Bali Travel Guide 2026: Beyond the Influencer Feed

Bali welcomed nearly 7 million international visitors in 2025. Most of them went to the same five places, ate at the same smoothie bowls-and-acai cafes, posted the same infinity pool shot, and left thinking they'd seen the island. They hadn't.

This bali travel guide isn't going to pretend the island is some undiscovered paradise. It's not 2012 anymore. Canggu's a construction site. Seminyak traffic will make you question your life choices. The Gates of Heaven at Lempuyang Temple has a two-hour queue for a photo that gets faked with a mirror anyway. That's the reality. But Bali is also a place where you can ride a scooter through rice terraces so green they look photoshopped, eat a plate of babi guling that costs $3 and changes your understanding of pork, dive a coral wall that drops into blue nothing, and sleep in a bamboo villa where the only sound is the river below.

You just have to know where to go. And more importantly, where not to.

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What's New in 2026: Entry Requirements and Fees

Before you book anything, here's what's changed.

The tourist tax is real and mandatory. Since February 2024, every international visitor to Bali pays IDR 150,000 (about $10 USD) as a tourism levy. You can pay online before arrival through the official Love Bali website or at the airport when you land. Pay online. The airport line is slow, and you can't skip it.

Visa on Arrival still works for most nationalities. Citizens of 90+ countries (including the US, UK, Australia, Canada, and most of the EU) can get a 30-day Visa on Arrival for IDR 500,000 (~$32). It's extendable once for another 30 days. The e-VOA lets you apply and pay online before you fly, which saves time at immigration. Do this.

The new digital entry form. Indonesia rolled out "All Indonesia," a single digital form that combines immigration, customs, and health declarations. It replaces the old separate forms. Fill it out before your flight.

Stricter screening is coming. Bali's been talking about requiring proof of funds, confirmed accommodation, and a basic itinerary for entry in 2026. This is aimed at cracking down on the digital nomad visa-runners and budget travelers who overstay. As of early 2026, enforcement has been inconsistent, but having a return ticket and at least a couple of hotel bookings ready isn't a bad idea regardless.

Travel insurance isn't officially required but should be. Indonesian hospitals are expensive for foreigners, and medevac to Singapore or Australia will bankrupt you. Get coverage. This isn't optional advice.

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The Overtourism Reality: Let's Be Honest

Bali's southern tourist corridor has a problem, and pretending otherwise doesn't help anyone.

Canggu went from a sleepy surf village to a construction-choked boomtown in about five years. The main drag is now wall-to-wall cafes, coworking spaces, and boutique shops, which sounds charming until you're stuck in gridlock on Jalan Raya Canggu at 5pm behind 400 scooters and a cement mixer. The beaches are still good. Echo Beach at sunset is still worth your time. But the village vibe that put Canggu on the map? Gone. What's left is a WeWork with better weather.

Seminyak has been a tourist zone for longer and wears it more comfortably, but the traffic is brutal. The Seminyak-Canggu corridor, particularly Jalan Raya Kerobokan, is what locals call a "Red Zone." What should be a 10-minute drive routinely takes 45. Flooding during rainy season makes it worse.

Kuta is Kuta. It's been a tourist trap since the '90s. If you want cheap beer and club culture, fine. Everyone else should keep driving.

The temple circuit that every tour company sells (Tanah Lot, Uluwatu, Tirta Empul, Tegallalang rice terraces) is a conveyor belt. You'll spend more time in a minivan than at the actual sites, and when you arrive, you'll share them with hundreds of other people taking the same photo.

None of this means you should skip Bali. It means you should skip the version of Bali that Instagram sold you and find the one that's still there underneath.

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When to Go: Timing Is Everything

Bali has two seasons: dry (April through October) and wet (November through March). But the details matter more than the labels.

The Sweet Spot: May, June, September

These shoulder months are the move. You get dry weather, lower humidity, and noticeably fewer tourists than the July-August peak. Prices on accommodation drop 20-30% compared to high season. September is particularly good: the rice terraces are lush, the diving visibility peaks, and the crowds have thinned out after the European summer holidays.

