Must-Have Apps for Visiting Bali
Are you dreaming of Bali’s stunning beaches, lush jungles, and vibrant culture? After extensively exploring Bali for two months, we’ve compiled a list of must-have travel apps that will turn your Bali adventure into a seamless and unforgettable experience.
From cruising through the bustling streets of Seminyak to catching the sunrise at Mount Batur, Bali offers a world of bucket list activities. But to make the most of your stay, you’ll need the right tools at your fingertips. That’s where these travel apps come in handy.
Finding the perfect accommodation, booking epic tours, discovering hidden-gem restaurants, and managing your travel finances are all part of the Bali adventure package. We’ve done the legwork to uncover the apps that will make every aspect of your journey a breeze.
Disclaimer: Some of the links included on our website may contain affiliate links. We may receive some commission from purchases made via these but it will NOT affect the price you pay. This is to allow this site to stay online and ensure that readers use, what we believe, are the best products possible whilst travelling.
Handy apps for getting around Bali
Grab and Gojek
When it comes to getting around Bali, Grab and Gojek apps are going to be your best friends! Our personal opinion is that they’re the best taxi app in Bali. If you haven’t heard of them, just think Uber in Bali. They are basically just ride-hailing apps that you can order taxis to your location. As Bali is a pretty small island you can order a Grab/Gojek to take you literally from one side of the island to the other! Also, if you are traveling on your own, you can book a Grab Bike and catch a ride on the back of a bike for even lower prices!
One thing to be aware of though is that in certain busy areas like Cangguu and Seminyak, you will find what the locals seem to call the ‘taxi mafia’ where the area is sort of ran by local taxi services and they do not allow Grab, Uber or Gojek. If you do find yourself in one of these areas, we tend to use the apps to guide what the price should be and use that to negotiate with the other taxi services. Alternatively, you can usually just walk a couple of streets over and have your Grab pick you up from there instead.
Similarly, both Grab (GrabFood) and Gojek (GoFood) can be used as a source of food delivery which is perfect if you’re out in the sticks, too far from any restaurants or if you’re simply after a chilled evening!
Google Maps
We used Google Maps religiously throughout our travels and recommend them to everyone! Before going to a new area we always do a bit of research on hotels, restaurants and activities we might want to do during our stay and pin them onto our Google Maps. Then you can download your map so you are able to use it when offline. This is especially ideal for when you are in more remote areas where signal and wifi are not as common.
Waze
While Google Maps tends to be our go-to, Waze is also a really handy app to Bali map download. Some of the roads in the city and side streets in Bali don’t actually show up on Google Maps which can make navigation a bit tricky. Waze is an Indonesian travel app we found a lot of our taxi drivers use in Bali as it seems to know the area of Bali a bit better than other map apps.
12go Asia
One app that is essential for getting around Bali is 12go Asia, especially if you are planning on visiting other islands like Ceningan, Nusa Penida or Gili T.
12go Asia will find all of your boat tickets and buses you might need, allowing you to compare prices and book online.
Accommodation Apps for Bali
Agoda and Booking.com
If you are looking for hotels and luxury resorts in Bali, Agoda and Booking.com are the best places to start your search. We tend to opt for Booking.com where we can as, being genius members we get some awesome deals, but Agoda seems to have the larger range when looking in southeast Asia.
Hostelworld
Being the budget travelers we are, Hostelworld tends to be our most used app on our travels. Bali has some awesome hostels whether you are a solo-backpackers looking for dorms or just sociable couples after a private room.
The app allows you to connect with other travelers and read up to date reviews of hostels across Indonesia.
Airbnb
For all your insta-worthy treehouse rooms, luxury villas and cute guest houses, Airbnb is where you are going to want to look. We don’t have a lot of experience with Airbnb in Bali but we know it’s a very popular way of booking accommodations in Bali.
