Are you going to solo travel in Bali as a woman? Then welcome to this article with Bali tips for first time travellers and solo travel female in Bali. Although I have traveled almost the entire planet, I found my first trip to Bali quite exciting. It was 2017 and I had given up everything I had to go and travel the world alone after my 16 year long relationship ended. Bali was my first destination in Asia. Ever since, I have returned several times, most recently in November 2025. Altogether, I have now been in Bali six times and I still love coming back here each time.
In this article I will not only share my best tips for your first time in Bali, but also where to stay as a solo female traveler in Bali (spoiler: it’s not Canggu!) and what to consider before you go. Enjoy reading and of course: enjoy your trip to Bali!
This article was first published in 2018 and updated after my most recent trip to Bali in November 2025.
Arrival at Denpasar Airport as a solo female traveler in Bali
Your first challenge will be to get from Denpasar Airport to your hotel. If you want to avoid stress upon arrival, make sure to book transport ahead. Grab and Gojek (more on those services later) have pick up points but those are away from the main terminal. And in all honesty, I never really felt like anything stressful after a 24 hour journey.
Ever since I’ve been coming to Bali, I have a driver named Ketut. He’s been driving me around on my longer journeys in Bali many times, while for shorter rides I usually use Grab. He’s not just reliable but also speaks good English (many Grab or Gojek drivers don’t) and he’s always willing to make an extra stop at an ATM or for some snacks or drinking water. You can Whatsapp Ketut at +628123972131 and tell him you find him on my website to ensure the best prices. I always agree with him upfront about the fare for a specific ride. Note I don’t get any commission whatsoever, I would just love it if you’d support his small business and his family.
Alternatively, you can pre-book your transport on Get Your Guide, they have several options and I have good experiences with them. Do you have a late arrival and don’t want to have to drive far? Then book a hotel near Denpasar airport and continue your journey the next morning.
Where to stay in Bali solo female traveler
Since I find myself too old to spend the night in hostels in dorm rooms, I usually sleep in midrange or smaller luxury hotels in Bali. Bali is quite cheap and for a for about 25 EUR/30 USD I usually manage to find an overnight stay in a great hotel with swimming pool, sometimes even with an infinity pool. What you should pay attention to when booking accommodation in Bali is of course very personal but below are some suggestions:
- Consider the location. How far is the hotel from everything? Can you walk or do you need to take a taxi to get anywhere? I sometimes enjoy being out in the middle of nowhere but then always make sure that my hotel has a restaurant where I can eat at night so I won’t have to walk through the dark by myself or get a taxi each time I want to eat.
- I also always make sure that the room has air conditioning and not just a fan and that breakfast is included.
- I usually make reservations through Booking.com, they have the best deals and sometimes the option to cancel for free, should there be a last minute change in my plans. I usually aim for hotels that have an 8 or higher as a rating.
- Are you looking for a good hotel in Ubud? Then check this article with my tips on where to stay in Ubud incl. a great and cheap hotel with infinity pool in Ubud!
- Always go through other traveller’s reviews and scroll down. The best reviews are obviously placed on top, but I’m always interested in reading about the downside of each hotel.
Since I always travel solo in Bali, I cannot afford luxury hotels, however the accommodations below I have found very pleasant as a solo female traveler in Bali over the past years:
What to know about money in Bali for solo female travelers
Note that you can not pay everything electronically and there for you should always carry cash with you. You can find ATM’s everywhere on Bali. Usually they give out 100,000 IDR banknotes and sometimes 50,000 IDR notes. As you have to pay an X amount to your bank every time you grab cash from an ATM, I usually take out the maximum, which can be anywhere from 1.5 million to 3 million.
Small notes are highly looked for (eg those of 10.000 and 20.000) and I always keep them for taxi rides for example, since drivers often pretend that they have no change. In some places you can pay with your bank card or with your creditcard, but keep in mind that an additional 3% surcharge applies in most places. In addition, it is often the case that prices on a menu are exclusive of tax and service. This can be as high as 15%. So check the bill before you pay because a tip is no longer necessary (but is appreciated).
Booking tours in Bali
If you do not want to go out with a motor bike yourself, you can choose to go on a tour and discover the best pieces of Bali. I did this, for example, while cycling on Bali and while climbing Mount Batur.
