Compare Bali flights

Bali might be a long way from the UK, but its paradise island appeal draws Brits in their thousands every year. As a result, you’ll find a good choice of flights to Bali's Ngurah Rai Airport – more commonly known as Denpasar Airport – all year round.

Several major international carriers are in the market, including Emirates, Cathay Pacific, KLM and British Airways. However, it’s Garuda Indonesia that offers some of the shortest flights. Bali itself sits just off the eastern tip of Java and is probably the best-known holiday island in the Indonesian archipelago, offering a landscape of lush forests and white sand beaches punctuated by picturesque temples.

Given the distance, it is difficult to do Bali flights on the cheap. None of the UK's low-cost airlines fly here, and all flights are long and indirect. Getting the price down becomes a matter of accepting more inconvenient flights, particularly in the high season (July and August). Look for long stopovers or multiple connections; they can bump total travel times up to 30 hours or more, but they can also shave hundreds off the cost of your flights.

Prices start to drop in October and November as the rainy season gets going, but it's humid and wet, and not the greatest time to visit. April-June and September and early October offer the best balance of good weather and affordable prices.

There are no non-stop UK flights to Bali. Garuda Indonesia flies via Jakarta from the UK, so its flights are among the shortest, coming in at just over 18 hours. But the award for fastest route goes to Emirates: London Heathrow to Bali in 17 hours, stopping over in Dubai.

Bali has Indian Ocean beaches, soaring volcanoes, historic temples, royal palaces, and a bewitching landscape scattered with traditional towns and villages. But it’s also home to the lively Kuta Strip and the Waterbom waterpark; hip stores and beach bars in Seminyak; world-class surfing, and several of Indonesia’s best restaurants. Fortunately car hire in Bali couldn’t be easier, and the island is small, so you can do a lot in one holiday.

Don’t miss a visit to Ubud. It’s Bali’s spiritual heartland and just over an hour’s drive from Denpasar Airport. The monkey colony at Uluwatu Temple on the south coast is another must-see. And it’s almost compulsory to spend an hour or two on Pdang Pdang beach south of Kuta, if only for the iconic sunsets. Visit our Bali holiday page for some more ideas and to compare packages.