Bali’s Fast Boats Will Be Extra Busy This Christmas: Here’s How To Avoid Travel Chaos

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Traveling in Bali over the festive season can get pretty intense. While kicking back and relaxing on the beach or on a sun lounger by the poolside can be deeply restorative, getting from A to B can feel pretty frantic as over one million tourists try to navigate their way around the island. 

One way to dodge tourism traffic over the festive season in Bali is to visit one of the outlying islands, whether for a few days or a few nights.

A trip to Nusa Penida, Nusa Lembongan, or Nusa Ceningan can be truly life changing, taking a trip to the Gili Islands over the New Year holiday is a dreamy way to welcome in 2025, however, the traffic congestion on the roads is mirrored by some pretty intense travel vibes on the ocean too.

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Thankfully, it is possible to avoid travel chaos while traveling by boat in Bali this festive season, from jumping in a sea taxi to cut down travel time between Canggu and Uluwatu, to getting a less crowded boat service to the outlying islands, these simple hacks can help save you a lot of stress. 

First, you need to know the peak travel days in Bali. Last week, Indonesia’s Minister for Human Development and Culture, Pratikno, held a press conference to share data collected by the ministry that forecasts the busiest travel days nationwide during the festive season.

If you’re traveling to Bali, and especially if traveling within Bali by car or boat, these are the days to avoid moving if possible.

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These days are Saturday, 21st December, Sunday, 22nd December, and the beginning of the public holiday in Indonesia, the 25th and 26th of December.

This is expected to be peak flow travel days for the Christmas holiday, followed by peak flow traffic and travel movement on the 31st of December and the 1st of January.

While it will absolutely be possible to move around Bali on these days, tourists should be prepared for traffic congestion and for fast boat and ferry tickets to sell out in advance. 

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Fast boat tickets traveling from the main island of Bali to the Gili Islands, specifically Gili T, over the New Year holiday almost always sell out. Tourists struggling to find tickets for transfers from Sanur Port should also look into departures from Padangbai and Serangan.

Boat services from these ports are often less busy than from Sanur, and traffic leading to the harbors is often less congested. 

It is possible to buy fast boat tickets online ahead of time. Operators like GoBoat allow tourists to book their transfers well ahead of time, and with over 380 daily departures, finding a ride should be easy.

One of the easiest ways to avoid wild traffic congestion between Bali’s biggest party destinations, Canggu and Uluwatu, is to book a sea taxi between the two resorts.

Google Maps suggests that the drive between central Canggu and central Uluwatu should take just one hour since it is only a 32km journey.

In reality, this journey takes 2-3 hours on a low-traffic day. The boat service between Uluwatu and Canggu takes just 35 minutes, and the scenic journey is an exciting way to appreciate the rugged coastline of Badung Regency, which you might otherwise miss if you are stuck in traffic.

Tourists should also keep a close eye on the weather forecast. As the rainy season is well underway in Bali, weather warnings and warnings to boat operators are being published every few days.

Weather warnings often include updates about high waves and dangerous conditions at sea.

Over the years, boat operators running services between Bali, the Nusa Islands, and the Gili Islands have been criticized for the way they overbooked fast boats and chose to operate services even when conditions on the ocean were unsafe. 

Tourists are advised to check the weather forecast on the day of their prospective travel and talk directly with their fast boat provider about an alternative crossing time if there are weather warnings in place.