Dream of sparkling turquoise waters and swaying palms? Bali’s beaches are calling! This island paradise offers hidden coves, lively shores, world-class surfing, and stunning sunsets.

The mere mention of Bali conjures up images of sun-kissed beaches, swaying palm trees, and turquoise waters that beckon travellers from around the world. This idyllic Indonesian island is a true paradise for beach lovers, offering a diverse array of coastal gems that cater to every taste and preference.

From secluded coves hidden away from the crowds to lively stretches of sand where the party never stops, Bali’s beaches are a feast for the senses.

As per Travel + Leisure, Bali’s beaches undoubtedly serve as its biggest draw, with white and black sands descending into seas that attract surfers around the world. From hidden coves that require a trek to bustling stretches of coastline where visitors can savour a romantic sunset dinner or catch an outdoor movie right on the sand, the magazine highlights 5 of Bali’s best beaches.

Amed Beach, Bali

Travel + Leisure recommends Amed Beach, which lines the island’s eastern shore, as a hit among divers due to its thriving underwater scene. The surrounding area boasts undisturbed coral and multiple shipwrecks. Unlike some of Bali’s busier beaches, Amed offers an authentic glimpse into local life, where salt mining and fishing remain prevalent, as evidenced by the many outrigger boats dotting the black sand.

Balangan Beach, Bali

According to the magazine, Balangan Beach, nestled between two vegetated limestone cliffs on the island’s southern part, is a popular surf spot with high waves. While swimmers should exercise caution due to the rough waters and sharp ocean floor, beachgoers can relish snacks from local warungs (eateries) and admire the breathtaking views from the golden sand or the cliffs, which offer stunning photo opportunities.

Balian Beach, Bali

Surrounded by rice fields on a quiet and underrated stretch of coast, Balian Beach’s black sand fills the dunes and provides an escape from Bali’s more bustling areas, as stated by Travel + Leisure. Visitors can rent surfboards or ride the gentle waves with their bodies to reach the shore. After a day in the sun, the magazine suggests exploring the nearby village of Medewi or sticking around to watch the sunset, as Balian Beach’s westward orientation is perfect for it.

Bias Tugal Beach, Bali

Travel + Leisure notes that accessing Bias Tugal beach can be a challenge, as it is properly tucked away and reached by following a rugged gravel path through the bushes from the Padangbai ferry port on the island’s eastern side, with a walk of less than a mile. However, the effort is worth it, as visitors can practically have the white sand, coconut trees, and turquoise water all to themselves, savouring the solitude.

Bingin Beach, Bali

According to the magazine, Bingin Beach, located on Bali’s Bukit Peninsula in the south, boasts white limestone cliffs that provide a dramatic contrast to the strikingly blue water. This small surfing beach attracts people from all walks of life, with nearby accommodations ranging from surfing camps to boutique resorts and private villas. Its isolated location makes it an ideal getaway for those seeking to escape the crowds.

Taking a trip might be an investment for your longevity.

A new study published in the Journal of Travel Research suggests that positive travel experiences could help slow biological aging. The researchers used the concept of entropy—a measure of disorder and chaos in physics—to explain how vacations impact health. Higher entropy, or more disorder in the body, can accelerate aging and lead to poor health, while lower entropy could do the opposite.

Travel often involves more socializing or physical activity than usual, both of which can help counter entropy increases and contribute to healthy aging, according to Fangli Hu, lead author of the study and a researcher and PhD candidate at the School of Medical and Health Sciences at Edith Cowan University in Australia.

“Overall, travel might offer a valuable opportunity to nurture both physical and mental health, potentially slowing down the biological aging process,” Hu told Verywell in an email.

Negative travel experiences—such as stress or illness—can lead to poor health outcomes. Finding ways to make travel a positive experience can offer some health benefits.

“Different types of travel might have varying effects on health and aging, and these impacts may differ across diverse populations,” Hu said. “It doesn’t have to be an international trip; local travel or weekend escapes might work well too. The key is to tailor travel plans to what best suits individuals’ lifestyle, personal preferences, and health status.”

Travel Can Teach You How to Relax

Stress can speed up aging, but travel often helps people forget their day-to-day responsibilities temporarily. Research shows that even a short, four-night vacation can help reduce stress.

However, many people experiencing chronic stress—especially due to factors like economic instability— don’t have the opportunity to travel. Even for those who have the means to travel, it’s important to recognize that a vacation won’t undo months or years of accumulated stress.