Peak Season: July – August

This is when Bali is at its most crowded and expensive. Australian school holidays, European summer breaks, and domestic Indonesian tourism all converge. Hotels in Ubud and Seminyak spike 40-60%. Popular restaurants need reservations. If this is your only window, you'll still have a great time, but you'll pay more and wait more for everything.

Rainy Season: November – March

It's not as bad as people think. Rain in Bali usually means a heavy downpour for an hour or two in the afternoon, then sunshine again. Mornings are typically clear. The upside: prices crater, the island empties out, and everything is spectacularly green. The downside: some dirt roads in rural areas get muddy, surf conditions can be rougher, and a few days of continuous rain do happen, especially in December and January.

Skip Nyepi (Balinese New Year, usually March). The entire island shuts down for 24 hours. No flights, no driving, no leaving your hotel room. It's a fascinating cultural event to witness, but not if you've only got a week and lose an entire day. Check the date before booking.

For how Bali fits into a broader year of travel, check our month-by-month planner for 2026.

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East Bali: Where the Island Still Feels Like Bali

If you only take one thing from this guide, let it be this: go east. East Bali is what the rest of the island was 15 years ago. The pace is slower, the prices are lower, the rice terraces aren't roped off with selfie platforms, and the Balinese culture is woven into daily life rather than packaged for tourists.

Sidemen

Sidemen is the rice terrace experience that Tegallalang pretends to be. A valley of cascading green flanked by Mount Agung, with a village where farmers still work the fields by hand and ceremonies happen on the regular. Stay in one of the bamboo villas perched above the terraces (Samanvaya, Wapa di Ume Sidemen, or for budget travelers, Loka Hostel) and you'll wake up to a view that makes you want to cancel your return flight.

What to do: Walk the rice terraces on your own (no ticket booth, no crowds). Take a cooking class at a family compound. Visit Besakih Temple, Bali's most important Hindu temple, on Mount Agung's slopes. It's touristy at the main entrance, but if you hire a local guide, they'll take you to sections where you'll be alone with the stone and the mist.

Getting there: Two hours from the airport, 90 minutes from Ubud. Hire a driver or ride a scooter if you're comfortable with Bali roads.

Amed

Stretched along a rugged volcanic coastline in Bali's far northeast, Amed is a string of fishing villages connected by a single road with Mount Agung looming behind. The beaches are black volcanic sand, the vibe is barefoot-and-boardshorts, and the diving and snorkeling are some of the best in Bali.

The diving: Japanese Shipwreck is a shore dive you can literally walk into from the beach. The coral gardens at Jemeluk Bay are accessible to snorkelers. For certified divers, the drop-offs and walls at Amed rival many destinations that cost three times as much. Visibility runs 15-30 meters in dry season.

Where to stay: Amed is cheap by Bali standards. Simple beachfront bungalows run $15-25/night. Mid-range options like Blue Moon Villas or Griya Villas have pools and sea views for $50-80. It's not luxury, and that's the point.

The catch: Amed is remote. It's 2.5-3 hours from the airport with no traffic. Once you're there, there's not much nightlife and the restaurant scene is limited. That's a feature, not a bug, but know what you're signing up for.

Candidasa

Sits between Amed and Ubud on the east coast. Quieter than either, with a more grown-up crowd (read: couples and older travelers). The Tenganan village nearby is one of Bali's original Bali Aga communities, predating the Hindu-Javanese influence. Worth a visit for the double-ikat weaving alone. Snorkeling at Blue Lagoon and Bias Tugel beach is solid.

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The Central Highlands: Bali Above the Beaches

Most visitors stick to the coast. The interior of Bali is a different world: volcanic lakes, mountain forests, clove plantations, and some of the best trekking on the island.

Munduk

A mountain village at 800 meters elevation in Bali's north-central highlands. The air is cool (you'll want a light jacket at night), the surrounding hills are blanketed in coffee, clove, and cacao plantations, and there are enough waterfalls within a short drive to fill two days.

Don't miss: The Munduk-to-Asah trek is a half-day walk through plantations and jungle. Golden Valley Waterfall is less visited than the ones closer to the village. The coffee here is grown locally; drink it at Munduk Moding Plantation, which also happens to have infinity pools overlooking the valley.

