Excitement levels were high the first time we arrived in Bali. We flew in from Japan, the next phase of our six-month adventure around Asia, and made a beeline to Ubud. We spent the next few weeks chasing waterfalls, getting lost in rice terraces and temples, and gorging on the incredible food this part of Bali has to offer. Apart from the monkeys (more on that later), it was a magical experience and made us fall in love with the island.

We returned shortly after, this time staying in the Canggu and Kuta regions, but we didn’t get that same feeling. It might’ve been our own travel fatigue, the tacky beach clubs or the oversupply of tattoo shops. Whatever it was, Bali didn’t quite live up to our expectations. We still had a good time though and enjoyed the little moments: watching the sunset over the cliffs of Uluwatu, sharing beers with the locals, and spending time with Cam’s parents who joined us for a few days at the end of our trip.

From these experiences, and spending ample time in Thailand as well, we can safely say that these two hotspots offer completely different vibes. They are both famous for their beaches of course, but only one makes it easy to slip into local life. Thailand is a better total package in our opinion - we are comparing an entire country with an island, after all. However, Bali has its own unique qualities that are unmatched anywhere else in the world. Here’s our assessment of how these two travel giants stack up.

Thailand vs Bali - Tukad Cepung Waterfall — *Tukad Cepung Waterfall, Bali*

Thailand vs Bali - Friendly Balinese People — *Friendly locals of Bali*

Thailand vs Bali - Sharing a Beer with the Local Balinese — *Sharing a beer with the locals*

Getting Around a Country vs One Island

Thailand is roughly 90x the size of Bali - so any comparison needs to start with that in mind. Traveling around this country means unpacking and packing again, and hopping on domestic flights, trains, buses and boats to get from Chiang Rai in the north to Koh Lipe in the very south. On the other hand, all you need for Bali is a nice villa and a motorbike and you can slowly explore the island for weeks. Where Bali falls short is public transport: there’s nothing remotely similar to Bangkok’s MRT or BTS.

Bali also has terrible traffic for an island and we mean terrible, while Thailand has dozens of laidback islands to choose from where getting around is a breeze. We couldn’t believe how long it took to finally reach our hotel in Ubud when we first arrived and when we hired scooters, things didn’t get any better. We had to constantly squeeze past gridlock, and even ride on the footpaths at times just so we weren’t killing the entire day.

Although, once you escape the main tourist hubs, the roads in Bali do free up and you can go from a surf break to a jungle waterfall trek within an hour. That’s Bali’s primary advantage over Thailand: it’s smaller in scale and its attractions are less spread out. As long as you’re confident riding a scooter, you’ll be sweet, otherwise you have to rely on Grabs and private drivers which can increase your expenses a bit. In general, Thailand offers cheaper local transport options whether it be songthaews or tuk-tuks.

Thailand vs Bali - Surin Islands — *Surin Islands, Thailand*

Thailand vs Bali - Koh Rok — *Koh Rok, Thailand*

Is Thailand Cheaper Than Bali?

This is a tricky question because it depends on a few factors. Flying to Bali is obviously cheap for Australians, and anyone living in Asia, but for Americans or Europeans it normally involves a connecting flight or two. Conversely, you can fly direct to Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK) from a much broader range of destinations including Paris, London and Vancouver. This naturally shaves a few hundred dollars off the total price of the flight.

Once you’re in Thailand, it’s just easier to stumble upon local markets and affordable street food. Unfortunately, the popular parts of Bali have been consumed by trendy brunch spots, Westernized cafes and pricey beach clubs such as FINNS. You might be shocked when you realize a flat white here costs the same as back home. These daily food costs quickly add up, and offset any savings you might make from finding that cheap pool villa.

Thailand vs Bali - FINNS Beach Club Overrated — *FINNS Beach Club, Bali*

How the Beaches & Surf Compare

You simply can’t beat Thailand when it comes to tropical beaches - whether you choose the palm tree paradise of Koh Kood, the crystal lagoons of Koh Kradan or the limestone landscapes of Railay. Bali offers a similar level of coastal beauty but the scenery is different. Here you’ll find jet-black volcanic shores at Amed, jaw-dropping cliffs at Nusa Penida and rugged surf breaks at Uluwatu, instead of postcard white sand beaches.

