If you can decide whether to visit Bali or Maldives then we may be able to help you to decide.
Both Bali and the Maldives are very popular resort islands and each tropical destination has stunning beaches, amazing marine life, tasty local dishes and more to enjoy.
So, we decided to put the two places head-to-head based on criteria that you are likely to be weighing up before you decide on your holiday destination.
That way, you can be properly informed when you choose between Maldives or Bali.
Bali In Brief: What’s It Like?
Bali is possibly the most famous island in the world. Its beach clubs, coral reefs, private villas, nightlife and cultural attractions are well-known throughout the world.
While Bali is part of Indonesia, it’s a Hindu enclave in a mostly Muslim nation and it has its own unique and well-formed culture.
Balinese people are beloved by visitors for their friendly and welcoming attitudes and their ability to make everyone feel like they’ve come to their home away from home.
It’s also a good place for an island hopping break as there are several smaller islands just offshore which you can reach cheaply and quickly to really get away from it all.
Maldives In Brief: What’s It Like?
The Maldives, like Indonesia, is an island country but unlike Indonesia, it’s on a lot smaller scale and can be better compared to Bali than the whole of the Indonesian archipelago.
It’s built its reputation on stunning beaches and its luxury resorts cater to those looking to get away from it all and are willing to pay a premium for uninterrupted peace.
Like Bali is has wonderful coral reefs and marine life, but most people who come to Maldives are simply there for the high-end pampering they will recieve inside the 5-star hotel and villa complexes.
Famously, it’s illegal to wear a bikini in the capital city Male and most tourists spend very little of their time in the capital at all.
Bali Vs Maldives Head-To-Head Comparison
We need to state up front that FINNS is based in Bali and we’re big fans of the place we’ve made into our home.
However, we wanted this to be a fair comparison and thus, we’re lining up factors to measure the two against each other fairly.
One thing we know for sure is whether you choose the tropical delights of an island resort Maldives tour package or opt for a more traditional beach holiday in Bali, you’re going to have a great time in either destination.
These are both world-class holiday destinations and you can find private villas and gorgeous sands in both Bali and the Maldives.
So, with that out of the way, let’s get our two contenders in the ring.
Maldives Vs Bali Weather
The first category in our Bali Vs Maldives round-up is weather. As you might expect from a pair of tropical islands, the weather in both places is quite lovely.
They both have two seasons, one rainy season and one dry season. The Maldives has its rainy season from June to September and Bali has its between November and March.
The “rainy season” is slightly heavier in the Maldives than it is in Bali but both places see a ton of sunshine even in the wettest parts of the year and you’re not going to see weeks of endless torrential rain.
Both places even have roughly the same average temperature all year round and thus, there’s really nothing in this category that sets one apart from the other.
That means in our first Bali Vs Maldives category, we have a tie. The weather in these two destinations is fabulous all year round, and the half of the year containing the dry season is just about perfect in each.
Maldives Vs Bali Location
The Maldives is the smallest country in Asia. It’s a collection of nearly 1,200 islands atop 27 atolls (including the Baa Atoll) and you will find it in the ocean to the Southwest of India and Sri Lanka.
Bali, on the other hand, is not a country at all. It’s an island that forms part of the larger Indonesian Republic and that archipelago includes over 18,000 islands (there are too many to count to be certain of how many exactly).
It’s north of Australia and south of Malaysia and to the West of East Timor and New Guinea.
If you’re in Southeast Asia or Australia, it’s going to be much easier to get to Bali than it is to get to the Maldives.
While, of course, it matters where you begin your journey as to which spot has the best location, we’re giving this category to Bali as most of our readers are from Australia and Indonesia and Bali is much closer than the Maldives for them.
Beaches In Bali Vs Beaches In Maldives
We love the beaches in Bali, we wouldn’t have built the world’s best beach club here in Canggu if we didn’t.
However, we have to acknowledge that not all of Bali’s beaches are ideal for sunbathing and water sports.
There is also a plastic pollution problem that is under control in that there are beach clean-up crews working tirelessly across the island to keep the sands clean – can be a bit off-putting at times.
