There are two beach destinations in Southeast Asia that stand out head and shoulders above the rest – Bali and Phuket. But which of the two islands should you visit if you’re only able to see one of them?
Well, we know all about preferring island beach escapades to cities and we’ve got an honest head-to-head review of the two places so that you can make an informed decision about where to go.
Bali In Brief: What’s It Like?
Bali is the land of beach clubs and island-hopping but its tourist attractions consist of more than pristine beaches and scuba diving. There are waterparks, temples, museums, monkey forests and so much more to see.
The island has vibrant nightlife and the outlying islands offer the perfect destination for a holiday within a holiday too.
Balinese people are famed, rightly, for their welcoming, friendly attitude and when you visit Bali, you always feel at home.
Phuket In Brief: What’s It Like?
Thailand is often called “the land of smiles” in its marketing material and Phuket’s beaches are sure to make you smile.
And it’s not only beaches that Phuket has to offer, there’s a big Buddha, spas, temples, and an interesting and varied party scene too.
Phuket has long been a top choice for a tropical island getaway on the Indian Ocean and it’s easy to see why when you’re there.
Bali Vs Phuket Head-To-Head Comparison
OK as FINNS Beach Club is based in Bali, we clearly think that Bali is awesome but we wanted to weigh up the two islands fairly and that means some head-to-head comparisons that can help you decide which island is the right choice for your holiday.
Beaches In Bali Vs Beaches In Phuket
The beaches around Phuket Town aren’t that great and Patong Beach can get very crowded but it’s easy to find a paradise beach on the island of Phuket if you want one.
Of course, both Bali and Phuket have beaches but Bali’s beaches may share the same Indian Ocean but they’re not quite as pretty as those in Phuket.
Many of Bali’s beaches are black sand rather than white sand and the sand is a bit rougher than it is in Phuket.
This explains why Bali has so many world-class venues lining the sands of its beaches and why Phuket has more cheap beer bars, Bali has to accentuate its beautiful beaches to add additional value to its visitors.
However, Nusa Dua, has several beaches that are on par with Phuket’s beaches. Overall, however, there’s no doubt that the Indonesian island comes second to the Thai island in this category.
There’s not a lot in it, but Phuket (though not Phuket Town) has the better beaches. Beaches like Karon Beach, Kata Beach, etc. just edge out Bali.
Water Sports In Bali Vs Water Sports In Phuket
Phuket may have the edge in beaches but when it comes to surfing, Bali is often the better choice.
Firstly, Phuket has the most expensive surf lessons and board hire is expensive, it also has few locations where you can learn to surf as in the rainy season the waves are to intense on most of the island and in dry season, there are barely any waves at all.
Bali, on the other hand, has world-class breaks for top surfers but plenty of places for beginners and intermediates to hone their skills, and for a reasonable price.
Both islands are good for water sports in general, but it’s almost always cheaper to learn in Bali and when it comes to jet skiing, Phuket has a reputation for scamming tourists, whereas Bali doesn’t.
Finally, Phuket has an issue with jellyfish at certain times of the year which can really ruin your time in the water, Bali does not. We prefer our marine life not to sting us.
It’s close, but Bali is the winner in the best water sports category.
Safety In Bali Vs Safety In Phuket
Both Phuket and Bali tend to score similarly on global safety indexes and they are considered to be generally safe destinations.
However, the Thai island has a reputation for sleaze and in those districts, there’s no doubt that tourists are more at risk than they are in Bali.
Both are tropical islands where issues such as traveller’s diarrhea, mosquito-borne illnesses, etc. are a potential problem. We have also mentioned Phuket’s jellyfish issue before and both islands have problems with stray dogs and very occasionally snakes.
There is also a potential issue with natural disasters and while Bali is more at risk of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, Phuket is more at risk of serious tsunami damage as evidenced in the 2004 tsunami which claimed over 250 lives on the Thai island.
On both islands, petty crime is a possibility but rarely does such crime turn violent and tourists may actually be more at risk from other tourists than they are from locals.
Overall, this is a very close category but Bali just edges it in the final analysis.
Things To Do In Bali Vs Things To Do In Phuket
Bali has far more tourist attractions than Phuket and while you can enjoy time to explore Phang Nga Bay and some temples on the Thai island, the vast majority of Phuket’s attractions are beaches and spas.
Whereas, we found over 100 attractions in Bali just for this article and there are far more than 100 things to do in Bali.
Bali offers tourists a more rounded experience and the chance to break up their time on the island between the beach and luxury resorts and other attractions such as Hindu temples, local markets, the Tegallalang rice terraces, etc.
The Indonesian island also has more festivals than the Thai island.
