Is Bali Safe for Solo Female Travelers?

Bali is relatively safe for solo female travelers. The locals are generally friendly and respectful. However, minor issues like pickpocketing or taxi scams can happen occasionally. It's advised to be cautious particularly in crowded areas and at night. The island is overall safe assuming you take the necessary precautions.

Safety rating

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How safe is Bali?

Safety at night:

Safety at night:Moderate

Bali generally has a warm community and a lot of tourists around, providing some sense of safety. However, walking alone at night isn't recommended mainly due to poorly lit areas and uneven sidewalks. Moreover, while violent crime is lower, petty crimes such as pickpocketing or bag-snatching can occur, especially in crowded areas or tourist hotspots. Hiring a reputable taxi or using a ride-sharing app is a good option when you have to move around at night.
Public transportation:

Public transportation:Moderate

Public transportation in Bali, including buses and minivans, is generally reliable. Most locals use these means of transport, making it relatively safe during its operational hours. However, there could be instances of overcrowding during peak hours and the routes aren't always straightforward, which might be challenging for a foreign traveler. Taxis are more convenient, although it's essential to use a reputable company. It's advisable to stay cautious and informed about your journey details.
Street harassment:

Street harassment:Low

Bali generally has a welcoming and respectful mindset towards women, both locals and tourists. Street harassment is usually minimal and less commonly encountered compared to some other global tourist destinations, but it can occur occasionally like anywhere else. The harassment might take the form of persistent street vendors and over-friendly locals. It's always important to stay vigilant, practise good safety habits, and be assertive when necessary.
Petty crimes:

Petty crimes:Moderate

Bali witness some occurrences of petty crimes like pickpocketing or bag snatching, particularly in crowded places and on beaches. Also, drink spiking and credit card fraud are not unheard of. Always be vigilant about your belongings and surroundings. Nevertheless, locals are generally friendly and helpful.

Is Bali worth visiting?

Overall rating

4.5 /5

based on 45 experiences from female travelers

Things to do

4.4/5

Safety

4.3/5

Food

4.5/5

Budget-friendly

3.9/5

Solo travel

Drivers: Generally a positive experience. On time, helpful, polite etc then we got a bad one. Asked us if we wanted to visit a wood carving site. Firmly said no and an hour later we pulled into a wood carving site. Made the mistake of telling this guy we would pay for 6 - 8 hours which meant he drove us through places we didn't want to go. In the end I told him we would pay for 8 hours even if we got back early. Within 10 minutes we were back at the hotel. I checked the villages he had driven through against a map, he was just wasting time. I think these guys should be licensed. Truely appalling: The harressment: Bali's main income is via tourism? well they should look after the tourists a little better. We spent a lot, we tipped well, we bought a lot of stuff that we wanted. We did not need to be constantly hassled or have people attempting to con us. Very quickly I learnt to ignore the hawkers. But it doesn't stop there, taxi drivers, wait staff, it doesn't matter where you go everyone tries it on in some way to try and make an extra dollar. Even an elderly gentleman at a temple gave us a traditional blessing, very nice, then lifts up a cloth on the table indicating a stack of cash. We gave some and he became agitated demanding more, we walked out. End result: If I visit again it will be to a resort and I will spend most time on the beach and away from Bali itself. But with the crap in the water I think there are many other places offering a good beach to relax on without the possible health risk and other associated drawbacks.

Posted: August 19, 2024
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Solo travel

I felt very safe in Bali as a female solo traveller. I have never felt mildly worried or unsafe here. Everyone I encountered was friendly and welcoming. There are also lots of solo travelers that you will meet.

Posted: July 23, 2024
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Solo travel

Bali is such a well travelled island that it feels incredibly safe and hospitable for travellers of all kinds. I had many moments travelling alone throughout Bali and there was never a moment that I felt unsafe. Do you try to steer away from the well-being paths because there are a lot of people in the popular areas and it can get quite overwhelming. Munduk, and around that area are much quieter and no less beautiful than the popular Ubud areas or Uluwatu. You will find unique beauty in all parts of the island. Amed is lovely too! Beautiful for beach stays. You can expect to pay a minimum of around 200k IDR per night for your own room/joglo. Of course, you do get what you pay for. The food is delicious and mostly clean wherever you go these days as the locals have much more awareness about it. Do be careful though as Bali belly is real. Don’t let the tap water get in your mouth at all. All in all Bali is wonderful!

Posted: July 23, 2024Experienced: May, 2024
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moni

moni

Germany

Group travel

We felt safe during our time in Bali. We visited ubud,uluwatu and the gili islands. We had a mix between beach day and city trip. In ubud you could do more activities like yoga or shooing. In refer to the gili islands it depends which island you are planning to visit. Gili meno was quite and small island perfect to relax. Gili T was like the party island.

