3 mistakes first-time Bali travellers make

Bali gets visited by millions of travellers every year. A surprising number of them come back saying the same things: "it was beautiful, but..." followed by a story that usually involves one of three predictable problems.

Here they are — and how to not repeat them.

Mistake 1: Staying in Kuta

Kuta is where most international flights deposit you. It's also where the crowds, the noise, and the aggressively tourist-focused restaurants concentrate. Staying there to "get your bearings" is how you spend your first two nights in a place that looks nothing like the Bali you actually came to see.

The fix: Book your first night in Seminyak or Canggu if you want nightlife and surf. Ubud if you want rice terraces and culture. Go to Kuta only if you have a reason — the beach is genuinely great for surfing.

What a lot of first-timers don't realise: it takes 45 minutes to drive between major areas. Plan where you want to be, not just where you want to land.

Mistake 2: Under-estimating the visa + cash situation

Bali's visa on arrival costs $35 USD at the airport. It gets charged at the counter — in USD, often only cash. The ATM queue at Ngurah Rai airport at 11 PM on a Sunday is not a fun introduction to the island.

The fix: Carry $50 USD in cash before you fly. Sorted.

For the rest of the trip: BCA and Mandiri ATMs in Seminyak and Ubud give the best exchange rates. Avoid the money changers near Kuta Beach — the "no commission" signs come with quietly terrible rates.

"Bali doesn't punish you for being underprepared. It just makes everything a little harder than it needs to be."

Mistake 3: Packing the itinerary

Bali rewards slowness. Travellers who try to hit the rice terraces, a waterfall, a sunset temple, a spa, and a cooking class in one day come home exhausted and weirdly unsatisfied. The ones who spend an entire afternoon in one café watching the rice paddy — they're the ones who call it life-changing.

The fix: One or two things per day. Build in an afternoon with no plan. Hire a driver for a day (around ₹2,500 for 8–10 hours) and tell him your general interests, not a list of stops. The best recommendations come from the conversation.

The thing nobody tells you to do

Rent a scooter for one full day — even if you don't usually ride. Not to go anywhere in particular. Just to take small roads and see where they go. Bali at 20 km/h, through quiet villages and rice fields, is a completely different island from Bali at 80 km/h on the bypass road.

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Planning Bali for the first time? Talk to a trip expert and we'll make sure you spend your time in the right places.