10 Rainy Season in Bali Travel Tips

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If you’re visiting Bali between November and April…congratulations, you’ve picked the rainy season!!! Cue the horns and drums. While many folks consider the rainy season in Bali to be the worst time to visit Bali…I wouldn’t necessarily agree. For starters, I visited in February and it didn’t rain at all. On the same hand, you can visit during the “dry season” and get rained out your entire vacation.

Bali weather is just cheeky like that.

Bali is great any time of year and I encourage your to visit when you are able, not just “when it’s the best time” because that’s really restrictive and not guaranteed. Outside of holidays, you can score some pretty fantastic deals visiting the island between November and April! Buuuut unless you’re lucky (like I happened to be), if you visit during the rainy season in Bali, you might get some rain here and there. Or the entire time. Again, Bali weather is just cheeky like that.

So regardless of when you visit, if the weather forecast actually lines up with the sky and it happens to rain on your Indonesian parade (figuratively or literally), here are some travel tips to help you make the most of the drizzle!

Poncho Up!

Full disclosure, I’m an umbrella girl. Yes, even though I live and work (non-remote) in Oregon, USA. I LOVE umbrellas okay? Sue me.

But in Bali…I’ll concede that ponchos are the way to go here. Even in the low season, Bali always has tourism, and that can make things a bit squished on the sidewalks and walking between buildings so it can make umbrellas really inconvenient. Paired with umbrellas being bulky and not covering you all the way, you’re likely still going to get wet.

Most convenience stores in Bali carry ponchos because they already know what you’ll need to make the rainy season in Bali more comfortable. Ponchos will cover your whole body, they work when riding a scooter (more on that in a second), they dry easily at your accommodations, and are small enough to fit into your day bag in case of sudden rain when you’re out and about.

Scooter Safety

Yoooo, I gotta lotta safety hesitations around riding a scooter or moped in Bali, which thankfully for you I’ll save for another blog post, but if you do decide to rent or get on a scooter during the rainy season in Bali, you need to take extra extra precaution.

The streets in Bali get extremely slippery when it rains, and the tire tread of local scooters is usually non-existent. Especially with a rental, things are already unfamiliar and you have no baseline to how the scooter drives under standard conditions, let alone with low visibility of the road in front of you AND below you.

Drive slow. Don’t weave. And always ALWAYS wear a helmet. When in doubt, just take Grab (their version of Uber) or taxi.

This is one of the many reasons I recommend getting travel insurance for trips during the rainy season in Bali. Not only are tours more likely to get canceled, but in the hopefully unlikely event that something happens and you get hurt, it’s reassuring to know you’ll be covered medically. You can go with whatever company suits your needs.

I recommend SafetyWing because they’re affordable and while I haven’t had to make any claims myself, friends that have had positive experiences. I’m not an affiliate or anything, I just liked that they made travel insurance easy and affordable.

Water Shoe Supremacy

Leave your white AirForces at homeeee.

Listen, it’s hecka muddy during the rainy season in Bali and flooding is VERY common. If you have waterproof sneakers, then by all means bring those, but otherwise your kicks will most likely get super dirty and super wet, which will take a long time to dry off.

The easiest solution would be to wear flip flops or slides instead. Problem solved! But what if you still plan on hiking and exploring and need something with more support? Or if you just really hate flip flops.

Hi, it’s me, I hate flip flops.

Well, I still recommend not wearing your sneakers out in the rain, but you should invest in some quality sandals with secure straps so your feet aren’t sliding around everywhere. My favorite are Sorel brand, as there’s lots of options and they have great traction. They even double as my water shoes! Those will be your best friend during the rainy season in Bali.

Ignore the Forecast

Well, for the most part.

Your weather app will be a bit more inaccurate in Indonesia than you might be used to, and that’s true for both the dry and rainy season in Bali. The forecast will often predict rain all day, which isn’t true. Or sun all day, and there will be a random downpour in the afternoon during the middle of your hike.

