Travel guide Bali
The best time to go à Bali
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Practical information for travel à Bali
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Edition 2025/2026
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What to see what to do à Bali?
Where to go à Bali?
The most beautiful tourist sites
Other à Bali destinations
Zones touristiques
Villes
- Ubud
- Volcan Batukaru
- Amed
- Tegallalang
- Sidemen
- Canggu
- Parc National Bali Barat
- Munduk
- Lac Bratan
- Besakih
- Balangan - Balangan Beach
- Nusa Dua
- Pejeng
- Uluwatu
- Kuta
- Mengwi
- Tirtagangga
- Sukawati
- Mont Gunung Agung
- Batur
- Lovina
- Dreamland Beach
- Klungkung
- Sebatu
- Tulamben
- Tampaksiring
- Bedulu
- Bangli
- Pemuteran
- Batubulan
Petit Futé's best addresses à Bali
Discover the most beautiful addresses selected by the authors of Petit Futé.
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Featured articles de Bali
What to do and see in Ubud and the surrounding area The 15 must-sees in 2025
Published on 22/08/2025 Activities and experiences
Among Bali's emblematic landscapes, Ubud attracts visitors for its rice terraces, its wealth of arts and crafts, and its tropical forest. Dotted with temples and sanctuaries, the town and its surroundings...
What to do and see in Bali The 15 must-sees in 2025
Published on 09/07/2025 Activities and experiences
What to do in Bali 15 must-sees© zephyr_p - Adobe Stock Bali, the Island of the Gods, shines out over the entire Indonesian archipelago. Proud of its traditions, this small island cultivates its...
Top 15 most romantic destinations in the world in 2025
Published on 04/02/2025 Ideas for holidays & weekend
Could this be the year you're getting ready to propose? What better way to do it than in a destination where the scenery and atmosphere are bathed in romance? A moment of contemplation in one of the...
How to travel à Bali
How to go alone
Well served, Bali is a generally safe destination, but it is necessary to pay attention to the road traffic, source of frequent accidents, and to take care of the food hygiene by drinking only bottled water, in order to avoid that the vacations turn short because of an ugly turista...
How to go on a tour
Most agencies and tour operators offer trips to Bali. It is a very popular tourist destination and the tours are multiple and diversified. It is possible to make tours that include all the pleasures of the beach, festive evenings, the discovery of different Balinese cultures but also its preserved nature and its rice terraces.
How to get around
In Bali, the transportation network is dense and the trips are fast because of the small size of this part of Indonesia; there are many cabs and minibuses. Another possibility is to rent a two-wheeler, bike or motorcycle, but be careful, the traffic is chaotic and dangerous if you are not used to it.
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Travel à Bali
Ideas for holidays and week-end breaks à Bali
Bali is a small, rugged but densely populated island, with roads running the length and breadth of the island and easy to get around. Nevertheless, traffic is rarely smooth and you cannot drive fast, as the roads go through villages: the average speed is therefore generally limited to 30 km/h. The ideal way to avoid having to drive for too long every day is to stay in a tourist site for 2 or 3 days, from which you will radiate out into the surrounding area before changing base to explore a different region. These considerations are especially valid if you decide to rent a car without a driver. If you come from France, one week is the minimum length of stay in Bali. In three weeks, you have a very good overview of the island. A longer stay allows you to combine a real relaxation with a more intensive immersion
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Discover Bali
Discover Bali! Discover its history, its unique geography, its climate... Learn more about its flora and fauna, its traditional dance culture, its cinema, its gastronomy, its literature... If you're wondering what to bring back with you from your vacation, take a look at our dossier on the subject. And while you're planning your trip, take a look at the agenda! This "Discover" section is also an opportunity to take an interest in the island's current issues, its population, religion and traditions... And don't miss our special report on surfing! It's packed with tips and advice on how to get the most out of this island sport, whether you're a novice or an experienced surfer! All that's left for us to do is to wish you a wonderful read, which will take you straight to the island blessed by the gods!
