ACCESS TO BALI BY FERRY

General Information

If you travel on a budget, public ferry is the  alternative mode of transportation to reach Bali. Ferries cross from Ketapang on the island of Java to Gilimanuk in western Bali every 15 minutes, 24 hours a day. These are very cheap, and the crossing takes just 30 minutes (plus sometimes considerable waiting around for loading and unloading).


There are also public ferries from Lembar, Lombok, to Padang Bai every few hours, with the trip taking around 3 to 4 hours. This service has a notably poor safety record.

Cruise ships occasionally stop so that passengers can tour or shop. Some ships still anchor off-shore toward the southeast side of the island and tender guests to shore. Modest-sized ships can choose to dock at the port of Benoa not far from Denpasar, Kuta and Sanur. The dock area is basically industrial, with few amenities and no ATMs, but masses of taxis are usually ready to whisk you to nearby destinations at a moderate cost.


Padang Bai

Padang Bai is the port for ferry terminal from/to Lombok. situated in northeast of Gianyar 29 km, from Kuta 62 km, and from Denpasar 56 km. Padang Bai can be reached from Sanur in less than an hour. And about one and a half hours if traveling from Kuta or Nusa Dua. Padang Bai is not so far from Candidasa.

It is a sleepy fishing village situated in a perfectly sheltered bay. A flawlessly shaped bay cradled by the hills, Padang Bai is a perfect escape in the east of Bali. As a transit harbor to Bali neighboring islands such as Nusa Penida and Lombok, passenger and cargo vessel departing everyday. The beach is picturesque and quaint with a long sweep of sand where colorful boats are drawn up on the beach.

There are a few losmen provided in Padang Bai. An intimate white sandy beach and lovely harbor scenery will make the holiday in Bali even more romantic


Gili Manuk

 

This ferry port at Bali's westernmost tip-88 km from Singaraja and 134 km from Denpasar-links Bali with East Java across a narrow strait, Selat Bali.Gilimanuk has little to offer tourists, who usually alight the ferry or landing barges from Java and shoot straight through to Denpasar or Lovina. 

From Gilimanuk's Bemo Station, 'bemo' head out regularly to Denpasar until 2200 (two hours, 134 km). Dark red 'bemo' also travel regularly to Singaraja via Lovina until around 1800 (88 km). Less crowded minibuses travel to Singaraja/Lovina or to Denpasar's Ubung. Crossing from Gilimanuk over the Bali Strait to Ketapang on the Java side takes only 30 minutes. Ferries depart 24 hours a day every 20 minutes during the day and about every 30 minutes at night. The crossing takes only 30 minutes including loading and docking time.

Buses to Surabaya (five hours) wait for passengers on the Java side. Agents all over Bali will sell you a ticket to any point on Java that includes the ferry crossing. In Banyuwangi, eight km south of Ketapang, is a major bus terminal if you miss out on a cross-Java bus at Ketapang. Consider a different approach by heading up Bali's north coast road, visiting some of the island's most serene beach accommodations. The road between Gilimanuk and Singaraja (88 km) is also very scenic bicycling country, mostly flat with only a couple of hills. Not as much traffic as on the Gilimanuk-Denpasar road.