Best Time to Visit Kuta

Dry season: May to September

This is the time to come if you want beach days. July to September score best, and August is the driest month, with only six rainy days. Mornings are bright, evenings are a little cooler, and the air feels less sticky than the rest of the year.

It's also the busiest stretch. July and August bring Australian school holidays and European summer travellers, so Kuta Beach and Jalan Legian fill up fast. Sunset at the beach can feel like a street party. If you hate crowds, aim for late May, June or September. They're still dry, and the beach has more room.

Surfing suits this season too. The dry-season swell is good for experienced surfers, and the beginner waves right on Kuta Beach are easy to find with a local school.

Wet season: December to March

Expect heavy, warm rain. January is the wettest month, with rain on 28 days and barely two hours of sun a day. It doesn't always pour all day, but skies are often grey and the air is thick. Roads around Kuta can flood, and the traffic gets worse.

The upside is cheaper rooms and a calmer beach. Travelling with kids or planning a spa-and-café trip? You can make it work. Just keep your plans loose. Christmas and New Year are the exception, as they bring a short, busy spike in visitors despite the rain.

The shoulder months: April, May, October, November

October is a good compromise. Rain is light, the sun is out most days, and it's the hottest part of the year, with highs of 31°C. By November the showers come back, with rain on 19 days. April is still damp, so May is the safer pick of the two spring months.

Events through the year

Nyepi, the Balinese Day of Silence, usually falls in March or April. The whole island shuts down for 24 hours. The airport closes, the streets are empty, and you must stay in your hotel. The night before, villages parade huge papier-mâché monsters called ogoh-ogoh. It's memorable, but plan around it.

Galungan and Kuningan come twice a year on the Balinese calendar. Streets are lined with tall bamboo poles called penjor, and families head to temples. In August, Indonesian Independence Day on the 17th brings flags, parades and street games.