Everything to Know Before Traveling to Bali (2025)

Bali is one of those places romanticized online, especially to younger travelers. As someone who has traveled to numerous parts of Bali and witnessed all of its dreamy destinations and chaotic happenings, there are a few important things you should know before traveling to the country. Bali has changed a lot in recent years, which you can always expect when it blows up in popularity as a travel destination. 

The Cost of Bali in 2025 

There is one major factor that has played into Bali exploding on the global travel market for both backpackers and luxury travelers - and it’s price. What would be villas costing thousands of dollars in other countries can cost less than 100 USD here. As a budget traveler who couldn’t afford to travel to more expensive countries when I started my career, this was also a huge appeal to my first visit. Cover the cost of flights, and you’ll have a hard time going over budget.

However, with that being said, some parts of Bali are getting more expensive, like Caggnu, Ubud, and Kuta. These are the regions that are most popular with tourists, and because of that, lodging and food costs have risen, especially in the past 3-5 years. For example, I was near the beach in Kuta one night, having some not-so-wonderful bathroom problems, which led to an emergency use of a bathroom in a bar. Of course, I had to buy something to use it, so i ordered a bottle of water. It was the tiniest water, costing $3 USD. Ouch! 

In high tourist areas, pizza and burgers can cost upwards of 12 USD, whereas you can get the same quality of food for $3-$6 per plate in other areas of the country. 

Important Things to Know Before Visiting Bali in 2025: 

 1. It is not as easy to get around Bali with Grab as it once was 

The first time I visited Bali, transportation was easy, cheap, and fast. Unfortunately, this is one of the biggest changes that has happened in Bali in recent years. 

Have you ever heard of the Bali Taxi Mafia? If you haven’t, you’ll want to, especially if you plan to explore other destinations of the island outside of Kuta/Ubud. There are certain cities and destinations around the island that are run by the taxi mafia, making it impossible to use rideshare apps like Grab. In short, if the taxi mafia sees a grab or rideshare vehicle in the area, it will interfere, sometimes even beat the driver. They are doing this because they want to rule the destination and charge tourists over double the price of rideshare apps. We had experience with the mafai near Mount Batur. The taxis wanted 800,000 IDR for a ride to our next town, which was a ride worth 350,000 IDR. We were tracked, chased, and followed by numerous mafia in the area for hours before we snuck a ride. We lost about three hours doing this, but I would it again and again rather than support them. 

Listen, if this were a “support the locals” issue, I would have no issue paying taxis a slightly higher rate to support the industry. However, by supporting the mafia, you are supporting the beating and harassment of Grab drivers trying to make a living and getting completely ripped off.

Grab drivers can take you into these zones and drop you off no problem, but this causes two issues: 

1. You are then stranded and looking at a taxi 2x or 3x the cost of your ride there to leave. 
2. Your Grab driver has no way of making money on the return and is unable to pick up travelers in the area who need a ride back to the destination they came from. 

Here is a list of some areas where Grab is banned: 

• Mount Batur
• Caggnu (certain sections)
• Padang Bai
• Uluwatu (certain sections)
• Manggis
• Nusa Dua
• and more.

The cost of transportation has also skyrocketed in recent years. In 2023, a private driver for the entire day (8 hours) cost roughly 450,000IDR (roughly $44 USD). During our latest visit, we paid 500,000 IDR to 650,000 IDR ($50-$75 USD) for two-hour rides.

2. Some Places are Worth the Hype (and Some Are Not) 

Most of the Instagrammable places around Bali are madhouses, and many have lines of people waiting to get the same shot on social media. A lot of the overhyped places are located around Ubud, which has too many tourists to keep many of the destinations sustainable. The waterfalls, rice fields, swings, etc., are all set up as commercialized zones. 

Here are some places that are NOT worth it (and where to go instead) 

Ubud (where to go instead: Sideman) 

Kuta (where to go instead: Candi Dasa) 

Uluwatu (where to go instead: Nusa Lembongan) 

 

Places that ARE worth the hype

Diamond Beach (If you are going to Nusa Penida, I recommend staying on this side of the island so you can visit the beach in the morning/evening. In the Middle of the day, it gets too busy to enjoy.) 

Klingklang Beach (pre-elevator, go now!)

Caggnus specifically for the beach, surfing, and vibrant nightlife for young adults. 

Uluwatu is close to the airport, beautiful beaches, can get crowded in the main area but plenty of places to escape the chaos.) 