The 12 keywords à Bali
#Canang
Canang means "offerings". They punctuate the day, the week, the month, the year and the lives of the Balinese. The daily offering to the gods punctuates the day (sunrise, zenith, sunset), while more important ceremonies mark each individual's rites of passage (birth, marriage, death).
#Dance
All Balinese children are initiated into traditional dance, and every village has its own troupes of dancers. The dancers give their art to the gods by performing on important days. Tourists can observe every possible style of dance in Ubud, as the city concentrates the largest number of troupes.
#Durian
The taste is as powerful as the smell and the passion is tenacious. It's said that you can't fall in love with durian, but you do become hooked as you go along. Asia's king fruit, the durian is a blessing for the grower, as it's the most expensive fruit and requires little work to harvest: you just wait for it to fall!
#Party
Synonymous with Kuta. From sunset happy hours to open-air discos featuring DJs from all over the world, from bars where the beer flows freely to foam parties and live music concerts, there's something for everyone! Some tourists only come to Bali for the world-famous Kuta parties.
#Flowers
Pretty tropical flowers are omnipresent, perfuming the air with their soft, sweet, tangy or intoxicating scents, and delighting the eyes with their brilliant colors. Frangipani, ilang-ilang, jasmine, bougainvillea, orchids... We make offerings, necklaces, incense, to delight your sense of smell, and even flower baths...
#Seabed
Despite the damage that the coral reefs around the coast have suffered over the years, Bali still boasts some magnificent diving and snorkeling sites. In turquoise waters, you can swim with fish of all shapes and colors, above equally stunning coral. Simply magical!
#Kretek
The kretek, a clove-flavored cigarette, is one of Indonesia's main aromas. It's what greets you as you step off the plane, and it's what follows or precedes you on your journey. Indonesia is obliged to import nails to meet domestic consumption.
#Losmen
" Losmen " means homestay. It's a Balinese-style guesthouse: a few rooms have been added to the family home and are rented out to visitors for a modest fee. Often, the house's courtyard features a pretty garden. Choosing this type of accommodation allows you to immerse yourself in the heart of the local population.
#Macaque
These clever animals live in all the forests of Bali, and if a temple is hiding there, they make their home knowing that men will feed them. Indeed, they are considered sacred and no one can risk letting them starve to death. You'll come across many monkeys in Bali when visiting temples and forests.
#Mandi
This word means "to take a bath": apart from in certain hotels, showers were quite rare a few years ago. The Balinese shower consists of a fresh-water tank with a small container to douse yourself in. Don't plunge into the tub, but draw water from the container and splash yourself.
#Pura
Pura means "temple". In Bali, apart from the countless temples, every village, every neighborhood, every building and every crossroads has a temple that receives offerings. Rice fields and cultivated areas also have temples. In short, if they are omnipresent, it's also because spirits and gods are everywhere.
#Tawar
It's an exercise you may not be used to, but one you're going to have to get used to quickly on the spot. Haggling concerns all prices, except those of hotels, restaurants and transport, which have fixed prices. But don't nitpick too much! Keep smiling and don't raise your voice, just be pleasant and negotiate!
You are from here, if...
You greet the Balinese, who are very polite. By learning the different greetings of the day and night - selamat pagi (morning), selamat siang (noon), selamat sore (afternoon), selamat malam (evening) and selamat tidur (night) - you'll show your interest in the Balinese people, and they'll return the favor.
Wear a sarong (a sarong-like cloth tied around the waist covering the legs) and a sash (a belt tied around the waist) in all temples and sacred places you visit, otherwise you risk offending the sensibilities of the Balinese or simply not being allowed in.
Above all, don't trample the offerings that have just been made on the ground in front of the houses. And don't collect live coral from the sea, which has already suffered enough ravages and only grows a few millimetres a year...
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