Access Bali

By Air

There are now several international airlines running scheduled flights to Bali's International Airport, Ngurah Rai the Indonesian National Flag Carrier, GARUDA INDONESIA, QANTAS Airways, Malaysian Airways System, Cathay Pacific Airways, KLM and Continental Airways. Negotiations are underway with other international airlines to expand this number in the near future, in line with the Government's policy of tourism expansion.

Charter flights visit the island from time to time, and even the Air France Concorde has made several visits on its exclusive round-the-world tours.

GARUDA INDONESIA has regular direct inter- national. services to Bali from Paris, Amsterdam, Vienna, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Manila, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Guam, Honolulu and Los Angeles. There are also flights to Bali via Jakarta from Abu Dhabi, Rome, Zurich, Brussels and Frankfurt. Between Bali and Australia are regular flights to Darwin, Port Hedland, Perth, Melbourne and Sydney. Connections in Jakarta lead to Manila, Taipei, Hongkong and Tokyo.

Indonesia itself is perfect aviation country. The easiest and fastest means of transport internally is by air, and nearly ail parts of the archipelago are accessible. Regular domestic flights from Jakarta to Bali, Medan, Ujung Pandang, Menado, Bali Papan, etc. are complemented with shuttle flights from Jakarta to Surabaya, Semarang, Bandung and Bandar Lampung.

GARUDA INDONESIA is the only carrier using jet aircraft on domestic routes. GARUDA INDONESIA the services all main provincial cities, with several flights from Jakarta to the cities of commercial and touristic importance. On dense traffic routes it has several flights daily, such as from Jakarta to Bali, Medan, Ujung Pandang, Manado, Balik Papan, etc. Shuttle flights run to Surabaya, Semarang, Bandung and Bandar Lampung. GARUDA is the only carrier using jet aircraft on domestic routes.

The second National Carrier, MERPATI Nusantara Airlines, flies turbo-prop jets to more than 100 destinations in Indonesia, from provincial capitals, as well as running "pioneer" flights to remote areas not served by other airlines. Particularly active in eastern Indonesia, it serves the small islands and the interiors of Sulawesi, Kalimantan and Irian Jaya. It provides an air bridge for the people of remote areas to provincial capitals and district centres. Garuda and Merpati have coordinated services for convenient connections.

Besides Garuda and Merpati, there are several privately owned airlines which have scheduled services and charter services. BOURAQ Indonesia Airlines has regular flights from Bali to Surabaya, Bandung, Jakarta and Banjarmasin, and also services two alternative routes between Denpasar and Kupang, via Maumere or Waingapu.

Jakarta is served by a large number of International Airlines, and from the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport at Cengkareng, 20 km west of Jakarta, there are several Garuda flights each day to Bali. Other domestic flights leave from the same airport. A new highway links Cengkareng with Jakarta, and buses operate at regular intervals from Gambir Railway Station, Blok M, Kemayoran, and the old airport of Kemayoran.

By Sea

Bali has four sea-ports, two of which are used by international cruise ships and yachts. The Port of Benoa, not far from Denpasar, provides anchorage and basic port facilities to the odd international yacht passing through the archipelago, and hosts the yearly Fremantle-Bali yacht race. The "Island Explorer" also docks here, and has a small office at the port. Due to the rather narrow entrance to Benoa larger cruise ships and luxury liners always anchor of f the Port of Padang Bai, where there is a very safe anchorage just around the headland. There are plans afoot, however, to extend the port at Padang Bai, developing it into the main port for supply of oil to East Indonesia. If this plan comes to culmination it will be doomsday for the holiday resort of Candi Dasa, and the ecology of east Bali's beaches.The harbour at Singaraja, a scene of bustling trade in colonial days, now plays host only to a few local pinisi Bugis Schooners and smaller craft plying the waters between north Bali and Java.

Gilimanuk is Bali's northwestern link with Java. Here there is a regular ferry service connecting the two islands.

A number of luxury cruise lines offer fly/cruise arrangements whereby one can fly to Bali and spend a few weeks relaxing in the sun and exploring the island before catching the ship for the return journey. Arrangements beginning with a cruise and ending in Bali are also possible.

Cruises around Indonesia are catered for by a number of shipping companies. The Pearl of Scandinavia does a 14-day cruise of the Indonesian islands beginning and ending in Singapore. Coral Princess sails out of Hong Kong during the winter season, visiting Bali, Jakarta Penang and Phuket. Other ships that make regular visits to Bali are the M.S. Sea Princess from Australia, the Golden Odyssey from Singapore and Hong Kong and the luxury Sea Goddess.

Discount fares are available in a share-cabin basis, and the cruises generally include lectures on each place visited by guest lecturers who are authorities on the history, culture and tradition of each destination.

The state-owned shipping company PELNI has several ships which serve Indonesia's main ports, carrying passengers and cargo. The fleet includes passenger ships which have all the modern comforts and are air-conditioned, with regular sailing schedules. The nearby port of Surabaya, East Java, is en route for four different sailing schedules kept regularly by PELNI's four passenger ships, K.M. KAMBUNA, K.M. KERINCI,  K.M. RINJANI, and K.M. UNSINI. (Information and reservations can be obtained through our local Bali Travel Agents).

The world's largest jet-propelled twin-hulled vessel, M.V. ISLAND EXPLORER, offers a complete range of deluxe facilities and a series of exclusive cruise expeditions visiting the most out of the way places in Indonesia in luxury. Departures can be arranged from Bali or other ports in Indonesia, and cruises encompass land arrangements to ensure each passenger experiences some of the many cultural wonders of Indonesia.

There are ships of other Indonesian companies playing between islands, which occasionally take passengers, but schedules are irregular, depending on cargo loading and off-loading. One of the last sailing fleets in the world today, Indonesia's pinisi Bugis Schooners, still play the waters of the archipelago and can often be seen at the coastal ports. Island-hopping is catered for by regular ferry services between those islands which are reasonably close, such as East Java - Bali, West Java - South Sumatra, Bali - Lombok, Surabaya - Madura, Batam - Singapore and others.

In many parts of Indonesia rivers form the main mode of local transport. Here there are water boats and water taxis, as well as some cruise boats such as on the Mahakam River in East Kalimantan that carves its way right into the hinterland, and the Musi River in South Sumatra.

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Access Bali Online
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