What kind of accomodation?
On the island there are accommodations for all needs and tastes. Hostels and guesthouses are great places to meet people - most of them have breakfast included and dreamy swimming pools. However, what would really give a local taste to someone’s experience in Bali is to live in a homestay, run by Balinese families. It gives the chance to live in a traditional compound and be welcomed in the daily local life. Most likely, guests are invited to traditional ceremonies in the temple of the local village: the best way to dive deep into the timeless Balinese culture and spirituality. It will definitely set the tone of a solo travel experience.
Alternatively, if thinking of a pampering and full relaxing holiday, Bali hosts some of the most luxurious hotels in the world, perched in between the lush tropical jungle or overlooking jaw-dropping beaches, like the REVIVO Wellness Resort. Surrounded by dense Rainforest in Nusa Dua, this resort offers three types of Balinese style suites and two Four-Suite Villas, a pool and a vast area to stroll around and soak up Bali nature.
Another option, quite easy to find, is to rent a room in a shared villa: perfect for feeling at home on the Island of the Gods and have the chance to meet fellow solo travellers, but in a more quiet environment than a hostel. And if you prefer a mix of all Vision Villa Resort in East Bali coould be the right choice. Filled with elemental themes and Zen-inspired adornments, as well as a healthy beach club, it’s perfect for both meeting fellow travelers, and feeling as one with nature. Bali is one of the main destinations in the world for digital nomads and location independent professionals. There are plenty of coworking spaces on the island and also of coliving spaces, where fellow nomads gather and work together for either a short or long-term period. One of them is Outpost, which has been voted as the best coworking space on Bali for two years in a row by Coworker.com. Outpost offers training on personal development, happy hours with live music and opportunities to enhance your business through skill shares and networking sessions. They have three locations across Bali including a beachside space in Canggu and two in Ubud.
How to move around?
Most accommodations have a paid airport shuttle service. It’s highly recommended to get the WhatsApp number of the driver before departing to be able to communicate when being at the airport - there’s free wifi. Since there are usually many drivers waiting at the arrival gate it is always good to have a contact. After that, it’s convenient to rent a scooter to get around since the roads can get busy and it’s easier to move around by motorbike than by car. Cycling is also an option, but only for short routes outside the busiest spots: Bali has steep hills and the weather is hot...a scooter is a much more comfortable choice and always brings that sense of freedom when feeling the wind touching the face.
If someone is not feeling confident to drive, there are some alternatives. The most popular driver service app on the island is called “GoJek.” It’s possible to choose between scooter and car. Quick and easy. Also, there are many taxi drivers waiting along the streets. Moving around won’t be an issue for sure and sharing a car could be such a good way to meet new friends during your solo travel.
Tip: almost every restaurant, venue and accommodation has very good wifi. However, Google Maps can be convenient to get around, so it is better to get a local sim card, for example “Telekomsel”. The cost is about 100k IDR per new card and the owners of the accommodations usually know where the next local shop is that sells them.
What to do when solo travelling in Bali?
It depends if someone prefers to stay alone or if someone is keen to meet new friends. No worries though, there’s a vast choice for both moods.
What to do when wanting to stay alone during a solo travel
Well, the best option is to just grab a scooter and go for a ride in the lush countryside or discover wild beaches. The Northern part of the Island is perfect for that. It’s the ideal place to go chasing waterfalls, snorkeling and scuba diving. While for relaxing and embracing that solo inner journey, why not signing up for a silent retreat in the Balinese hills?
If you prefer a more vivid surrounding, the town of Ubud is the perfect for solo travellers willing to experience that ‘urban’ vibe. Just grab a book and sit in a comfy cafe, like KAFE in Hanoman Road. Or why not joining a movie night? The Yoga Barn has those every Monday and the Betelnut noodle, satay bar and music lounge offers a vast choice of films and documentaries. An institution when it comes to watching movies is the Paradiso Ubud, the world’s first vegan cinema.It is a cultural center that combines a movie theater, live performance space, raw vegan bar and cafe, shop and a private event facility.
