Best Time To Visit Bali For Your Next Solo Trip | Solo Female Travel
I have said it before, and I will say it again, Bali is quite a magical place. The island has so much to offer, from the stunning beaches to relax at to the adrenaline-pumping activities. And not to forget the mouthwatering Balinese cuisine without which your solo trip is incomplete. It’s like Bali presents itself to you on a platter, and you get to choose what you want!
One of the best ways to make the most of your solo trip to Bali is by selecting the right time so that you don’t miss out on things that excite you the most!
Basically, the entire year in Bali is divided into two seasons—the dry season, which lasts from April to October, and the wet season, which lasts from November to March. With that being said, you can find the average temperature on the island to remain pretty much the same throughout the year. However, humidity is something to look out for when it comes to the Bali weather. During the wet season, the humidity increases way too much and makes the atmosphere muggier and sweatier!
This blog is all about the best time to visit Bali for your next solo trip. I will be breaking up the blog into different sections that will be about the best time to visit the island, considering how you want to spend your vacation!
The peak time in Bali
In Bali, the peak time begins in April and lasts till August. If you happen to visit Bali during these months, you will see that most of the tourist areas are very crowded. Similarly, hotels follow this trend too. You will notice an increase in the price of hotels in Bali during these months than the rest of the year.
However, in November, December and January too, tourism is at its peak. This is because thousands of tourists visit Bali at the end of the year to celebrate New Year and also witness some of the stunning cultural and music festivals that are hosted on the island!
When should you visit Bali to avoid crowds?
Isn’t this something we all want, a vacation without extreme crowds? Well, to enjoy a solo trip to Bali without the crowds, the best time to visit would be during the months of October, January, and February. While these months experience the most rainfall, they are also likely to be tourist-free. This means that you will find the island to be calm and more peaceful than other times!
Also, these months are a great opportunity for you to check out all the famous Balinese temples and try out different Balinese cuisine.
Can the rainy season affect your solo trip to Bali?
The rainy season falls between the months of November and March. During this time, you may have to let go off of your plans of trying out water sports, such as scuba diving in Bali. But this does not mean that you cannot try out other things, like visiting the meditation and yoga retreats. You can even check out Balinese forests, such as the Ubud Monkey Forest because it looks surreal during the rainy season.
But here is a thing that you must remember, rainy season means mosquito season in Bali. So while going out, slather a good amount of mosquito repellent cream on your exposed body parts. Even better, you can buy a mosquito repellent bracelet which you can wear around your wrists or ankles to keep the mosquitos away!
In Bali, locals drink lemongrass tea to ward off the mosquitos. You can try that too if such local things seem interesting to you!
The best time to visit Bali for hiking or water sports
If one of the main reasons for your solo trip to Bali is hiking or trying out adventurous water sports, I would say the best time would be the dry season. Hiking during the wet season is not a good idea because of the slippery trails. Similarly, trying out water sports during the wet season can turn out to be dangerous too!
Also, if you want to roam around the island on your rented bike or car, the dry season would be the ideal choice.
The best time to visit Bali for the beaches
If you are a beach bum, the stunning beaches of Bali will spoil you for choices. And the best time to visit Bali for a beach vacation is the dry season, which includes the months of May, June, July, August, and September. During these months, the rain is limited, and the sun shines at all times of the day!
However, the downside of these months is that they fall during the peak season. The beaches will be crowded, and you may have a hard time finding an empty place.
The best time to visit Bali for culture and music festivals
The thing about Balinese culture and music festivals is that there are too many of them. These festivals are hosted all throughout the year. So, the best time to visit Bali for these festivals may vary for every solo female traveller. Depending on which festival you want to attend, you can plan your solo trip accordingly.
One of the most famous Balinese festivals is the Bali Arts Festival. It is hosted in June or July, which again falls during the peak season. And you can imagine the crowd during the peak season! In fact, you may find almost all the festivals during that time to be extremely crowded.
Check out my blog on must-experience festivals on your solo trip to Bali.
This is a basic layout of when you should visit Bali, keeping in mind what you want to do. However, if you are just looking for a getaway from the busy city life, you can visit Bali at any time of the year. The island is beautiful throughout, and every month has something special lined up for you!
Now, let’s take a look at some of the famous touristy places that you must check out during your solo trip to Bali.