Pair it with: Twin Lakes (Danau Buyan and Danau Tamblingan) are a 20-minute drive north. Rent a canoe, walk the forest trail between them. You'll see maybe ten other people.

Kintamani and Mount Batur

The sunrise trek up Mount Batur is, yes, a tourist thing. About 300-400 people do it on a busy morning. But it's a tourist thing because watching the sun come up over the caldera lake from 1,700 meters is objectively spectacular. Go with a local guide (mandatory anyway), leave at 3:30am, and you'll be back for breakfast.

Skip: The Kintamani "viewpoint" restaurants that tour buses stop at. Overpriced buffets with a view you can get for free from the road.

Don't skip: The hot springs at Toya Devasya, on the shores of Lake Batur. Natural thermal pools looking across the lake at the volcano. IDR 150,000 entry (~$10), and it's one of the most relaxing things you'll do on the island.

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Ubud: A Reality Check

Ubud's reputation as Bali's cultural heart isn't wrong, but it needs context. The Ubud of Eat Pray Love is buried under a layer of wellness retreats, tourist restaurants, and traffic that rivals the south coast. The main streets (Jalan Raya Ubud, Jalan Monkey Forest) are a slog during the day.

But Ubud earned its reputation for a reason, and the good stuff is still there if you know where to find it.

Where to Go

Campuhan Ridge Walk. Go at 6:30am before the heat and the crowds. A paved path along a narrow ridge between two valleys, with tall grass on both sides catching the morning light. Twenty minutes out and back. Free. One of the best short walks in Southeast Asia.

Tirta Empul (the water temple outside town) is worth it if you go early. Arrive at 8am when it opens, before the tour buses at 10. The purification ritual in the spring-fed pools is one of Bali's most meaningful cultural experiences, and it's open to respectful visitors.

Skip the Monkey Forest. Aggressive macaques who've learned that tourists carry phones and snacks. You'll spend more time protecting your stuff than enjoying it. Not worth IDR 80,000.

Where to Eat

Ubud has Bali's best food scene, but you have to get off the main road.

Locavore is a fine-dining restaurant that sources almost everything from Indonesian farms and foragers. It's got a Michelin-level reputation (and prices to match, ~IDR 1.5M+ for the tasting menu), but if you're going to splurge once on the island, make it here. Book weeks in advance.

Warung Biah Biah serves traditional Balinese food in a simple setting on Jalan Suweta. Nasi campur here is IDR 35,000 and comes with a half-dozen small dishes that rotate daily. This is what Balinese home cooking actually tastes like.

Milk & Madu in Penestanan does excellent brunch (yes, it's a cafe, but a legit good one) and has a kids' play area if you're traveling with family.

Bridges has the setting: a restaurant spanning a gorge with the Campuhan river below. The food is good, not revelatory, but you're paying for the view and it delivers.

Where to Stay

Don't stay on the main road. Penestanan, Nyuh Kuning, and Keliki are quieter neighborhoods within 10-15 minutes of central Ubud where you'll actually hear birds instead of motorbikes. A private villa with a pool in Penestanan runs $40-80/night. In central Ubud you'd pay double for worse.

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The Nusa Islands: An Honest Comparison

Three islands off Bali's southeast coast, each with a different personality. All reachable by fast boat from Sanur (30-45 minutes, IDR 150,000-200,000 each way).

Nusa Penida

The biggest and most dramatic of the three. Kelingking Beach (the T-Rex cliff) is the photo everyone knows, and it hits harder in person than any drone shot suggests. The island has rugged limestone cliffs, crystal-clear water, and manta ray cleaning stations where you can snorkel with mantas between July and November.

The reality: Roads on Nusa Penida are rough. Like, white-knuckle-on-a-scooter rough. Steep, narrow, unpaved in sections, with cliffs and no guardrails. Every year tourists get hurt. If you're not an experienced rider, hire a driver. The island needs a full day minimum, two days to do it properly. Stay overnight to hit the western viewpoints at sunrise before the day-trippers arrive from Bali.