Another great experience is the visit of a healer. There are quite a few healers around the island, who not only check the state of health by ancient healing methods, but also not rarely give some guidance for your life. In addition to that, Bali is the perfect place for wellness and spa treatments. Whether as traditional Balinese Massage, herbal baths or other wellness treatments, the island has it all. You can choose between Spa’s only, Health centers or hotels, which have inhouse Spa and Wellness areas. An example is the REMISSIO spa at REVIVO Hotel Nusa Dua, which brings together ancient Balinese healing traditions, aroma, hydro and chromo therapies together with complex wellness facilities.
What to do when wanting to meet new friends while solo travelling
Yoga classes are a great place to bump into fellow travellers and Ubud is the spot to be. Yoga centres like The Yoga Barn give a well-rounded experience, with more 100 classes per week, 7 studios, monthly workshops, ecstatic dances, acro yoga jams, talks and other event. Basically, it’s a community where it’s very easy to meet like-minded people.
For people that love the beach the most, the village of Canggu has everything to offer. Why not joining a surf camp and meet new adventurous peeps while riding waves? There are surf camps all around Canggu, Seminyak, Kuta, the Bukit Peninsula and other parts of the island. Perfect for solo female travelers, are the Goddess Retreats, offering an enchanting space where the best of yoga, health and wellness retreats come together in a light-hearted and friendly environment packed with fun, laughter and plenty of time to unwind from the pressures of life. Also Pelan Pelan Surfcamp is a nice option for doing that.It offers a mixture of surf, yoga, amazing Indonesian food, and spa Treatments, just outside the crowd of Canggu
Also, Bali is the mecca for digital nomads around the world. There are many coworking spaces on the island, with amazing and lively communities and lots and lots of events. Perfect for networking while on holiday, and why not, maybe discussing about a next entrepreneurial projects and get inspired by new ideas. A work-ation at its best. Besides the already mentioned Outpost, Hubud coworking and community space - the first coworking space in Bali - for example organises more than 400 events a year and it’s all about changing the way people live and work, while also having fun with the other fellow members.
Last, but definitely not least, let’s not forget about festivals, “the” spot to gather and meet new people when solo travelling. Bali has a lot of music festivals down the southern coast, like Sunny Side Up Tropical Fest at Potato Head in Seminyak. While Ubud is home of the Bali Vegan Food Festival and the Ubud Food Festival, unmissable for the foodies out there. Also, Bali hosts the largest yoga festival in Asia, BaliSpirit Festival, where art, music, yoga, dance and healing beautiful intertwine to create an unforgettable experience and perfect event to join a like-minded community of conscious solo travellers and people from all over the world.
What else to keep in mind?
Have a travel health insurance! When traveling to Bali it is essential to have a health insurance. For most of the travelers, tropical temperatures and surroundings are not quite what they are used to and even though we hope for the best, it still can happen that you become ill. There is good access to medical services in Bali, be it doctors or hospitals – but they can get pricy. Having health insurance can save you a lot of money – and we really mean a lot - and hassle, especially when traveling alone. One provider we can recommend is World Nomads, but there are also many others. See a list of travel health insurance providers here.
To embrace solo travel might seem scary before departure. “Am I going to be ok?” “Will I feel lonely?” “Will it be easy to meet people?” “Will I get lost?” All questions popping in solo travellers head when planning a trip. Bali is an amazing destination for solo travellers and solo travel itself is a unique life-changing experience that everyone should have at least once in their life. Solo travel allows people to meet new friends, to engage with locals on a more personal level and to dive deeper in and understanding more the local culture. Also, solo travellers are free to move and adventure as they like: isn’t it liberating to travel somewhere where no-one knows who we are? There’s a rare sense of freedom that nourishes every cell of the body and mind. Plus, alone time is definitely healthy and being alone makes people appreciate the people that count the most in our life. Let’s embrace the freedom of it, a bit of fear is ok, but the exciting one!
Top Places for Your Solo Travel in Bali
Outpost
Ubud Indonesia, Jl. Raya Nyuh Kuning, MAS, Bali, 80571
Outpost is a next-generation hospitality brand delivering exceptional coworking, coliving, community, and travel services for location independent professionals and companies. Operating with a disruptive, asset-lite model, Outpost transforms underperforming hotel properties into boutique communal working and living spaces. The brand shares the same energy and passion as its members to create a different model for living that centers around the values of exploration, growth, and connection.
