Welcome at the Bali cruise port guide. Bali truly is magical. It often is stamped “world’s best island” and we think, for now, we’ll join that statement. Bali is an island and province of Indonesia with just over 4,2 million inhabitants and you’ll find it is completely different from the rest of Indonesia. The houses, the people, the daily life, the food are all entirely different. A part of this has to do with the fact that Indonesia might be one of the largest Muslim countries in the world, but the majority of Bali is Hindu. The presence of this religion is clear on every street you walk on. Bali is known as “the island of the thousand temples”, but in fact there are probably over a million on the island and sometimes they even say Bali has more temples than houses. This doesn’t mean that you can only visit temples in Bali. It is such a nice destination because it has that perfect combination of cultural divine with the ultimate bounty island. Whether you are going to enjoy a day on the beach, visit the temples, climb Mount Agung, enjoy the Balinese Nasi Campur or swim underneath the waterfall; it is all possible on Bali.
This is your view from the cruise ship over the Benoa cruise terminal
This picture is taken just outside the Benoa cruise terminal. This is where you will find a souvenir marketing, restaurant and taxi stand.
On the sign here you will see the taxi prices as they were on display in 2018. This gives you a rough idea on the prices.
Travel information Indonesia
Official currency – Indonesian Rupiah
Accepts Us dollars – yes
Creditcards – are not widely accepted
Drives on the – left
Timezone – UTC +7 – +9
About Indonesia
Inhabitants – 255 million
Official language – Indonesian
Capital city – Jakarta
Republic of Indonesia
Government – Unitary presidential constitutional republic
Indonesian language
Good day – Hari yang baik
How are you? – Apa kabar?
Thank you – Terima Kasih
Cruise ship – Kapal Pesiar
Port – Pelabuhan
Cruise Port Guide Bali – Indonesia: dock or tender
At this point there is only 1 option still available for cruise ships to dock and this is at Benoa harbour. Note: this port guide is not for Padangbai or Tanah Ampo.
The port of Benoa is a real tricky one. Larger ships often tender and smaller ships often dock. It could also be your captain will not take the risk to manoeuvre in and chose to go at anchor and tender you to shore. Docked or tendering, you will still go to about the same place in the Benoa harbour. You’ll find a rather large terminal building here with a tourist information centre, exchange office, batik shop, massage corner and outside the taxis and a small market.
Transportation
There are limited options on transportation in the port. Most people would go by shore excursion or taxi and this truly is the best way to go. Most cruise lines do not provide a shuttle bus in Bali, but do check with them if this will be the case for your call in Bali. When there is no shuttle bus available your options are often limited to taxi transport. Taxi transport is the way to go on Bali. Taxis are cheap, the drivers know the way and often they can be a good tour guide as this is what they do for a living.
Taxis at Bali’s cruise port
Please find on the right hand picture the sign you’ll find outside the terminal that list the taxi prices on them. These are the taxi prices of 2018, keep in mind they might change in the mean time, but this will give you an idea of what to expect. Please know that these are not fixed prices you can still negotiate with the driver. Should you wonder if there is a difference in price in port compared to somewhere else on Bali: Yes, there is. Usually if you get a taxi on the street the price for a car and driver for a day is about 500.000 IDR (+/- 40 USD). Keep in mind that these drivers work extremely hard and although it’s a free market and you are allowed to negotiate do not get the price down to much as they still need to make a good living. Most cars are very decent and have A/C.
There are many different possibilities of what to see and where to go. If you just want to go to the beach the editors favorite is Jimbaran beach around the Belmond hotel or in the area of the Four Seasons (a 15 minute drive from the dock). It is not too crowded, white sand, lots of facilities and the most beautiful sunset while the beach transforms into one gigantic fish restaurant. Find more beach options below.
If you are renting a car for a day and you want to see the most inspiring and interesting cultural places of Bali may we suggest the following full day tour by car: Start at the port — 1 hour drive — visit Ubud Monkey Forest — 30 minute drive — Gunung Kawi Monument — 10 minute drive — Tirta Empul temple — 15 minute drive — Bali Pulina — 5 minute drive — late lunch at Bon Bali with a rice terrace view —-1,5 hour drive — Tanah Lot at sunset and catch the fire dance at 06.30 pm — 1 hour drive — back at the ship. This itinerary allows you to see monkeys, old runic temple monument, typical Balinese temple in use, rice terraces, the famous sunset and Balinese dance. The perfect impression!
Public Transport
Yes, there is public transportation available in the port. Whether or not you should use it is up to you. Walk outside the terminal towards the public road, find the bus stop here. They should come by every half an hour and they go to Denpasar. Be really flexible when it comes to public transport. You never quite know where you might or might not end up.
Rent a car or scooter
We wouldn’t recommend anybody driving on Bali themselves.You’ll need an International Drivers License to be able to drive a car, motor or scooter. Unfortunatly the police often knows you probably don’t have one and will take advantage of this situation. Not even to mention you could end up causing an accident which would be anybody’s worse nightmare abroad.
FAQ about Bali cruise destination
– The cruise itinerary says Denpasar. What is there to do in Denpasar? Denpasar is the capital of Bali and the commercial business centre, aside from the Bali Museum there is no reason to stick around in Denpasar.
– Which is better: Uluwatu or Tanah Lot? Subjective answer: Tanah Lot
– What is there to do in Benoa harbour? Nothing much. It is the commercialized port of the island so there might be some interesting vessels in port with you. There are no sights to visit or to see in the port of Benoa.
– Can I pay in US Dollars? Taxis and souvenirs you can pay in dollars, but keep in mind they are not accepted everywhere and it is cheaper to pay in IDR. There is an exchange office in the terminal.
– Is a sarong manditory in a temple? Yes, it is. You can bring your own and basicaly all temples provide one that is included in the entrance fare. Note that they are washed daily so it could be that you have to wear one that has already been worn that day. You often can buy one at the markets at the temples as well.
– Are menstruating women not allowed into temples? True, it might sound unreal, but any woman menstruating or anyone with a running sore or bleeding wound for that matter is considered impure and is not allowed into the temple.
Jl. Monkey Forest, Ubud, Kabupaten Gianyar, Bali 80571, Indonesia
Jalan Tirta, Manukaya, Tampaksiring, Manukaya, Tampaksiring, Kabupaten Gianyar, Bali 80552, Indonesia
Klungkung Royal Palace, JL. Diponegoro, Semarapura Kangin, 80751 Bali, Indonesia, Central Semarapura, Klungkung Sub-District, Klungkung Regency, Bali 80761, Indonesia
Jl. Mayor Wisnu No.1, Dangin Puri, Denpasar Tim., Kota Denpasar, Bali 80232, Indonesia
Jalan Ayodya No.10, Mengwi, Kabupaten Badung, Bali 80351, Indonesia