Nusa Lembongan

Smaller, calmer, more developed. You can cycle around the whole island in a couple of hours. The snorkeling at Mangrove Point and Crystal Bay is excellent without needing a boat. Devil's Tears is a blowhole on the south coast that goes off at high tide like a geyser. The vibe is more relaxed than Penida, with enough restaurants and bars to fill your evenings.

Best for: Couples, families, people who want tropical island beauty without the adventure-sport intensity.

Nusa Ceningan

Connected to Lembongan by a yellow bridge. The smallest island, mostly known for the Blue Lagoon cliff jump and a handful of laid-back beach clubs. It's a half-day add-on to Lembongan rather than a destination in itself.

The verdict: Penida for the scenery and mantas, Lembongan for a relaxed island stay, Ceningan if you want a cliff jump photo.

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Food: Eat Like You're Actually in Bali

Bali's food scene splits into two universes. There's the tourist restaurant world (smoothie bowls, avo toast, overpriced pasta) and the warung world (local eateries where the food is better, the portions are bigger, and the bill is a tenth of the price). Spend your time in the second universe.

The Dishes You Need to Eat

Nasi Campur. The Balinese daily meal: a plate of rice surrounded by small portions of whatever's been cooked that day. Shredded chicken, tempeh, sambal, lawar (minced meat with coconut and spices), vegetables, sometimes a fried egg. Every warung makes it differently. IDR 20,000-40,000 ($1.50-2.75).

Babi Guling. Spit-roasted suckling pig. Bali's most famous dish, and it lives up to the hype. The skin is crackling-crisp, the meat's infused with a turmeric-and-chili spice paste, and it comes with rice, lawar, and blood sausage. Warung Babi Guling Pak Malen in Seminyak is reliable. Ibu Oka in Ubud is the famous one (Anthony Bourdain went), but quality has been inconsistent lately. If you're in the Gianyar area, hit the night market for babi guling that locals actually eat.

Lawar. Finely chopped meat (often pork or chicken) mixed with grated coconut, spices, and sometimes fresh blood. It sounds intense. It's extraordinary. Ask for lawar babi (pork version) at any warung.

Sate Lilit. Minced fish or pork wrapped around a lemongrass stalk and grilled. Different from the skewered satay you'll find elsewhere in Indonesia. Better, if you ask us.

Nasi Jinggo. Bali's street food staple: a tiny portion of rice with shredded chicken, sambal, and fried noodles wrapped in a banana leaf. Costs IDR 5,000-10,000. Sold from roadside carts, usually at night. Three of them make a meal.

Warung Rules

The best warungs are the ones packed with locals at lunchtime. They usually don't have English menus or Instagram accounts. Point at what looks good in the glass case. Eat with your right hand if you want to go local (there's usually a small water bowl for washing). Tip isn't expected but IDR 5,000-10,000 is appreciated.

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Budget: Bali's Getting More Expensive (But It's Still a Deal)

Bali isn't the backpacker bargain it was a decade ago, especially in the tourist south. But compared to most of Asia's top destinations, it's still excellent value.

Budget Tier: $30-50/day

Hostel dorm beds (IDR 100,000-200,000), eating at warungs for every meal, renting a scooter (IDR 60,000-80,000/day), and sticking to free or cheap activities. Very doable in Ubud, Amed, or Sidemen. Harder in Canggu or Seminyak where the temptation to eat at cafes adds up fast.

Mid-Range: $70-120/day

Private room in a guesthouse or small hotel with a pool ($25-50/night), mix of warung meals and the occasional nice restaurant, a day trip or activity (diving, cooking class), and Grab for transport. This is the sweet spot for most travelers. You'll be comfortable without watching every rupiah.

Comfort: $150-250+/day

Boutique hotel or private villa ($60-120/night), eating wherever you want, private driver for day trips (IDR 600,000-800,000/day), spa treatments. Bali does mid-range luxury better than almost anywhere. A villa with a private pool, daily breakfast, and a rice terrace view for $100/night is the kind of value you won't find in Thailand or Vietnam anymore.

