What to pack for Bali (and what to leave at home) (2026)

Bali has supermarkets, pharmacies and shops selling everything you forgot, so packing is less about completeness than about the handful of things that are expensive, hard to find or genuinely important here.

Bring: the things that are costly or scarce locally

• Sunscreen. Imported high-factor sunscreen is expensive in Bali. Bring enough for the trip, ideally reef-friendly, plus zinc for your face if you surf.
• Prescription medication in its original packaging with a copy of the prescription, since Indonesian pharmacy rules differ and some medicines are restricted or unavailable.
• A small first-aid kit: rehydration salts, antiseptic, plasters that stay on wet skin, blister plasters, anything you personally rely on for an upset stomach. See avoiding Bali belly.
• Insect repellent with DEET or picaridin, which is worth bringing even though local options exist: the mosquito guide.
• Contact lenses and spare glasses.
• A rash vest if you surf. Sun on your back at 10am near the equator is not a negotiation.
• Reef shoes or sturdy sandals if you plan to walk on coral or down cliff stairways.
• Your International Driving Permit with the motorcycle category if you intend to ride. It cannot be obtained once you are here, and your insurance depends on it: the licence guide.

Bring: clothes that work in 30C and 80 percent humidity

• Light, loose natural fabrics. Everything dries quickly and laundry services are cheap and everywhere, so pack half of what you think.
• Two swimsuits, so one is always dry.
• One set of long sleeves and trousers, for temples, mosquitoes at dusk, cool Ubud nights and volcano mornings, which can be genuinely cold.
• A light rain shell. Not a heavy waterproof, which is unbearable in the humidity.
• Something presentable for dinner. Seminyak restaurants and beach clubs have dress codes, and flip-flops are not always enough.
• Flip-flops plus one pair of closed shoes you can walk and ride in. Black sand gets extremely hot and cliff stairways are brutal in sandals.

Bring: the practical kit

• A power bank and a long charging cable.
• A reusable water bottle, since you will be refilling from gallons rather than buying endless plastic.
• A dry bag for boats, waterfalls and scooter rain.
• Copies of your passport, insurance and bookings, stored in your phone and in your email.
• Two bank cards from different banks, kept separately: the money guide.

Plugs and power

Indonesia uses the European two-round-pin sockets, types C and F, at 230 volts. Travellers from continental Europe need no adapter; visitors from the UK, the US, Australia and Japan do. Bring a small multi-adapter rather than several single ones, and remember that power cuts happen, which is a good argument for that power bank.

Buy locally instead of packing

• A sarong. Cheap, beautiful and required at temples, where they are also rented at the gate.
• Beach towels, flip-flops, surf wax, snorkel gear for casual use, basic toiletries, laundry detergent, mosquito coils.
• A local SIM or an eSIM, as covered in the SIM guide.
• A hat. You will lose it anyway.

Leave at home

• Hair dryers, kettles and travel irons, which most accommodation has.
• A large hard-shell suitcase, which fights with gravel lanes and villa steps. A soft bag or a backpack is easier.
• Serious jewellery and anything you would be upset to lose.
• Thick books. Your bag is heavy enough and the sun is bright enough for a screen.
• A drone, unless you have checked the restrictions at the places you want to fly it, because temples, ceremonies and some beaches are off limits.

Rainy season additions

Travelling between November and March? Add the rain shell, a dry bag, quick-dry footwear and an acceptance that your scooter plans will include getting soaked. The compensation is warm sea, green terraces and 30 to 40 percent lower prices, as the January notes and is the rainy season worth it explain.

What your villa should already have

Towels, bed linen, basic kitchen equipment, a drinking-water gallon, mosquito protection and reliable Wi-Fi. Confirm these before you arrive rather than packing around them: the list is in the check-in checklist. Renting direct from the owner means you can ask a manager exactly what is in the kitchen and whether the bedroom windows have screens, at the owner's own rate rather than one carrying 15 to 25 percent platform commission. See the rentals catalogue, or ask in the FAQ.