Useful Information for Backpacking Bali

You will find both Indonesian and Western food in most places. We think Indonesian food is some of the best in the world, from nasi goreng and gado-gado to fresh grilled fish, and we hope you will agree. If you need a pizza or a burger, Western food is easy to find in Bali, Lombok and the Gili islands. Choice is more limited in remote places such as village homestays and on boat trips, where meals are local dishes cooked for the group.

Yes, and it is delicious! If you see local people eating somewhere, that is the best sign the food is safe: eat where the locals eat, and the longer the queue, the better the food is likely to be. As with anything, use common sense, and if something looks or smells wrong, leave it. And never drink the tap water: stick to bottled or filtered water.

Yes. Tofu and tempeh are everyday ingredients, and dishes such as gado-gado, nasi campur and vegetable curries are easy to find, especially in Bali, where vegetarian and vegan cafés are everywhere. Your guide or coordinator can ask kitchens to make a local dish without meat. In remote places the choice is simpler, and some sauces and sambals contain shrimp paste (terasi), so let us know when you book and mention it when you order.

Yes, absolutely. Just let us know when you book your trip and we’ll make sure your dietary needs are taken care of so it doesn’t affect your experience.

No. Drink bottled or filtered water, which is cheap and easy to find, and many hotels, cafés and shops have refill stations if you bring a reusable bottle. Ice in restaurants and bars in tourist areas is usually made from filtered water. If you have a sensitive stomach, use bottled water to brush your teeth too.

We recommend arriving before 16:00 on day 1 of your tour. Check in at the hotel on day 1 is at 14:00 with early check in available subject to hotel vacancy. You are free to use the hotel facilities and leave your bags in a secure place if you arrive early before checking in. On departure, we suggest leaving after 11:00 or 12:00 (noon) in order to enjoy a final breakfast with everyone but if you can find a cheaper flight early in the day, that's no problem at all! Just let us know your flight details in the ‘Login’ area. If your flight arrives before the starting date, we can arrange extra accommodation which includes hotel transfer and breakfast. This can be booked in your account under Extra Trips.

Please book your flights into and out of Ngurah Rai International Airport (DPS) in Denpasar, Bali. Your airport pick-up on day 1 and your drop-off on day 18 are both included, to and from this airport.

Your airport pick-up on day 1 and your drop-off on day 18 are both included. The drop-off runs all day until midnight on day 18, so you can book a flight home at any time that day. If you book extra nights with us before or after the tour, transfers are included for those nights too. If you book your own accommodation, we can only pick you up on day 1.

Once you have booked your flights, log in to your account and add them under Flight Details.

Most likely, yes. British passport holders, like most visitors, need a visa. The usual choice is the 30-day visa on arrival, which you can buy online in advance as an e-VOA on the official Indonesian eVisa website or on arrival at the airport. It costs IDR 500,000 and can be extended once, for another 30 days. Only a small number of nationalities, mainly from Southeast Asian countries, can enter without one.

Your passport must be valid for at least six months from the day you arrive, with two blank pages, and you need proof of your return or onward journey. The visa on arrival covers tourism only, not volunteering. Rules depend on your passport, so check our Indonesia visa guide and the UK government's entry requirements (or your own government's advice) before you travel.

Please wait for your booking confirmation email, which tells you when we recommend arriving and departing. You can search and book flights on our flights page.

We will send you your airport transfer information one week before the tour or programme begins.

International flights are not included in the price of any tour and will need to be booked separately. You’re free to book your own flights or book here.

Once you've booked your flights, log in to My Account on our website and enter your flight arrival details. That is how your group leader knows when you are landing.

Arriving before the tour starts, or staying on at the end? Let us know as early as you can so we can check availability and pricing on extra nights.

Please let us know as soon as possible. If you are already en route and a connecting flight changes, contact your group leader or email us so we can still meet you at the airport.

Your deposit ensures your reservation for the tour or program. It guarantees your spot until 60 days prior to the scheduled commencement date, at which time the outstanding balance must be settled in full. Failure to complete payment by the specified deadline will result in the cancellation of your reservation, and the vacancy may be offered to another prospective participant. The remaining balance can be found in your account, and multiple reminders will be sent in advance of the due date to ensure timely payment.

