 out of 5.Sanur has calm waves and a beach path, and Nusa Dua is billed as family-friendly, but the flight is about 9.5 hours.
• Beaches: 3 out of 5.Sanur is calm and Nusa Dua shallow, but several well-known beaches, such as Kuta and Seminyak, are surf beaches.
• Snorkelling and diving: 3 out of 5.Amed, Padang Bay and Menjangan suit beginner divers, Nusa Penida experienced ones, and Nusa Dua has the easiest snorkelling access.
• Nature: 3 out of 5.Mount Batur above Lake Batur, rice terraces and West Bali National Park, home of the Bali starling.
• Rest: 3 out of 5.Ubud’s yoga and spas and Sanur’s quiet beach path help, but traffic is often congested and ceremonies can block roads.

When to go

Indonesia’s tourism ministry puts Bali’s dry season at about April to October and its wet season at November to March. The ministry says temperatures change little through the year, so rain is what you plan around, and it warns that the seasons have become less predictable, so treat the edges as soft. Air New Zealand names May to September as the best time and calls August high season.

Cyclone season does not apply here as it does in Fiji or the Cook Islands. The cyclone data behind this page, drawn from NOAA’s storm archive, records no storm of 34 knots or more within 200 km of Bali from 1991 to 2020. The wet-season trade-off is rain, not storms, and Air New Zealand says its lowest fares are in February and March.

Nyepi, the Balinese New Year and Day of Silence, falls in March or April and moves each year. The airport closes for 24 hours from 6am, tourists are asked to stay in their hotels and beaches are off limits, so keep flights well clear of it. The evening before, ogoh-ogoh effigies of demons are paraded and burned. In 2026 the Bali Arts Festival ran from 13 June to 11 July and the Ubud Food Festival from 29 to 31 May, while the Ubud Writers and Readers Festival is listed for 21 to 25 October. In 2027, NZ school holidays fall on 10–26 April, 3–18 July and 25 September–10 October, with the summer break from mid-December. The July holidays sit in the dry season, and the December–January break in the wet.

Best from May to OctoberHighest score 94 (excellent) in September; lowest 63 (fair) in January and December.

• Best months
• This month (your time)
• NZ school holidays
• Cyclones

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecConditionsscore out of 100FairGoodExcellentFairAir °Caverage high and lowSea °Coffshore; lagoons run warmerRainmm a monthCyclonesnone within 200 km in 30 seasonsSchool holidaysNZ, next 12 months

Show the numbers

Bali, month by month. Best months: May to October.

Month	Score	Rating	Air high °C	Air low °C	Sea °C	Rain mm	Cyclones within 200 km
January	63	Fair	31	25	29	396	none in 30
February	64	Fair	31	25	29	289	none in 30
March	71	Good	31	25	29	222	none in 30
April	82	Excellent	31	25	29	125	none in 30
May (best months)	89	Excellent	31	25	28	76	none in 30
June (best months)	90	Excellent	30	25	27	38	none in 30
July (best months)	90	Excellent	29	24	26	27	none in 30
August (best months)	92	Excellent	29	24	26	12	none in 30
September (best months)	94	Excellent	30	24	26	30	none in 30
October (best months)	91	Excellent	31	25	27	74	none in 30
November	80	Excellent	32	25	28	132	none in 30
December	63	Fair	31	25	29	295	none in 30

NZ school holidays shown, 16 October 2026 to 15 October 2027: 19 December 2026 to 27 January 2027; 10–26 April 2027; 3–18 July 2027; 25 September to 10 October 2027.

Where to stay

Choose a base by mood, then use drivers or taxis for day trips. The ministry says traffic can be heavy at peak times and ceremonial processions can take over the road, so a base close to what you came for saves hours. In our view, two bases beat one for a week: a calm coast plus Ubud, or Seminyak plus Uluwatu.

Things to do

Bali is best for culture, scenery and surf, with the beach as a backdrop. Build the trip around a rice landscape, a temple and a performance, add one big outing such as Mount Batur or Nusa Penida, and leave some days empty. For anything physical, SafeTravel advises using a reputable operator and checking that your insurance covers the activity.

Getting there

Air New Zealand flies seasonal non-stop services from Auckland to Ngurah Rai International Airport (DPS) in around 9.5 hours. Its route page gives no frequency or season, so check your dates. All year you can also fly via Singapore or Australia with Air New Zealand’s partner airlines. Air New Zealand sells fares from Wellington and Christchurch, and says other NZ airports connect through Auckland.

On 12 October 2026, one-way Economy fares from Auckland started at NZ$889 for sample departures from that day to January 2027. Wellington started at NZ$984 for October departures and NZ$889 from November, and Christchurch at NZ$889 for a 2 December departure. Air New Zealand notes that fares change and may not be available at booking. Bali runs on Central Indonesia Time (WITA), four hours behind Auckland from April to September and five hours behind from October to March.

