Magnificent beaches, impressive temples, stunning rice fields, imposing volcanoes, dream surfing waves, and super-friendly locals are some great reasons to visit the paradise known as Bali in Indonesia.
But if that isn’t enough, it is possible to do all of this on a very friendly budget, so where to begin?
This is the key to your budget-friendly dream trip to Bali. A motorbike will give you absolute freedom and get you from place to place in the most cost-effective manner.
For those afraid of motorbikes, I suggest you overcome those fears, as you will be hopping on motorbike taxi rides anyway all the time. Or just get ready for a more expensive, less convenient trip.
I rented my bike in Canggu which was my first destination after landing in Denpasar, for the price of 60,000 IDR per day, that’s 4 dollars!
My hostel recommended Madey to me, and he was very nice. He gave me a free driving lesson. and didn’t even check the motorbike when I gave it back three weeks later, just a friendly smile with several missing teeth at the front. So you won’t get scammed here. You can contact Madey at +6285100509409.
I rented the Honda Vario 125cc and it worked a treat! The roads in Bali are quite decent and the distances short, so you will be able to get around quite quickly.
Don’t pack too heavy so you can fit your bag between your feet. Just another reason to travel light, as I explain here.
Fuel is also cheap and you can fill up for around the same price as a day’s rent.
You have your transport, now you need to stay somewhere.
Prices in Bali range from cheap 5$ hostels to luxury hotels costing hundreds, to long-term rentals of great Villas at decent prices.
At the lower end of the range, here is a handy tip: look for places online, and then drive up to your desired venue with your motorbike and negotiate a price 10%- 15% lower. In smaller hostels and homestays they will usually give you a discount if they have free space, as this is the fee they pay the booking sites anyway.
It’s just the money of mega-corporations like booking.com that stays in your pocket instead.
This nice trick will save you quite a few dollars down the road. Here’s a picture from my balcony at a homestay in Munduk where I paid for a private room just 6$ a night!
Ah, the Bali food! I loved it so much: yummy, palatable, and very cheap indeed!
Of course, I’m talking about the local food, which is what you should be eating most of the time in Bali when you are on a budget.
The meatball soups with noodles: Mi Ayam and Bagsu Ayam are delicious, and cost around $1!
Other local meals are also cheap. Don’t be afraid to eat street food in Bali, I did it all the time and had no stomach trouble at all. If anything it was the Western food that caused me problems; with my pockets as well.
By all means, treat yourself to a burger or Pizza once in a while, but you should be eating street food most of the time, which is one of the main attractions in any destination. Trust me, you won’t regret it!
As I mentioned earlier, price ranges in Bali are quite wild, and those changes also depend on where you are on the island. The less touristic northern Bali is much cheaper, and in my humble opinion far more relaxing and authentic.
The northern shore is just three hours away by motorbike, although It took me over a day to reach the relaxing beaches of Amed because I just had to stop at all these beautiful places along the way!
Any trip over two weeks should definitely include northern Bali, and save you quite a bit of money in the process!
I have written a detailed guide with the perfect route for visiting north Bali here, so check it out!