Tours are offered everywhere on the street by small agencies, but the quality of the trips can vary. Check whether there is a minimum number of participants and, if so, whether this has already been reached so that the tour of your choice will happen and not be canceled at the last minute. Sometimes you have to pay for a tour immediately, do not forget to request a voucher and / or proof of payment. Occasionally I only paid when I was picked up at the hotel. In terms of price, never pay the initial price they ask, about half of it or somewhere in between is better.
A very reliable way to book your tours nowadays is to pre-book tours via Get Your Guide. I’ve used them for several tours in the past (e.g. when I was backpacking on Java and in Thailand) and even though they’re usually a bit more expensive than when you book locally, it’s easy and convenient and can easily be done online.
Bali for solo travelers: transportation on Bali by taxi
The taxi world in Bali is a special one. There are two main ride services that everyone uses: Grab and Gojek. I decided to get just one app (Grab) since I didn’t want to bother checking out both apps for the best prices each time. Although I used Grab a lot during my most recent stay in Bali, I noticed that most drivers don’t speak English and there’s not always a seat belt present. You will travel in the driver’s private car and sometimes it would smell of smoke or other things. For me, Grab was an easy way to quickly get from A to B. Note that Grab is not allowed to go everywhere and does not go to more remote places such as Sidemen, also to protect the work of local people.
Grab and Gojek have cars and motors. I honestly never took a motor ride as I don’t want to risk my life (sorry not sorry) and noticed they don’t have helmets for passengers most of the time.
For longer transfers I usually contact Ketut who then takes me somewhere for an agreed amount. Alternatively if he was booked, I’d ask my hotel to arrange transport for me. Again, this is not always the cheapest option but I feel that in that way I can also support local people and at least I know it’s reliable. I barely ever use metered taxi’s anymore.
Taking a motorbike as a solo female traveler in Bali
I also took on a motorbike a few times but never felt super comfortable. Remember that there are no real traffic rules in Bali and that you are not the first tourist to experience a motorbike accident, so be especially careful, especially if you have no experience with riding a motorbike.
In addition, it applies to many countries that you must be in the possession of a motorcycle driving license (in the Netherlands, you need to get this next to your regular license) in order to be able to drive in accordance with the conditions of your travel insurance. So always double check check if your motorbike is insured with your travel insurance because in many cases, it may not be as you need a special license for this. In recent years, more and more accidents happen in Bali and motor bike rental for tourists has become a big point of discussion.
Also, remember that the distances on Bali may seem small, but that a journey of around 50 kilometers can take hours. And I mean literally hours. Google Maps is your biggest enemy in Bali, because there’s always a traffic jam somewhere, along with a festival or something else that makes traffic super slow. Just something to keep in mind during your trip to Bali!
Food and drinks
You don’t have to be hungry in Bali at all, as there are countless restaurants and cafés, especially around Ubud and the coastal regions. What to eat varies from typical Balinese / Indonesian to Western cuisine. If you want traditional food, choose a warung, a local eatery. Western food is generally easy to find, especially in the known places, but is often more expensive. Breakfast is usually included in your accommodation and can vary from a simple banana pancake to an extensive breakfast buffet. Some of my favorite local dishes include nasi goreng or mie goreng and gado gado.
Tap water is not safe to drink, but you can buy bottled water everywhere or have your water bottle filled in many places. The coffee is usually very strong and dark stuff. In many places you get Bali coffee but sometimes they also have Nescafé. There’s also plenty of fancy espresso machines everywhere so getting a latte or flat white has become quite common over the past years.
I’m always cautious on eating local food though because of the infamous Bali belly. With the precautions I take I’ve been lucky enough to never had it super bad. I always check Google reviews about a specific place and get a sense of the feeling I get from it. I’m cautious eating meat on the street and usually stick to vegetarian when it looks sketchy.
Solo travel in Bali: where to go
After six times in Bali I think I have seen most places and can give you a good idea of what’s fun and what’s not. It’s all very personal, of course. I have a few favorite places that I can recommend, depending on what you’re looking for.
I’ve honesty found most of Bali’s beaches quite disappointing. I’ve been to quite a few, such as Sanur and those around Uluwatu, but I just don’t see the charm. Of course, this is very personal, but I’d rather head to Nusa Lembongan for a beach stay. Do you want a beautiful white sand beach and bright blue water? You can find it on the Gili Islands, I stayed on Gili Air and I loved it. Here you can read more about my visit to Gili Air.
