Bali’s climate varies from region to region, from warm temperate to semi-arid to tropical, but it is predominantly known for having two seasons – the wet and the dry season. These seasons vary somewhat from region to region in duration and intensity. With Bali being close to the equator, regardless of whether it’s the dry or the wet season, the temperature doesn't differ much throughout the year that ranges between 23 min. to 32 max, with an average of about 26-28 most days. Surprisingly, May, June, July and August rack up the temperature averages on the low end.
The wet season for most of the island, starts about September and can last until mid-may. And it is not uncommon, during the dry season, to have sunny skies everyday and not a drop of rain for months in the low lying coastal areas.
From December to March, the west monsoons can bring heavy showers and high humidity. The Ubud region is known for its torrential downpours and overcast skies during this time, though it doesn’t usually rain all day, with most of the showers starting in the late afternoon. North Bali, on the other hand, has a longer dry season from about March to October/November and more sunny days on average than the other areas of the island due to the topography. Even during the rainy season, it rarely rains two days in a row in the north with light rains usually starting in the late afternoon or evening and passing quickly.
At higher elevations, it can get distinctly chilly at any time of the year and it’s advised to bring a sweater or jacket after the sun sets, particularly during the rainy season when it gets very foggy and drizzly.
Just like temperature and rainfall, humidity is at its lowest in May, June, July and August.
This all having been said, many people are unaware of the fact that Bali has more than just two seasons. These seasons dictate everything in Bali from the time to plant, harvest, fish, to what kinds of fruits are used to make the offerings the Balinese take to temple and what’s being served at the dinner table. Have a look at some of the lesser known seasons of Bali.
Mango season – Sweet and juicy, there’s nothing like fresh mango. During October/November, everything from mango juice, mango jam, mango pancakes to mango fritters, mango smoothies and lots and lots of fresh mango will be available.
Avocado season – There is some debate as to when this season actually occurs. Different parts of the island have slightly different seasons, depending on elevation. But avocados are generally available during the driest part of the year, around late August - November.
Kite season – July and August is when we get the strong winds. It’s called kite season here in Bali because if you look up anywhere in the south at this time of year, the skies will be filled with hundreds of kites. There is also an International Kite Festival in Sanur in July that takes advantage of the high winds during this time of the year. Some also call it windy season. But not to worry, it’s warm wind.
Whale migration season – In November, pilot whales migrate from west to east across the north coast and if you’re lucky, you may even see them from the beach.
The fishermen have seasons all their own depending on which fish are in the area at that particular time, among them being mackerel season, mahi-mahi season and marlin season, some of which overlap each other.
Now you may be asking yourself: What do these seasons have to do with me, as a retreat leader/organizer? The various seasons will actually affect several aspects of your retreat.
Especially if you are planning a retreat that includes a specialized menu, whether it be a raw food retreat or a health program in which your participants must be on a special diet, the different fruit, fish and vegetable seasons will not only affect the availability of the items you may require, but also the price. For example, in season, a kilo of beetroot is about Rp.6,000, but when they are not in season, you can pay as much as Rp.60,000 - 75,000 per kilo. The seasonal fruits and vegetables will affect the food costs and/or what your participants will be eating on your retreat.
When you are planning your activities for your retreat, you will of course want to take rain into consideration for the outdoor activities. But even during the dry season, you may not be able to go dolphin watching, for example, when we get the highest tides and biggest waves, in February and August.
There are other times of year in which events and special holidays occur that you wouldn’t consider as ‘seasons’, but you should be aware of nonetheless because they will also affect your retreat.
Because rice is harvested, depending on the kind of rice being grown, 2 to 3 times a year, there is no particular “rice season”, but it’s probably a good idea for you to check with your venue if it boasts panoramic views of rice fields, at which stage of the rice growing they will be when you will be there for your retreat. Otherwise, you may end up with sweeping vistas of brown, muddy pools, if you happen to be there right before planting, instead of the lush, green, fertile rice paddies you will no doubt have advertised on your retreat brochure.
Nyepi is the “Silent Day”. It happens once a year and the date changes according to the Balinese Lunar calendar. Nyepi 2014 is March 31st. During Nyepi, you are not allowed to leave your retreat centre. The electricity on the island is shut off, there are no lights and nothing is open. Even the airport is closed. The smaller venues may even shut off their power unless they have special permission from the village office. If you are planning a retreat in March or early April, check to see when Nyepi is because you will not be able to travel anywhere or go outside your venue. Your venue will be on minimum staff and food may not even be available during this time. If you are here during Nyepi, it would be a good day to work in a silent/meditation day as part of the retreat. Nyepi starts from 6am and lasts 24 hours. The day before Nyepi is pretty much an island-wide party for the locals, accompanied by an Ogoh-Ogoh parade in most larger towns and villages, which is definitely a sight to see.
Galungan & Kuningan is sort of the Hindu equivalent of Christmas in terms of importance and is set according to the Balinese Pawukon calendar. The Pawukon consists of 10 different concurrent weeks of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 days. So, all of the ceremonies and holidays that are a part of this calendar happen twice a year, but the dates wil change from year to year. Galungan marks the time when ancestral spirits visit the Earth. The last day of the celebration is Kuningan, when they return, which occurs 10 days after Galungan. The three days leading up to Galungan as well as the days in between, before Kuningan, see all sorts of ceremonial events happening in conjunction with this holiday. This is one of the best opportunities to see real Balinese festivities going on, rather than just your standard dinner and dance performance that’s done strictly for the tourists. However, you may not want to be planning any activities or tours during this time that require a lot of travelling around the island as not only the main roads will be congested by people travelling to visit family, but some of the smaller villages with narrow lanes will have cars parked on both sides backing up traffic for miles if two vehicles larger than the average car have to pass each other going in opposite directions.
As you can see, there are many seasons in Bali, a lot of which can affect your retreat. And although some of these seasons can put limitations on certain things, elect instead to embrace the time of year and use the positive aspects of the season as an extra incentive to offer your participants.
If you have any questions as to the particular time of year you are looking to be in Bali, contact us at info@balibiuretreatcompany.com to find out more information about what to expect while you're here.
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