I was tired.

No, not tired. I was bone-deep exhausted, to the point where I could’ve curled up in a secluded corner of the wet, muddy rice terrace I was in, never mind the insects that would invariably crawl into my hair.

I was picked up from my Mt. Batur trek at 2 A.M.; I was back at the base by 8 A.M. But I didn’t go to my hotel after to rest. Instead, I found a little breakfast nook, chugged down a cup of Balinese coffee for a quick caffeine hit, and headed to Ubud to visit the main Palace. Next thing I knew, it was 1.30 P.M., and I was climbing the steps of the artist village’s popular rice terraces.

With every step, my legs quivered. My calf muscles throbbed. My thighs were sore. My neck was stiff from the previous night’s nap. But what made me want to collapse dramatically to the ground, like a withered leaf unable to hold onto a branch with its weakened stalk, was something else.

It was the dread of visiting the next spot on my list—the Tegenungan waterfalls—and the itinerary for the next day, and the day after that.

I walked through pathways cutting across the emerald green grass, rubbing my eyes vigorously until I could see white spots before me, dancing and teasing me with their erratic movement. The temptation to sit down in the mud was becoming hard to resist. Sure, my clothes would be soaking and stained, but at that time, I simply wanted to lie down, close my eyes, and sleep among the damp, cool blades of Tegallalang’s verdant rice fields. No alarms, no wake-up calls to catch the 5 a.m. taxi, no rushing to the next place.

I had made several mistakes on this trip, but it was then that it sunk in.

I had majorly and irreversibly f*cked up.

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No one’s a perfect traveller. We’ve all made mistakes, either during the planning, the execution, or when actually at the destination. I know I’ve made more than my fair share of them. From overpacking for weekend trips and losing my boarding pass in the airport to overestimating my ability to wake up on time with just two hours of sleep, I’ve learned a lot about what not to do over the years. So, when travelling to Bali, I should’ve planned better and avoided any mistakes, right?

That would’ve been too easy. A solo trip-turned-family vacation, Bali was rewarding and exhilarating for the four of us. But it was also messy and hurried, the exact opposite of a relaxing getaway, thanks to some questionable decisions I made.

I’m sharing the mistakes I made in Bali so that you can avoid them.

1. Underestimating Bali’s size

The first of my many mistakes in Bali was in assessing its size. I thought it was small, easily covered in ten days. With cocky confidence, I created an itinerary longer than someone’s monthly grocery shopping list.

But Bali is over 5,700 sq. km, and the terrain changes as you travel north to south, east to west. Several places aren’t close to each other, so we ended up spending a lot of time simply getting from one place to another.

I found the best way to explore Bali is by dividing it into sections—north, south, east, west, centre—and sticking to one or two sections. There’s plenty to see and do in each section, and every experience is rewarding, as long as you spend a good amount of time at each place (and not on the road).

The lesson? Size matters.

2. Not accounting for Bali’s traffic

If your friends and family who’ve travelled to Bali haven’t warned you about the traffic, have they really been to Bali?

Note: You need a valid motorcycle license and insurance to ride a two-wheeler in Bali. The license isn’t necessary if the bike is under 50CC. Riding with a helmet is compulsory.

Mopeds and cars are crammed on the roads of Ubud, Sanur, Denpasar, Seminyak, and Kuta, especially during the tourist season from April through August. Clogged roads and snail-pace movement are the norm, as is baking in the generous tropical heat of the island. The Balinese diligently follow traffic rules. So, the traffic isn’t because of rule-breaking, but because there are simply too many vehicles plying!

Keep a 30-minute buffer for the traffic. I relied only on Google Maps for our arrival at Tanah Lot temple, and missed the famous Balinese sunset by over an hour! I did see the sunset over a moped rider’s helmet; does that count?

3. Spending too little time in a place

Severe FOMO, thanks to Instagram’s infinite lists of ‘must-visit places’, led to an itinerary that covered Sanur, Nusa Penida, Ubud, Lovina, Gili Islands, Jimbaran, and Denpasar in ten days! The result? Constant commute at ungodly hours, less than a day to experience each destination, and an exhausted and irritated family of four.

It’s difficult, if not impossible, to experience Bali, its history, culture, and heartwarming people if you don’t slow down. Spend at least two days in each place of your choosing. Accept that you won’t be able to check off everything on your list, at least in one visit.

4. Cramming too many things to do

One of the most common mistakes travellers make in Bali is overstuffing itineraries. Like #3, I crammed MANY places to visit and things to do. No surprise then, that I desperately wanted to nap in the middle of a rice field, of all places!

आहिस्ता (aahista – slowly) is what I now tell myself when I’m tempted to create a jam-packed itinerary.