3. Be Careful of Bali Belly (Yes, it’s real)

I finally got Bali Belly, and it landed my in a hospital in Bangkok. Whoever says Bali Belly is just food poisioning has never had it. We’re about to get TMI here, so skip on down if that weird you out. But also everybody poops. 

As an IBS girl with a fragile stomach in the United States, I have long bragged about how many times I’ve traveled to Southeast Asia without poop problems. If anything, I feel better with their food as it is less processed and fresh. So all that to say, I got a little too comfortable eating everything and anything, even in Bali where we probably should’ve been a little more cautious. 

Bali Belly mainly comes from chicken or vegetables, and can last anywhere from 1 - 10 days. Our last couple of days in Bali on our latest visit, I started having some major bathroom issues, going from anywhere from 15-20 times a day. It was ROUGH. After the most hellish flight of my life (spent mostly in the bathroom) from Bali to Bangkok, I ended up in a Med Clinic in the city who then referred me to the hospital. A detected bactrial infection and lots of drugs later, it still took me another 3 days to be able to eat my first meal without feeling like I was going die after. 

With that being said, Bali does have incredible food. Just maybe be careful about the places that look a little too local. 

If you do get Bali Belly, there are 24/7 clinics on the island around Ubud and Denpasar that offer IV treatments for quick recovery. Better yet, they come straight to your hotel or accommodation. I should have done this to see if it helped, but I was too stubborn and deeply regretted the decision later on. 

Clinics with in villa care: 

Cepat Sehate Bali

Bali Belly Doctor

Bali Mobile Medicine

4. It Takes a Long Time to Get Anywhere

Bali’s infrastructure is not set up for the large number of tourists and the growing population of expats. Ubud, which is a short 17 direct miles from the airport, can sometimes take two hours to get to.

Driving around is common and the only method of transportation, as the bus system for tourists that the Indonesian government attempted to implement a few years back was also ruined by the taxi mafia, who would fight and assault the bus drivers, so all of them quit.

Plan ahead and make sure you leave yourself additional time to get to the airport, catch ferries to Nusa Penida, etc. 

5. You Don’t Need to Book Way Ahead of Time to Get Good Deals

Accommodation tailored to tourists has exploded in the past decade around Bali, and there is a surplus of accommodation options these days. If you are worried about traveling to Bali without a set itinerary, fear not. There will be plenty of options, no matter where you’re planning the travel. 

On our last trip, we never booked our next stay more than two days in advance, and we got an insanely beautiful bamboo villa with a private pool for $76/night, a open-air villa with two bedrooms and private pool on the coast for $74/night, and a $44/night hotel in Maggnu. 

Here are the BEST places I’ve stayed throughout Bali. Not sponsored, I just thoroughly enjoyed them: 

Villa Sasoon - my top recommendation on Bali's lesser-known East Coast! 

Velvunna Bali - expensive, but worth the splurge for a honeymoon or special trip

Mahajiva - close to Ubud, but far enough away from most of the craziness.

Tropical Glamping - back in 2020, we stayed here for $120/night. I wouldn't pay the prices they are asking now, but could be worth it if they had a deal.

6. Digital Nomads & Expats Have Changed Bali

As someone who falls into the category of being a digital nomad, I feel like Bali is not the best representation of us. Remote workers from around the world flock to Bali because of its affordable living prices, but what they are doing to the country is making it lose its sparkle. 

On my latest visit, I couldn’t believe how many vegan donut shops, oatmilk cafes, and high-end blocks have appeared in recent years. Many of these places are being run by expats who have upticked prices and taken away important tourism income from other local businesses who can’t afford the luxury of building a brand new building with all-white walls and perfectly manicured gardens. Those fancy cafes are always packed with laptop-working nomads drinking coffee that isn’t much cheaper than it is in the U.S. 

It’s hard to know if you’re supporting local 100% of the time, but on your visit, I recommend trying to make a conscious effort where you can! 

If you are looking for alternate places to visit that are also affordable and less touristy than Bali, let me influence you and recommend these options in Indonesia: 

• Java
• Borneo
• Lombok

With that being said, there are still many wonderful aspects of Bali. And I feel that it is still especially fun for young backpackers, those looking for an affordable honeymoon, or those who have dreamt about it for years. When it comes down to it, Bali relies on tourism, so it is never a bad idea to book that ticket!