What's gotten expensive: Airport transfers (IDR 300,000-400,000 to Ubud), tourist-area restaurants (IDR 80,000-150,000 for a main), and anything sold in USD or with "organic" in the name. The tourist tax and visa fees add $42 before you've left the airport.

What's still cheap: Warungs, local transport, temples, and accommodation outside the south.

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Getting Around: The Scooter Question

Let's address it directly: renting a scooter is how most travelers get around Bali, and it's how most travelers get hurt in Bali.

If you're an experienced rider: Rent a scooter (IDR 60,000-80,000/day), get an international driving permit before your trip (you technically need one), and stay off the main roads in Seminyak/Canggu during rush hour. Use Google Maps, drive defensively, and wear a proper helmet (bring your own if you're serious about it, rental helmets are garbage).

If you're not an experienced rider: Don't learn in Bali. The traffic is chaotic, the roads have potholes and random dogs, and the drivers around you are unpredictable. Every hospital in south Bali treats scooter injuries daily. It's the single biggest source of tourist injuries on the island.

Alternatives:

• Grab/Gojek work everywhere except areas where the taxi mafia has pushed them out (parts of Ubud, some beach areas). Cheap for short rides.
• Private drivers make sense for day trips. Hire one for 8-10 hours at IDR 600,000-800,000 ($40-55) and they'll take you anywhere on the island with AC and local knowledge. Ask your accommodation to arrange one.
• The Kura-Kura bus runs a shuttle service between major tourist areas (Kuta, Seminyak, Ubud, Sanur). Not fast, but cheap and air-conditioned.

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The Gili Islands: A Quick Detour

Three tiny islands off Lombok's northwest coast, reachable by fast boat from Bali (2-2.5 hours from Padang Bai or Serangan).

Gili Trawangan (Gili T): The party island. Bars, clubs, backpackers. It's fun if that's what you want, but it's changed a lot from the bohemian escape it was. The coral's taken a beating from overtourism and boat anchor damage. Still good for a night or two of island nightlife.

Gili Meno: The quiet one. Honeymoon couples, a handful of resorts, the underwater statues for snorkeling. Closest thing to a deserted island experience in this area, though "deserted" is relative.

Gili Air: The middle ground. More chill than Trawangan, more options than Meno. Best food scene of the three islands. A good base if you want to snorkel, eat well, and watch sunsets without a DJ.

No motorized vehicles on any of the Gilis. Bikes and horse carts only. That's still true and still charming.

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Beyond Bali: For the Adventurous

If you've got more than two weeks, or if Bali's density isn't your thing, the islands nearby offer some of Indonesia's best experiences.

Lombok: Bali's less-visited neighbor. Mount Rinjani is a challenging multi-day volcano trek with a crater lake at the summit. Kuta Lombok (not Kuta Bali) has some of Southeast Asia's best surf beaches with a fraction of the crowds. The Sasak culture is distinct from Bali's Hindu traditions.

Flores: The gateway to Komodo National Park. The Trans-Flores Highway is one of Asia's great road trips: volcanic lakes, traditional villages, and scenery that shifts every hour. Kelimutu, with its three colored crater lakes, is worth the early morning drive alone.

Komodo: Seeing Komodo dragons in the wild is a bucket-list experience that delivers. Boats run from Labuan Bajo (Flores) for day trips or multi-day liveaboards. The snorkeling at Pink Beach is absurd, and manta ray encounters at Manta Point are nearly guaranteed in season.

These deserve their own guides (and they'll get them). For now, know that flying from Bali to Labuan Bajo takes 90 minutes and costs as little as IDR 500,000 one-way with Citilink or Lion Air.

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Solo Travel in Bali

Bali is one of the easiest places in Southeast Asia to travel solo. The infrastructure is set up for it, hostels are social, and the cafe culture in Ubud and Canggu makes it natural to meet people.

A few specifics for solo travelers:

Hostels with community: Tribal Bali (Canggu) and Puri Garden Hotel (Ubud) both do a good job of creating social spaces without forcing it. Tribal has coworking built in, which attracts a digital nomad crowd that tends to stick around.