Bali certainly has the most diversity in beaches, mind you, with black sands through to white sands and interesting cliffs and coastlines.
But, the Maldives is essentially a collection of private and mostly unspoiled beaches serving overwater bungalows and private villas.
The sands are white and soft and the water is clean and clear.
So, with some reluctance, we have to award this category to the Maldives.
Water Sports In Bali Vs Water Sports In Maldives
Given that the Maldives is nearly all water and there’s almost nothing to do on land, you might think in this round of Bali Vs Maldives that the Maldives would find an easy win.
However, while there’s no doubt that snorkelling, diving and boat excursions are fabulous in the Maldives, they are in Bali too.
But in the Maldives, that’s often all you have to choose from. Because the resorts are all isolated from each other and form their own little enclaves from the world – they rarely have other water sports on offer as they can’t get the economies of scale gained from sharing resources.
Bali, on the other hand, has a huge variety of water sports opportunities and in places like Sanur, Nusa Dua and Tanjung Benoa, you can try nearly every sport known to man and a few that are unique to Bali.
Better still, water sports in Bali are cheap and you get amazing value for money particularly compared to Western countries, everything in the Maldives costs a bit more.
So, Bali is a surprise winner in this category even though we thought the Maldives would walk it.
Maldives Vs Bali Safety
Recent advice from the Australian government regarding the Maldives is “Exercise a high degree of caution in Maldives due to the risk of civil unrest and the threat of terrorism.”
We’re not sure that risk is as high as they’re making it out to be but we’d definitely err on the side of safety.
What we do now is that violent crime is rare though petty crime is not. The capital city of Male, is like all other cities in the world and wandering through strange neighbourhoods late at night on your own is not advisable.
Bali is also relatively safe and we examine “Is Bali Safe” in detail elsewhere on our site.
As with the Maldives, there’s little risk of violent crime and petty crime is common but not as rampant as some media sources might have you believe.
In this round of Bali Vs Maldives, we’d say it’s a tie. Both places are amazingly safe and ideal for female solo travellers.
Things To Do In Bali Vs Maldives
People go to the Maldives precisely because they don’t want a huge amount to do, they’re looking to rock up at a luxury resort and then just unpack and chill.
If there is anything to do, it’s usually organized by the resort and is limited to a few localized activities.
Sure, you could visit Male, but most people don’t because it’s not really tourist-oriented.
Bali, on on the other hand, there are more than 100 things to do in Bali. The island is full of endless entertainment options.
Bali wins this round with ease. If you want to get out and experience island life then Bali has far more to offer.
Nightlife In Bali Vs Maldives
When it comes to the Maldives, there are very few places for nightlife. You can stay at a resort with a built-in club or bar or visit some of the bigger public beaches and use the bars nearby, but this island nation is an Islamic state and drinking is frowned upon.
There’s not much to choose from at all.
After Ibiza, Bali is, perhaps, the world’s most famous party island and there are so many places to go out and have a good time that you could party in a different place every night for months without repeating a joint.
Come to FINNS, the world’s best beach club, and see just how good Bali’s nightlife can be.
A big win for Bali but we have to acknowledge there are plenty of tourists who aren’t looking for nightlife on their holidays too.
Cultural Highlights In Bali Vs Maldives
The Maldives is more than marine life and overwater bungalows. It has a strong Islamic culture but one that tends to stay very separate from the tourists who visit the island.
Most tourists will not encounter many locals as they explore the atolls and the only real cultural hotspot is the capital, Male. Though you may hear the call to prayer, whether you want to or not.
Bali, on the other hand, not only has a unique and exciting Hindu culture but it’s one that it is proud to share with the world.
You can’t come to Bali and not take part in the culture, it’s in every single aspect of life here and it’s a warm and wonderful thing.
This isn’t even close, if you love cultural activities on your holidays Bali is the place to go in our Bali vs Maldives round-up.
Cuisines In Bali Vs Maldives
Balinese cuisine is a unique form of Indonesian cuisine and it takes influences from across the archipelago and builds on them.