For group tours, your place is confirmed once enough travellers have booked, and always at least four weeks (28 days) before your tour starts. Most group tours are confirmed around six months before departure.

For volunteer or private bookings, please allow 2-3 working days.

If a tour does not run, you get a full refund.

Not at all! A small deposit will confirm your place on the tour. We ask that you please provide the remaining balance no less than 60 days before your tour begins.

Yes, as long as you give us at least 60 days' notice before your original departure date, so another traveller can take your place. A £30 administration fee applies to a date change.

Yes! After placing your deposit, you can pay off the tour in instalments of your choosing, whenever suits you. The remaining balance is due 60 days before your tour starts, and you can see it at any time in your account.

A backpack is the most convenient, but a suitcase works too. You never carry your luggage far, though you will lift it on and off boats and minibuses, and on car-free islands such as Gili Trawangan you may walk a short way from the harbour on flat paths. Pick something sturdy and, if possible, waterproof, and bring a small daypack for days out. If your trip includes an internal flight, check the luggage allowance before you pack.

We recommend the following: - 1 pair of long trousers - 1 light but waterproof jacket (Nothing too thick!) - Simple padlock to lock up your belongings - 1 long sleeved top - 1 electrical converter (to avoid blowing out that hairdryer or beard trimmer) - Shoes that are suitable for hiking - Waterproof shoes if you have them - Shoes that are easily removed. (Upon entering temples and many buildings you will be expected to remove your shoes as a sign of respect. The easier, the better.) - Swimwear - A camera is highly suggested to remember your experience! - Insect repellent - Sunscreen. Lots of sunscreen And of course, the usual: passport, spending money, adventurous curiosity, positive attitude, etc!

Indonesia uses Type C and Type F sockets, with two round pins, and a 230V supply. Travellers from the UK, US and Australia need a plug adapter. Most phone and laptop chargers work on 230V, but check anything else, such as hairdryers, before you plug it in. See our plug and socket guide.

The tour finishes in Seminyak after breakfast on day 18. Your airport drop-off at Ngurah Rai International Airport in Denpasar is included and runs all day until midnight, so you can book a flight at any time that day. If you would like to stay longer, book extra nights at the hotel in your account under Extra Trips, and luggage storage is available if you want to explore before you fly. We are also happy to suggest where to go next.

Yes. The activities are there to enjoy, not compulsory, so if you would rather stay back at the hotel to rest or explore on your own, just let your guide know. On a volunteer programme, your project days are the exception: please tell your coordinator in advance if you need to miss one.

Not at all. Plenty of travellers arrive a day or two early to get over the flight. Just make sure you are at the first hotel on day 1 of your tour, or on the Sunday your volunteer programme starts.

We can usually book extra nights before your trip for you: ask us, or add them in your account under Extra Trips where they are offered. Your tour page shows whether an airport pick-up is included. If you are arriving early, tell us your flight and we will let you know whether your pick-up can be moved, or send you simple directions to the hotel.

Clean, comfortable and simple, chosen for its location. On most nights you stay in hotels, guesthouses or villas in twin or triple-share rooms, most with air conditioning and hot water. Solo travellers share with someone of the same gender unless you ask otherwise, and couples always share. Some trips also include nights in hostel dorms, a village homestay, beach huts, a mountain camp or on a boat, where facilities are more basic.

Your itinerary lists the accommodation for every night. Volunteer programmes are based in a shared volunteer house, and on a private tour the rooms are just for you and your party.

Nyepi, the Balinese New Year, is a day of silence. For 24 hours from 6am, the whole of Bali stops: the airport closes, no flights land or leave, and everyone, visitors included, stays inside their hotel with lights and noise kept low. The evening before, villages hold lively ogoh-ogoh parades of giant papier-mâché figures, which are well worth seeing.

The date follows the Balinese calendar and usually falls in March; in 2027 it is expected on 8 March. If your time in Bali includes Nyepi, we will plan around it, but do not book flights into or out of Bali on that day.

The trip starts in Kuta and finishes in Seminyak.