Hi everyone! I am super excited to welcome the first official guest post on The Blessing Bucket! I recently connected with Chelsea from Chelsea In Bali and I absolutely adore her blog. Reading her content brought me back memories of Bali – the lush green rice fields, beautiful beaches, and delicious nourishing food! I am definitely contemplating a trip back to this magical island now. Chelsea was very kind to share with us her awesome ultimate packing guide for Bali. So grab a pencil and let’s take notes!
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Bio
Chelsea is a Bali loving, adventure chasing beauty fanatic. She writes a Bali focused lifestyle blog, and is currently documenting her journey to becoming an expat in Asia. Don’t miss her Bali travel guides, solo travel advice, beauty content, and experiences as an aspiring digital nomad.
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Ladies, rejoice! Bali is the perfect destination for you stylish minimalists. The combination of the heat and the laid-back island style equate to the need to pack very few items, but look great every day! What you absolutely need, what you might forget, and what is best to leave at home.
This is your ultimate guide to pack minimally and with style on your next trip to Bali, Indonesia.
The bare bones
Underwear. Pack 8 pairs. Unless you’re staying for a very short amount of time, 8 is a good amount, as it’s realistic to have the washing done weekly: plus one extra pair for wiggle room.
Bralettes. Go bralettes over bras if your bust-size allows for it. The heat makes padded bras an undesirable and uncomfortable experience; so best to avoid if possible. Bralettes also take up much less space!
I practically lived in these Calvin Klein sports bras.
Bathing suits. This is actually one thing I underpacked on. I underestimated the amount of time I would be spending in a swimsuit. If you’re anything like me, you’ll wake up in time for an early morning swim, lounge around in your suit for breakfast, and come back from afternoon activities to jump back in the pool. Half the time you’ll likely just throw a pair of shorts over top and call it a day. I’d recommend bringing 3 suits, including one one-piece, especially if you plan on surfing: cause chaffing and losing pieces in the surf is no fun.
My favourite place to find bathing suits at a reasonable price is Aerie by American Eagle. They have the cutest designs and colours, always have a sale going on, and have a great size range to boot.
PJs. Bring 1-2 pairs of PJ shorts. I always just slept in a random top but I’ll leave that up to you.Check out these adorable short sets from Victoria’s Secret!
Clothes
The key when you’re packing your clothes is to think minimal and breathable. The heat and humidity in Bali is extreme, so any tight or uncomfortable clothing will feel notably worse in this climate. Also, think small in terms of packing volume- it’s good to take multiples of key items, as they will get sweaty, and unfortunately stinky, so their wear half life will be significantly reduced before having to hit up the laundry.
Tank tops (3-4). Cotton. Breathable. Breezy. I’d take a mix of light and dark colours (I usually stay neutral) that can easily be dressed up or town with bottoms and jewellery. Make sure you are packing tops that look great with every option you have for bottoms, so that you end up with a higher number of possible outfits.
These are my favourite tank tops from Aerie. They are super flattering, soft, and breathable.
A nicer, blouse style top. A top you feel great in that you can dress up for a night out. Just make sure it’s hot weather friendly- sweat stains are friend to no one!
In a pinch? This one from American Eagle ticks all the boxes.
3 Pairs of shorts. One linen/ comfy/ casual, one jean, and one on the dressier side. Don’t over pack on these, as you’ll end up wearing the “comfy” option most days.
2 Dresses. One black, simple dress for evenings, and one floral, patterned or light coloured dress for days. When you’re in and out of the pool all the time, you’ll love having simple breezy dresses you can just throw on and head out to dinner. I say to pack two at a maximum, as there is an abundance of gorgeous dresses for sale all around the island in markets and stores that you surely will not be able to resist.
This dress from Urban Outfitters should do the trick.
T-shirts (2-3). T-shirts are good when you’ll be out in the sun exploring. Always having your shoulders exposed can lead to nasty sunburns and it’s hella annoying constantly be re-applying sunscreen. Light neutral colours like white, cream and grey are great for simplicity and avoiding heat stroke. These will also come in handy to wear to bed.
These Kuwalla Tee T-shirts are perfect as they are high quality and come in their own cotton bag to simplify the packing process!
Pair of leggings. This is what you will likely wear on the plane and can be interchanged with any type of comfy and compact pant. I was honestly happy to have one garment that covered my legs, as especially during rainy season you can feel chilly if you’re indoors, OR if you get sick. One night I caught a major chill and layered up with all the clothes I had. These are also key if you plan on buffing up on your yoga in Bali.
