Is Bali Good in November? Rain, Prices and Where to Base Yourself (2026)

Yes, Bali is good in November: Denpasar averages 150–187 mm of rain over 8–10 rain days, against 258–290 mm over 16 days in December, and you get low-season prices before the Christmas surge. It is a shoulder month, hot and humid, with afternoon storms rather than all-day washouts.

In 2026 it may be drier than usual, because Indonesia’s weather agency expects most of Bali’s wet season to start late. Book the south or east coast and keep mornings for outdoor plans.

The Honest Answer: November Is Bali’s Last Good-Value Window

November sits between two expensive periods. The July and August dry-season crowds have gone, and the 20 December to 5 January holiday peak has not started. For Australians, school Term 4 runs until 11 December in Queensland, 17 December in NSW and 18 December in Victoria, so families are not flooding Denpasar yet. That suits couples, solo travellers and retirees.

It is not perfect: the rainy season begins this month and you will lose some afternoons to storms. If you can choose any month, our guide to the best time to visit Bali explains why May to September is still the safer bet for guaranteed beach weather.

What November Rain Actually Looks Like

Long-run averages for Denpasar, which covers the airport, Kuta, Seminyak and Sanur:

– Rainfall: 150–187 mm across the month, depending on the source. – Rain days: 8–10, compared with 3–6 in October and 16 in December. – Sunshine: 7–9 hours a day on average. – Temperature: highs of 31–32°C, lows of 23–25°C. – Sea: 28–29°C, warm enough to swim all day.

A rainy November day usually means a heavy afternoon or evening burst, then clearing. The interior hills and north coast are wetter than the south coast, so beach towns have better odds.

The 2026 twist. In late September, the BMKG Bali climatology station forecast a delayed wet season linked to El Nino. Only about 15% of Bali’s 20 season zones are expected to start their rainy season in late November 2026, with the other 85% starting in December and the peak arriving in February 2027.

The November starters are mostly highland and northern districts: Banjar, Sukasada, Baturiti, Pupuan, Petang and Payangan. So this November should lean drier than the long-run average on the coasts, while the mountains around Bedugul and the area just north of Ubud get wet first.

Prices and Crowds Compared With December

November falls in Bali’s low season, when operators drop rates to fill rooms. Typical nightly prices from one Bali specialist:

– Boutique hotel: AUD 110–165 · USD 80–120 in low season, against AUD 180–250 · USD 130–180 in high season. – Private two-bedroom villa: AUD 210–305 · USD 150–220, against AUD 345–485 · USD 250–350 at peak. – Peak surcharges of AUD 35–140 · USD 25–100 a night, plus 3–5 night minimum stays, apply over Christmas and New Year, not in November.

Flights follow the same pattern. One-way fares from Sydney or Melbourne on low-cost carriers sit around AUD 250–500 · USD 180–360, and from Perth around AUD 180–350 · USD 130–250. School-holiday peaks push fares 30–50% higher. Sydney to Denpasar takes about 6 hours 35 minutes on Jetstar or Virgin Australia; Perth is about 3 hours 45 minutes.

If you are weighing the two months, our December Bali guide covers the Christmas pricing and wet-season trade-offs in detail. Short version: November gives you roughly half the rain days at lower prices. For daily costs on food, drivers and activities, see our Bali travel budget breakdown.

What to Book Before You Fly

– Refundable rooms. Prices are soft, so you can afford a flexible rate and switch if the forecast turns. – A private driver by the day rather than scooter plans.

Afternoon downpours make roads slick, and you will not want to be on two wheels when a storm hits. – Morning-only tours. Book Batur sunrise hikes, Nusa Penida boats and waterfall trips for the first slot of the day. – The tourist levy. Every foreign visitor pays AUD 11.70 · USD 8.40 (IDR 150,000) once per trip through the official Love Bali portal. Paying before you fly saves a queue.

Which Areas Work Best in November

Sanur and Nusa Dua are the safest bets: on the drier southern coast, with calm, reef-protected water and flat footpaths. They suit families with preschoolers, older travellers and anyone who wants to swim every day.

The east coast comes into its own. As the dry-season swell fades on the west coast around Canggu and Uluwatu, surfers shift to east-coast breaks. Further east, Karangasem’s water palace at Tirta Gangga looks its best after rain, with the gardens and rice fields around it at their greenest. Entry is about AUD 7 · USD 5 (IDR 90,000), and it is roughly 1.5 hours’ drive from Ubud.

Ubud still works, but plan for indoor time. It sits close to Payangan, one of the zones BMKG expects to turn wet first, so pair rice-field walks and waterfall visits with cooking classes and spa afternoons.

Who Should Skip Bali in November

– Divers and freedivers chasing peak visibility. Choppier crossings and rain-day cancellations make the dry months a better match. – Travellers who need a dry hike up Batur or Agung. A November morning can work, but clouds build early in the highlands. – West-coast surfers after big, clean swell. The best season for Uluwatu-style waves is the dry season. – Anyone who hates humidity. Climate data rates November as very high heat and humidity, and a storm rarely cools things down for long.

What to Pack for Bali in November

November’s mix of heat, humidity and sudden rain calls for a different packing list than the drier, dustier months earlier in the year.

Rain gear that actually gets used. A compact umbrella or a packable rain jacket earns its space more in November than a bulky poncho; most storms are short and heavy rather than all-day drizzle, so something you can stuff away again within the hour works best. Quick-dry fabrics beat cotton, since a soaked t-shirt in high humidity barely dries overnight.

Mosquito protection matters more from this month on. Dengue risk in Bali tracks the wet season: standing water from the first big rains gives mosquitoes more places to breed, and case numbers typically climb from November through the January-to-March peak. Pack a DEET or picaridin-based repellent and use it at dawn and dusk, when the mosquitoes that carry dengue are most active, regardless of how dry any particular day looks.

Reef-safe sunscreen, used daily. Cloud cover blocks heat better than it blocks UV, so the sun still burns on an overcast November afternoon between showers. Bali’s marine protected areas increasingly ask visitors to use reef-safe, oxybenzone-free sunscreen, which is also easier to find in Bali’s supermarkets and surf shops than it was a few years ago.

A sarong for temples, which doubles as rain cover. Every temple on a Bali itinerary requires one, and most lend them at the gate, but carrying a light one of your own means never being caught without it at a smaller roadside shrine. The same sarong works as an improvised rain shawl or a towel for a quick swim.

Power and connectivity. Indonesia uses the two-pin Europlug-style socket at 230V, so Australian devices need an adapter. An eSIM bought before you fly, or a physical SIM from the airport, is worth having from the moment you land, since November’s storms are easier to plan around with a working weather app in hand.

Footwear and clothing. Rice-field paths, waterfall trails and temple courtyards all get slippery once the rain starts, so pack closed shoes with real grip rather than flat sandals for anything beyond the beach.

Light, breathable layers work better than anything heavy: daytime highs sit around 31 to 32°C for most of the month, and a spare change of clothes in your day bag is worth it if an afternoon downpour catches you between stops.

Where to stay in Bali in November

– Sanur: the best all-round November base, with calm water, a long beachfront path and easy boat access to Nusa Lembongan. – Nusa Dua: big resort pools and sheltered beaches, ideal when an afternoon storm keeps you on site. – Ubud (3–4 nights): for couples after culture, food and spa days. Add it to a beach stay rather than making it the whole trip.

For a full area-by-area comparison, see our guide on where to stay in Bali.