10 tips for solo female travelers in bali
Get the Most Out of Solo Traveling Ubud, Canggu, Seminyak & More
travel smart & get the most out of bali
TEGALALANG RICE TERRACES
CANGGU, BALI
Traveling to any country as a solo female traveler can feel daunting yet exciting, and the feeling of visiting Bali will be no exception! Bali is considered one of the safest parts of Indonesia and an exceptional place to visit for travelers who are on a budget. If you’re planning on visiting this tropical oasis anytime soon, the following top 10 tips for solo female travelers will help you mentally prepare and know what to expect!
1. KEEP ALL POSSESSIONS CLOSE TO YOUR BODY
While Bali has a safety index of 58 out of 100, the crimes in the area are typically not serious. The primary reason for this rating is the prevalence of petty crimes, specifically theft of personal belongings through pickpocketing or bag snatching, as well as various scams. In addition, there is unfortunately a very long line of corrupt police officers in Bali. So what does this all mean for you, solo female traveler? This essentially means that you should not be bringing any expensive items or leave any prized possessions in your hotel room. For example, I wear multiple gold rings on a daily basis that were passed down to me from my family. Since these have both monetary and sentimental value to me, I didn’t bring them to Bali. Instead,
I bought a pack of fake gold rings for $6 (since I just can’t seem to live without rings on my fingers!) I would also suggest keeping all necessary items like your wallet, passport, cash, etc on you
in a convenient shoulder bag like this one (it's less than $10!). Do NOT wear all of this in a backpack that you wear behind you!! People can easily come up, especially on the street or in busier tourist areas, and unzip your backpack without you even knowing! Instead, I suggest wearing a purse, small bag, or
fanny pack
on the front of yourself and keeping it zipped all the way up. This way, you can also physically SEE your items. I kept my camera on a strap around my neck or body pretty much the entire time.
2. Think Through Your Means of Transportation
Similar to other travel destinations, you have multiple options when it comes to how to get from point A to point B in Bali. Some of the most common include:
3. Visit Famous Tourist Spots early in the morning
This is a tip that all travelers should follow, whether you’re traveling alone or not. Crowds tend to start visiting famous tourist spots around 9:00am or 10:00am and tend to leave after sunset. This means that visiting places like the
Tegalalang Rice Terraces is best in the morning during sunrise- and it's perfect for photos too! However, some places, like the Monkey Forest in Ubud, may not open until a certain time. In that case, I always follow the motto “the early bird catches the worm”!
4. Try Staying in a Hostel!
Nervous to stay in an Airbnb alone? It can be scary to check into a place alone, and a little too quiet. If you’re someone who loves to meet people while traveling abroad, a hostel might be a good choice for you. There’s no doubt that opting to stay in a hostel when visiting Bali is the perfect way to make friends who you can adventure with during your trip, and it’ll save you a few bucks too! A few good hostels to stay in include:
5. Be Aware When You’re Out at Night
It’s no secret that most serious crimes happen at night. That being said, if you’re a solo female traveling Bali just make sure to stay alert while you’re out and about, especially after the daylight hours have burned away. This is good practice for any traveler, regardless of their gender or the size of the group that they travel with.
Bali has an exceptional nightlife, full of famous local clubs and fruity, exotic drinks. I both urge you to spend atleast one night experiencing this while dually warning you to keep an eye on your purse and the bartender. Don’t accept any drinks from a stranger (just like I’m sure your mom taught you) and make sure that you have a safe ride home. If you can keep those basic guidelines in the back of your mind, you’re sure to be safe and have an amazing time.
6. Check Out the Local Markets
Looking to find some inexpensive and handcrafted souvenirs to bring home to loved ones? The Bali markets are the perfect place to visit! From the Canggu weekend market to the extensive and vibrant markets in Seminyak and Kuta, I have no doubt that you’ll be able to find something suiting your taste. Whether you’re looking for clothes or shoes, figurines to jewelry, incense to fruit, these marketers are ideal for tourists looking to find a little bit of everything in one convenient spot. And when you do choose a particular item you are willing to purchase, make sure to bargain! When I visited Bali, I had befriended a driver who took my group and I to all our destinations during our two-week trip. Luckily, he told us what normal prices were for and stepped in to help bargain in multiple instances. If you don’t have the luxury of knowing any locals, then best practice is to try asking how much an item is. Once they give you a numerical answer, try asking if you can get it for 50% less of the price you said. If they say no, walk away. They’ll typically chase you down the street trying to make the sale, especially because most sellers will start out asking for a very inflated price to see if you’ll pay it!
7. Choose Your Restaurants Carefully
No matter what country you go to, you need to be careful of the restaurants you choose. This is because sometimes less reputable restaurants (especially in third world countries) are not cooking meals in sanitary conditions or they have not hired the proper experienced staff necessary to correctly cook a meal. This means that you then run the risk of getting food poisoning, which can create a number of problems for you during your Bali trip. The bottom line is, talk to the locals, do you research, and check out reviews!
8. Take Your Health Seriously
It is vital that you take your health even more seriously than usual when visiting foreign countries like Bali. This is because though it might not seem like a big deal to fall ill, get food poisoning, or become injured, you have to remember that the healthcare system is not the same in every single country you visit. The United States, where I’m from, has one of the most technologically advanced healthcare systems in the world. Places like Bali, however, may not be able to provide the standard of care that you need, and you will likely have to pay out of pocket despite having insurance. This means that during your travels it’s smart to remain cautious when choosing what to eat, drink filtered or bottled water, and to stay as healthy as possible so that you don’t need to rely on a different country’s healthcare system unless there is an unexpected emergency.
9. Plan to Stay Connected to Loved Ones Back Home
One of the best pieces of advice I can give you when leaving to travel in Bali is to let people at home know where you’re staying and what you are doing each day. Let family members or friends know that you’ll be calling them or texting them between certain times each day, and give them the name and number of your accommodation so that you can stay connected in case there is an emergency at home. This is also best practice so that if something happens to you and your friends and family can’t reach you, they can quickly identify that something is wrong and contact outside parties if necessary. Though traveling is meant to be fun, it’s important to stay safe and connected with loved ones in the case that something does go awry!
10. understand the cultural customs in Bali
Before traveling to any country you should know and understand their customs and any differences you might encounter. For example, when visiting Bali, it may be help for you to understand the following customary practices:
GET THE MOST OUT OF BALI AS A SOLO FEMALE TRAVELER
Traveling to Bali as a solo female traveler is amazing, and your trip is going to be even more fantastic now that you’re properly prepared! From accommodations and transportation to the ins and outs of tourist spots, local markets, and nightclubs, you have all the information necessary to experience Bali in a way that’s safe, respectful, and fun. If you have any questions about Bali, feel free to email me at
thetravelingtwin@gmail.com or
check out my Bali page for all the blog posts I’ve written on Bali!
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