To make the most out of a vacation, try to immerse yourself in the experience and avoid fixating on the do-to list you left behind.

“Maybe you’ve had this experience where you’re traveling, and it’s kind of ruined by you thinking about all the stuff back home,” William Chopik, PhD, an associate professor of psychology at Michigan State University, told Verywell. “That’s not a travel experience—that’s you just being anxious in a different location.”

Taking a trip may also help you discover new ways to manage stress, Chopik added.

“One useful thing that maybe travel does is it will teach us how to relax,” he said. “Maybe you discover a hobby, or you discover a mindset that helps you deal with stress when you return.”

Staying Active While Traveling

Whether you decide to go hiking, bike, or explore a city on foot, traveling often leads to more physical activity than you might typically get at home. Exercise has many health benefits, including improving bone health, reducing heart disease risk, and lowering the chance of developing dementia.

During your travel, remember to pace yourself, wear appropriate footwear, and listen to your body, said Kristin Weible, PT, MS, ScD, an assistant professor of physical therapy at the University of Arizona College of Health Sciences.

“It’s always important to stay hydrated. We kind of forget that when we’re out and about, seeing new things and having fun. This will help with mental clarity and with your joint function,” Weible said.

Exercising on vacation provides immediate health benefits, even if it’s not as intense as a backpacking trip or yoga retreat. Just one session of physical activity can help you sleep better, feel less anxious, and lower blood pressure.

Regular exercise can help slow biological aging, support the immune system, and delay age-related immune decline. While one active vacation won’t keep you young, maintaining these physical activities after your trip can support healthy aging.

“As far as lasting effects, you’re going to need to come home and build on that. Perhaps you found a new activity that you enjoyed, you might find a club in your hometown that you can join for some accountability,” Weible said.

Staying regular when you’re away and out of your normal routine

Travel constipation is when you aren’t able to poop like you normally do when you are away from home. Alterations in your normal routine can affect the speed at which your digestive system works, causing you to become backed up.

Travel-related causes of constipation can include:

• Changes in the size and timing of your meals
• Changes to your internal body clock
• Lack of hydration
• Changes in the foods you eat
• Increased time spent sitting
• Changes in your exercise routine
• Travel-related stress affecting your digestive system
• Lack of immediate bathroom access disrupting bowel movements
• Jet lag effects as your body crosses time zones

With some preparation, you can avoid travel constipation and feel your best wherever your plans take you. Read on for 11 strategies worth trying.

1. Drink Plenty of Water

One of the biggest contributors to constipation is a state of dehydration. When your body doesn’t have enough fluids, it compensates by drawing water from fecal matter in the intestines. This can contribute to hard, difficult-to-pass stools.

The presence of harder stools seems to make bowels less responsive and reduces motility, or movement.

When trying to prevent travel constipation, it’s essential to make a conscious effort to drink plenty of fluids.

Milk also has a reputation for causing constipation.1 Your best beverage choices are plain water, fruit juices, and clear soups.

When traveling out of the country you must always drink bottled water so as to avoid the opposite problem—travelers’ diarrhea.

When flying, keep in mind that Transportation Security Administration (TSA) rules do not allow you to bring liquids through airport security. Once you are through security, you can buy a large water bottle to drink throughout your flight.

2. Listen to Your Body

Try to use a bathroom as soon as you feel the need for a bowel movement. Ignoring the urge can lead to travel constipation as the stool material stays in your rectum and gets harder. The harder the stool, the more difficult it is to pass.

If you are uncomfortable using a public facility for a bowel movement, try listening to music through earphones or reading a magazine to help you to relax.

Try not to strain. If you find that sitting on the toilet does not produce a bowel movement within five to 10 minutes, it is best to get up and wait to try again later.

3. Try to Stay on Schedule

Many people have a sense of an inner clock that determines routine life patterns about hunger, sleep, and bathroom needs.

Keeping your body on a schedule as close to your home life may help your bowels move predictably when you travel.

Whenever possible, try to make sure that there is time for a relaxed bathroom visit when traveling that’s similar to the unpressured experience at home.

4. Take Time for Meals

Many people who travel eat their meals on the run. The problem is that your digestive system may not register these on-the-go snacks as a meal.

Larger meals can stimulate gut contractions, thus prompting a timely bowel movement. So whenever possible, sit down, slow down, and enjoy a full meal.

