Skip to main content
AMZBooking
Site links
Bali Museum, Bali

Solo travel · Bali · Indonesia

Solo travel in Bali

How to enjoy Bali at your own pace.

Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team

Photo: PHGCOM, CC BY-SA 3.0

Quick answer

Bali is one of Asia's most popular solo destinations: Canggu and Ubud have large communities of travellers and remote workers, with yoga classes, surf camps, coworking spaces and hostels that make it easy to meet people. Many solo travellers base themselves in Canggu.

Key facts

Base
Canggu
Getting around
Car
Emergency number
112 (general emergency), 110 (police), 118 or 119 (ambulance)
Language
Indonesian and Balinese

Solo travel tips

  • Stay in Canggu or Ubud for the most social hostels, cafés and group activities.
  • Join group tours for Mount Batur, Nusa Penida or snorkelling to share costs.
  • Use Grab or Gojek rather than riding a scooter if you are not an experienced rider.
  • Keep valuables in your accommodation's safe and watch for bag snatches from passing scooters.
  • Let someone know your plans before solo hikes or remote beach trips.

Where to stay

$$ · Best for solo travellers, nightlife, food lovers and budget

Canggu

Once a string of rice fields and surf beaches north of Seminyak, Canggu is now Bali's hub for digital nomads, with brunch cafés, gyms, coworking spaces and beach bars at Batu Bolong and Echo Beach. The surf suits intermediate riders; traffic on the narrow lanes is notorious.

Good
Lively café and bar scene; Good-value guesthouses and villas; Surf for all levels nearby
Watch out
Very congested roads; Construction and noise in places
Nearby
Batu Bolong Beach, Echo Beach, Tanah Lot, Berawa

Great on your own

Uluwatu Temple and Kecak dance, Bali
Photo: Paskuu, CC BY-SA 4.0

Religious site · Uluwatu

Uluwatu Temple and Kecak dance

Remove sunglasses, hats and dangling earrings: the resident macaques snatch them and trade them back for food.

Time needed
2–3 hours
Cost
Low cost
  • Iconic
  • Views
  • Couples
  • Photo spot
  • History
Tanah Lot, Bali
Photo: Grayswoodsurrey, CC BY-SA 4.0

Religious site · Tabanan

Tanah Lot

Arrive mid-afternoon to see it at low tide and stay for sunset from the cliff-top cafés.

Time needed
2 hours
Cost
Low cost
  • Iconic
  • Views
  • Photo spot
  • Kids
Tirta Empul, Bali
Photo: Chainwit., CC BY 4.0

Religious site · Tampaksiring

Tirta Empul

Go early, bring a change of clothes and ask a local guide to explain which spouts are skipped.

Time needed
1–1.5 hours
Cost
Low cost
  • History
  • Photo spot
  • Iconic
Ulun Danu Beratan Temple, Bali
Photo: LukeTriton, CC BY-SA 4.0

Religious site · Bedugul

Ulun Danu Beratan Temple

Bring a jacket; Bedugul is often misty and cool, and the morning has the calmest water for reflections.

Time needed
1–1.5 hours
Cost
Low cost
  • Iconic
  • Photo spot
  • Architecture
  • Kids

Religious site · Karangasem

Lempuyang Temple

Arrive at dawn to beat the photo queue, which can last hours, and to see Mount Agung before clouds form.

Time needed
2–5 hours
Cost
Low cost
  • Views
  • Photo spot
  • Active
  • History
Mount Batur sunrise trek, Bali
Photo: WikiSantaClaus, CC BY 4.0

Nature · Kintamani

Mount Batur sunrise trek

Wear proper shoes and bring a warm layer; it is cold at the top before sunrise.

Time needed
6–8 hours including transfers
Cost
Mid-priced
  • Active
  • Views
  • Nature
  • Outdoors
  • Photo spot

Meeting people

  • Jimbaran seafood dinner — Tables on the sand at Jimbaran Bay serve fish, prawns and clams grilled over coconut husks at sunset; agree on prices by weight before ordering.
  • Ubud cooking class — Many Ubud classes start with a morning market visit and teach base genep spice paste, sate lilit and lawar in a family compound.
  • Seminyak — Beach clubs with pools and DJs, such as Potato Head, and stylish cocktail bars on Jalan Petitenget.
  • Canggu — Beach bars at Batu Bolong and Echo Beach and busy bars along Batu Bolong and Berawa roads.

Sensible precautions

The main risks are road accidents, especially on scooters, and strong rip currents on the west and south coasts — swim between the red-and-yellow flags. Monkeys at temples can bite, and illicit arak has caused methanol poisoning.

Emergency number
112 (general emergency), 110 (police), 118 or 119 (ambulance)
Staying connected
Mobile data is inexpensive and coverage is good in the south and Ubud; buy a local SIM or eSIM on arrival, and most cafés and villas have Wi-Fi.

Questions travellers ask

+Is Bali good for solo travellers?

Bali is one of Asia's most popular solo destinations: Canggu and Ubud have large communities of travellers and remote workers, with yoga classes, surf camps, coworking spaces and hostels that make it easy to meet people.

+Where should solo travellers stay in Bali?

Canggu: Surf breaks, cafés, coworking spaces and rice-field views.