Bali weather in September

Diving in September

The best month of the year

Nothing else on the calendar comes close. Six months without runoff have left the water around the Nusa islands as clear as it gets, commonly 25 to 30 metres at Crystal Bay against half that in February. The mola mola season runs roughly July to October, and the manta cleaning stations work all year round. Respect the current at Crystal Bay: it runs strong and cold whatever the surface looks like.

Surfing in September

Excellent, and thinning out

The south west swell is still arriving and the trade winds still blow offshore on the Bukit in the morning, so Uluwatu and Padang Padang work the way they do in August. What changes is the line up. From the second week the crowd drops sharply and stays down until the Australian break. The swell eases late in the month, which suits anyone who found August too big.

Families in September

Strong, if you pick the window

Warm sea, almost no rain, and the coolest nights of the year to sleep through. The catch is timing: Australian school holidays land you in the busiest and most expensive ten days of the month, on the stretch of coast where every other family goes. Base yourself away from Seminyak and Kuta, or book four to five months out rather than two.

Couples in September

The middle ten days, easily

Sunsets are reliable, evenings are dry enough to eat outside every night, and the nights are the coolest of the year, which matters more than people expect in a room without air conditioning. The clifftop places on the Bukit and the valley hotels around Ubud both drop their rates in the second week.

Budget in September

Fine, and better in October

September costs less than August and more than anything from November to March. You are buying the weather, and the weather is worth something. But if price decides your trip, October and April deliver almost the same conditions for twenty to thirty percent less, and February costs under half.

Waterfalls in September

The weakest month for this

Six months into the dry season the smaller falls are at their lowest flow of the year. Tibumana and Kanto Lampo run thin. The big north coast falls still carry enough water, and the light beam at Tukad Cepung is actually better now, because the gorge is not full of spray. If falls are the reason for the trip, come in April.

First time in September

One of the two safest picks

For a first trip you want the weather to be a non issue, and in September it is. That leaves you free to make the mistakes that actually cost people days here: underestimating the traffic between the south and Ubud, and arriving at famous sites at eleven in the morning.