It’s hard to say which is better as it comes down to personal taste: do you prefer relaxing in calm waters or plunging into big waves? Bali, and Indonesia as a whole, is considered a world-class surfing destination whereas Thailand only offers mellow waves at certain places like Khao Lak. If you’re a beginner/intermediate surfer, Bali ticks all the boxes and more. However, advanced surfers will find the Mentawai Islands to be a step up.

Thailand vs Bali - Beaches Better in Thailand — *Beaches of Thailand*

Thailand vs Bali - Best Beaches — *Beaches of Thailand*

Why Bali Wins on Waterfalls & Rice Terraces

One thing we can claim with certainty is that Bali has better waterfalls and rice terraces. Although Thailand is still a very green country, particularly during the wet season, we’ve never been wowed by the falls or paddies. Bali, on the other hand, just oozes this lush atmosphere. Our favorite place was the Jatiluwih Rice Terraces: a literal sea of greenery with mountains in the background and the cutest little roads flanked by gentle streams. We got a bluebird of a day for it which made the area incredibly tranquil.

We were also super impressed by the waterfalls of Bali. Sekumpul Waterfall offers this amazing elevated viewpoint, Tukad Cepung Waterfall has rays of light beaming down into a hidden gorge, and Leke Leke Waterfall is famous for its narrow single drop. The only “bad” experience we had at the waterfalls of Bali was at Leke Leke, when we got ripped off for a few water bottles and passionfruit by a local vendor. We probably overpaid by a factor of five but when you’ve just explored a little paradise who really cares?

Thailand vs Bali - Rice Terraces — *Jatiluwih Rice Terraces, Bali*

Thailand vs Bali - Sekumpul Waterfall — *Sekumpul Waterfall, Bali*

Thailand vs Bali - Leke Leke Waterfall — *Leke Leke Waterfall, Bali*

The Vibe/Local Culture of Thailand & Bali

The vibe between Bali and Thailand is “same same but different” (as they say in Asia). For starters, both places are home to beautiful local cultures where religion shines. In the case of Thailand, this is seen in the customs and traditions of Theravada Buddhism with its magnificent temples, peaceful monks, and easy-going “Sabai Sabai” attitude of the people. Bali has similar friendly locals who mostly follow Balinese Hinduism, with daily flower offerings and the unmistakable “Santai” (relaxed) state of mind.

These cultural touches are felt more in local areas, which is why it’s so important to get out of the tourist strips every now and then. That’s the biggest trap in Bali - strictly sticking to Legian and Seminyak really limits your experience. We were a bit disappointed by the scale of development and the crowds of digital nomads, gym buffs, and people claiming to escape the “Matrix” that this naturally attracts. Of course, Thailand has its own version of this but it’s not as centralized and in your face as Bali.

Thailand vs Bali - Balinese Temples — *Temples in Bali*

Thailand vs Bali - Blue Temple — *Temples in Thailand*

Can the Food in Bali Compete with Thailand?

We rate Thai food as one of the best cuisines in the world, probably only equaled by Japanese or Italian. There’s a reason why every city in the world has a Thai restaurant, and a Thai massage parlor to boot. On the contrary, you have to actively hunt for a specialized Indonesian restaurant in Western countries. We know this sounds lazy and ignorant but the only typical Indonesian dish we tried in Bali was Mie Goreng. Apart from that, we stuck to the International food offered in Ubud, Canggu and Kuta.

The international cuisine in Bali isn't cheap but some of it’s genuinely good. We found a fantastic Thai restaurant in Ubud called Warung Siam and a pretty decent Mexican restaurant called Taco Casa. If we had Balinese friends willing to show us around, surely we would’ve been introduced to a new world of local food but sadly we didn’t. Cam for one knows what it’s like to travel with a local through their home country: Kat is constantly ordering weird and wonderful Thai dishes for him, and he loves it.

