Photo by Mahmud Ahsan on UnsplashBali in November sits between 24.4°C (76°F) and 29.8°C (86°F) — hot and humid every single day, with no cool evenings to plan around. The month brings 251.4 mm of rain across 22 rainy days, which is the number that should drive your entire packing list. The three things that actually matter: fast-drying clothing (cotton will not dry in this humidity), footwear you can walk through standing water in, and a way to keep electronics dry on a scooter.
What the weather is actually like in November
November is the start of Bali's wet season. The temperature story is boring — highs of 29.8°C, lows of 24.4°C, a swing of roughly five degrees. You will not need a jacket for warmth at any point, day or night, at sea level.
The rain story is the one worth understanding. 251.4 mm across 22 days means most days see some rain, but it is spread thin: the monthly average works out to about 11 mm on a typical rainy day. That is not a washout. It is the classic tropical pattern — clear or hazy mornings, cloud building through the afternoon, and a heavy downpour that lands somewhere between mid-afternoon and evening, often lasting 30 to 90 minutes rather than all day.
What that pattern does to your packing is specific. You are not packing for cold, and you are not packing for a week indoors. You are packing for the fact that you will get soaked once or twice, probably while in transit, and that nothing you own will dry properly afterward because the air is already saturated. Humidity, not rainfall, is what ruins November trips for unprepared travellers.
Being honest about the timing: November is not Bali's best weather month. July and August are drier and less humid. If your dates are flexible and weather is your top priority, November is a compromise. What you get in exchange is lower prices, thinner crowds at Tanah Lot and the Ubud rice terraces, and a landscape that is genuinely greener than it is in the dry season. Most people who go in November do not regret it — they just wish someone had told them about the humidity.
What to Wear in Bali in November, Layer by Layer
Base layer / everyday clothing. Synthetic or linen, not cotton. This is the single biggest change from a dry-season packing list. A cotton t-shirt that gets rained on in July dries on the back of a chair in two hours. In November it stays damp overnight and smells by morning. Pack quick-dry fabrics — polyester blends, merino if you own it, linen for the heat. Three or four tops for a week is enough because you will be doing laundry (guesthouse laundry services are cheap and fast, usually same-day).
Bottoms. Shorts for most days. One pair of lightweight long trousers or a long skirt is genuinely necessary, not optional — temples including Besakih, Tirta Empul, and Uluwatu require covered shoulders and knees. Many temples lend a sarong at the entrance, but the loaner sarongs are shared and often damp in this season. Bringing your own thin sarong solves both the modesty requirement and gives you something to sit on.
Rain layer. A packable rain jacket, not an umbrella, and not a heavy waterproof shell. November rain comes with wind and often arrives while you are on a scooter, where an umbrella is useless. A hard waterproof shell is a mistake in 29°C heat — you will sweat more inside it than the rain would have wet you. What works is a very light, vented rain shell or a cheap plastic poncho, the kind sold at any Indomaret for a couple of dollars. Many travellers skip packing one entirely and buy a poncho on arrival, which is a reasonable call.
Footwear. Two pairs, and this is where November differs most from dry-season advice. Sandals you can get wet — proper walking sandals, not flip-flops, because wet tile and stone steps in Bali get dangerously slick. Plus one pair of closed shoes for the Ubud rice-terrace walks or the Mount Batur sunrise hike if you are doing it. Leave anything suede or leather at home; it will not survive.
Evening. No layer needed for warmth. Lows of 24.4°C mean an evening in Seminyak or Canggu is as warm as an English summer afternoon. The only reason to bring something with sleeves in the evening is mosquitoes, which are more active in the wet season than the dry.
What most people get wrong in November
They pack for rain instead of humidity. The rain jacket gets all the attention and the fabric choices get none. You will be wet from sweat far more often than from rain. Getting the fabric right matters more than getting the jacket right.
They assume rainy season means cold. It does not. A 24.4°C low is warm. People pack hoodies and long-sleeve layers that never leave the suitcase. The exception is genuine altitude — if you are doing the Mount Batur sunrise hike, the summit at around 1,700 m is meaningfully cooler than the coast, especially in pre-dawn wind, and a fleece is worth carrying for that one morning. That is a Batur-specific item, not a Bali-wide one.
They ignore electronics. Scooters are how most people get around, and a phone in an open pocket during a November downpour is a dead phone. A dry bag or even a heavy zip-lock for your phone and wallet is a five-dollar item that prevents the most common trip-ruining problem of the wet season.
They underestimate mosquitoes. Standing water after 22 rainy days means far more mosquito activity than in July. Dengue is present in Bali and it is a wet-season concern in particular. Repellent with DEET or picaridin belongs on the list. Check current health guidance with your own doctor or your country's official travel health service before you go — requirements and recommendations change.
They bring one swimsuit. In this humidity a wet swimsuit does not dry between uses. Two is the right number.
What you can skip
A proper waterproof hiking jacket. Too hot. Overkill for 11 mm of afternoon rain.
Warm layers of any kind, unless Mount Batur is on your itinerary. No jumpers, no fleece, no long-sleeve thermal anything.
An umbrella. Most accommodation has them, and they are useless on a scooter or in wind.
Hair styling tools. Between the humidity and the rain, they will not achieve anything.
A week's worth of outfits. Laundry in Bali is inexpensive and quick. Pack four or five days of clothing for a two-week trip.
Heavy walking boots, unless you are hiking. They are hot, they take up half a bag, and they take days to dry if they get soaked.
Beach towels. Hotels, villas, and beach clubs supply them. A small quick-dry travel towel covers the gaps.
November packing checklist for Bali
- 3–4 quick-dry tops (synthetic or linen — not cotton)
- 2–3 pairs of shorts
- 1 pair lightweight long trousers or long skirt (temples)
- Own sarong — modesty cover plus a dry thing to sit on
- 2 swimsuits (one will always be wet)
- Packable light rain shell or a poncho bought on arrival
- Walking sandals with grip — wet stone is slippery
- 1 pair closed shoes for rice terraces or hikes
- Dry bag or zip-locks for phone and wallet on the scooter
- Insect repellent (DEET or picaridin)
- Reef-safe sunscreen — UV stays high through cloud cover
- Quick-dry travel towel
- Power bank and Type C/F plug adapter (Indonesia uses 230 V)
- Any personal medication, in original packaging
- Long-sleeve top for evenings — mosquitoes, not cold
- Fleece only if Mount Batur sunrise is booked
Frequently Asked Questions
Does it rain all day in Bali in November?
No. November records 251.4 mm over 22 rainy days, which averages to roughly 11 mm on a rainy day — typically one heavy downpour, most often in the afternoon or evening, lasting under two hours. Mornings are frequently clear. Plan outdoor activities early and keep the afternoon flexible, and you will lose very little of the trip to weather.
Do I need a rain jacket for Bali in November, or can I buy one there?
Either works. With daytime highs of 29.8°C, a heavy waterproof jacket is uncomfortably hot and most people end up not wearing it. A plastic poncho from a convenience store costs very little and does the job for scooter rides. If you prefer to bring something, make it the lightest vented shell you own rather than a proper hiking waterproof.
Is November a bad time to visit Bali?
It is not the best month for weather — the dry season months are drier and less humid. But 29.8°C highs and afternoon-pattern rain still leave most of each day usable, and November brings smaller crowds, lower accommodation prices, and much greener landscapes than the dry season. It is a reasonable trade if you pack for humidity and keep your daily plans flexible. If perfect beach weather is the whole point of the trip, move your dates.
Build your own list: the TripPack generator checks the live forecast for your exact dates and adds voltage, visa and water-safety notes. See also the Bali packing list.