Give yourself the time and space to truly dive into each marvel of Bali. Walk leisurely through the jewelled greens of Tegallalang Rice Terraces. Lose track of the century at the Ubud Palace and Bali’s myriad temples. Forget earthly cares as you dive into crystal clear waters in Gili Meno. Allow the flavours of galangal, kaffir lime, and Balinese 8-spice to slowly unfold on your palate during meals. Pat yourself on the back for having made it to the summit of Mt. Batur, and allow your mind and muscles the pleasure of an unhurried traditional Balinese massage after.

Most importantly, give yourself enough time to enjoy these experiences.

5. Travelling during peak season

You know how, when hunger isn’t satiated soon, it goes away? Something similar happened with my travels. As soon as Bali crossed my mind, I knew I’d lose the ‘hunger’ if I wasn’t quick enough to get there.

I ended up in Bali during peak tourist season. It’s why I was faced with long queues, overcrowded sights, unpredictable traffic jams, higher tariffs and almost losing out on our spa appointment due to overbooking!

When planning your Bali travels, make the shoulder season your bestie. This is before May and after August. You may want to avoid the rainy season, from December to March. Time your travels for the section you choose. Bukit Peninsula and North Bali get a lot less rain than other parts, while central and mountain regions can burst into showers at any time.

6. Expecting on-time arrival and departure

Most transport options in Bali are either for hire, where you have a certain degree of control, or by transit vehicles such as boats and vessels, where all you can do is hope that your ride will arrive on time.

More often than not, your vessel will be delayed. While you must turn up at the ports a little ahead of the departure time, arriving too early is a bummer because the waiting area may not have opened! I arrived 40 minutes pre-departure but had to wait for two hours for the boat to arrive, and then another 30 minutes to board!

Here’s a list of my favourite books that help me travel from my couch to another place or another era.

Carry snacks, water, and some form of entertainment (a book, music, downloaded movies) to stay occupied. Let go of the expectation that your vessel will arrive early. It’ll save you from feeling frustrated and bored.

7. Not packing enough long skirts

To enter any active temple in Bali, a modest dress code is mandated—sarongs to cover legs below the knee.

If you don’t have a sarong, you can rent one at the temple. This means coughing up a few extra Rp (Indonesian Rupiah).

Pack modest, full-length skirts to wear to temples that allow them, or buy a sarong in Bali—this will also make for a great travel keepsake!

Note: Avoid stepping on or touching offerings (canang sari) kept outside temples, shops, and homes, as it is offensive to the locals.

8. Completely relying on your chauffeur

Before we arrived in Bali, we were promised an English-speaking driver. I was relieved, knowing that among the four of us, the only Indonesian word we knew was Selamat. Imagine our faces when we realized that our driver knew about five words of English, his favourite being ‘Yes’!

For the most part, we used Google Translate to help us communicate. Still, we struggled to find certain places and items (like a last-minute headlamp for my trek to Mt. Batur). While we can do nothing about this, being mentally prepared to handle such situations will alleviate some frustration.

9. Bargaining too little, or too much

We don’t bargain in malls and on websites, so why haggle with vendors and small shops who could use the money more? My rigidity in this belief would’ve led me to cough up triple the price for a few clothes in Bali had my mother not stepped in and bargained a bit.

That said, it’s equally unwise, and downright rude, to bargain too much. Most locals rely on tourism, agriculture, and fishing to put food on the table. So, while they expect tourists to bargain, it isn’t nice to haggle too much.

Note: You can take pictures of farmers in the rice terraces and fields (with their consent), but offer them some amount for their cooperation, especially on private property.

10. Not eating at the Warungs

You will find the best and cheapest meals are at warungs—small traditional shops or kiosks, typically family-owned and run.

We had eaten nearly all of our meals in the hotels we were staying at, or in premium restaurants since our driver (and our guide) assumed they would be our preference. At first, we were puzzled as to why we weren’t taken to a warung yet since they are the heart of the Balinese culinary experience. Eventually, we asked our driver why he was taking us only to prim places, to which he enthusiastically responded ‘Yes!’. Some translation later, he took us to a warung, where we had a delicious dinner for just Rp 27,000 (roughly ₹150) per head!

Even if you must go out of your way, have a meal or two at a warung. You won’t be disappointed.

11. Chasing Instagram hotspots

Few things disappoint me as much as social media ‘must-do’ sights and hotspots, because they’re almost always nothing like what’s portrayed. And believe me when I say Bali has its fair share of these places.

These spots started as beautiful, serene sights for locals and travellers. Some are natural, while others have been constructed harmoniously with nature.

Today, nearly all of them are overrun with vehicles, crowds, vendors (nothing against this, because livelihoods need to be made), and general cacophony.

Read: Why the Goat Village in India’s Uttarakhand is perfect for an Insta-hotspot detox

Take Bali’s waterfalls, for example. The island is home to some of the most spectacular ones in the world. But many have become places I’d never recommend. The Tegenungan waterfall is a stunning waterfall inside a jungle. Step into the place and you will first come across a parking ground filled with vehicles, then rows of shops, followed by one too many swings and photo corners with long lines. When you finally get to the waterfall, it’s overrun with people, while loud music blaring from speakers above you.

