तीर्थtīrtha · sacred water, ford (Balinese tirta)
Bali for yogis, a Hindu island in Indonesia
Updated October 17, 2026 · sources checked October 17, 2026
In short
Bali is the only Hindu-majority province of Indonesia, and its temples, offerings and water rites are the real reason to come. Yoga retreats and teacher trainings in Ubud are mostly modern and international. Most visitors need a 30-day visa on arrival (Rp 500,000) and pay a Bali tourist levy of 150,000 rupiah. Nyepi, the day of silence, falls on 8 March 2027.
Why come here for yoga
Bali is Hindu, and that surprises many travellers: it is the only Hindu-majority province of Indonesia, with 86.4 % of its people following Balinese Hinduism (Wikipedia, Bali). The religion came from India through Java over a thousand years ago and became something of its own: a dense life of temple festivals, daily offerings, purifying water and village cooperation.
Its guiding idea is Tri Hita Karana, the "three causes of well-being": harmony with the divine, among people and with nature. UNESCO inscribed the island's rice-terrace irrigation, the subak, on the World Heritage List on 6 July 2012 as a "manifestation of the Tri Hita Karana philosophy", because the water flows from temple to temple before it reaches the fields.
What Bali offers a yogi is therefore a living Hindu culture, outside India, where ritual and nature are one. What it does not offer is a historic lineage of hatha yoga or a classical yoga institution of its own. The retreats and teacher trainings that made Ubud famous are, for the most part, modern and international: taught in English, often by teachers from abroad, in vinyasa, yin or other contemporary styles. That is not a criticism; it is simply worth knowing before you choose. If you want the source of the tradition, go to Rishikesh or Mysore; if you want practice in a beautiful Hindu setting, Bali can be a joy.
Sacred places
- Pura Besakih, on the slopes of Mount Agung, nearly 1,000 m up, the largest and holiest temple of Balinese Hinduism: not one building but a complex of 23 related temples, the most important being Pura Penataran Agung, terraced on six levels (Wikipedia, Besakih).
- Pura Tirta Empul, near Tampaksiring, a water temple founded around a spring in 962, where Balinese Hindus come for the ritual purification called melukat in its bathing pools. The spring is the source of the Pakerisan river (Wikipedia, Tirta Empul). If you enter the water, you join a rite, not a spa: follow the local order and ask before you go in.
- Pura Ulun Danu Batur, on Lake Batur, regarded as the supreme water temple, source of the island's springs and rivers in Balinese belief, and one of the five components of the subak World Heritage property, with the Pakerisan river watershed fed by Tirta Empul's spring.
- Ubud, in Gianyar Regency, known as an arts and culture centre; its centre receives more than three million foreign visitors a year (Wikipedia, Ubud). Come early in the morning to see offerings placed before the crowds.
Nyepi, the day of silence
तीर्थ
tīrtha
A ford, a sacred bathing place; in Bali, tirta is holy water
Nyepi, the Balinese New Year of the Saka calendar, is the most yogic day on the island: from 6 am to 6 am the next day, everyone stays indoors, without lights, noise, work or travel; Balinese Hindus fast and meditate. In 2027 it falls on Monday 8 March (Saka 1949), according to Indonesia's joint ministerial decree on public holidays signed on 15 September 2026. The UK government notes that Ngurah Rai International Airport closes for the whole day and that only emergency services operate. Do not plan a flight that day; if you are there, keep the silence with your hosts.
When to go
Bali, 8 degrees south of the equator, is warm all year (around 30 °C, high humidity). The west monsoon blows from about October to April, with the heaviest rain from December to March; outside it, rain is unlikely in the lowlands (Wikipedia, Bali). Ubud, inland and higher, is cooler at night. Many retreats run all year: ask how the schedule changes on rainy days.
Getting there
- By air: I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport, in the south of the island near Denpasar; Ubud is reached by road.
- Visa: according to the Indonesian immigration website, the B1 visa on arrival (also issued online as an e-VoA on evisa.imigrasi.go.id before departure) allows tourism for up to 30 days, extendable once to a total of 60 days. The UK government notes it does not cover volunteering, influencer work or creating commercial content.
- Arrival card: all travellers must submit the online "All Indonesia" arrival card within three days before arrival; it is free, so avoid websites that charge for it (Indonesian immigration; FCDO).
- Bali levy: pay it before arrival on the official Love Bali platform of the Bali provincial government, or at counters on arrival; payment is cashless only (card, bank transfer, virtual account, UnionPay or QRIS, according to the Love Bali FAQ).
Budget
Official prices only, read on 17 October 2026:
| Item | Official price | Source |
|---|---|---|
| B1 visa on arrival, 30 days | Rp 500,000 | Directorate General of Immigration |
| Bali tourist levy, each arrival | Rp 150,000 | FCDO; France Diplomatie |
The immigration site gives Government Regulation No. 45 of 2024 as the legal basis for its fees; if the amount shown when you pay differs, the official site is right. Retreat and training prices are not published in a form we can date: ask for a written quote including taxes.