Posted: July 17, 2024
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Solo travel

I felt very save, people is so friendly. I would recommend to all the women. Vegan and vegetwrian options everywhere. Yoga, pilates and fitness. Also you can enjoy parties and a lot of activities. You can move around by bike or with th çe grab app.

Posted: July 16, 2024Experienced: April, 2024
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zohra

zohra

United States

Solo travel

I highly recommend bali as female solo traveler! I never feel comfortable driving myself in foreign countries especially on scooter so I used the apps grab and gojek the whole time I was there which was easy to use and so so cheap! gojek also was great to be able to order food deliveries, massage therapists, anything you need! I found accommodation via fb groups but it’s important to go check it out in person to make sure it looks like the pictures but also to see if there’s any noisy construction or weird neighbors, strange smells/cleanliness or overall safe environment that you can only be able to check in person not from online.

Posted: July 15, 2024
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Yarrow

Yarrow

United States

Solo travel

I traveled solo for about 6 weeks. I found rooms on Booking and stayed places between 1 night and 2 weeks. From the minute I landed I felt very safe. I walked to my room from the airport (which I don’t actually recommend, but I never felt like I was in danger.) I used Grab for motorbike taxis until I learned to drive my own motorbike. The only way I felt vulnerable was when I would get talked into spending too much on tourist stuff on the beach. But I always felt physically safe, even walking alone at night, and haven’t heard of any pickpocketing. Oh actually I did hear that people will grab your phone if you have it on a phone holder on a motorbike.

Posted: July 12, 2024
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Valentina

Valentina

Italy

Solo travel

I have spent one month alone in bali and it was amazing such as nature, people and overall experience. Full of power this island can open you to calm and kind world despite the fact that is really to traffic

Posted: July 10, 2024Experienced: March, 2024
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Uyen

Uyen

Vietnam

Solo travel

I had a 7 day trip in Bali (Ubud and ,,). The expense was relatively cheap, the food is diverse for both western and asian food. The local food is cheap, i would recommend you to try it for new experience

Posted: July 10, 2024
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Couple travel

My trip to Bali with my boyfriend, which I had imagined to be idyllic, unfortunately turned out to be a great disappointment. From the moment we arrived, we were faced with a reality very different from the postcard clichés. We had dreamed of white sandy beaches and crystal-clear waters, but the reality was quite the opposite. Most of the beaches were dirty, littered with trash and debris, which greatly surprised and saddened us. Walking on these beaches became unpleasant, and it was difficult to find a clean spot to lay our towels and enjoy the sun. Moreover, we had hoped to enjoy many free outdoor activities. However, we quickly discovered that the majority of activities and places of interest required payment. Even natural sites, such as waterfalls and rice terraces, often had an entrance fee. This constant need to pay gave us the impression that everything was commercialized, and it significantly limited our possibilities for spontaneous exploration. In summary, our trip to Bali was marked by a series of disappointments, from the cleanliness of the beaches to the unexpected costs of enjoying outdoor sites. We had hoped for a relaxing and exotic adventure, but we returned home with a bitter taste and a sense of frustration.

Posted: June 27, 2024
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Is Bali safe for women?

Bali is considered safe to live in or to visit, especially for tourists. People are friendly and welcome tourists, they will treat you like their own family. But because of the high amount of tourists who rent scooters, some/ most of them do not know how to ride it properly and not following the rules, so we as locals also have to be careful.

Posted: June 28, 2024
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Meet locals in Bali

Laura

Laura

About Me

Hi! I am Laura ! I left Colombia when I was 16 and have lived in more than 3 countries 🌎 I love traveling and intent to full time travel all my 20’s 😍 I am new in bali and I am starting my journey of becoming a Digital Nomad I am a yoga teacher and love surfing 🧘‍♀️🏄‍♀️

Speaking

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Georgie

Georgie

About Me

Hello, I'm Georgie and I'm interested in animals, art, culture, cycling, fashion, events & social, food & cuisine, health, swimming, sunbathing, sightseeing, nightlife, live music, nature and solo travel

Speaking

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Stay with locals in Bali

listya

listya

Bali

Can host for:

3 days

About me

Hi ladies, i have some small bussiness in bali for tour & travel agency Own by my self My service is airport pick up, Bali day tour, activities in bali and with my pleasure to share my knowladge about bali😊

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Upcoming visitors to Bali

Heather

Heather

About Me

I love to travel and since my divorce, I have not had anyone to travel with. I don’t want to wait for others to love travel. I want to see the world.

Speaking

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Stephanie

Stephanie

About Me

Hello, I'm Stephanie and I'm interested in books, food & cuisine, culture, history and live music

Speaking

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Safety in Indonesia