The Bali Swing
You have got to try the famous Bali Swing! It is considered a unique version of exploring this gorgeous island. You will be high up in the sky, and it is a beautiful experience in itself. The swing ranges from 10 to 78 metres in height, and you can select the height that you want.
The Bali Swing is also one of the most picturesque places in Bali. To get aesthetic pictures, I would suggest that you wear a floral dress. You can pair the dress up with a jean jacket to complete the look! Read my guide on what to wear on your solo trip to Bali.
The best time to try out the Bali Swing is the months of April and September, as this is when you can expect less rainfall and pleasant weather!
The Yoga Barn
Many tourists visit Bali to meditate and practice yoga. Even though this was not a primary reason for my solo trip to the island, I did visit a yoga retreat since it is quite popular in Bali.
Yoga Barn is one of the most famous yoga and meditation retreats in Bali. Most solo female travellers choose this one because of its serene surroundings in Ubud, which happens to be the yoga centre on the island. At Yoga Barn, you will have plenty of meditation and yoga packages to choose from. The best part about these packages is that they have programs for people of all types. For instance, if you have never tried yoga before, you can still practice it at Yoga Barn!
You can visit Yoga Barn at any time of the year. During the rainy season, the atmosphere makes for a beautiful environment to practice yoga and mediation!
Ubud Monkey Forest
Ubud Monkey Forest is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Bali. And you will agree with me when you visit it on your solo trip. The monkey forest has more than 700 different varieties of long-tailed monkeys. Along with the monkeys, there are a lot of species of flora and fauna as well. The atmosphere in the forest is extremely pleasant. Taking a walk in the Ubud Monkey Forest is a refreshing experience in itself!
The only thing you need to be careful about is the monkeys. Some of them are extremely naughty and may snatch your belongings if you are not careful or alert enough. However, if you want to click pictures with the monkeys, you can do that at the entrance of the forest as the monkeys here are a bit friendly!
The best time to visit Ubud Monkey Forest is any time throughout the year. In my opinion, the best time would be during the rainy season because the rain sure does make the atmosphere much more pleasant and calm.
Tanah Lot Temple
One of the many things that attract tourists to Bali is the magnificent Tanah Lot Temple. It is located on top of a beautiful rock formation that adds to its beauty. And the sunset views from Tanah Lot Temple are just so mesmerising! Since the temple is a famous tourist spot, you may find it crowded, depending on the time of the year you visit. And the crowd may thicken during the evening as most locals and tourists stay back at the temple to see the sunset.
The best time to visit Tanah Lot Temple would be during the offseason, that is, the wet season. An advantage of visiting the temple during the wet season is that the weather becomes quite pleasant!
Chedi Club Hot Air Balloon
Hot Air Balloons are fun in their own way. Another advantage of hot air balloons is that it lets you explore Bali with a different perspective.
In Bali, only one place, the Chedi Club, offers hot air balloon rides. So you can be assured that it will be a great adventure. From the hot air balloon, you can see many tourist places from up above the sky, including the holy Mount Agung, the tropical rainforests of Ubud, and the beautiful rice fields of Tanah Gajah! Trust me—the views will be breathtaking!
If you want to witness some stunning views, I would suggest that you go in the morning or evening. Mornings especially for the sunrise and evenings for the sunsets! Well, what can get better than these views from a hot air balloon ride?
The best time to go for a hot air balloon ride is during the dry season, for obvious reasons. But even during the dry season, there are chances that your ride gets cancelled due to extremely windy conditions.
Have you figured out the best time to visit Bali as per your interests?
Bali, as a whole, remains beautiful throughout the year. Regardless of when you visit the island, you will surely have a great time. Now deciding the best time depends on you, really. Like I mentioned earlier, you need to plan your solo trip to Bali in such a way that allows you to do and see everything that you want!
But remember, since you will be in Bali only for a few days to a few weeks max, you will be missing out on some things anyway. For that, you can always plan a second solo trip, right?
I visited Bali in November end, which is when tourism kind of starts to peak again. But I had a great time on the island. I had planned my solo trip in such a way that I was able to do everything that I wanted!
If you do decide to go to Bali for your next solo trip, all you need to do is research a bit and plan accordingly. If you are visiting Bali for the first time, these tips for your first solo trip can be helpful. Till then, happy travelling ladies! I hope you get to live your dreams and tick every place off your wishlist!