Famously, you can eat pork in Bali as it’s a Hindu enclave and thus, dishes like babi guling (roast suckling pig) have become world famous.
Bali has an amazing restaurant scene and you can find everything from cheap local warungs to some of the world’s finest dining on the island.
Maldivian cuisine is a sort of fusion of Sri Lankan and Indian food and tends to be a little spicier than Balinese food.
We love to eat in both countries, but we feel Balinese food is better known globally because it’s easy on nearly all palettes. That’s a win for Bali in our Bali Vs Maldives score, though there’s not much in it.
Aesthetics Count: Maldives Vs Bali
We will leave Male and Denpasar aside in this round up as capital cities in developing nations are never all that pretty.
However, there’s no doubt that the unspoiled islands of the Maldives and their overwater bungalows and private resorts are full of charm and these islands are yet to experience overtourism (which we think is down to the expense of being there, mind you).
Whereas Bali is beautiful and it’s still paradise in many places, but some of the towns aren’t too pretty and the traffic can spoil things at times too.
So, we will give this category of Bali vs Maldives to the Maldives, but it’s closer than you’d think. Bali is still a very pretty destination.
Bang For Buck: Which Offers Better Value For Money Bali Or Maldives?
The Maldives just can’t win this round because of its location. Nearly everything there has to be imported from a long distance away.
That means the cost of getting things to the island, drives up the costs of everything on the island.
Sure, it’s not insanely expensive when compared to London, Sydney, New York, etc. but it’s certainly not cheap, either.
Bali, on the other hand, is right next to Java one of Southeast Asia’s manufacturing hotspots.
Not everything in Bali is cheap, but it’s nearly always cheaper than the Maldives on a like-for-like basis and sometimes it’s “cheap” from a global perspective too.
Bali wins this round of Bali vs Maldives, easily.
Which Has The Better Shopping? Bali Vs Maldives
The Maldives isn’t a shopping destination. As you’d expect from a place where you will spend all your time at one resort, nobody’s building a mall or a parade of shops to cater to a single resort.
Bali, on the other hand, is a shopper’s paradise. There are endless boutique stores, plenty of shopping malls and markets and other stores galore.
It’s not always cheaper than at home (we wouldn’t recommend buying electronics here, for example) but it is usually pretty good value.
This is an easy win for Bali in the Bali Vs Maldives stakes.
Which Is Better For Digital Nomads? Maldives Vs Bali
We admire the fact that the Maldives has pitched itself to digital nomads but given that most people in that community aren’t exactly flush with cash, it’s priced out of the market for most nomads.
Bali’s long-awaited digital nomad visa still hasn’t arrived, mind you, but it’s easy enough to stay for long periods and there are loads of coworking and coliving spaces on the island (and next to none in the Maldives).
This is an easy Bali win in our Bali vs Maldives round-up.
Which Is Best For Expats? Bali Vs Maldives
This is pretty easy to evaluate given that Bali has a huge expatriate community and the Maldives does not.
The Maldives is very much a holiday destination and it’s hard to live there unless you’re employed in the tourism sector, there’s just not enough to do to keep things interesting for most people.
Of course, there are expats in the Maldives but in this Bali Vs Maldives category, the votes are already in and Bali is, by far, the better destination as it’s cheaper, easier to get visas, has more to do, etc.
Overall Scores Bali Vs Maldives
So, in our round-up, we found that it was a tie between both places for the best weather and for the safest destination.
The Maldives won the best beaches and was the most aesthetic destination (though only by a little).
And Bali won for location, water sports, things to do, nightlife, culture, cuisine, value for money, shopping and as a preferred destination for digital nomads and expats.
That means in our head to head of the Bali Vs Maldives, we’d recommend choosing Bali over Maldives if you can only visit one or the other.
Once again, we’d like to stress they’re both great holiday destinations and you’re going to have a good time in either place but we think, for now, Bali has the edge for most holidaymakers.
FAQs
Is Bali Better Than The Maldives?
