Cheap Bali holidays - Enjoying Bali for much less

Various Tips for Cheap Bali Holidays; travel around the island, enjoy tasty food and stay at nice accommodation for much less...

Bali can be enjoyed by anyone. Whether you are spending a luxurious holiday in one of the many villas on the island or if you have been backpacking through South East Asia and want to explore Bali too.
Bali is definitely an island for any type of holiday with any type of budget.

Traveling with a backpack or a suitcase,
anybody can enjoy cheap Bali holidays

But despite being located in Indonesia where the cost of living is relatively cheap, Bali has become one of the most expensive islands in the region.
If you are from Europe or the United States you might be surprised to find restaurants which could be more expensive than back at home.
It's therefore not always the case that this island is the place to celebrate cheap Bali holidays. Nevertheless there are many ways to keep the budget low and here are some things you can keep in mind so you can enjoy the island without spending too much.

Cheap Bali Holidays - Flights

More and more budget airlines are flying to Bali so it can save you a lot of money by comparing prices online.
If you are departing from Australia you should check out the low cost airlines such as Air Asia, Jetstar, Virgin Blue and Garuda Indonesia.

Cheap Bali holidays start off with cheap airline tickets

As for South East Asia the most popular airline is AirAsia that since 2010 even has a direct flight from Phuket to Bali. So for those who are traveling through Asia it is worthwhile to check their prices too.
If you are already in Indonesia and depending on where you are then there are other airlines of which you probably never heard of such as AdamAir, LionAir, Batavia Air and Sriwijaya.
All Indonesian airlines are known to have bad safety records and most of these airlines are still banned from the European airspace. But the Indonesian airline industry has improved tremendously compared to some years ago and it has become relatively safe to travel with them.

Lion Air flies makes cheap Bali holidays possible...

When coming from the United States or Europe it is of course best to go to Bali during the low season. Not only will the air ticket prices be lower but your holiday will be a lot cheaper overall. Check out Singapore Airlines and Qatar Airways as they often have good deals.
For travelers from Europe it might be a option to leave from another airport that charge lower airport tax etc. For instance London Heathrow is very expensive to leave from so you might want to consider Airasia that leaves from Stansted airport or travel via Gatwick, London City or Manchester. This can safe you a lot of money.

Non-direct flights can be cheaper than direct flights

Cheap Bali Holidays - Getting around the island

The cheapest way ever to travel around the island is to do as the locals do. Public transportation in Bali comes in different forms.

To safe money on your cheap Bali holidays you might need
to squeeze yourself in to the bemo every now and then

First of all you have the busses that travel between the biggest villages. Once in the village you can continue you trip on the bemos (minivans) that drive a specific route and stop whenever somebody needs to get off or on.
There are no timetables or written information on the bus or bemo routes. So you need to ask around to figure out which bus you need to get into. Don't worry there are many who are willing to help.

Cheap Bali holidays include the bus but they can be painfully slow

If you want some comfort and want to get to your destination faster you can take the Perama Tourist Shuttle bus that runs scheduled routes between major tourist villages.
Private drivers are also pretty affordable if you want to do a day tour. Generally it is best to avoid arranging one at the hotel reception as it is likely to be more expensive.
What you can do is to approach the many drivers along the road and negotiate a price. Some travel agents in the tourist villages have good deals as well.

Perama Shuttle Bus is a cheap way to travel around Bali

Our favorite way to travel around is hiring a car or motor bike as they are cheap to rent and you are able to drive where ever you want to go to. However this way of traveling can be dangerous especially in the crowded south of the island.
Just be aware that the traffic in Bali can be much different then what you are used to and make sure you take the same precautions as you do at home.

Three seems too much but the Balinese can easily fit 4 or 5 on a bike

Another cheap option is taking one of the many taxis around. A taxi is quite cheap for short distances. So if you want to go from your hotel to a specific restaurant in town you will sure enough pay less than USD5.

Cheap Bali Holidays- Places to stay

Today Bali is trying to focus on travellers with a higher budget so don't be discouraged if you only see Bali accommodations reaching USD200. Fortunately there is still enough choice for visitors who prefer to stay somewhere a lot cheaper but with some value.
In Bali the walk- in rate and the rates on the hotel sites are often much higher than the rates you would find on the many hotel booking sites. These sites offer great deals for all types of accommodation.

A nice Ubud accommodation is Puri Ayu Cottages (USD 50 p.n.)
Room 108 has ricefield view

A great hotel booking site is hotelscombined. This site searches through different bookingsites such as booking.com and agoda.com to find the best deal for you.
But generally the most characterful Bali cheap accommodation are not found online. These are mostly the homestays and family owned hostels that you just have to know or bump into if you are looking for a room on the spot.

There's no way around it, Ida's homestay in Candidasa is
the nicest homestay in Bali

In Ubud there are many Bali accommodations which are really cheap such as Lecuk Inn and Padma Accommodation in Jalan Kajeng. As for Sanur we recommend Kekek homestay on Jalan Tamblingan or Bali Mille Guesthouse on Jalan Bumi Ayu.
The standard of cheap accommodation in Kuta area is in our opinion very low however Kedin Inn 2 in Gang Sorga just between Poppies lane I and II is quite nice.

Cheap Bali Holidays -Places to eat

Eating out in Bali is one of the easiest things when it comes down to cutting your budget. In the tourist villages food is found at almost any corner from international cuisine to the typical Indonesian restaurant. The last one is the one you should watch out for if you want a cheap meal which is just super delicious.

Enjoy cheap Indonesian food and meet fellow
travelers at Dewa Warung, Ubud

Usually the name of the restaurant start with 'warung' and they serve a range of Indonesian/Balinese dishes. You either order from their menu but sometimes they have a dozen or more dishes displayed too.
Just walk over there and point at everything that just looks yummy. Fresh juices and other types of drinks (not alcohol) is always much cheaper here than in other types of restaurants.

Warung Murah, Legian makes eating out on cheap Bali holidays fun

After you've got everything all you need to do is...enjoy. Make sure you limit yourself to a few dishes otherwise you will be so full that your stomach just feels like exploding. Had to learn this lesson the hard way too many times ;-)
Here are some warung-suggestions:
In Kuta you have the popular Masakan Indonesia in Jalan Poppies II. If you happen to be in Legian then head to Double 66 street where you'll find Warung Murah.

Fill up as much as you want at Warung Ocha, Seminyak

In the middle of the expensive restaurants in Seminyak you have Warung Ocha. They are located on one of the corners of Jalan Legian. Look out for their red sign.
In Ubud you can enjoy delicious food plus wifi at Warung Lada on Jalan Hanoman. An other option and a great place to meet fellow travellers is Dewa Warung in the small Jalan Gootama. There are just a couple of long tables here so just join one of them and eat with others the tasty food that is served here.

Packed at lunch so be on time at Warung Lada, Ubud