Bali — Pulau Dewata — Island of the Gods

Quick facts

• About 4.49 million people (BPS projection for 2026); Buleleng (18.4%) and Kota Denpasar (17.1%) are the most populous areas, Klungkung (4.7%) the least
• 5,582.83 km² of land in eight regencies and one city, with 57 kecamatan and 718 desa and kelurahan; Buleleng is the largest regency (1,322 km²) and Denpasar the smallest (126 km²)
• 86.36% of residents are Hindu, making Bali Indonesia's only Hindu-majority province; Gunung Agung (3,031 m) is its highest peak
• 6.95 million foreign visitors arrived directly in 2025, up from 6.33 million in 2024, and Ngurah Rai airport handled 24.1 million passengers
• Accommodation and food services produce 22.3% of Bali's GRDP, its largest sector; the economy grew 5.82% in 2025
• A province since 14 August 1958 (Law 64/1958), with Denpasar as its capital; time is WITA (UTC+8), an hour ahead of Java

Best time to visit

April–October (dry season)

In 2025 the Ngurah Rai weather station logged 12–15 rainy days a month in April–June and only 5–8 in July–October, with just 7.7 mm of rain in August. Temperatures average 26.7–28.5°C all year. The Bali Arts Festival (Pesta Kesenian Bali) fills June and July at the Art Centre in Denpasar: the 48th edition ran from 13 June to 11 July 2026 and drew 1.8 million visitors.

November–March (wet season)

December to February is the wettest stretch: Ngurah Rai recorded 527.5 mm over 26 rainy days in January 2025 and 405.3 mm over 24 days in December 2025. Expect heavy showers and high humidity.

13–23 January 2027 (Galungan and Kuningan)

Galungan, one of Bali's main Hindu holy days, comes round every 210 days (one Pawukon cycle); the next falls on 13 January 2027, after 17 June 2026. Kuningan follows ten days later, on 23 January, with prayers finished before noon.

8 March 2027 (Nyepi)

The Day of Silence for Saka New Year 1949, a national holiday on Monday 8 March 2027. The island shuts down from 06:00 to 06:00 the next morning, including the airport and ferry harbours, and visitors stay in their hotels. National leave days for Idul Fitri follow on 9, 12 and 15 March 2027, so expect heavy travel either side.

Tips

• Wear a sarong and a sash to enter any temple; large temples rent them out at the entrance, or buy a set on arrival.
• International tourists are charged the Rp150,000 Bali tourist levy (Perda 6/2023, amended by Perda 2/2025): pay online at lovebali.baliprov.go.id by bank transfer, virtual account or QRIS and keep the emailed voucher.
• On Nyepi everything stops: Ngurah Rai closed from 06:00 on 19 March 2026 to 06:00 the next day, cancelling 440 flights. The next Nyepi is Monday 8 March 2027, so do not book arrivals or departures that day.
• Allow extra time in the south: Bali had about 5 million vehicles in 2024 for 4.4 million people (WRI), and jams are common all year in Kuta, Legian, Seminyak, Canggu and Sanur.
• Gojek and Grab work in Bali, but some villages and taxi associations bar app pick-ups, with signs in places such as Canggu, Jimbaran and Uluwatu; walk out of the zone or meet your driver around the corner.
• To ride a scooter you need an International Driving Permit with a motorcycle endorsement; otherwise the cashless Trans Metro Dewata buses (Rp4,400, QRIS or e-money) link Kuta, Denpasar, Sanur, Nusa Dua and Ubud.