Getting to Bali

Almost every visitor arrives through I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport, code DPS, often called Denpasar airport although it sits in Tuban, just south of Kuta. Its single runway reaches out into the sea on reclaimed land, so the final approach skims low over the water. The location is convenient: Kuta, Seminyak, Jimbaran and Nusa Dua are all close, and even Ubud and Canggu are usually reachable within a couple of hours by road.

There are no nonstop flights from North America and very few from Europe, so most long-haul travelers connect once. Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Doha, Dubai and Hong Kong are the classic hubs, each with regular direct services to Bali, and Turkish Airlines flies nonstop from Istanbul. Australians have the easiest trip, with direct flights from Perth, Darwin, Adelaide, Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and other cities, ranging from roughly three to six and a half hours. Jakarta and Bangkok also offer frequent connections.

Door to door, a journey from western Europe typically takes around 17 to 24 hours including one connection, and from the United States often 22 hours or more. Arriving in the evening is common, so it pays to have your first night booked and your transfer planned. Airline routes change with the seasons, so check current schedules before relying on any particular connection, and allow generous layovers when you are on separate tickets.

Overland travelers can reach Bali by ferry. From Java, ferries cross the narrow Bali Strait between Ketapang near Banyuwangi and Gilimanuk in the far west of Bali, a ride of about an hour that runs frequently. From Lombok, slow public car ferries link Lembar with Padangbai in east Bali, while fast boats connect Padangbai, Serangan and Sanur with the Gili Islands and Lombok. Sea conditions can be rough in some months, so choose established operators and keep plans flexible.