Bali Tourists Offered Clarification Over Visitor Fees In Kintamani 

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Kintamani is one of Bali’s fastest-growing destinations. Once seen as a quick coffee stop on the way up to Mount Batur, Kintamani is now a destination in its own right and one that we here at The Bali Sun really love.

The town, however, has gone viral this week, and we’re here to help clear up any confusion. 

This week, footage has been circulating online of queues of tourist cars at the entrance to the Kintamani Special Tourism Area (KSPK) on Jalan Raya Penelokan. This is the central street of Kintamani, home to some of the best coffee roasters in Bali and the best viewpoints of Mount Batur.

The footage shows not only a queue but domestic tourists being charged IDR 25,000. Questions have been raised about whether this is legit or a scam. We can confirm that this is legit and has been the case for a really long time. 

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The Head of the Bangli Tourism Office, Dirga Yasa, spoke to reporters to rebuff any claims of scams and share his take on the viral video.

He noted that Kintamani has been an official tourism destination since 1993, and that the entry fees have been in place for years. Initially, entry fees were managed by the Bintang Danu Foundation, but now the process is managed by the Bangli Regency Tourism Office. Since the rules were implemented, they have become stricter.

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There are five official paid access tourism attractions under the jurisdiction of the Bangi Regency Tourism Office. These include the Kintamani Special Tourism Area, Penglipuran Village, Penulisan Village, Trunyan Village, and Kehen Temple.

These provisions are officially stipulated in Regional Regulation No. 5 of 2023 concerning Regional Retributions and Taxes. Entrance ticket prices vary by tourist category, e.g., domestic, international, adult, or child. 

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There are multiple pay points for the Kintamani Special Tourism Area; these are the Jalan Raya Penelokan intersection, the Batur Geopark Museum junction, Jalan Raya Sekaan, near the special cemetery in the south of Batur Traditional Village, Jalan Sekardadi, and one post on the south side of Pura Dalem Batur.

Tourists can feel confident that they are making an official payment if they are paying at the official counters, paying a uniformed member of staff, and are issued with a dated ticket.

Yasa acknowledged that more can and will be done to ensure that all visitors to Kintamani are aware of the fee and to ensure there are fewer payment queues. 

International tourists are charged a rate of IDR 50,000, and domestic tourists are charged IDR 25,000. Yasa noted no issue with the interactions filmed in the viral videos but understood why there is confusion, explaining, “Judging from the information presented in the video, the rates charged are in accordance with the regulations. There are no violations.”

Yasa shared, “We acknowledge that public information is still less than optimal. This will be the basis for our future evaluation so that the public better understands the entry mechanism for the Kintamani area.”

Yasa confirmed that an improvement measure, the Bangli Tourism Office, has plans to digitize the fee collection system. They will implement an online reservation system using a one-gate system, allowing tourists to make payments before arriving.

Yasa concluded, “Going forward, we are preparing two payment methods: on-site payment and online payment. Tourists can make reservations in advance before visiting Kintamani.”

Kintamani is a fantastic travel destination, especially for those who prefer cooler climates, hiking, and good coffee.

Here at The Bali Sun, we highly recommend booking a night or two in one of the stunning glamping stays around Lake Batur or up into the foothills. The stargazing is next level!