Bali’s “dry” season stretches from April through to October and sees slightly cooler temperatures and less humidity across the island, perfect for sightseeing and long days at the beach. The peak tourist season coincides with the European summer holiday months of July and August, when hotel prices are inflated and there are crowds at many of the temples and scenic viewpoints. You can still get some good flight deals during this period, provided you don’t travel during the New Zealand winter school holiday period.
Off season
The “wet” season is not so pronounced in Bali as in other parts of Indonesia, with only short downpours experienced during the rainy months of October through to March. Humidity and temperatures are slightly higher, but none of these climatic factors put a serious dampener on sightseeing. Hotel prices drop considerably for much of the season and there are some good flight deals to be found, except over the Christmas/New Year period when cheap flights to Bali are difficult to come by.
When is the best time to book a flight to Bali?
To get the best flights to Bali at any time of the year, it is recommended to book as early as possible. The cheapest flights to Bali can be found outside of the peak tourist periods of July/August, Christmas/New Year and Easter week. If you plan to travel during these peak periods, you need to book well ahead if you want to secure good deals.
For flights to Bali from other New Zealand destinations it is best to connect through either Auckland, Christchurch or Wellington first.
Which airlines operate to Bali?
There are no direct flights to Bali from New Zealand but you can find flight deals from Auckland to Bali via Sydney with Virgin or a combination of Qantas and Garuda Indonesia.
Alternatively, there are flights to Bali from Auckland with Air New Zealand, connecting in Singapore or via Kuala Lumpur with Malaysia Airlines.
You can find flights to Bali from Christchurch with Virgin via Brisbane and you can fly from Wellington to Bali via Melbourne with Jetstar.
The best flight deals from Queenstown to Bali are also with Jetstar via Sydney.
How to get from the airport to the city centre?
Bali’s Ngurah Rai International Airport is located 13 km south of the island’s capital, Denpasar. There is an official taxi counter located just inside the arrivals hall with an official list of prices to all destinations throughout the island. Buy your ticket at the counter, then proceed outside where taxi drivers will be waiting. If you don’t buy your ticket beforehand the taxi drivers may try and negotiate a higher price. Expect around a 10 minute drive to Kuta hotels, 20 minutes to Seminyak and 30 minutes to Sanur.
Bali insider information
If endless days in the sun, surf and sand of Bali’s southern beaches doesn’t appeal to you and you’re looking to do something more meaningful on your holiday, then there are plenty of volunteer vacation opportunities, including organic farming, where you can get down and dirty while helping the local community.
While Bali may be the centre of tourism in Indonesia, skip a few islands to the east and you will find Komodo island National Park where adventurous tourists go dragon watching and scuba diving in this nature lover’s paradise.
Most popular destinations in Bali
(prices quotes are from Wellington)
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