Ubud in central Bali is a place not to be missed but not loved by everyone because of the crowds. I have been here during my first trips but now tend to avoid it because it’s so crazy busy. Yet it is a nice base for trips to the Batur volcano and the various waterfalls, as well as the beautiful rice fields of Jatiluwih.
If you want to see more rice fields, I advise you to go to Sidemen, this is also called the Ubud from 15 years ago. It is super quiet and it is beautifully situated. I was here for the first time in 2017 and it has grown significantly ever since, however, its charm is still there. No hustle and bustle though so if you’re looking for partying, then Sidemen is definitely not your place.
On one of my more recent trips I went to Munduk and absolutely loved it. It’s quiet, beautiful and somewhat unspoiled. However, it’s quite a journey from many places as well.
Last but not least, I’m honestly not a big fan of the busy south of Bali. I avoid places such as Kuta and Canggu, especially the latter one since it’s horrible to get in and out because of massive traffic jams and most of it’s charm has been destroyed by mass tourism. If you want to stay in the south of Bali, try Sanur or Pecatu/Uluwatu instead.
Bali as a solo female – my experience
I personally like to go to Bali and I have seldom felt uncomfortable there. That said, I always try to take into account the fact that I don’t walk alone on the street late at night, I keep my valuables in my locker and I carry no more cash in my pocket than necessary. I am also not waving my phone around and I’m aware of my surroundings. They are all logical things and should be practiced all over the world wherever you travel, but I still wanted to mention them.
Of course you’ll have to deal with men in Bali who call after you and want something from you. However, I found this a lot less intimidating here than in other places in Asia. It’s often the case in Bali that once you say “no thank you”, they accept this and do not keep running after you. The people in Bali are generally very friendly and welcoming and only very few have bad intentions.
In addition, of course you just have to follow the rules on Bali regarding visits to temples, clothing and things like that. Short pants and bare shoulders are not accepted in many sacred places and, for example, at the hot springs of Banjar (Lovina) that I visited, you are often only allowed in when you wear clothing. If you obey these rules and respect the laws, you will experience Bali at its best. Always make sure to carry a sarong with you to cover knees and/or shoulders.
If you feel that solo travel in Bali will not be your thing, you can also decide to go on a women only tour.
Earthquakes in Bali: information and where to find out more
I also wanted to mention this it’s not uncommon for earthquakes to happen while in Bali. It actually happened to me both times I was there. The first time during my stay in Sidemen in 2017 and in 2019 when I was in Ubud. Unfortunately, earthquakes are a natural phenomenon that occur regularly. You may assume that if the locals don’t panic, there’s nothing to worry about. For example, during my last 2023 trip I was shaking in my bed and I felt a slight panic. As it was at night, everything else remained silent so it probably wasn’t a huge earthquake. In the end it turned out not to be super heavy but it just felt like that.
And finally: do NOT overstay your visa in Bali (visa overstay Bali)
Because … that’s not very clever! Unfortunately, I ended up in this situation in 2017. I had a tourist visa for 30 days and my plane ticket turned out to be 33 days. It was possible to extend it on the spot, but then I had to give away my passport for a week and had to go back and forth to Denpasar, which didn’t work as I also wanted to go to Lombok to climb Mount Rinjani. So I took a bet, adviced by of other travelers, to attempt an overstay in Bali, or an illegal stay of 3 days. In the best case you get a fine, in the worst case … well I don’t want to talk about that.
Looking back at it, it was of course super stupid since I had quite a stress about it, both during the trip and after coming home. In general, the sanctions for the Dutch seem to be better than for some other countries, but there are stories of people who have to go to jail because they overstayed their visa in Bali. On departure I received a fine and a warning that I should have had my papers fixed earlier.
When I recently arrived in Bali again, I felt really uncomfortable and I was even a bit scared that I would not be admitted because of my previous overstay in Bali. In short: my three day overstay in Bali caused a lot of stress for something that could easily have been prevented by arranging my visa in advance. In hindsight, it was not worth the stress at all.
Solo travel in Bali – further reading
These were my tips for your first time in Bali and solo travel in Bali, whether on your own and / or as a woman. I hope you found this Bali travel blog useful. If you have any questions, feel free to ask. I you want to continue reading, you may enjoy the following posts:
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