In this category, there is a clear winner and it’s Bali. It’s Southeast Asia’s busiest island beach destination partly because of the fact that on a family vacation, you’ll never be bored.
Nightlife In Bali Vs Nightlife In Phuket
Phuket’s nightlife is mainly centred around Phuket Town and it has a reputation for being cheap and party-focused.
It also has a reputation for sleaze and often nights out in Phuket involve being around some seedier sides of life that are definitely for adults only.
However, there are also cheap beer bars, super classy lounges, etc. on the smaller island and Phuket offers different experiences for discerning visitors.
Bali’s nightlife scene, on the other hand, is truly world-class. There’s an emphasis on making everything accessible and there are mega clubs (including FINNS Beach Club), attractive bars, pubs, etc. and some of the finest dining on the planet. It’s a top location for international DJs too.
You won’t be bored at night in either Bali or Phuket but we’d rather party in Bali, it’s just more sophisticated.
Cultural Highlights In Bali Vs Cultural Highlights In Phuket
Bali and Phuket both have their own distinct cultures. Phuket’s culture is, in part, that of Southern Thailand and you can enjoy Buddhist temples, Muay Thai, ladyboy shows, etc. at the popular tourist destinations on the island.
Bali has plenty to offer too with museums, rice terraces, dance performances, gamelan orchestral performances, wayang kulit plays, Hindu temples and festivals of literature and spirituality.
In fact, the rich culture of Bali is why many people visit the island, it offers a different aspect to a holiday from beach activities and many people plan their time in Bali around short trips from their hotels to cultural highlights.
Bali’s culture is also entirely distinct from the rest of Indonesia’s culture which is dominated by either Islam or Christianity in the main.
While we’re not arguing that either island is lacking in culture, we feel there are more cultural opportunities in Bali than in Phuket.
What’s The Food Like In Bali Vs Phuket?
Food will always be a subjective area to talk about but when we canvassed a large number of people there was a general agreement that Thai food is a bit more varied than Indonesian food.
People also tend to be more familiar with Pad Thai, Tom Yum Goong, etc. than they are with Nasi Goreng or Babi Guling.
Phuket doesn’t have a unique food culture it borrows heavily from all Thai schools of cookery and you can get amazing street food in Phuket or tuck into excellent restaurant meals.
Bali does have its own food culture, but it’s not afraid to borrow from Indonesia at large either. However, overall, it does feel a bit more limited than Thai food.
Both islands offer excellent access to international food, mind you, and in the battle of high-end fine dining spots, Bali wins hands down – it goes along with Bali having the most \$ 1,000-a-night hotel rooms in the world too.
However, in this category, we’re going to award the title to Phuket because this should be a battle of local cuisines.
Aesthetics Matter: Phuket Or Bali?
Phuket is a beautiful island but so is Bali. You can easily find white sand beaches and turquoise waters on both islands. You can find clifftop temples on both islands too.
Phuket Town is, justly, famous around the world for its architecture. Whereas, Bali’s Ubud is beloved for its spiritual vibe and laidback good looks.
However, when we get right down to it, there is much more variation in Bali’s landscape than in Phuket’s.
Sitting down to breakfast in the shadow of a volcano, before heading to FINNS beach club for a dramatic ocean sunset, is a thing unique to Bali and thus, Bali wins this category even though Bali and Phuket are both attractive destinations.
Bang For Buck: Which Is Better Value Phuket Or Bali?
Bali and Phuket are generally considered “cheap” destinations by visitors from the West.
However, it’s fair to say that Phuket is one of the most expensive destinations in Thailand and Bali is one of the most expensive destinations in Indonesia.
It’s not hard to find cheap accommodation in Phuket or Bali, mind you, and both offer very good (and cheap) food.
The big challenge, however, is that Bali offers beach access from many of its guesthouses and hostels, Phuket, on the other hand, tends to congregate all of its hostels in the centre of town – which means paying for taxis every time you want to hit the sand.
If you want to take advantage of the vibrant nightlife in either spot, you will find that alcohol isn’t as cheap as other things in these parts of Southeast Asia and this holds true in Phuket and Bali.
Which Has The Better Shopping? Bali Or Phuket?
If you want big international brand names like you get at home, then Phuket has more options and more shopping malls to choose from.
However, if what you want is art markets, designer boutiques and the sort of shopping that you can’t find in your own country, that’s where Bali excels.
Bali does have a few malls scattered about, mind you, and the biggest mall in Southeast Asia has just opened in Sanur, but they aren’t the focus of the shopping experience in Bali.
This, for us, is an easy win for Bali. We appreciate the chance to pick up a few brand-name items in Phuket, but really going on holiday is about finding the stuff that is a break from the norm, rather than doing things you can do any day of the week at home.
Which Island Is Best For Digital Nomads Phuket Or Bali?
