If Bali has been on your mind for quite some time, you clearly have to visit it at least once in your lifetime. It’s the embodiment of paradise: scrumptious food, pristine beaches, secret waterfalls, rich rice fields…it’s simply worth flying for.
And it can offer excellent value for money when you’re making your decisions right. But you can’t quite do that without the right tools in place. And in the era of everything online and digitized, that translates to having helpful, efficient, and popular apps at your fingertips.
Without further ado, we’re going to break down some of the must-have apps you should install well before you set foot in Bali. They’ll help you get around, find deals, and plan itineraries like seasoned travelers do.
GoJek or Grab apps
You don’t want to set foot in Bali only to find yourself praying to pick an English taxi driver – or a taxi altogether. If you’re not going to use public transportation, you’ll want a reliable transportation operator, so make sure to install one or two of the most popular transportation apps there: GoJek and Grab. With the former, you have more services under the same name: GoFood for food delivery, GoCar for when you want to ride by car, and GoRide if you want to move around faster (you’ll be offered a helmet). Grab similarly offers more ride options: GrabXL for heavy-luggage travel and groups, GrabBike to navigate the traffic rapidly, and GrabCar for ease. With these two in your stash of apps, you can compare prices and delivery times and make more informed choices. Plus, they’re terrific when you’re out in the sticks or there’s no eatery around to grab a hearty meal. Importantly, there are some areas where local taxis kind of rule and where ridesharing isn’t tolerated or even existent. You can still use the apps to compare prices over particular distances and use the insights as a point of reference when negotiating fares with taxi drivers.
If you’re going to explore islands, like Gili T or Ceningan, explore 12go Asia too. It’s another helpful platform to get around Bali efficiently.
Scooter renting is a popular transportation choice, but the traffic can be quite chaotic so you want to take this only if you’re truly experienced riding a scooter.
The eSIM app
You only have several options to stay connected throughout your journey in Bali. The main idea is that you’ll want to have reliable internet and connectivity 24/24 without any compromise or risk taken – you’re visiting a not-so-familiar place that’ll test your ability to adapt. You can connect to the WiFi offered at the hotel, restaurant, café, and so on, preferably using VPN in public spaces you’re not so sure about for cybersecurity reasons. Always double-check the networks’ names with the staff to make sure you’re not connecting to “evil twin” networks. You can rely on your regular mobile carrier if you’re fine with your billing rates – but pay attention that bills can spike considerably and you don’t want to return home with a hole in your wallet just because you needed to use Google Maps not to get lost. Or you can use an eSIM – a downloadable digital SIM for global data that’s usually cheaper and highly flexible.
With the eSIM travel option for Bali, you enjoy unlimited data, eliminate roaming charges, and travel confidently knowing you’re covered even in remote, off-the-beaten-path areas. The more you travel, the less you pay. Installing it is as easy as downloading the app and introducing a code manually or scanning a QR code, starting from the moment you’re going to use the plan. You need a phone that’s compatible with eSIM technology, but given how technologically advanced smartphones are today, you probably shouldn’t worry about that. You can switch between different carriers if you use more plans. No more waiting in line for local physical cards when you just want to get to your hotel room ASAP.
Agoda
Scanning booking app use among Southeast Asians, it seems like the Agoda app is ruling. It’s an online travel agent in the country that offers varied options for villas, hotels, and hostels, helping visitors filter for the various features they want in their accommodations. Some booking plans offer free cancellation. It’s a go-to for both luxury accommodation across zones like Amed, Ubud, Legian, and so on, and for budget traveling. Based on your account and on what you’re targeting, you can receive different discounts on things like accommodation, activities, and even flights.
Traveloka
While Agoda enjoys the lion’s share of fame, Traveloka is also really widespread in Indonesia for booking everything from activities, accommodation, flights, and transport – all in one app. Users can manage itineraries, compare reviews and prices, book, schedule transportation with cars or motors, check in online straight on the platform, and enjoy more ways to pay: credit cards, cash, or physically at the reception. You can plan an entire itinerary with this app and contact the support team at any hour.
It’s preferable to create an account and choose Indonesia as your region to enjoy better local promotions and deals.
The Bali Bible
As the name indicates, this is an app that wants to offer more than just the basics. You can browse accommodations, restaurants, cafes, clubs, bars, wellness and health centers, and activities to do, as well as use it to find places that are less talked about. It takes pride in being a hotspot for insights from regular visitors and locals, so you can discover Bali more easily. You can create bucket lists and shortlists of places you’d like to see or have seen, and use the built-in calendar to plan trips and accommodation and book through designated platform partners.
You can then share your lists of places on social media and inspire other people – and be inspired.
By now, you should feel ten times more confident to visit Bali with these apps in your travel toolbox.
