The best ways to get around Bali

30.10.2023 - 14:59 / lonelyplanet.com

Bali is relatively small in size, but it can take a long time to travel across. Public transport is erratic, so picking the most efficient way to get around is crucial on the “island of the gods.”

Traffic jams are common in the densely populated southern and central parts of the island, the usual hangout for travelers and tourists. In outlying rural areas, the winding paddy field lanes and jagged chains of ridges and valleys make the island a pleasure to explore, but they also do a good job of slowing your pace. Bali is a place where it rarely pays to rush.

Unlike on neighboring Java, traveling by train is not an option in Bali. Public buses are the most common form of transport for islanders without their own wheels. Buses connect most Balinese towns, but if you are making a long journey across the island, you are likely to have to make several changes, and it can be time-consuming. The ubiquitous bemo (minibuses) are the cheapest transport available and tend to cost less than US$2 for each hour of traveling. Itineraries are rarely fixed, and schedules are erratic. Local folks can always tell you at what time the next bus is most likely to pass and where to wait.

Kura-Kura (which means tortoise in Indonesian) is a tourist-class bus service that operates a dozen routes around southern Bali and up to Ubud. You can buy a ticket via the Kura-Kura app, on the company’s website or paying when you hop on. It’s easy and convenient, and if you don’t mind waiting for the next scheduled stop, it could be the cheapest way to get around. A seven-day pass that gives unlimited travel on all lines costs less than US$18. 

Low fuel prices (less than US$0.50/liter) mean that taxis are relatively inexpensive on Bali, and if you are traveling with friends and prefer not to drive, taxis are an ideal option. Bluebird Taxis has Indonesia’s biggest taxi fleet, with 23,000 vehicles, and the company has a desk outside the arrivals section at Ngurah Rai International Airport. Prices are on the high side (relatively speaking), but the journey from the airport to your hotel is a fixed rate, so no need for a bout of jetlagged haggling. The MyBluebird Taxi app makes booking and tracking easier, too. You can also simply hail a Bluebird on the street and pay as normal on the meter.

Grab, the Singapore-based company that acquired Uber in Asia, is one of the best solutions to the problem of getting around Bali, and it’s often about half the price of metered taxis. Grab even has an air-conditioned lounge just outside arrivals at the airport where you can charge your phone and make a booking. If you are touring and sightseeing, you can opt for the Grab Rent system, which allows you to hire a driver for “shifts” of four, six, eight or 10