This is one of those mistakes in Bali that can be easily avoided, by heading to lesser-known waterfalls. The internet may give you some information, but it’s best to ask the locals—they know the hidden spots better than anyone else.

Else, make your way to Tegenungan and other popular waterfalls just as they open for the day.

Another example is the Pura Lempuyang temple. You know, the Insta-famous Gates of Heaven with Mount Agung in the background and a perfectly still reflective pool in the foreground?

One of Bali’s oldest and most revered temples, Pura Lempuyang is a sight to behold. But photo-op seekers beware! Unless you want to stand in a two-hour-long queue for your picture at the Gates, only to be further heartbroken at the realization that there is no reflective pool (it’s just a piece of mirror held under a phone), it’s best to skip Pura Lempuyang. You may be able to avoid the bee-line of tourists by visiting in the late afternoon for sunset.

12. Going for a dolphin-watching ride

While my Bali planning mistakes kept adding up, this one was a triple whammy—a colossal waste of money and time (especially those precious hours of sleep I craved due to constant travel), plus the trauma it caused the dolphins.

I knew better than to opt for a dolphin-watching or rather, a dolphin-hounding-and-chasing boat ride. I’ve been to these things in Goa before, and they’re awful—motorboats packed with loud, rambunctious people chasing after a pod of dolphins. The entire episode was quite traumatic for the poor dolphins. Still, folly prevailed as I tried to create a family-friendly itinerary that included watching these beautiful mammals in Lovina from what I assumed would be a respectable distance.

The one in Lovina was no better. The pattern repeated, and I felt terrible—loathing myself for supporting an unethical animal tourism practice, upset at having signed up my family for this activity when we could’ve spent the time catching up on sleep instead of waking up at 5 AM, and cringing at the amount of trash floating in the waters.

Save yourself the guilt, the time, and money, and skip dolphin-watching. Instead, head to Nusa Penida or Gili Islands and snorkel or dive, to see aquatic life in its natural glory.

13. Signing up for water sports

While not a deal-breaker, you can save time and cash by avoiding water sports in Bali, simply because you can engage in these adventures back home. There’s nothing special about any of the water sports here.

If you’re from India, head to Goa, Malpe, or Varkala for seaside adventures, or to Dandeli and Mulki for river rafting and kayaking. They’re closer to home, so you save dough while exploring your backyard.

14. Expecting a jaw-dropping sunrise at Mount Batur

Possibly the most painful of my mistakes in Bali was the Mount Batur trek, and I don’t mean the muscle pain and exhaustion.

It was due to heartbreak, caused by the crashing fall of my high expectation.

I did not get to see the famed sunrise overlooking Mount Agung.

Expecting Bali’s weather to cooperate is like expecting a dog not to wag its tail. The sky was clear the night of the trek—an inky blue canvas dotted by many stars and a full moon! However, at dawn, the weather decided to take another course. The fog never lifted, the sky was overcast, and it even rained!

Read: My Mount Batur trekking experience with a female trek guide

That said, the Mount Batur trek is worthwhile. I encourage everyone to sign up for it, with the caveat that you may not always get the sunrise you seek.

15. Not embracing the unplanned

I wouldn’t term this as one of the mistakes we made in Bali. It was the other way around, and I’m so proud of how we made the best of all the unplanned situations we found ourselves in.

From losing a suitcase at the Denpasar airport to missing the sunset at Tanah Lot, we found ourselves in moments that were less than ideal. But we embraced the chaos and went with the flow.

Had we made it in time for the sunset at Tanah lot, we wouldn’t have witnessed the Purnama ceremony at the temple. Had we not made early morning journeys, we wouldn’t have been offered a glimpse into the local life at Bali by way of their weekly 4 A.M. market in Ubud. Had we stuck to our plan of spending just one day at Nusa Penida, we would’ve never seen Diamond Beach. Had I seen the sunrise from Mt. Batur, I would’ve never appreciated how truly beautiful Lake Batur and Mount Agung looked when the clouds finally parted.

We embraced our mistakes in Bali and learned that it’s fine to let go of the reins sometimes and allow the universe to chart our journey.

Bonus – Being purely a tourist

The harried and hurried travel made me realize that I don’t particularly enjoy hopping from one place to another merely to check off tourist sights. Of all the mistakes I made in Bali, this was the most transformative.

I no longer want to cross off several countries before I die. Instead, I want to savour each place, travelling slowly, sustainably and purposefully. Learning local ways of living, and allowing the history, culture, and beauty of a place to slowly wash over me is the way forward, for me.

Being a tourist is great! It’s not something I’m going to put behind me completely. But embracing slow travel is what I now crave. Translation: Bali will be revisited.

Each of us will make several mistakes while planning our travels, and even more so when we travel. And while this is not only normal but also completely fine, you can learn from my Bali travel mistakes! I hope your travels there are filled with beauty, spontaneity, and serendipity. ✨