How many days should you spend in Bali?
Bali can fill a week easily, but not if you treat every famous beach, temple, waterfall and café as compulsory. Two bases usually beat five scattered hotel moves.
Answer
For many first-time visitors, five to seven nights in Bali is enough for a satisfying first taste; more makes sense if you want slower food, diving, surfing, wellness or a split between inland and coast. The problem is not that Bali lacks things to do. The problem is that every attraction looks like it should fit into a casual day out, and traffic says otherwise. A strong first Bali plan might pair Ubud with Sanur, Uluwatu, Amed or Seminyak. A weak plan changes base every night and calls it variety. Bali is better when the days have rhythm, not just movement.