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How to get internet in Bali
Three options: install a travel eSIM before you fly, buy a local SIM after you land, or rely on WiFi. For most visitors the eSIM is the least trouble — you arrive already connected, which matters in Bali because getting from the airport usually means opening a ride-hailing app first. A local SIM is worth the queue if you are staying a month or more. WiFi alone is workable only if you are not moving around much.
Why Bali is harder than it looks
Bali is not a place where you can land, find your way to the hotel, and sort out data tomorrow. Three things make that awkward:
- Transport runs on apps. Ride-hailing is how most visitors get around at a predictable price. You need data to book a ride, not just to look one up.
- Addresses often are not addresses. Villas, warungs and beach clubs are routinely shared as a dropped pin. Without live maps, a pin is useless.
- Arrival paperwork expects a working phone. Formalities have moved online, and doing them on airport WiFi while a queue builds behind you is nobody's idea of a good start.
Option 1 — a travel eSIM
You buy a data plan online, scan a QR code, and your phone carries a second line alongside your normal one. Nothing is shipped and nothing is swapped.
What it is good at
- You are connected the moment the plane lands, before immigration.
- Your usual number keeps working for calls and messages, so bank codes and two-factor texts still arrive.
- No queue, no counter, no passport handed over at the end of a long flight.
- Nothing to lose. There is no small piece of plastic to keep track of.
What it is not good at
- Your phone must support eSIM and be carrier-unlocked. Most iPhones from the XR and XS onward qualify, but check before you buy.
- It is data only. You do not get an Indonesian phone number, which matters if a driver or a villa host wants to call you rather than message in-app.
- For very long stays, a local plan is usually cheaper per gigabyte.
Option 2 — a local SIM after you land
Ngurah Rai has mobile operator counters in the arrivals area, and there are shops in Kuta, Seminyak and Ubud. You hand over your passport, they register the SIM, and you leave with an Indonesian number.
What it is good at
- Cheapest per gigabyte on longer stays, and easy to top up locally.
- You get an Indonesian number, which is genuinely useful for calls to drivers, restaurants and villa hosts.
- Works on any phone, including older handsets with no eSIM support.
What it is not good at
- You are offline until it is done — through immigration, baggage and the walk out.
- Prepaid SIMs in Indonesia are registered to identity documents, so expect to hand over your passport and wait while it is processed.
- Your own number goes in a pocket for the trip unless your phone takes two SIMs.
- Airport counter prices are not the same as the prices in town.
Option 3 — WiFi only
Hotels, villas, cafés and co-working spaces almost all have WiFi, and in Canggu and Ubud it is often good enough to work on.
The problem is the gaps between them. You cannot book a ride from the side of a road with no data, you cannot follow a live map on a scooter, and you cannot receive the message telling you the driver is somewhere else. WiFi is a reasonable supplement and a poor primary plan — unless your trip genuinely is villa, pool, restaurant, villa.
Which one suits your trip
| If you are… | Choose | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Visiting for a week or two | eSIM | The saving on a local SIM will not repay the queue and the setup |
| Landing late, or connecting onward | eSIM | Counters keep their own hours; your plan does not |
| Staying a month or more | Local SIM | Cheaper per gigabyte once the trip is long enough |
| Needing an Indonesian number | Local SIM | An eSIM data plan does not give you one |
| On an older phone with no eSIM | Local SIM | It is the only option that works |
| Working remotely from one place | WiFi + eSIM | WiFi for the laptop, data for the moment you leave |
If you go the eSIM route
Num sells prepaid data plans for Indonesia, which is the plan that covers Bali. You buy before you fly, scan the code, and turn on data roaming for that line when you land. Plans run from small daily amounts to larger monthly bundles, and the price you see is the price charged — nothing is added at checkout.
It will not suit everyone. If you need an Indonesian number, or your phone has no eSIM support, a local SIM is the better answer and we would rather say so here than have you find out at the airport.
Common questions
Can I set up an eSIM after I arrive in Bali?
Yes, as long as you can get online to buy and install it — airport or café WiFi is usually enough. Doing it before you fly is simpler, because the install needs a connection and the arrivals hall is where you least want to be hunting for one.
Will I keep my own phone number?
Yes. A travel eSIM adds a second line for data. Your usual number stays active for calls and texts, which is what you want when a bank sends a code.
Does an eSIM work outside the south of Bali?
Coverage is good across the populated south and along the main roads north and east. Remote areas and the smaller islands are patchier, as they are on any network including local ones.
Does the same plan work on Lombok or Java?
Yes. Bali is served by Indonesia plans, so the same eSIM covers the rest of the country if you travel on.
Do I need to register an eSIM with my passport?
No. Registration applies to prepaid SIMs bought in Indonesia. A travel eSIM is bought before you arrive and needs no counter visit.