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Apps your going to need on your Bali holiday – download them now!

Are you planning a trip to Bali and want to ensure a smooth and hassle-free experience?

These essential apps are your key to convenience, helping you navigate, find transport, discover the best local spots, and even connect with the locals. Download them on your smartphone before you embark on your journey. We assure you that these apps are a game-changer!

Also read: Bali Cheat Sheet

Go Jek

Go Jek, the most popular app in Bali, is your key to easy navigation. If you don’t have Go Jek, this is the most crucial app. It’s as simple as Uber, allowing you to order a car or scooter (with a driver, of course) to take you to cafes, restaurants, beach clubs, and more.

Use it for:

Transport: Order a Go Jek to your hotel, Bali villa, or homestay; their friendly drivers will take you anywhere.

GoFood: If you’re feeling lazy and want to stay in the villa or choose from a range of nearby restaurants, GoFood is the best way to get home-delivered food.

GoSend: Need to send a package from one location to the other and don’t want to brave the traffic chaos? Then GoSend will do it for you!

Note: You don’t have to use your credit card in the app to pay for the service; you can pay using cash for that added security

Grab

Grab is similar to Go Jek for ride-hailing and food delivery. It’s the same process as Go Jek, and you can arrange for a car or scooter to rock up to your place and take you anywhere (within reason) around the island. Also, Grab will deliver fresh hot/cold food directly to you. It’s fast, simple, and invaluable to your Bali app library.

Use it for

Ride-Hailing: They’ll come to you and take you where you want to go.

Food Delivery: To simplify life on your Bali holiday, you can have food delivered to your villa/hotel/co-working place without having to hop on your scooter and find restaurants, etc. Have a night at home with your mates and enjoy great food with Grab deliveries.

Cashless Payments: The app has an e-wallet, so you won’t have to stress about having spare cash.

WhatsApp

Most people already have WhatsApp, but if you don’t and want to save a fortune on overseas phone calls, WhatsApp is the best solution. It’s free to download, and you can call other people using WhatsApp. All you need is Wi-Fi. You can send images and videos and even have group chats. Most Balinese people and businesses use WhatsApp, and so do most other non-Australian travellers. It’s a super handy tool, and you’ll soon be using WhatsApp all the time.

Use it for:

Speak to everyone. In Bali, you don’t have to rely on home providers and their fees to make calls.

Easy to install & use: It’s so simple to install, and the voice quality is fantastic.

It’s 100% free. Do you need me to say more?

Google Maps

If you want to travel around Bali on a scooter or hire a car, you will need Google Maps. Don’t even think about going anywhere and trying to navigate using street signs because they are few and far between. Google Maps will get you wherever you want to go. Even if you want to explore local areas like Seminyak or Canggu, Google Maps will help you navigate alleyways and small streets on foot.

Use it for:

Getting around Bali: You can find anything you need in Bali, including cool restaurants, hip cafes, beach clubs, and tourist hot spots—stop getting lost!

Discover about great: Maps will show you unique places, and you can discover new areas you’d like to discover.

XE Currency Converter

The Indonesian currency is the Rupiah (Rp), and while it’s generally stable between the Australian dollar and other currencies, you can see the real-time rate using XE. If you are bringing cash and want to change it at a money changer, you can use this app to make sure you’re not getting ripped off.

Use it for:

Real-Time Exchange Rates: Access live exchange rates for accurate conversions.

Manage your holiday dollar: Conveniently convert costs to keep track of your spending in Bali.

Netflix

It’s raining outside, and the kids are bored (which might be problematic in Bali). If you feel like chilling out in the villa, download Netflix to watch TV shows, movies, and documentaries.

Use it for

Kids’ Profiles: Create safe, kid-friendly profiles so they can watch while you enjoy some adult time. You can arrange a nanny to watch the kids using a concierge service.

Offline Viewing: Download content to watch while on the plane travelling to Bali without using any data (especially on Virgin or Jetstar, where there are no movies). Once you’re in the villa, connect to their Wi-Fi and download even more content.

Happy Cow

Vegans will love Happy Cow, which shows all the vegetarian, vegan, and vegan-friendly restaurants in Bali.

Use it for:

Eating Options: Easily find vegan restaurants in Bali.

User Reviews: See what other vegan foodies have to say about these restaurants.

Top Filters: Filter restaurants by cuisine type, price, and distance from your villa/hotel.

Google Translate

Want to order food and speak the local lingo? Chat with local Balinese people whose English is limited. Then, download the Google Translate App and chat away like a pro with everyone. Make new friends, impress people, and pick up a few new words on the way.

Use it for:

One of the most impressive features of the Google Translate App is its ability to provide instant Translations. Whether it’s text, speech, or even images, you can get a real-time translation without the need for sign language or mimes. This is especially useful when you’re in areas where English is not commonly spoken, making it a must-have tool for your travels.

Offline Mode: Download Bahasa Indonesia for offline use.

Tinder or Bumble

If you are coming to Bali as a single and want to make new friends or do something a bit more, then Tinder and Bumble Apps are the most popular ways to meet like-minded singles. Find a new travel buddy, spark a romance, or make new friends; these apps are gold, and you’ll surely meet new people and enjoy the Bali experience with someone rather than alone.

Express VPN

Indonesia, including the island of Bali, does block certain websites. Yes, believe it or not, some websites cannot be accessed in Bali because of the content’s sensitive nature, and this is where an Express VPN is essential. It helps you access content, maintain privacy, and improve your security, especially if you’re always cafe hopping and accessing different Wi-Fi. You can also hide your location, which is great for savvy travellers looking for the best deals on flights.

Weather App

If you are planning ahead and want to know what the weather will be like for the next few days, ensure you have the weather app. Handy if you are going outdoors and want to know if it’s going to rain and, if it will, what time of the day. You can download it through the Apple Store on your iPhone or Google Play. It also tells you how much rain to expect and if it is going to be cloudy, sunny or partially cloudy,

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About the author

Steven is a die-hard Bali island addict and committed surfie. When he's not writing or taking videos of the latest restaurants or cool places, he's at Echo Beach surfing or riding his scooter around Seminyak, Berawa or Canggu. Steve is part of the Bali Villa Escapes marketing team and has been living in and out of Bali for the last 15 years.