Thailand vs Bali - Thai Food is Better — *Warung Siam Restaurant, Bali*

Thailand vs Bali - Food is Cheaper in Thailand — *Som Tum, Thailand*

Understanding the Different Seasons

For us living in New Zealand, Bali has a really appealing climate with the dry season right in the middle of our winter (May to October). On the flip side, the best weather window in Thailand runs from November to April when it starts to warm up for us. So we’re always conflicted about leaving the Pacific during this period. But who Thailand’s dry season is perfect for is Americans and Europeans who want a hot country to visit during winter.

If you’re planning a big backpacking trip across Asia, for six months or longer, we suggest heading to Thailand in January or February and then saving Bali for later (like June or July). That way the sun will follow you the entire time. The rainy season in Thailand and Bali can still be good though, as long as you make alternative plans for those inevitable downpours. Since places like Bangkok and Chiang Mai have more indoor activities on offer, Thailand is definitely the safer choice to visit during the low season.

Other Parts of Indonesia Worth Visiting

We also ventured to Sumba and Jakarta, but only one of them is worth visiting in our opinion. Sumba is unique: there’s little to no infrastructure and the landscape is wild. We saw horses everywhere and epic waterfalls, dancing trees and rolling hills. Meanwhile, our experiment in Jakarta didn’t last long. We stayed for a few nights, just as a base to plan our travels, and found ourselves in a polluted city struggling to find good food. Where we wished we visited instead was Raja Ampat and the Komodo Islands.

Thailand vs Bali - Other Places to Visit in Indonesia - Sumba — *Sumba, Indonesia*

FAQs for Thailand vs Bali Travel

How does Phuket compare with Bali?

Phuket is Thailand’s biggest island but it’s still dwarfed in geographical size and population by Bali. Apart from that, they actually make for a similar comparison: both have bad traffic, tons of expats and tourists filling the streets, and plenty of beaches to choose from. Phuket is better for foodies and families - the local cuisine in the Old Town has earned UNESCO status and there’s heaps of activities to keep the kids entertained. Then again, Bali is perfect for couples looking for luxury pool villas at more affordable rates.

What are some common tourist traps to avoid?

We’re ashamed to say that we fell for a few scams and tourist traps in Bali. We were wandering the streets one day in Canggu when a friendly young Balinese lad approached us to play a scratch card game to win an iPad. All we had to do was attend the grand opening of a new hotel. So he ordered a taxi for us (admittedly it was free) and we were driven to the hotel. When we arrived, we were shuffled into a back office and given a high-pressure sales pitch to sign up to some weird hotel membership or timeshare.

Basically, you’d spend X amount of dollars per year and get access to their suite of hotels, apartments and properties around the world. It didn’t sound too bad but the catch is they wanted you to make the first payment today. In the end, we felt sorry for the Balinese staff involved in this (who probably just needed a job) and were more angry at the dodgy expats running the show. Of course, we never won the iPad and only received a discount on the membership that we had to pay for upfront. No thanks.

By the looks of it, scams are more prevalent in Bali than in Thailand. We’ve traveled through Thailand multiple times and nothing comes close to this level of aggressive professional scam. Also, we found that Bali has a high rate of “Instagram traps”. The Handara Gate looks nothing like the photos and the Ubud Monkey Forest area is awful. We stayed near the forest and had monkeys invading the hotel, shaking the satellites on the roof, lingering on our balconies and waiting for us outside our doors. It was bizarre.

How many days do you need in Thailand vs Bali?

You’ll need at least two weeks in Thailand, while Bali can be enjoyed as a short vacation of at least five days. Deciding between the two boils down to whether you want a multi-stop adventure or one single island. We know where we stand. The sign of a truly special place is one you want to return to again and again, and after two visits we don’t feel compelled to go back to Bali. It wasn’t the scam that influenced this, it’s just that we love Thailand’s energy fuelled by locals and easily tapped into by travelers.

Thailand vs Bali: Beaches, Food and Vibe Compared