Apps for booking tours and experiences in Bali
Klook
When it comes to booking tours in Bali, Klook is your most budget-friendly option! The app itself is easy to use and has a wide range of tours available for really affordable prices. We haven’t tried all of them (obviously) so don’t take our word for it, but any tour we did book through Klook was great!
Klook.comViator
Viator is another great app for booking tours, one that you might be a bit more familiar with as it’s used all over the world. While they might be a little more on the pricier side, the tours are a bit more fleshed out and have some extra security and cancellation policies if anything goes wrong.
Trip Advisor
Whether you love it or hate it, Trip Advisor is a very handy app to always have installed on your phone during your trip to Bali. Not only is it great for checking out restaurant and hotel reviews but they also have some great activities and tours that you can see nearby. So whether you are looking for the best breakfast spots in Seminyak or the best tours in Ubud, Trip Advisor is one to check!
Other useful apps for visiting Bali
Currency Converter
A currency converter is vital for any visit to Bali. In Indonesia, they use the Indonesian Rupiah which can be a bit difficult to work out in your head depending on your currency. We roughly always said that 10,000 IDR worked out as about £5 but having an app on your phone to do the maths for you is always handy.
PeduliLindungi Mobile App
Available on pretty much all phones, including Android and iPhone, this Bali health app has previously been mandatory for tourists entering the country, app for Bali arrival, in order to stop the spread of Covid-19. Whilst it may not be strictly enforced, the Bali health app is one you may consider downloading and keeping up to date in case you’re ever asked.
We were actually really surprised just how much we had to use Whatsapp during our travels and would highly recommend everyone to download the Whatsapp app before arriving in Bali. Pretty much every taxi driver, hotel and tour guide would use WhatsApp to arrange things and to be honest you will struggle to get by without it.
Also as an extra tip, if you pre-message your hotel or accommodation on WhatsApp, before booking, they will likely give you an extra deal for booking direct!
Traveloka
Traveloka is a really popular app in Asia which you can use to find deals on flights, transfers, hotels, car rentals and more. We don’t have a lot of experience with it as we didn’t find out about Traveloka until towards the end of our trip but it looks like a great platform.
VPN
If you are like me and couldn’t possibly miss a day of Love Island even when on your travels, a VPN app is essential for any trip to Bali! We often used a free one that would make you sit through a few ads in order to get an hour VPN but if you aren’t on a backpacker budget, it is probably worth forking out for the real thing. Love Island aside, if you are a digital nomad and do a lot of work in cafes and hotels, having a VPN adds that extra bit of security for public wifi.
The Bali Bible
As you can tell by the name, The Bali Bible app really is the no.1 site for any visit to Bali. They have great itineraries, hotels, beach clubs, restaurants and bar recommendations as well as heaps of tips and tricks to get the most out of your trip.
Revolut and Monzo
Having any sort of travel bank card or credit card is vital for any trip to Bali or you will be hit with a range of conversion fees. We personally love both Revolut and Monzo as they have the best exchange rates and their handy app allows you to see exactly how much you’ve spent instantly.
Google Translate
Coming from other countries in south east asia, we were actually surprised by just how much English a lot of the locals spoke, especially those in the tourism industry. However, we always always try to learn a few words and phrases in the local language when we visit a new spot. So download Google Translate Bali and learn a few words like “hello”, “please” and “thank you”, It goes a long way and the locals love it!
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There you have it, all the must-have apps for visiting Bali. Whether you’re booking accommodation on Hostelworld or browsing the latest tours on 12go Asia, these are all useful Bali apps you should download in order to make your life that much easier and save you loads of time! We were fortunate to meet people along the way who gave us tips about what apps Bali to use so if you find any of these useful, make sure to help out a fellow traveler whilst you’re there!
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Disclaimer: Some of the links included on our website may contain affiliate links. We may receive some commission from purchases made via these but it will NOT affect the price you pay. This is to allow this site to stay online and ensure that readers use, what we believe, are the best products possible whilst travelling.
Nice blog