Huge Updates Revealed About Contentious Bali Theme Park In Emerging Tourism Hub

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Despite being one of Bali’s biggest development projects, the Kerthi Bali Semesta Park Project, also referred to locally as Disneylandnya, has not hit headlines since 2023.

As the local government settles fully into this new term in office, all eyes are firmly set back on major development initiatives.

Bali’s Jembrana Regency is one of the least infrastructurally developed areas of the island. It is an area seldom visited by tourists, but over the next few years, all that could change. Jembrana will soon see the development of the Kerthi Bali Semesta Park. This massive new theme park development is a collaboration between Paramount Pictures (Paramount Global) and the Indonesian company PT Kios Ria Kreas (KIOS).

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The theme park is set to operate much like Universal Studios Singapore, and will incorporate characters from the Paramount Pictures film universe, including Nickelodeon’s SpongeBob SquarePants, Dora the Explorer, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Kerthi Bali Semesta Park will also feature a sports academy, a golf course, and two hotels and apartments.

Speaking to reporters in 2023, following the signing of the project agreement in Los Angeles, Jembrana Regent at the time, Nengah Tamba, shared, “With funds of IDR 14 trillion, this theme park is expected to boost the tourism sector in Jembrana. So we really hope that everything goes according to plan.” Yet, since then, precious few more details about the project have been revealed. 

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The success of the project, which has also been referred to as the Universal Park & Gardens Bali, is dependent on the timely construction of the Gilimanuk-Mengwi Toll Road. The current Regent of Jembrana, Kembang Hartawan, has spoken to reporters about both projects and shared his vision for the future of the region. 

Regent Hartawan told reporters of his vision to ensure that the Gilimanuk-Mengwi Toll Road is integrated with Jembrana’s local logistics potential, such as the special economic zone of the Pengambengan Nusantara Fisheries Port, the Gilimanuk Logistics Port. This is all in addition to the development of the Kerthi Bali Semesta Park. It has now been confirmed that the main park area is set to be built on over 57 hectares of land in Jembrana Regency, with the wider theme park complex set to be built on 1,200 hectares of land. This confirms that the theme park will be the largest tourist park in Southeast Asia. Currently, the largest theme park in Southeast Asia is Sun World Ha Long Park in Vietnam, which spans approximately 214 hectares. 

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While Jembrana is considered an emerging tourism destination, and tourism plays such a pivotal role in Bali’s economy, the region plays an essential role in the big picture.

Jembrana Regency is the connection point for Bali to Java, and the Gilimanuk-Mengwi Toll Road is set to make it quicker, safer, and easier for both private and commercial traffic to travel between the areas. 

Regent Hartawan told reporters, “We want this toll road construction to have a real direct impact on regional economic growth. We don’t want large vehicles to damage the national road on the east side due to unorganized traffic distribution.”

He is proposing that the Gilimanuk-Mengwi Toll Road connect directly to the Gilimanuk Cargo Terminal to help streamline traffic flow.

He feels that with this solution, the introduction of logistics trucks onto the Jagat Kerthi Toll Road will mean that the pressure on the Denpasar-Gilimanuk national road, which passes through Jembrana Regency, will be reduced.

It is also hoped that traffic accidents in the area will also decrease since this is a notoriously dangerous stretch of road. 

The Gilimanuk-Mengwi Toll Road will be 96.8 km when completed, and as its name suggests, it will run from Gilimanuk to Mengwi. The route will cut the travel time from Denpasar to Gilimanuk to just two hours and provide a safe and efficient way for tourists to explore Jembrana Regency’s up-and-coming destinations, including Kerthi Bali Semesta Park.