5 Apps to Download Before Your Bali Holiday (2027)

There are a few things I think every traveller should organise before flying to Bali, and downloading the right apps is one of them. You don’t need to fill your phone with travel tools you’ll never open, but having a way to message your hotel, get mobile data, pay in Indonesian rupiah and book a car can make the first day of your holiday so much easier.

These are the Apps I’d download before arriving in Bali: Wise, WhatsApp, Airalo, Gojek and Grab. They each do something different, and together they cover many of the little logistical details that can make travel feel stressful. I’d set them up while still at home, rather than trying to troubleshoot an account or payment method at the airport.

1. Wise — for spending money in Bali

One of the easiest ways to lose track of your holiday budget is to keep converting prices in your head or accept an expensive currency conversion without noticing. Wise is useful for managing travel spending and, if you’re eligible for a Wise card, paying in and withdrawing Indonesian rupiah. I like the idea of having a separate place for holiday money because it makes it easier to see what I’m actually spending instead of mixing every coffee, taxi and activity with my everyday banking. And CC’s can get you in trouble with international transaction fees.

A Wise card isn’t available to residents of every country, and conversion or cash-withdrawal fees depend on the type of transaction and where your card was issued. Always check the current charges rather than assuming every transaction is free. When a payment terminal asks whether you’d prefer to pay in your home currency or Indonesian rupiah, choosing the local currency generally helps you avoid an extra conversion imposed by the merchant or ATM.

If you’re still working out how much to set aside for your trip, try my free Bali Budget Calculator first. It can help you estimate the overall cost before deciding what to load onto a travel card.

2. WhatsApp — probably the most useful app you’ll have in Bali

If I could convince you to download just one communication app before your holiday, it would be WhatsApp. Bali runs on it. Hotels, villa managers, private drivers, spas, restaurants and tour operators frequently use WhatsApp to confirm bookings, answer questions and arrange the practical details of a visit. It’s often much more useful than sending an email and hoping somebody reads it in time. I have had the chemist deliver me a much needed item late at night by simply finding their whatsapp number and messaging them. So be bold.

Please don’t be shy about messaging your hotel. I always encourage travellers to double-check the details that matter: airport transfers, the exact room configuration, whether breakfast is included, extra beds for children and anything else you’d rather clarify before you arrive. I also recommend you make a few dinner reservations, especially during peak times. WhatsApp is also handy for sharing a location pin or confirming where a driver will meet you. You can keep using your existing account with an Indonesian data eSIM; you don’t have to create a new account simply because you’re in Bali. Download WhatsApp.

3. Airalo — for getting connected before you leave the airport

Arriving in a new country without internet is one of those little inconveniences that can make everything else harder. You need your hotel address, perhaps a message from your driver, and potentially a way to book a car or find an ATM. Airalo lets you buy an Indonesia eSIM through an app, which can be a convenient alternative to finding a local SIM counter on arrival.

The important thing is to check that your phone supports eSIMs and isn’t carrier-locked before you buy a plan. Choose a package that covers the length of your trip and the amount of data you expect to use, and read the activation instructions carefully. Some packages are data-only, which is fine for messaging and navigation but isn’t the same as having a local phone number for ordinary calls and texts. Install it with reliable Wi-Fi before travelling, then follow the provider’s directions about when to activate it. Explore Airalo’s Indonesia eSIMs.

4. Gojek — for cars, motorbike rides and food delivery

Gojek is one of the apps that makes everyday life in Bali much easier. You can book a car through GoCar, look for a motorbike ride through GoRide where available, and order food or other essentials. It’s particularly useful for those days when everybody is tired after swimming, nobody wants to get dressed for dinner and having food delivered sounds like the best possible plan.

I recommend setting up your account and checking the payment options before you travel. For families, a car is usually the more practical choice, especially with younger children, luggage or a pram. Don’t assume a booked car comes with a child restraint as most won’t: ask about safety equipment and arrange an appropriate vehicle separately if you need one. Bali Kidz Hire offers Airport Pick up and transfer with child safety seats. And remember that app availability and pick-up points can vary by area, so check the exact instructions shown in the app. Explore Gojek.

5. Grab — because having a second transport app is useful

Grab does many of the same jobs as Gojek: you can book rides, order meals and arrange delivery of everyday items. So why download both? Because you’re not always going to find the same cars, estimated wait times or fares on both apps. I like having the option to compare them rather than depending on a single service when we’re trying to get somewhere on time.

Grab is also handy when you want dinner delivered without leaving the villa or hotel. As with Gojek, check the vehicle category, pick-up location, payment method and estimated price before confirming anything. While I tend to use Gojek more day to day I only use Grab for my airport transfer as their pickup area is close by and convenient. In fact, as soon as I clear customs I order my Grab. By the time I exit the airport and walk to the grab lounge my car is usually only 5 minutes away. Explore Grab.

Gojek or Grab: which one is better in Bali?

I wouldn’t choose just one. Download both, and compare them when you actually need a ride or a food delivery. One might have a closer driver, another might show a better price, and those differences can change depending on where you are and the time of day. For longer sightseeing trips, several stops or journeys with young children, you may be better off organising a private driver instead of making lots of separate bookings.

This is also where a little itinerary planning pays off. Bali’s traffic can turn a day of ambitious sightseeing into hours in a car, even if everything looks close together on the map. My free Bali itinerary planning tools help you think about the areas you’ll visit before you commit to too many activities in one day.

What to do before you fly to Bali

Download the apps while you still have a reliable and secure internet connection, create any accounts you need and check that payment methods are working. Save your accommodation address, booking confirmations and travel insurance details somewhere you can access offline. If you’re travelling with others, it’s useful for more than one adult to have the essential booking and contact information rather than keeping everything on a single phone.

I would also save my free Bali Emergency & Medical Guide alongside your travel documents. Hopefully you’ll never need it, but that’s exactly the sort of information I’d rather have ready than search for when something goes wrong. And if you’re still organising what to take, my Bali Packing Checklist is another easy thing to sort out before departure.

My final advice

You don’t need every app advertised in a Bali travel group. For most holidays, I’d start with Wise for money, WhatsApp for communication, Airalo for mobile data, and both Gojek and Grab for getting around and ordering food. Set them up before you arrive, and you’ll have fewer little jobs competing for your attention when you’re finally on holiday.