Every woman with kids (every woman, full stop) should do a solo trip once a year. I do one most years; this year it was to Bali. Ten days post-trip, I feel happy, relaxed and bursting with inspiration. In this ultimate guide, I’m breaking down how to do a solo Bali travel as a female founder. Your future self (and likely, your kids, partner and clients) will thank you — you’ll come back firing on all cylinders, pinky promise.
In this post, I’ll break down:
- Exactly where to stay (and where not to), including where I stayed and the best location right now for solo females;
- My top tips for solo female dining in Bali, including the best brekkie, lunch and dinner spots right now and the best times to eat alone;
- The best co-working spaces for getting work done, coconut in hand 🥥;
- Healthy eats, pilates studios and the best massage spot on the Island right now;
- How to get around (without needing a motorbike licence or to spend hours in traffic on the main roads);
- How to swing a week or two off even when you think you can’t (due to time, funds, caregiving responsibilities, mum/woman guilt or all of the above);.
- Exactly what it all cost me (and how you can do it cheaper.. or dearer..)!
Who This Solo Bali Travel Guide is For
Warning: this guide isn’t for the Bali babes looking for tips on living the digital nomad dream with zero responsibilities. I’m not throwing shade here by the way, I kind of used to be one — I spent two months in Bali pre-kids and business. The thing is though, there’s plenty of content for you lot online (and let’s face it, you make most of it) but not enough for a certain type of woman: those with a bit on their plate these days and craving a touch more freedom than an hour of downtime to respond to email after their five year old has gone to bed. If you relate to any of the below (or a version of one of them)? It’s specifically for you.
- The overworked female founder feeling frankly a little dead inside — inspiration: gone. Needed? A complete change of scenery to get the spark back, stat.
- The school mum slash business owner with school age kids, limping to the end of term and feeling like they’ve spent ten weeks on a hamster wheel of wake up - make lunches - school run - coffee - work - pick up - dinner - repeat;
- The business-y gals who love what they do, but need a few days to give themselves a birds eye view and see things from a different perspective and get their mojo back;
- The touched-out, tapped-out mums of little ones who love their kids to death but feel like they’ve lost themselves amidst the haze of business and babies.
- .. And every woman in business in between.
Seems like you want it, too: when I posted about this trip over on Instagram (see post below) over 70 of you told me you wanted this guide! Let me know in the comments below if you read it and what you think 🙌 🥥
How and Why I Swung a Solo Bali Trip With 18,342 Responsibilities and a Million Excuses Why Not
I have a three and a five year old, a partner that leaves for work at 5am and returns at 6pm, and no help from family nearby. I’ve also spent close to six months working on a huge project with no income generated from it, so money isn’t… flowing. I could have a million excuses for not taking a solo holiday (and in the past, I’ve grappled with them all). No more. Here’s how I did it anyway.
1. ‘I Can’t Afford It’
A: Open a Scrap Money Account! I have a personal bank account I call ‘scraps’. Yes, really. In it, I put money that either I manage not to spend or that I come across in another way. Example: left unchecked, I will go to the shops on the weekend with the kids ‘just because’ and easily drop $60 on random ‘stuff’ I probably don’t strictly need (middle aisle at Aldi, anyone?) Since I started my scraps account, I don’t do that anymore. When your money has a ‘job’, you’re more mindful about spending it on silly things that don’t matter — and trust me, those dollars add up. Here’s a few ways my scraps account fills up over time. I order my groceries online so I can make sure I get the best prices (this reduced my weekly grocery bill by $50+ every week), I use apps that give you cash back (eg Shopback), I buy things on sale when previously I never did and I buy with a more ‘minimalist’ mindset (asking ‘do I REALLY need this?’). I also find ways to make money. For example, I sold my old prams on Facebook Marketplace, and randomly found a $100 casino chip in my drawer and cashed it in. All of this adds up — and NONE of it came from my business. Now, do I have a business capable of raking in the $$$ when I ramp up again? Sure do; but these habits still help. Note: When I don’t have a trip like this coming up, I invest my ‘scraps’ money instead of spending it.
2. ‘I don’t have anyone to look after the kids’ .
A: Ask For favours! My mother-in-law lives in Proserpine, and wants to spend time with the kids. With enough advance notice, she was happy to come down and care for the kiddies — and the kids were pumped too. I know this isn’t available to everyone, but I’m grateful I can lean on her and that she genuinely wants that time with our babies.
3. ‘I feel guilty leaving my family’.
A: Ditch the guilt! Seriously, it’s a useless emotion. I love my family to death. AND I STILL LOVE DOING THINGS ALONE. Always have, always will. Just about every year I have done a solo trip like this, and I come back a better family member, business owner and person. Becoming a mum especially doesn’t mean you need to leave yourself at the door.
4. ‘It’s silly and unnecessary’
A: Make this the highest ROI thing you do all year! I didn’t go to Bali to sit on a beach and do nothing (though, that’s totally worthwhile too!) Instead, it was a work-cation. As a working mum, it’s difficult for me to find the time to work on the projects that feel important to me. They can get lost in the urgent. This trip had a single purpose — to finish off a project I had been working on in pieces all year long. Honestly, taking the trip will probably end up being the highest ROI (return on investment) thing I’ve ever done in my business, because when this project launches I know it will supercharge my business. Pick a project, and make it the focus of your trip.
Okay, now that’s out of the way, let’s break down how to do a solo Bali trip right (as a female in your thirties plus!)
The Perfect Average Day on a Solo Bali Work-Cation (The Female Founder Edition)
Bali is made for solo work-cations. MADE FOR THEM. Everything is easy and energy-giving: there are people working by pools with coconuts in hand literally everywhere, it’s the health mecca of the world and you can order anything and everything you need in two taps max. Here’s how I spent my days.