If you see our round-up above, you can see that we think yes, Bali is better than the Maldives because it has more to offer most visitors than the Maldives does.
Which Is More Costly, Bali Or Maldives?
The Maldives offers a luxury lifestyle and it does so from a fairly remote part of the ocean with this small island country having no real neighbours.
That means apart from a few local dishes (meat and vegetarian options) and some very specific local products, everything needs to come to the Maldives from far away and thus, transport costs must be factored into all costs.
In short, that translates to the fact that the Maldives is an upscale and relatively expensive destination.
The single island of Bali, on the other hand, is part of the Indonesian archipelago and it’s next door to Java, the most populous and productive island in Indonesia.
Things aren’t always “cheap” in Bali, but they are usually much cheaper than any equivalent that the Maldives offers.
Budget travellers are likely to have a very good experience in Bali when compared to spending time in the Maldives.
Bali Vs Maldives Language
We didn’t put this in our list of criteria above because we don’t think when deciding “Bali vs Maldives which tropical destination?” that most people spend too much time worrying about the local language.
The truth is that while Dhivehi (the Maldivian language) is the dominant language in the Maldives, if you’re in your resort then you can guarantee they’ll speak enough English for you to be kept happy.
In Bali, English is widely spoken alongside Bahasa Indonesia (the official language of the archipelago as opposed to Bahasa Bali which is the original language of Bali).
In fact, you will find that staff in supermarkets, hotels, bars, taxis, etc. speak very good English in many parts of Bali, though occasionally you may run into someone who speaks only a little.
Overall, we just don’t think it’s a deciding factor in booking your flights, but if it is super important to you that English is commonly spoken, it’s another win for Bali.
Is Bora Bora Or Bali Better?
Fiji is one island that we haven’t spent a ton of time on but overall, Bora Bora is simply another island destination like the Maldives which is all about luxury resorts.
There’s nothing much else there to do. So, if you’re looking for a place to take your gorgeous partner and do a little shark watching or visit a private island, then you may find Bora Bora wins out in your assessment.
But for most people, Bali is going to be the better place to go on holiday because it offers far more things to do than Bora Bora.
If you’re looking at a family holiday, in particular, Bali should win hands down in a decision between these two places. Kids are going to get bored fast in Bora Bora. (They may even dub it “boring boring”).
Which Is Cheaper Bali, Maldives Or Mauritius?
A lot depends on the kind of holiday that you’re trying to have. The isolated island republic of the Maldives is generally quite expensive due to the fact that it’s a long way from anything but the local islands.
Mauritius is not particularly cheap and travel costs can be heavy if you visit this island nation from Australia (though it’s often very cost-effective for travellers from India).
Whereas Bali is “cheapest” overall but we should point out that if you want to visit local islands, stay in overwater bungalows, enjoy candlelight dinners at fine dining restaurants, etc. that Bali can accommodate people spending as much money as you want to.
In fact, Bali has more \$1,000 or more a night hotel rooms than anywhere else on Earth.
We’d also note that purchasing alcohol in any of these destinations is quite expensive when compared to other destinations in South East, East and South Asia.
Are Maldives Like Bali?
No, Maldives aren’t very much like Bali at all. The Maldives is an atoll which is made up of a lot of tiny islands.
While it has a capital, almost no tourists ever visit it and the main focus of the Maldives is getting to your resort and then staying there.
People opt for a place with beach access, a pool, butler service and lots of quiet in the Maldives. It’s cut out for a very specific type of tourist.
Bali, on the other hand, is a big island and while there are a few small islands offshore for people to go island hopping, that’s not why most people come to Bali.
The mainland is large and there are plenty of places to explore. You can go resort hopping and stay in several parts of the island to really learn about the culture or to switch things up from nature walks to water sports, for example.
Bali was built around tourism and everything is easily accessible and it’s one island where you never want to leave.
Is It Better To Go To Indonesia Or Maldives?
This isn’t an easy comparison, unlike Bali Vs Maldives. That’s because Indonesia is such a big place.
