Bali in February

February continues what January started, and the two months are close to interchangeable: the wet season at full depth, the island quiet, the landscape saturated green. If they differ, it is that February can string rain together for longer spells, and that its emptiness runs the whole month rather than starting after a holiday week.

Using the month well

The wet season rewards interiors. Ubud and Sidemen are at their most photogenic, cafe days are no sacrifice, and spa and pool time cost less than in any other month. Chinese New Year, whose date moves, can drop a short sharp burst of regional visitors into an otherwise empty calendar: worth checking against your dates.

Surf and sea

The west coast breaks blow out under the northwest wind; the east coast, Keramas and the reefs off Sanur, has its season now. Swimming is fine between systems, with the same west coast debris caveat as January.

Who February suits

The same traveller as January, with one addition: anyone who wants the lowest chance of sharing a viewpoint with a crowd. This is statistically the emptiest the island gets.