And repeat.
The Best (and Safest Spots!) to Stay for Solo Female Bali Trip
In 2017, I stayed in a little apartment in the middle of Canggu and was as peaceful and happy as a clam. If I did that today, I’d probably choke from scooter exhaust fumes, end up swearing at least 1,242 times from traffic road rage, cry from noise over-sensitivity from all of the construction and book the first plane ticket home.
Unfortunately, Bali is a victim of its own digital nomad fame — and Canggu has suffered the most. What was once a beautiful, quiet and green pocket with beautiful cafes overlooking rice paddies is now a concrete jungle more overrun than Times Square on a Saturday afternoon. It’s a lot. It’s sad, and a reflection of our times: digital nomadism has been romanticised, often to the detriment of the far-flung locations they glorify as ‘paradise’. Likely, I’m contributing to it even by writing this article (read this for some interesting thoughts the whole thing), and the whole situation makes me sad. All I can say is: tread lightly as you go.
In 2025, Pererenan (the next beach along) is the better, greener, quieter place to stay — it’s like the ‘old’ Canggu, and no doubt in a couple of years will suffer the same fate. But for now, it’s beautiful and tranquil. If you want a work-cation, I don’t think there’s a better place in the world for it right now. Beautiful world-class places to eat and gyms everywhere, laptop-friendly cafes and coworking spaces every few metres; it’s a vibe.
Where I stayed:
I stayed at Plawa Laguna, in a Queen room and it was fit for a queen. This place is perfect for solo females — there’s just five rooms so the beautiful staff get to know you and genuinely care about you, the room is almost brand new and gorgeous, there is 24/7 security and you can walk just about everywhere in no more than 10 minutes. I have a feeling this best kept secret won’t stay this way (or this price) for long — I paid full price (this isn’t an ad) and around $220 a night. Is there cheaper around? Absolutely, but if you want the best of the best — this is it, I couldn’t fault it.
Other options:
I didn’t stay at either of them but Zin and Chesa (both in Canggu but in relatively quiet pockets) were also on the shortlist.
The Best Bali Co-Working Spaces for Solo Female Digital Nomads
My fave place to work is a classic. It’s in Canggu but tucked up the beach end of a quiet street and it’s called Zin Cafe on Jalan Neylean. They have an upstairs area for laptops, and — like all of the co-working spaces in Bali — it’s a melting pot of people from all over the world working on interesting things. It’s easy to strike up conversations with people around you, if that’s your thing. Personally, I love that and I also love listening in on what others are doing. I met an incredible woman from Canada who retired at 41 to start a new business helping women rebuild after divorce (I have a feeling we will be friends for a long time!), a guy from Austria working in finance remotely, and even someone working for Nvidia.
I also went to Tribal Bali most days, and loved that too. I would order a coconut and work on a standing bench overlooking the pool.
How and Where to Solo Dine in Bali
The only two times I hated solo dining on my trip were 1) when I tried to go too late at night (after 7pm) surrounded by groups and 2) when I was seated literally in the middle of everyone all by myself.
So, here are my hot tips for solo dining as a female in Bali:
- Book somewhere early;
- Ask for a corner table tucked out of the way; and
- Bring a Kindle or your journal (if there is enough light or it’s early enough) for company.
Doing it this way made going out to dinner feel like a treat, without getting weird stares or feeling on display.
Where to Go for Dinners:
- Shelter Pererenan: Luxe/special dinner spot (about $100 for a side, main and wine). The hottest dinner spot in Pererenan and incredible food. Ask for one of the inside tables near the kitchen.
- Mason Canggu: Luxe/special dinner spot (again, about $100 for a side, main and wine). My favourite food in Bali — woodfired meats.
- Openhouse Pererenan: Good for quick, casual dinners, always busy but incredible service and you won’t be out of place eating alone.
- Milk and Madu: Good for super casual early dinners, get one of the small tables at the front.
Health, Pilates and Massages — Hands Down the Best Bits About Solo Travel in Bali!
Want your brain to spark with new ideas and fire on all cylinders on your solo female Bali working holiday? I know I do. Simply being in a new location gives me loads of inspiration, but I also do my best work when I’m active, well-rested and eating super well. Bali is the ultimate health mecca and there are millions of incredible options for all of the above. I am a creature of habit, so I stuck to the places I know and love.
Massage: Therapy Day Spa in Pererenan I have been going here for years and years (since they were located in Echo Beach and much smaller) and they just keep getting better.
Facial Massage: Face Therapy Spa in Pererenan (literally across the road from Plawa Laguna). I have the signature face therapy massage, but there are also buccal massage, gua sha and some other cool options.
Pilates: The Pilates Project in Pererenan has a heap of classes each day and is aesthetically gorg. Expect quite a few influencer-types, but that’s Canggu/Pererenan in general. I’m a slightly awkward and gawky pilates gal, and I still loved it. They have lots and lots of reformer classes, and a couple of mat classes each day. You can get a month long unlimited session pass for new clients for about 600,000IDR ($60AUDish). Note: If yoga is more your thing, I have heard great things about Path Yoga which is just down the road.
Gyms and Recovery Areas: Honestly, I didn’t visit one even though it was on the list. I wanted to check out Nirvana Life (mostly for the recovery areas) and Wrong Gym (which was just up the road) but didn’t make it.
So there you have it! Have I inspired you to take a solo trip? Do you have questions about doing a solo work slash holiday? Did you take a trip based on this article? I want to know EVERYTHING. Let me know in the comments 👀 ⬇️ And PS — consider this your permission slip to book the damn trip, in case you’re still waiting for one 🎫
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