Etiquette
Bali's Governor Circular No. 7 of 2025 on rules for foreign tourists, announced on 24 March 2025 and replacing Circular No. 4 of 2023, sets the rules (Bali provincial government):
- respect the sanctity of temples (pura), sacred statues (pratima) and religious symbols, and do not disturb ceremonies and processions;
- dress modestly and appropriately at sacred places, tourist sites and in public;
- do not enter the inner and middle courtyards (utamaning and madyaning mandala) of a temple except to pray, wearing Balinese ceremonial dress, and not while menstruating;
- be accompanied by a licensed guide at tourist attractions, change money only at authorised changers and pay in rupiah;
- never climb sacred trees or desecrate sacred places; do not litter or use single-use plastic.
In practice, traditional attire for a visitor means at least a sarong and a sash. Watch where you walk: small offerings are often placed on the ground.
Health and safety
Read the UK FCDO's Indonesia advice, or France Diplomatie if you are French. Key points: emergency numbers are police 110, ambulance 118, fire 112; reported cases of rape and sexual assault are high in Bali and Lombok, so be alert at night and use registered taxis or check app drivers; drinks have been spiked; bag-snatching is frequent. France Diplomatie warns against locally produced arak (methanol poisoning, which can cause blindness or death), advises against riding a motorbike at night and calls a helmet "vital". Bali lies in an earthquake and tsunami zone: learn the evacuation routes where you stay.
Choosing a retreat or a training here
Ask, in writing:
- Which lineage or style is taught, by whom, trained where? Is it hatha in the Indian sense, or a modern style under a Sanskrit name?
- How many hours of asana, pranayama, meditation and philosophy, and which texts are studied?
- What certificate will you receive? Read what Yoga Alliance does and does not check, and our page on the 200-hour teacher training.
- Does the school's visa advice match the immigration website? A visa on arrival is for tourism.
- Does the programme respect local ceremonies and Nyepi?
Red flags: a "sacred ceremony" invented for visitors, medical promises, pressure to pay in cash on arrival. More destinations: yoga travel.
Questions people ask
When is Nyepi in 2027?
Monday 8 March 2027, according to Indonesia's joint ministerial decree on 2027 public holidays, signed on 15 September 2026. On Nyepi everyone in Bali stays indoors in silence from 6 am to 6 am, and the UK government notes that Ngurah Rai airport closes for the whole day.
How much is the Bali tourist levy?
150,000 Indonesian rupiah for each foreign tourist arriving in Bali, according to the UK and French governments (read on 17 October 2026). It is paid online on the provincial Love Bali platform before or during your stay, or at counters on arrival, cashless only: card, bank transfer, virtual account, UnionPay or QRIS, according to the Love Bali FAQ.
Is Bali a good place for a 200-hour teacher training?
Many trainings are offered, especially around Ubud, mostly in modern styles taught by international teachers. Judge each one on its teachers, syllabus and certificate. Note that the visa on arrival is for tourism; the Indonesian immigration site states that B1 holders may not sell services or receive payment in Indonesia.
What do I wear to visit a Balinese temple?
Bali's Governor Circular No. 7 of 2025, which replaced the 2023 circular, asks foreign tourists to dress modestly at sacred places and forbids them to enter the inner and middle courtyards of a temple except to pray, in Balinese ceremonial dress, and not while menstruating. Never climb sacred trees or shrines.
Sources
- B1 Visa Kunjungan Wisata (visa on arrival) — Directorate General of Immigration, Indonesia (Rp 500,000 for 30 days) checked October 17, 2026
- Inilah SKB 3 Menteri Libur Nasional dan Cuti Bersama 2027 — Ministry of State Secretariat, Indonesia (Nyepi, 8 March 2027) checked October 17, 2026
- Love Bali — terms of the Bali tourist levy, Bali Provincial Government checked October 17, 2026
- Indonesia travel advice — UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (entry, Bali levy, Nyepi, safety) checked October 17, 2026
- Governor Koster issues Circular No. 7 of 2025 on rules for foreign tourists in Bali — Bali Media Center, Bali Provincial Government (24 March 2025) checked October 17, 2026
- Love Bali — FAQ: Rp 150,000 levy, cashless payment methods, exemptions, Bali Provincial Government checked October 17, 2026
- Besakih Temple — Wikipedia checked October 17, 2026
- Tirta Empul — Wikipedia (founded around 962, melukat purification) checked October 17, 2026
- Subak (irrigation) — Wikipedia (UNESCO World Heritage Site, 6 July 2012) checked October 17, 2026
- Bali — Wikipedia (86.40 % Balinese Hinduism, climate) checked October 17, 2026
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