Visiting Bali: Wet to dry season this is when you should book

From wet season to dry, the low period or a week during the shoulder — this is when you should be booking your next trip to Bali.

When it comes to planning a holiday, one of the first things we tend to do is decide what time of the year to book our trip.

During the school holidays, maybe over Christmas or perhaps you just need to escape an Aussie winter for warmer weather abroad.

As one of the most popular international destinations for Australian travellers, booking a week or two in Bali has become increasingly popular for singles, couples and families alike.

These are the months you will want to book a trip to Bali

Being so close to the equator means Bali is generally warm all year-round, making it a popular spot for tourists to visit from January through until December.

However, Bali’s location also means there’s not four seasons to choose from when booking a holiday, rather, you’ll visit during either the “wet” or the “dry” months.

Be prepared to fight for your piece of sand if you do travel to Bali during the dry — also known as high — season.

While both parts of the year offer their pros and cons, there’s a few reasons why you might want to travel during one season over the other.

DRY SEASON: APRIL TO OCTOBER

Bali during their “dry season” generally offers good weather and is the time when the island typically has the least amount of rain.

With mostly sunny days and low humidity, this time of year also tends to offer the best surfing along Bali’s famous west coast, with some hot spots tending to perform better under different weather conditions.

When it comes to hitting the waves, surfing is at its best on the west coast, April to October while from November to March, the east coast offers better conditions. But be warned, if you do book during the dry season expect to have a few more crowds in the water with you.

When it comes to trekking in Bali, the dry season is a much more comfortable time to do it. Picture: Thinkstock

If you’re more inclined to focus on land activities, the dry season allows visitors ample options when it comes to trekking, including through picturesque rice fields to flowing waterfalls at Sanak Retreat. When it comes to exploring inland, May to September offers the driest weather for booking your land-based experiences.

But with the good comes the bad, so the combination of dry days and little rain makes this time of year the peak period for tourists to visit.

When is the best time to visit Bali?

So if you intend to travel at the “best time of year” expect to also pay higher prices for food, accommodation and activities — and chances are you’ll need to pack a little more patience when it comes to moving around the island.

WET SEASON: NOVEMBER TO APRIL

With many Australians forced to take their holidays during the wetter months of December and January, sometimes we are forced to book Bali during the low season. But while the humidity and downpours tend to increase during the wet season, there’s still plenty to see and do during their “wet” season.

With temperatures sitting at around 31 degrees, the plus side is that Bali during November to April is far less crowded and cheaper too. Restaurants, activities, beaches and bars have much smaller reservation lists, and even some resorts and villas will offer discounted rates during this period.

The wet season has far fewer tourists because of the high temperature and strong humidity.

It is however worth keeping in mind that while it is considered the low season, many Australian tourists will flock to Bali because of the annual Christmas/New Year holiday period.

The rainiest months tend to be December and January, with February coming in a close second.

If you have time off in November, it may be worth booking your pre-holiday as this month experiences the fewest rainfall days of the wet season.

However, the best time for deals and discounts on hotels often falls in February to early June and late September to early December when there are fewer tourists on the island.