Outpost opened its flagship coworking and coliving space in Ubud, Bali in 2016, and has since expanded to 3 more locations. Members can hop back and forth between all locations. While hard at work, expect a few surprises during the day including free 15 minute massages, weekly lunches, and Indonesian sweets and treats.
Outpost also hosts a lot of events for members to get to know one another both professionally and personally, including sunrise hikes up Mount Batur and other outings around the island from escape rooms, to beach barbeques, wineries or yoga classes and weekends away in Nusa Penida.
Outpost's slogan is "Design your best life," because they enable their members to create a life worth living with passion.
REVIVO Wellness Resort
Jl. Desa Sawangan, Kelurahan Benoa, Kec. Kuta Selatan, Badung - Bali
Surrounded by dense tropical rainforest in the Nusa Dua area, REVIVO Wellness Resort offers three types suites and two Four-Suite Villas.
The Balinese-style suites are composed of 8 Garden Suites, 6 Courtyard Suites, and 2 Private-Pool Suites. Each of them have an easy access to the facilities of the wellness resort. They also include a voile-draped four-posters bed, desk and daybed lounge areas, a sunken bathtub and a shower with garden views, as well as outdoor dining facilities within either: a private verdant garden, a private courtyard, or a private pool.
The two luxurious Four-Suites Villas offer all the facilities and services a five-star resort has, always with the utmost privacy. Each villa offers 4 suites with spacious en-suite bathrooms, a large open-air dining pavilion, a media room, and a private 25m swimming pool. Moreover, they have 4,000 square meter of private land, they feature walkways that connect pristine gardens to guest suites, and they include a 24/7 personal cook and butler. The REVIVO Villas are the ideal venue for events such as weddings or corporate team bonding.
REMISSIO
Jl. Desa Sawangan, Kelurahan Benoa, Kec. Kuta Selatan, Badung - Bali
REVIVO’s holistic Spa, REMISSIO, brings together ancient Balinese healing traditions, aroma, hydro and chromo therapies. Moreover, it disposes of facilities that will cherish your body and will allow you to achieve overall well-being and balance.
The spa stays true to the age-old tradition of using elements from the surrounding environments to heal – each therapeutic treatment, restorative massage, nurturing body and facial treatment is customised by highly skilled therapists using herbal- infused oils, aromas and massage techniques.
The Spa itself is a quiet haven comprising five spacious double treatment rooms, each of them having their own outdoor bath. REMISSIO also boats two hydro jet Vichy shower beds, hot and chill plunge pools, a Jacuzzi, infrared saunas, steam rooms, gorgeous changing rooms, an aromatic garden, and a salt water floating pool set amidst tropical greenery.
Vision Villa Resort & Genius Café Vision
Jalan Pantai Masceti, Medahan, Blahbatuh, Kabupaten Gianyar, Bali 80581
As a solo traveler, you likely fall under one of two categories: The Active Type, eager to explore and meet fellow travelers; or the Peaceful Type, preferring solitude for calm reflexion. Or, you’re probably a bit of both. Vision Villa Resort in East Bali has a spirit that embodies both peace and action.
Located in Gianyar, a stone’s throw away from gorgeous rice paddies and close to the beach, this stunning resort feels like a journey to a different time, where stress does not exist anymore. You can happily stay here for days as a solo traveler, enjoying the lush gardens full of tropical flowers and meditate by the koi pond. Or you can energise with a few laps on the pool, next to the Water Bale - before heading to the in-house café, Genius Cafe Vision.
This café is the second part of what makes Vision Villa Resort perfect for solo travelers. Here, not only can you indulge in smoothies that are as healthy as they are delicious (plus a wide variety of organic dishes) but you’ll also find an amazing mix of travelers.
PARADISO UBUD
Jalan Goutama Selatan, Ubud, Bali 80571
Paradiso is a creation by Down To Earth that combines a movie theater, live performance space, raw vegan bar, shop and a private event facility. Located in the heart of Ubud, Paradiso was designed as a large art venue with capacity to seat around 150 people and incorporating the world's first vegan cinema.
An eclectic mix of the latest blockbusters, documentaries and foreign films are shown on a state-of-the art High Definition (HD) projector and 25 square-meter screen with compete 7.1 Dolby surround-sound system.