Check out this pair from Lululemon or this pair from Girlfriend Collective.
Comfortable hoodie. Also good for on the plane, or just general cozy-ness when you’re lounging. Absolutely necessary if you plan on hiking, as hiking at higher altitudes is much cooler. Don’t bring more than one long sleeve garment, as it will take up too much space and you just won’t use it.
This one from Roots is the ultimate travel companion!
Footwear
Flip flops. Bring one pair. You will live in them- I barely took them off. Flip flops are the preferred footwear in Bali as you’ll constantly be slipping them on and off to go in temples or walk along the beach.
These flip flops from Maldavos are as comfortable and sturdy as they are stylish- I lived in them in Bali.
Sandals. I’d recommend bringing a “nicer” pair of leather sandals or the like. I barely used mine, but it is nice to have the option if you’d like to look a bit more put together for going out at night.
Sneakers or runners. Choose these depending on how active of a trip you’re planning. I didn’t use the runners I packed except for on the plane, so keep that it mind. It’s almost too hot to wear closed toed shoes unless you have to for intense walking or hiking. Also, think comfy and light.
I love my Natives because they’re light as a feather, feel like walking on marshmallows, and are soo cute!
Accessories
1-2 pieces of jewellery. I brought my favourite dainty, gold necklace and my simple gold ring that I haven’t taken off in years. The biggest reason I suggest bringing such accessories is to have something that makes you feel like “you” while travelling. It’s kind of easy to lose your personal style when you’re constantly in your bathing suit or in clothing that you buy while away.
Here’s the Etsy link to my favourite gold choker that I brought along with me.
1 light scarf. Great to have on the plane, and as a makeshift blanket or sarong while travelling.
“The Blanket Scarf” is an infamous Artizia wardrobe staple in Canada.
Cheap sunglasses. These are really easy to come across if you’d like to wait and buy them in Bali like I did. I’d advise against bringing your pricier sunglasses unless you’re super careful and responsible- I know I’m not!
Small, secure cross body purse with zips. Great for little day trips, shopping, and scooter adventures, as you’ll want to have your hands free and not be lugging around a huge bag. Bali isn’t necessarily known for pickpocketing, but I always find it comforting to have something small and secure that I can keep on my front to avoid any theft.
Clutch that fits your phone and some money. Great for when you’re lounging by the pool at your hostel, or going to the bar at night. Because you literally just hold in your hand or on your wrist, I felt the most secure holding my valuables this way.
Daypack. Good to use as your personal item on the plane, as well as for daytrips on the island. I also found this useful for multiple day adventures to other spots on the island while I left my big suitcase behind at the hostel, as I planned to return to stay afterwards.
This one from Herschel was perfect for my trip.
Toiletries
See my Makeup Packing Guide for what makeup I’d suggest you bring on your trip.
As far as toiletries go, decant your products into small bottles (that you can buy at the drugstore) and bring enough for your first while there. If you plan on being in Bali for an extended period of time, you can purchase everything you could possibly need there, so don’t worry too much about bringing bottles and bottles of your favourite products.
Miscellaneous
Any emergency medication you might need. Ibuprofen, Gravol, electrolytes- that kind of thing!
I brought my iPad in lieu of my laptop, which was great for poolside reading, and eliminated the need to pack multiple heavy books!
Deck of cards. They will come in handy- I promise! What else to do when it pours in Bali?
Things you can (and probably will) buy there
Dresses. Light and breezy dresses are your best friend in Bali, and luckily there is an abundance of gorgeous options to choose from in markets and shops. I lived in the two that I purchased for practically the whole second half of my trip.
Sarongs. These are great as bathing suit cover-ups, and are a necessity for visiting the beautiful temples of Bali. It is part of the culture to cover up with a sarong upon entering the temples (even for men!). Don’t worry about bringing one as they’re available in abundance everywhere, and if you’re in a pinch to get into a temple, you can either rent one or unfold and use your scarf.
Jewellery. There is tons of unique, beautiful, and affordable jewellery on offer in Bali. Silver is an abundant resource in Indonesia, so they’re tons of reasonably priced silver jewellery to go around!
As you can see, what you need to bring on your trip to Bali is very limited. Don’t bring more than you need, as you’ll have less room to bring things home with you! If you can, pack only in a carry on. This makes your airport time as well as your carry weight much more manageable!
Good luck!
C
Wow many great tips! So my main take away today is to keep my pieces breathable, and life in Bali will be easy, breezy, beautiful~ 😛 Thank you so much! Follow Chelsea on Instagram for more inspirations on traveling through Bali and beyond.
Until next time!