Thailand is a very popular digital nomad destination but the vast majority of nomads in that country head North to Chiang Mai which is much cheaper than the beach resorts of Phuket and up in the mountains.
In fact, Chiang Mai is probably the digital nomad “Mecca” and has become one of the most discussed locations in the world in that community.
This means that Phuket hasn’t really raced out to embrace the nomad community and while you absolutely can find coworking or coliving opportunities on the small island, they are few and far between.
Bali, on the other hand, has become the “Medina” of digital nomadism and, in particular, Ubud and Canggu are often top of the list for nomads seeking a break from Thailand in Southeast Asia.
Both Indonesia and Thailand have touted their digital nomad visa programs but Indonesia’s still hasn’t officially launched despite the visa having been approved by the government and Thailand’s digital nomad visa has such laughably restrictive conditions that it hasn’t exactly brought in a huge influx of nomads.
So, either way, you’re going to end up visa-running if you want to be a digital nomad on either island for more than a month or two.
Bali is, without doubt, a better digital nomad location, particularly if you’re seeking out some community but Phuket has its charms too and there are more than enough apartment and hotel choices that you can work from home if there’s no coworking space on the doorstep.
Which Island Is Best For Expats Phuket Or Bali?
Both Bali and Phuket have plenty of expats and they all seem to be reasonably happy. However, Phuket offers a singular expat experience with very little variation as it’s a smaller island and doesn’t have the variety of towns and cities that Bali does.
With reasonable costs of living, accessible retirement visas, decent healthcare, etc. available in both locations much comes down to preference and we’d say that Australian retirees seem to prefer Bali and Americans prefer Phuket.
So, we’d say that this is a tie for now.
Overall Bali Vs Phuket
So, let’s weigh this up. Phuket started strongly by winning the best beaches title, but then it slowly began to fade and only won the best food title and drew with Bali as an expat destination.
Bali won best water sports, best safety, most things to do, most cultural highlights, nicest aesthetics, most bang for buck, best shopping and most attractive island.
We’re not surprised by this result. We built FINNS Beach Club in Bali because we believe it’s the finest island in Southeast Asia and that it offers the most interesting and exciting holiday experience in the region.
That’s not to say we don’t like Phuket, mind you, we do but if we had to pick just one destination to visit, we would always pick Bali.
FAQs
Is It Cheaper To Go To Bali Or Phuket?
It can be cheaper to go to either destination depending on how you approach each place. However, overall, there’s probably not much in it, though you will be able to get around Bali for less money than Phuket, so if you want to explore – Bali is cheaper than Phuket.
Which Is Nicer Bali Or Thailand?
Bali is an island that is part of Indonesia. Thailand is an entire country. It’s a bit like comparing chalk and cheese. If you want a nice holiday with a focus on a single destination or two, Bali is going to be nicer than Thailand.
If you want to travel from one end of a country to the other and experience different cities, Thailand might be better.
Is It Cheaper To Fly To Bali Or Thailand?
It depends on where you’re flying from. It’s cheaper to fly to Thailand from Cambodia than it is to fly to Bali. It’s cheaper to fly to Bali from Australia than it is to fly to Thailand and so on.
Overall, if you’re coming long distances (from Europe or America, for example) it won’t be a huge difference in cost but if you’re flying within the region, it wil vary depending on where you’re flying from.
Is Bali Cheaper Than Thailand?
Bali can be cheaper than Thailand and it can be much more expensive too depending on how you want to live in each destination. However, in general, Bali and Thailand have similar costs for most things.
Is Bali Or Phuket Better For Kids?
Both islands welcome and celebrate children, but we’d prefer our kids to stay kids a little longer and it’s easier to keep kids away from the seedy side of life in Bali than it is in Phuket.
Is It Better To Go To Indonesia Or Thailand?
Indonesia is the perfect destination for everyone. It just needs more publicity and a better marketing campaign. Thailand is awesome too, mind you, but we’d pick Indonesia every time over Thailand – it’s so varied and exciting.
How To Book A Holiday In Bali?
We always recommend that you book a holiday in Bali through our favourite local travel service – the Bali Res Centre.
Final Thoughts On Bali Or Phuket
Bali and Phuket are both attractive tropical islands in Southeast Asia and they are both worth visiting. However, in our minds if you have to choose just one of them – Bali is the place to be.
It has the widest choice of hotels and villas, the best restaurants on Earth, endless opportunities to try out activities, a fascinating and truly unique culture and so much more.
Best of all it has FINNS Beach Club, the world’s best beach club, with the most amazing sunset view in the region, come and see for yourselves, you’ll be glad that you did.
Read more: Bali Or Thailand: How To Choose Between The Two Most Popular Spots In South East Asia