Attached and adjacent to Bali’s original organic plant-based eatery Earth Café, customers are able to order anything from the extensive menu, while relaxing on a variety of comfortable seating options. Paradiso is a unique cultural center, the likes of which Bali hasn't see before and it's open for daily movie screenings, family afternoons, workshops, thematic festivals, live music shows, art exhibitions, private events and more.
The Yoga Barn
Jalan Raya Pengosekan, Ubud, Gianyar, Kabupaten Gianyar, Bali 80571
Also called the "Oasis of calm in the Center of Ubud" the Yoga Barn is a center dedicated to healing and renewal, providing a lush and inspiring environment for the nourishment of body, mind and soul for all members of the Bali community. Whether you are a traveler looking to drop in once, an Ubud local wanting to practice regularly or a teacher interested to bring a group to our enchanted oasis, we welcome you to join the Yoga Barn extended family.
Featuring over 15 classes a day to choose from, the programming team at The Yoga Barn has created a diverse schedule of the highest quality, taught with the deep knowledge and large hearts of the studio's faculty. The mosaic of daily classes and workshops include Yin, Acro, Classical Hatha, Vinyasa Flow, Power, Yoga with Weights, Iyengar, Anusara Inspired, Tai Chi, and for those who are looking for relaxation, there is Gong Bath, Tibetan Bowls, Sound Healing, Restorative Yoga, Pranayama, Meditation and more. Other amazing weekly activities include the Monday Night Movies (bi-weekly), Sunday’s Ecstatic Dance, followed by an incredible buffet in the Garden Kafe and Sunday Evening Kirtan (call and response chanting).
KAFE
Padangtegal, Jl. Hanoman No.44B, Ubud, Kabupaten Gianyar, Bali 80571
First up is Kafe, mostly due to its homely, timeless ambience, Kafe is an Ubud institution. Located in central Ubud, for over 10 years Kafe has provided healthy world cuisine dishes with a wide variety of vegan and vegetarian options to Ubud locals and travelers. Open from 7am until 11pm, Kafe serves up real artisan coffee with a KICK, scrummy breakfasts, soups, curries, salads, desserts as well as knock out superfood smoothies and cleansing juices. Kafe is also great for kids and the whole family.
Goddess Retreats®
1 / 333A Jalan Beraban, Kerobokan Kelod, Kuta Utara, Kabupaten Badung, Bali 80361
Goddess Retreats is a divine collection of inspiring getaways created especially for adventurous women. The retreats offer a great mix of transformative yoga sessions, decadent spa treatments and a health and wellbeing program that will spark your spirit and leave you feeling refreshed and renewed. The program is completed by healthy organic meals and exotic typical Bali experiences. Choose the program that resonates with you the most: Bali Goddess Retreats, Surf Goddess Retreats, Fit Goddess Retreats in Seminyak, as well as Yoga Goddess Retreats in Ubud.
As the founder, Chelsea Ross, said, “Something wonderful happens when women get together.” Combining her passions in life, Chelsea created this retreat to provide a space where women could not only have a fun healthy holiday, but also have a very personal, life-transforming experience in a truly supportive retreat environment. Goddess Retreats are designed as an oasis where women can take time out and reflect on their lives, while also discovering how to create new opportunities for growth and happiness for themselves in the future.
Pelan Pelan
Jl. Banjar Batan Tanjung, Cemagi Mengwi - Badung, Bali 80361 Indonesia.
The retreat offers a mixture of surf, yoga, amazing Indonesian food, and spa Treatments, just outside the crowd of Canggu. The friendly staff at Pelan Pelan will make you feel like so happy coming home everyday. Pelan Pelan retreat offers different package options with surf and/or yoga. The retreat accommodates a maximum of 14 guests, which makes it super easy to meet other like-minded people from all over the world.
Guests at Pelan Pelan go surfing together in the morning, with the most fun and knowledgeable surf guides of Bali. You will get one surfguide for maximum 2 guests, so you will get enough personal attention to improve your surflevel and feel very safe in the water. Surfing is so much fun, and it will make you feel connected to the surfguides and other guests very fast. You will make friends for life.