Safety: Bali is generally very safe. The biggest risks are scooter accidents, petty theft at the beach, and drink spiking at nightclubs (mostly Kuta/Legian). Use common sense, don't leave valuables unattended, and don't ride a scooter drunk. Solo female travelers will get attention but rarely harassment; Bali's much more relaxed about this than many parts of Southeast Asia.

Meeting people: Surf lessons, diving courses, and cooking classes are all natural social settings. The coworking scene in Canggu (Dojo, Outpost) brings people together around work hours. Ubud's yoga studios attract a community that's easy to plug into.

For a deeper dive on planning a solo trip, our solo travel guide covers everything from budgeting to meeting people on the road.

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Sample Itinerary: 10 Days Without the Tourist Trap Circuit

This route prioritizes the Bali that most visitors miss. Adjust timing based on your interests, but the general flow (south coast → Ubud → east → highlands → coast) keeps driving distances reasonable and avoids backtracking.

Days 1-2: Arrive and Decompress (Uluwatu/Bukit Peninsula)

Skip Seminyak and Canggu on arrival. Head south to the Bukit Peninsula instead. Uluwatu has world-class surf breaks (or just watch from the cliff), the Uluwatu Temple sunset is legitimately beautiful (go at 5pm, arrive early for a spot), and the beach clubs at Sundays Beach and Padang Padang are a more relaxed introduction to Bali than the Canggu chaos.

Stay in Bingin or Uluwatu. Budget: $30-60/night for a guesthouse with ocean views.

Days 3-4: Ubud (the Off-Main-Road Version)

Drive to Ubud (1.5 hours). Do the Campuhan Ridge Walk at dawn on day one. Eat at Warung Biah Biah. Explore Penestanan on foot. Take a cooking class. Visit Tirta Empul early on day two. Skip the monkey forest, skip Tegallalang.

Stay in Penestanan or Nyuh Kuning.

Days 5-6: Sidemen

Drive east to Sidemen (1.5 hours from Ubud). Walk the rice terraces. Do absolutely nothing. Visit Besakih Temple if you want culture, or just sit on your villa terrace and stare at Mount Agung. This is where you'll feel the Bali you came looking for.

Days 7-8: Amed

Continue east to Amed (1.5 hours). Snorkel or dive Jemeluk Bay and the Japanese Shipwreck. Watch sunrise over Lombok from the black sand beach. Eat grilled fish at a beachfront warung. If you're a diver, this is where you'll want an extra day.

Day 9: Munduk or Kintamani

Head to the highlands (2.5 hours from Amed). Either do the Batur sunrise trek (leaving at 3:30am) and soak in the hot springs after, or skip the volcano and spend the day at Munduk chasing waterfalls and drinking coffee. Both are excellent, depending on whether you want adventure or calm.

Day 10: Back South for Departure

Drive to the airport area (2-3 hours depending on route). If your flight's late, stop at Sanur for a final warung lunch by the sea. Sanur's the quiet alternative to the Kuta/Seminyak strip, popular with families and older travelers, with a nice beach promenade and none of the hustle.

Timing note: If you've got 14 days, add Nusa Penida (2 days), extend Amed (1 day), and give yourself a lazy beach day on the Bukit at the end.

Want help building a custom version of this route? Voyaige's Discovery feature will adjust the itinerary to your pace, budget, and interests. You can also use Vet to sanity-check any plan before you commit to it.

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The Bottom Line

Bali's the most visited island in Southeast Asia for a reason. The culture runs deep, the terrain is wildly varied, the food punches way above its price point, and the cost of living lets you experience all of it without going broke. But the version of Bali that gets sold online is a narrow slice of what's actually here, and it's the slice that's suffered most from its own popularity.

Go east. Go to the highlands. Eat at warungs. Stay somewhere you can hear the roosters in the morning. The Bali that captured everyone's imagination in the first place is still there. It just isn't on the main road anymore.

And if you've already been to Bali and want something completely different, check our guides to Japan, Georgia, or Portugal. Or let Voyaige plan something unexpected based on what you actually like, not what's trending.

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Thinking about AI-assisted trip planning? See how one traveler used it for a 10-day Portugal trip. Going solo? Our solo travel guide has you covered. And if Southeast Asia is your focus, Japan is closer than you think for a side trip.