Bali, Indonesia City Guide
If you’re looking for beach life on a budget or lavish living at low prices, then Bali is THE spot in Southeast Asia.
Sure, things aren’t as cheap as they used to be. But you can still live an amazing life on this island for peanuts.
There’s incredible beaches, fun nightlife, amazing Indonesian girls, culture, and more. Bali is a traveler’s dream – both for men on vacation and digital nomads looking for a base.
In the end, even though this has become so popular and everybody seems to be talking about Bali when thinking “Indonesia” it is so for a reason: because it’s amazing. And today I am here to share with you a complete travel guide to the city.
Population: Almost 4.5 million
Weather: Depends on the season. Bali is always hot, humid, and tropical. However, during the months of October through April, travelers may find wet season rains all too common. Temperatures hover between 80-90 degrees Fahrenheit all year.
Safety: Incredibly safe. Sure, you’ll have to deal with a few Bogans and scammers every now and then, but Bali is one of the safer places travelers can visit. There’s almost no shootings or violent crimes here.
MUSTS: Beach living! The surf in certain areas of Bali is legendary and the sunsets are some of the best I’ve ever seen. Grab a drink at Potato Head Beach Club early evening and unwind with the stunning views.
Ubud is also a MUST while on the island. Even if you’re living in Kuta, Legian, or Seminyak – you’ll want to head over to Ubud and soak in some culture for at least a weekend. Unwind a bit and make sure to check out the Monkey Forest.
Apartment Prices: Apartment prices vary all over Bali. A number of travelers rent villas with their friends. These places typically come with pools and lavish Balinese designs.
For a studio or one-bedroom in Seminyak, you’re looking at $350-900 a month. Hotels in the area with pools run $18-50 a night. In Bali, you can spend as little or as much as you want.
Hostel Dorm Prices: While I don’t recommend staying in hostel dorms at Nomad Not Mad, you can find cheap dorms in Kuta for $4-8 a night.
Even though this gives you the chance to connect with fellow backpackers and maybe even meet some foreign ladies, you miss out a lot by not having your own room.
Nightlife in Bali: There’s something for everyone in the Bali nightlife scene. Whether you’re looking for a rowdy night out or a laidback evening by the beach, Bali nightlife has it all!
Your humble author spent most of his nights out around the Seminyak area, but did venture down to Kuta a number of times.
So here are three great places for a big night out in Bali:
- La Favela: A personal favorite hunting ground, a met some nice girls in here. From a Jakarta girl to tourist chicks to a tight Swedish gal living in Bali who I dated for a bit – you’ll have quite the array of women to choose from here. This large bar is perfect for guys based up in Seminyak and is open every day of the week.
- Sky Garden: A Bali classic, you’ll have to deal with Bogan retards in the place, but they’ll always be some babes here looking to hook up. If you’re looking to party hard, then this spot is hard to beat. Weekends are better, as weekdays can be dude heavy.
- Mirror: This place is a bit odd, but it’s the best place to pick up girls from Jakarta on holiday that I’ve found. The other two choices above are a bit rowdier, but I liked this place and did really well here. It’s in Seminyak, too.
Price of a Beer: $2-8
Price of a Bottle: $50-300
Online Dating in Bali: With so many tourists, you know that Tinder is amazing in Bali. For any guy under 30, I’d definitely suggest swiping away while on the island. I met a number of really nice girls using Tinder in Bali.
However, not that many of them were Balinese. And I wanted a local girl badly! You can’t go to Bali and not meet a local – that’s an important part of your travel!
So I checked out Indonesian Cupid. I wasn’t planning to, as I knew I’d be partying a lot in Bali, but the allure of the Balinese women got to me.
There weren’t as many Indonesian women on the site as there are in Jakarta, but there were enough. And only Balinese chicks that love foreign men use the site, so you will be extremely satisfied if you give it a try.
It was like shooting fish in a barrel. I ended up meeting three amazing Balinese chicks in the one month I used Indonesian Cupid while on the island. I highly recommend the site if you’re looking to meet and hook up a local.
P.S: Learn more about online dating in Indonesia here.
Chance of Hooking Up in Bali: 8/10
It’s pretty damn easy to hookup in Bali, but online dating options aren’t as good as Jakarta or Bangkok where Thai girls are everywhere, eager to meet foreigners.
There’s a higher ratio of foreign guys to local girls here, too. That being said – almost every girl out at night on the island is open to hooking up.
If you have decent game at bars and clubs, you should be able to take something home over a two-week trip.
The combination of night game, Tinder, and Indonesian Cupid should ensure any man who puts in an effort at least meets a chick or two to have some fun with.
Are the Girls Beautiful in Bali?: Yes, but it’s a bit different. The Balinese girls are not as attractive as girls in Jakarta on average.
However, there are stunners from all over the world here. You’ll meet European chicks, Australian girls, and Asian women here. It’s just the average is a slightly overweight Australian girl.
Living in Seminyak, you’ll definitely have better-looking chicks around each day than in Kuta.
Overall, I was thrilled with the girls I met and dated while in Bali, but I met a few guys who struggled, too. It’s not a guaranteed spot like Jakarta or the Philippines.
Language Barrier: While Balinese is the language of the island, the place is built on tourism. As such, the vast majority of people in Bali can speak English at some level. Many involved in tourism speak English near fluently.
Work Available?: Bali is a hard place to find decent paying work, as so many people want to live by the beach.
English teaching jobs are available, but the pay often leaves something to be desired. Your best option for working in Bali is to live the digital nomad life and work online or at least have some remote working available before getting here.
Or be rich and live off your savings. Nobody’s judging!
Taxi/Uber: Uber is in Bali. It’s what I used almost exclusively while on the island when I needed a taxi.
However, renting a motorbike/scooter is also an option. If you’re going to be there longer than a month, I’d highly recommend getting around this way unless you’re drinking.
Bachelor Budget Needed: $1,200-2,000 a month depending on lifestyle. You can live a pretty good life in Bali on $1,200-1,400 a month in Seminyak once you know the area better and where the deals are.
Bali Overall: I loved it! Overall, I’m a huge fan of this tropical paradise.
There are women all over that are open to hooking up and the beach is stunning here. Plus, you can escape to nature and check out Ubud anytime you want to.
If you’re looking for a low-cost location to base up and live the good life, then Bali is tough to beat.
The combination of price, beaches, nature, Bali nightlife, and girls is a definite contender for my favorite spot in all of Southeast Asia. It will be yours, too – if you manage to stay out of Kuta!