5. Eat a Good Breakfast

For many people, bowel movements are more likely to occur in the morning. You can enhance this natural boost and fend of travel constipation by eating a large breakfast, preferably consuming foods that contain healthy fats.

Large meals and dietary fat intake can both stimulate the release of certain hormones within your body that can trigger the urge for a bowel movement. Staying on track with your morning routine can help you to enjoy your trip for the rest of the day.

6. Drink Something Warm

Another way to encourage your bowels to empty at the beginning of your day is to drink a warm liquid in the morning. This warm drink could be coffee, tea, or soup.

If you are a coffee drinker, have that morning coffee. There are compounds in coffee, both caffeinated and decaffeinated, that can serve to stimulate a bowel movement.

However, you may want to avoid drinking caffeinated coffee through the rest of the day, as caffeine can be dehydrating. This could lead to excess water being drawn from your stool, which may contribute to travel constipation.

7. Eat Plenty of Fiber

Dietary fiber is so important to keep your bowels moving consistently so you can avoid travel constipation.

Eating high-fiber foods when traveling can be a bit of a challenge, but with effort and attention, you can find what you need.

Whenever possible, it may help to pack such foods for yourself. Fruits, high-fiber protein bars, trail mixes, cereals, and granolas all travel well.

When traveling abroad, you need to be careful about eating raw vegetables, fruits, and salads so as to avoid bacterial infections that can lead to travelers’ diarrhea. It is safer to eat only cooked fruits and vegetables. Fruits that have thick skins you can peel for yourself are also a safe option.

8. Take a Pass on Junk Food

People tend to eat more junk food while traveling for two reasons: The first is that choices for healthy, whole foods are more limited. The second is the “vacation mindset” that leads people to eat things they might normally avoid or limit.

Junk food typically tends to be low in fiber, which can contribute to the problem of travel constipation. Try to avoid fast food, processed meats, chips, and baked goods.

Instead, look for salads, whole grain options like oatmeal, and lean meats. Yogurt is an especially good choice as it contains some probiotics that may boost your digestive system function.

9. Move Your Body

Travel often requires a lot of time sitting, whether that be in the car, on trains, in airports, or on airplanes. Moving your body can help your digestive system to keep moving as well.

While waiting for your plane, you can walk the perimeter of the airport. If traveling by car, try to plan for road stops so that you can stretch your body and perhaps do a little walking.

While away, take advantage of hotel pools and gyms to keep up your exercise routine.

10. Stay Relaxed

Travel itself can be stressful. Try to follow the rule that “the journey is part of the vacation.” Be prepared for delays, traffic, and other hassles. Make sure that you bring along favorite reading materials, books on tape, music, or game apps.

It may help to use relaxation exercises such as deep breathing techniques, yoga poses, meditation, and muscle relaxation to deal with travel stress.

Keeping your body in a state of relaxation, as opposed to its stress response changes, will help to keep your digestive system functioning as it should.

11. Talk to Your Healthcare Provider

If you know that you are likely to have bowel habit changes when traveling, speak with your healthcare provider before you go. They may recommend travel constipation medicine, such as a laxative or other product to take with you should you become constipated.

Either way, choose a product based on your healthcare provider’s recommendation. It’s a smart option when compared with limited or unfamiliar options in a strange or remote destination.

Many people are venturing out on solo journeys, unlocking new experiences and redefining what travel means to them. However, as glamourous as it sounds, solo travel can be intimidating and liberating at the same time. Introspection, research and planning can help in preparing for this duality.

The first step is to know why you want to travel solo and what you are expecting out of the trip. Embarking on a solo journey just because it’s the trend isn’t always the best option.

Research the destinations you can visit, suitable accommodations, weather, safety considerations, etc., before you set out on the trip to avoid any inconvenience that might land you in trouble, especially if you are alone.

Always carry a fully-charged battery pack for your phone and don’t share your number and other information with people you don’t need to. Additionally, download Google maps offline for convenient navigation.

Share all information – hotel phone numbers, itinerary, flight/bus/train schedules, etc. with a trusted family member and a friend back home. If you’re using a local or global ride-sharing app, make sure to share your ride each time with someone you trust.

Always carry a sling bag or fanny pack to carry cash and important documents like passports, especially while travelling abroad. Also make sure to pack personal hygiene essentials.