Ramadan in Bali

So, how is Ramadan in Bali?

The big holiday of Idul Fitri usually spans 2 days, but the rest of the same week are usually announced by the Indonesian government as joint holidays. This is often considered family time for city dwellers to go home and visit relatives – expect high traffic and packed domestic flights throughout major ports across Indonesia.

Bali is a predominantly Hindu island, so Ramadan here is not as prominent as in other major cities, like Jakarta, for instance. The only impact felt is that most street vendors and budget and local Muslim-run restaurants cease to operate during the day, so the effect for international visitors is minimal.

Your Bali hotel, resort or favourite restaurant will probably feature special ‘Ramadan packages’ or special menus highlighting favourite halal Indonesian cuisine as part of their promotions to tie-in with the daily iftar (the fast-breaking at sunset). If you favour local cuisine, expect some of your favourite warungs (local food stalls) to open a little later than usual.

During the Idul Fitri holiday week, you can expect less traffic in Bali, since most of the non-Balinese urban population flees the island (a collective act locally referred to as mudik) to gather with their families at home in other parts of Indonesia. For visitors to Bali, this translates as much faster transfers between points of interests than usual.

During and after Ramadan in Bali

Around the end of the Idul Fitri holidays, traffic conditions will spike again due to the arus balik or 'return trips' back to Bali. Streets and the major ferry port of Gilimanuk in West Bali will be at their most hectic. Most transportation will also be fully booked for several days as life and businesses steadily go back to normal.

The nightlife scene in Bali also goes on largely unaffected. In Jakarta and other major Indonesian cities, you won’t find any alcohol on the menu during Ramadan. Conversely, in Bali, your favourite bar, beach club or venue will always be serving their world-class mixologist-designed cocktails and ice-cold Bintangs.