It’s the world’s fourth biggest country both by land area and by population, but that doesn’t really help to explain the scale of a nation spread out over 18,000 individual islands (so many islands that we still don’t have an accurate count of them).
That means whatever you want from a holiday, you can find it in Indonesia. From big cities to dramatic temples, to every romantic option that you can think of.
You will also find that Indonesia is far cheaper than the Maldives and thus, you get a lot more bang for buck in the archipelago.
Having said that, if you’ve always wanted to see the Maldives and are looking for a romantic break where everything is on tap (as long as you don’t mind paying a premium for it) you might find that the Maldives is just fine too.
Is Bali Or Maldives Better For Kids?
We just don’t see Maldives as being famous for family friendliness at all. If you want activities? Bali wins hands down for the amount of options that will appeal to children.
When it comes to Bali Vs Maldives food, Bali food is famous around the world and it’s easy to find a cheap or mid-range restaurant for a family meal.
In the Maldives, Maldivian cuisine may be very tasty, but it’s mainly found in fine dining restaurants designed to cater to couples enjoying a very romantic break.
While you can take kids to either Bali or Maldives, if you take them to the Maldives, the odds are pretty good that you will need to spend much of your time providing entertainment for them, whereas in Bali, there’s a lot of entertainment built-in.
This is especially true for the very youngest of children. Bali’s kid’s clubs are hands down the right way to ensure your kids enjoy a holiday while you get some relaxing time.
Is It Cheaper To Fly To Bali Or Maldives?
It depends on where you’re coming from. The answer is that for most people flying from Southeast Asia or from Australia, it’s going to be much cheaper to fly to Bali which is much closer.
The average direct flight from Australia to Maldives takes over 25 hours! Though the most popular route which is Perth Airport to Male Airport takes around 13 hours and 30 minutes.
Compare that to the 6-hour average flight time from Australia to Bali and you can see why it costs more to fly to Maldives.
In fact, if costs are the big question when it comes to deciding which resort island to book, you’re going to find that in the case of Bali vs Maldives, Bali is nearly always cheaper in every respect even if you can find a shorter flight.
Is Bali Or Maldives On The Indian Ocean?
Both of these resort islands are located in the Indian Ocean. However, don’t le that fool you into thinking it would be easy to go island hopping between Bali and the Maldives.
Bali and the Maldives are over 4,800 kilometres apart and a flight between the two islands (which is the fastest way to go) would take 6 hours and 30 minutes from Denpasar International Airport to Male International Airport.
Direct flights between these two places are also quite expensive and many people opting to fly choose a flight that stops in another destination before reaching the Maldives and that means even longer travel times.
On average, we suspect that for most travellers (and particularly solo travellers on a budget) that a trip across the Indian Ocean from Bali to the Maldives is around 12 hours long!
Flight fares seem to range from $200 (one way with a stopover) to $600 (one way to direct) and that’s USD, so $300 AUD or $900 AUD if you’re coming from Australia!
How To Book A Holiday In Bali?
We always recommend that you book a holiday to visit Bali through the amazing folks at the Bali Res Centre.
They can ensure that every step of your journey is taken care of in the way that you would expect.
From flights to Ngurah Rai International Airport to tickets to the safari park or transport to local markets to booking honeymoon resorts or Bali tour packages, they’ll get it done and at very competitive rates.
If you’re on a tight budget, they can help you get the most from it and make certain that you get the most of Bali island.
Final Thoughts On Maldives Vs Bali
As you can see from our Bali Vs Maldives comparison, we think that you’re going to want to visit Bali if you have to choose between Maldives or Bali.
That’s simply because there’s more to Bali. You can enjoy things like private bungalows, sea walks, nature walks, resort hopping, etc. on both islands but there’s much more to do in Bali than in the Maldives.
And once you’re looking for something for the entire family to enjoy or taking romantic walks seeking hidden waterfalls, Bali is definitely the place to be.
They’re both super busy places during the high tourist season, mind you, and we’d recommend booking in advance to ensure you get a spot near the best beaches whether you choose Maldives or Bali.