The ministry says Ngurah Rai handles flights around the clock, except during Nyepi. Sanur is about 15 km from the airport, 30 to 45 minutes by taxi or app, and Tanah Lot is about 30 km away. Prepaid cabs are available, though the ministry warns the fare to Ubud may be hefty. Boats to Nusa Penida take about 45 minutes from Nusa Dua or Sanur.

Getting around

Traffic drives on the left, and the urban speed limit is 50 km/h. Most visitors use taxis, app-based rides or a hired car with a driver, and the ministry advises agreeing the route and fee beforehand. It lists Trans Metro Dewata bus routes to Sanur, but we could not confirm timetables, so do not plan around them. Ubud is small enough to walk or cycle, though hilly.

Scooters are the trap. The tourism ministry says foreign visitors can drive with an International Driving Permit alongside their home licence. A permit issued abroad may need endorsing at the licensing office in Jakarta after arrival. In NZ, AA is the only issuer: NZ$39.50 in person or NZ$49.50 online plus delivery, valid for 12 months or until your licence expires. It is not a licence in its own right. SafeTravel warns that some countries require a local motorcycle licence for scooters above 50cc, and that without a motorcycle licence your travel insurance may be void after a crash. The UK government says to hold the right licence before you ride or hire any vehicle. We found no official Indonesian statement of the class a scooter needs, so read your insurer’s wording before you ride. SafeTravel lists motorbike and scooter accidents among the main risks, and the US CDC advises avoiding riding motorbikes, especially motorbike taxis.

Money

Bali uses the Indonesian rupiah (IDR), and by law transactions must be in rupiah. Visa and Mastercard are the most widely accepted cards, and Plus and Cirrus ATMs are common in tourist areas. Carry rupiah for markets and small places. Many ATMs pay out IDR 50,000 or IDR 100,000 notes, and larger notes can be hard to break away from tourist areas. The Bali government tells visitors to use licensed money changers and not to bargain aggressively.

Fixed costs are small next to the flight. The visa is IDR 500,000 and the tourist levy IDR 150,000 per person. We rate Bali highest for value, but that is our judgement: we found no official price survey, so this guide quotes fees, not meal or hotel prices.

Know before you go

As of October 2026, New Zealanders are not visa-free but are on Indonesia’s e-VOA list. Buy a 30-day, single-entry visa on arrival for IDR 500,000, or apply online first. A visa on arrival can be extended once, for another 30 days, so extend before the first 30 run out. Your passport must be valid for six months from arrival, and you need a return or onward ticket. Each traveller, children included, needs a visa, and overstaying is fined up to IDR 1,000,000 a day. Complete the free All Indonesia arrival card online up to three days before you land, and pay the IDR 150,000 levy on the Love Bali site, ideally before you fly. Check the immigration portal before you travel.

SafeTravel’s advice is to exercise increased caution, citing a higher terrorism threat, crime, earthquakes and traffic accidents. The 15 August 2026 earthquake it reports was off East Nusa Tenggara, not Bali. Take insurance that covers medical evacuation and high-risk activities, and register your trip with SafeTravel. The UK government reports bag-snatching in Bali and warns that volcanoes can erupt without warning. Police are on 110 or 112, ambulances on 118 or 119.

On health, the US CDC has a Level 2 notice, dated 7 August 2026, about Zika cases in travellers returning from Bali, so avoid mosquito bites, which also helps against dengue. The CDC advises pregnant travellers to avoid travel to Bali. It reports no malaria transmission in Bali’s resort areas, and recommends typhoid vaccination for most travellers and hepatitis A for those unvaccinated, so see a doctor or travel clinic at least a month before you go.

Methanol in spirits is the other hazard. The UK government says even small amounts can kill, it cannot be tasted or smelled, and cases have involved drinks from licensed bars, shops and hotels. We would skip shots and cocktails of unknown origin. The legal drinking age is 21.

Match the beach to the swimmers: Sanur is described as calm, while Seminyak is a surfers’ beach. The UK government warns that sea conditions can change rapidly and that boats may be overcrowded. For diving, SafeTravel says to ask to see the operator’s credentials.

In Hindu Bali, dress modestly at temples and ceremonies, do not step on offerings, and avoid inappropriate photos in sacred areas. The ministry says nobody should stand higher than a sacred temple, and to ask the temple authorities before climbing Gunung Agung. Drug possession carries four to 12 years in prison, and trafficking can bring the death penalty. Carry your passport.

Sockets are types C and F at 230 volts, so bring an adapter for NZ plugs. SIM cards are sold at airport booths, with your passport needed to register, and most major hotels offer wifi. Ubud’s hills and the boat crossings to the Nusa islands are the main mobility hurdles.