Travel in Bali in 2025 is going to be all about getting off the beaten path and prioritizing authentic travel experiences and meaningful connections with this incredible island.
Indonesian culture is so rich and varied, and it is a joy to discover that Bali-bund tourists will also be encouraged to explore more of what the archipelago has to offer.
We’re expecting to see more multi-province action and travel trips in 2025, Bali is the perfect gateway for Indonesian cultural immersion.
One of the ways in which tourists will be encouraged to step off the beaten path in 2025 will be by reducing the cost of domestic airfares in Indonesia and greater availability of domestic flight routes. Just last week, Indonesia’s national airline, Garuda Indonesia, launched a new three times weekly service between Denpasar and Balikpapan, which is the closest airport to Nusantara, the new capital of Indonesia.
Both Balikpapan and Nusantara offer tourists an exciting opportunity to connect with a side of Indonesia that is vastly different from Bali. The service, now offered every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, gives Bali holidaymakers the chance to explore the gems of Balikpapan, which include destinations like Kamala Beach, Manggar Beach, and Segara Sari Beach, as well as the opportunity to observe wild sun bears, orangutans, and proboscis monkeys, in the protected Wain River Protected Forest.
More domestic flight services are being added to the flights scheduled at I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport, too.
New routes to Palembang are scheduled every Monday and Wednesday, and a new route to Pontianak is scheduled every Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday, operated by Lion Air and Super Jet Air, respectively.
Speaking to reporters this week, Ahmad Syaugi Shahab, the General Manager of Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport, welcomed the new routes. He also revealed more news that in early December, another route to Medan, in North Sumatra, is set to relaunch.
Shahab explained, “Connectivity with the islands of Sumatra and Kalimantan is important for supporting Bali’s tourism sector. We express our appreciation to all parties for the opening of flight routes from and to Palembang and Pontianak.”
“This shows the commitment of all people in the I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport community to connect Bali with all destinations in the country.”
2024 has been a year of increased Connectivity from Bali Airport. Throughout the year, Ngurah Rai Airport has added four other domestic routes, including Sorong, Bandar Lampung, Berau, and Sumbawa. In terms of both domestic and international, 15 new routes were added in 2024.
With the operation of the Palembang and Pontianak flight routes starting in late November, there is now a total of 64 flight routes served at Ngurah Rai Airport, comprised of 24 domestic routes and 40 international routes.
There are a total of 54 airlines operating: 12 airlines serving domestic routes and 42 airlines serving international routes. Bali Airport is projected to serve 23.6 million passengers by the end of 2024.
As I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport starts to edge closer to maximum capacity, the intention to establish North Bali International Airport is becoming ever clearer.
There is hope that the terminal buildings and runway can be completed as early as 2027. In its first phase, North Bali International Airport would be able to support 32 million passengers annually and be the second-largest airport in Indonesia.
The development of the North Bali International Airport has taken great strides in the last month.
PT BIBU Panji Sakti, the company behind the project, and ChangYe Construction Group from China have confirmed their partnership, and the collaboration was locked in with the signing of an MoU at the Indonesian Embassy in Beijing on 8th November 2024.
As reported at the time, Chang Ye Construction Group is anticipated to invest USD 3 billion to support this project, which will span over 2,800 hectares of land and reclaimed land in Buleleng Regency.
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