Use the weather forecast more as a rough guide, and don’t be afraid of planning trips when it’s supposed to rain. Just keep an eye on the sky and keep that handy dandy poncho ready. Hopefully any rain passes soon and you’ll still get plenty of sun, but if not, wait it out at one of Bali’s many cute cafes!

Seasickness Medication

This one is pretty straightforward, but one you might not think of in advance. The rainy season in Bali makes the ocean really rough. If you’re traveling to neighboring islands like Nusa Penida or Gili Trawangan, the ride is noticeably bumpier.

That’s where the medication comes into play. I recommend bringing it even if you’re not usually prone to nausea. Better to be overly cautious than violently vomiting over the side of a small boat.

Or however that saying goes.

Beach Please

Okay, full transparency, I mostly just really wanted to say that. BUT ALSO you should really adjust your expectations of the beaches during the rainy season in Bali.

Sure, they can still be super beautiful and peaceful and fun, but it’s unavoidable that you’ll eventually encounter some trash and plastic waste. Again, this points back to the rougher waters and the stronger current regurgitating ocean waste back onto the beaches. It also points to overconsumption and its cousin overtourism that is putting all of this trash into the ocean in the first place.

But we won’t get into that today.

In popular beach and resort areas there are daily cleanups, but even still you’ll see muddy waters and piles of washed-up debris. Even moreso in the mornings or after heavy rains. It’s the less cute side of Bali, but it’s a reality.

Adjust your expectations and consider escaping to a beachfront resort in Uluwatu or the islands, where this is usually less of a problem than on the coast from Kuta to Canggu or further north.

Don’t Overplan

And this is coming from a serial overplanner.

The rainy season in Bali WILL disrupt anything you think you have going on, and it’ll laugh in your face while doing so. Your itinerary is tentative until you’re actually doing it, and even then if the weather gets really nasty you might have to turn around.

Instead of being disappointed, I recommend to give yourself so wiggly room and plenty of back up options. There are a lot of things to do in Bali when it rains, so canceled plans don’t mean being stuck inside your hotel room all day. Since the rainy season in Bali means fewer tourists, there are usually open spots at restaurants and spas somewhere near you.

Avoid Walking Far

One, because during that long walk, chances are it might just start raining on you. Two, because no tea no shade the sidewalks in Bali aren’t that great to begin with and some portions might have you on the side of the road.

But specifically for why you should avoid marathon walks during the rainy season in Bali is because of the street flooding. Even if it’s technically not that deep, sometimes the sewers overflow and…yah, you shouldn’t be walking in that regardless of depth. In addition, the sidewalks get muddy and slippery and the puddles may get too deep to even cross.

Getting to places on foot in Bali is difficult as it is, but during the wet season, you’ll encounter overflowing sewers, muddy sidewalks and plenty of puddles. If your distance is more than a few blocks, avoid walking and grab a taxi or rideshare if it’s wet out.

Be Patient

On that note of grabbing a taxi or ride share…even that is easier said than done during the rainy season in Bali. Cars are less of an issue, but if you’re ordering food on an app, just know that motorbike drivers don’t accept orders on apps like grab or gojek, which means getting food delivery or scooter taxi will take a while.

Factor this in and try to order a car instead, which is more likely to come, but even then the notoriously bad Bali traffic will likely hold them up as well. Just be patient and wait it out somewhere dry until they arrive.

Embrace the Rain

You know the saying. If you can’t beat em, join em.

Rain doesn’t have to mean your day is ruined. You can still go on that hike – pack rain-friendly hiking gear. You can still enjoy the scenery – choose a venue with a covered outdoor space. You have your ponchos, sandals, and a DREAM. Plus, the rainy season in Bali is still warm. It’s really not that bad.

And best of all, it’s all part of the Bali experience.

Conclusion

Hopefully this post has helped ease any worries you might have had about planning a trip during the rainy season in Bali. I promise you’ll still have a great time, but having a few tips and tricks up your sleeve never hurts!

Do you have any other rain concerns? If you’ve visited during the rainy season in Bali, what other tips would you suggest? Let me know in the comments below!

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