Geographical location
Despite an area of around 5630 km², according to abbreviationfinder, Bali is probably the most famous island in Indonesia, but by no means the largest. Indonesia consists of giants such as Borneo, Java and Sulawesi, among others.
Together with Nusa Tenggara, Bali is one of the so-called Lesser Sunda Islands in the Indian Ocean and extends over a north-south length of around 96 kilometers. According to the latest estimates, around 4.5 million people live in Bali, whose largest city Denpasar is also the provincial capital.
Bali has more inhabitants than Rhineland-Palatinate, but only around 30% of the area. Since most of the tourists settle in the seaside resorts in the south, you can find peace and quiet in the center, west and north of the island and in many places unexcited idyll. The province also includes the smaller neighboring islands of Nusa Lembongan, Nusa Ceningan and Nusa Penida.
Around 75% of the island area of Bali is mountainous and of volcanic origin, Gunung Agung is the highest point at 3031 meters. Popular tourist destinations near Bali are the islands of Lombok and the offshore Gili Islands.
Climate in Bali
Bali has a tropical climate with high temperatures all year round and very high humidity. The rainy season in Bali is determined by monsoons carried from the northwest and usually falls from mid- November to March.
Due to the mountains in the interior of the island, however, there is a very uneven removal of rain clouds, in particular the beaches in the north of the island have to expect only about half as much precipitation as the south. The heaviest rains are in January and February. Even in the dry season, when the humidity and temperatures drop somewhat, daytime temperatures of over 30 degrees Celsius still prevail.
With a constant water temperature of 27 to 29 ° C, the beaches of Bali are suitable for bathing all year round, with the exception of particularly stormy days. Due to the proximity to the equator, there are no typical seasons apart from the dry and rainy seasons. The sun rises almost every day at around 6:30 a.m. and disappears from the horizon around 6:30 p.m. after a very short period of twilight.
When to go to Bali
The question of the best time to travel to Bali is largely determined by the rainy season described. We recommend the months of April to October as the ideal travel period, whereby in the main season between June and August, due to the summer holidays in Europe and winter holidays in Australia, quite high overnight prices can be expected.
Experience has shown that the ideal mix of good weather, low prices and pleasant visitor numbers can be found in the marginal months of April, May, September and the first half of October.
This recommendation applies not only to beach holidays, but also to a large extent for climbing Gunung Agung as well as for water sports enthusiasts, surfers and divers. The months of June to September are particularly recommended, while the rainy season should be avoided if possible due to short visibility, choppy seas and the risk of slipping on the hiking trails.
Temperatures, precipitation, sunshine in Denpasar (Bali)
| Jan | Feb | March | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
| Daytime temperature | 31 ° C | 31 ° C | 31 ° C | 32 ° C | 31 ° C | 30 ° C | 30 ° C | 30 ° C | 31 ° C | 31 ° C | 32 ° C | 31 ° C |
| Night temperature | 24 ° C | 24 ° C | 24 ° C | 23 ° C | 23 ° C | 22 ° C | 22 ° C | 22 ° C | 23 ° C | 23 ° C | 24 ° C | 24 ° C |
| Water temperature | 28 ° C | 28 ° C | 28 ° C | 29 ° C | 28 ° C | 28 ° C | 27 ° C | 27 ° C | 27 ° C | 27 ° C | 28 ° C | 29 ° C |
| Precipitation in mm | 326 | 325 | 209 | 84 | 78 | 72 | 61 | 34 | 54 | 110 | 191 | 293 |
| Rainy days | 16 | 13 | 10 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 13 |
| Hours of sunshine | 5 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 |
| Sunrise | 6:10 | 6:20 | 6:25 | 6:20 | 6:25 | 6:30 | 6:35 | 6:30 | 6:15 | 5:55 | 5:50 | 5:55 |
| Sunset | 18:45 | 18:45 | 18:35 | 18:15 | 18:05 | 18:10 | 18:15 | 18:20 | 18:15 | 18:15 | 18:20 | 18:35 |
Temperatures
The annual average temperature in Denpasar is 27.2 ° C. For comparison: Munich reaches an average of 8.6 ° C, in Berlin it is 9.6 ° C. The warmest month is November (27.8 ° C), coldest month of July with average values of 26 ° C. The maximum water temperature in Denpasar is 29 ° C. Comfortable bathing is possible at these temperatures. All months have a water temperature of at least 21 ° C and are therefore suitable for a beach holiday.
Precipitation
The annual precipitation is 1837 mm on 91 days with precipitation. For comparison: In Munich, 967 mm, in Berlin 570 mm, precipitation is measured annually. The months of January, February, March, November and December are considered the rainy season, as more than 175 mm of precipitation can be expected per month. Overall, about 1344 mm of precipitation can be expected in the rainy season. You cannot expect snow in any month in Denpasar.
Sunshine
As our climate table shows, August is the sunniest month with an average of 7.4 hours of sunshine per day. On average over the year the sun shines for 6.3 hours per day. For comparison: In Munich and Berlin, the sun shines an average of 4.7 hours per day throughout the year.
Cities nearby
The following larger towns are nearby and have a similar climate: Singaraja.
Highlights and sights
One of the most popular attractions in Bali is the artist town of Ubud with its many galleries and shops and the sacred monkey forest. A visit to the surrounding rice terraces is a must for every vacationer. Of course, the many temples on Bali are also very popular, especially Uluwatu, Tanah Lot, Tirta Gangga and Ulun Danu Bratan are the most famous holy places on the island.
The most beautiful beaches on Bali are the bay of Nusa Dua with Geger Beach, Balangan Beach near Kuta and Jemeluk Beach in Amed. Our favorite, however, is the only 180-meter-wide stretch of beach right by the “Finn’s Beach Club” beach bar near Uluwatu.
Bali weather in March, April and May
Daily temperatures averaging 31 to 32 ° C are to be expected over the next three months. The temperatures hardly fluctuate during this time.
Do you want to go on a beach holiday? The water temperatures are in March, April and May 28-29 ° C. This is great weather for a great time on the beach and in the water.
The expected rainfall is around 10 days in March, around 6 days in April and around 5 days in May.
In the period from March to May, the sun shines an average of 5 to 7 hours a day. The sunniest weather in Denpasar is in April, but with less sun you will have to get by in March.
