Leaders in Bali and Java are preparing to launch a game-changing new fast boat service that will connect the provincial capital of Bali, Denpasar, with East Java’s Banyuwangi.
This is all part of a move to improve connectivity between East Java and Bali, and improve public transport services for local communities and tourists.
The Governor of East Java Khofifah Indar Parawansa has taken a site visit to the Fast Boat Dock at Marina Boom at Banyuwangi Port to assess the new development.
Governor Parawansa told reporters, “Ahead of the Banyuwangi-Denpasar (Bali) fast boat operational process, I want to check the readiness of the infrastructure at Marina Boom. Later the operator will come here again to check the necessary completeness.”
Governor Parawansa revealed that the new Denpasar-Banyuwangi boat service will be operational in June 2025, and will operate out of Serangan Port on the Bali side. He shared with reporters more details about the upgrades to Banywangi Port in preparation for more travelers. He explained, “For the passenger waiting room, the design has a Banyuwangi feel.”
The Governor’s comments were echoed by the Regent of Banyuwangi Ipuk Fiestiandani who explained: “So far, the public transportation center has been designed with a strong Banyuwangi feel, such as at the Banyuwangi City station which has just been revitalized and Banyuwangi Airport is also thick with the Banyuwangi feel.”
He added, “In addition, from the tourism side it is also profitable because tourists have many options to go to Banyuwangi, especially by fast boat, the distance from Bali to Banyuwangi can be shorter.”
The fast boat service is set to operate with a capacity of 300 people per journey. While teams on the Banyuwangi side have been speaking to reporters about the preparations happening in East Java, teams in Denpasar have told reporters that they are awaiting a final operational plan.
The Head of the Denpasar City Transportation Office Ketut Sriawan, explained “We don’t know [the plan] yet. We will try to coordinate with the port team first. There should be information to the Denpasar City Government because this is directly related to the service in the field.”
He added. “However, the Denpasar City Government through the Transportation Service welcomed this plan positively. However, in order for us to prepare appropriate port facilities and infrastructure, coordination is needed. This includes the readiness of the port pool, the length of the pier, and other supporting facilities.”
It has long been the mission of tourism leaders and transportation authorities in Bali and East Java to better connect the two regions. From a tourism perspective, there have been intentional efforts to promote especially East Java and West Bali as a dual-destination. Tourists exploring the region already have easy connectivity via fast boat and ferry between Gilimanuk Harbour and Banyuwangi.
Top attractions for tourists to discover include West Bali National Park and Mount Ijen in East Java. Both areas are less commercially developed in terms of tourism, compared to destinations like Canggu, Uluwatu, and Seminyak in the central south of Bali, making them ideal destinations for tourists seeking a connection to nature, less crowds and a more authentic experience of Indonesian life.
The new boat service between Denpasar and Banywangi will make it even easier for tourists to travel from central Bali to East Java. At the moment the approximately 150km drive can take anywhere between 5 hours and 10 hours depending on traffic conditions on the infamously congested Denpasar-Gilimanuk Highway.
Traveling by fast boat from Serangan Port, which is close to the resorts of Sanur, Benoa and Nusa Dua, would cut travel time down for tourists significantly.
More details regarding fast boat service scheduling, ticket costs and details on where and how to book are anticipated to be announced in due course.
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J West
Wednesday 9th of April 2025
Will this route be banned during monsoon season conditions that sink many boats and kill tourists every year....or is it " Bali Bali Bali " and safety be damned? Every year SE Asia ferries twenty times the size of these proposed carries sink taking hundreds of lives.
Gunawan Prajogo
Tuesday 8th of April 2025
Jet foil vessels which are usually cruising 2 meters above the swells.
Wim
Tuesday 8th of April 2025
@wp Een vraag: heeft Denpasar een haven
Steve bm
Tuesday 8th of April 2025
Another brilliant idea by those special game changer professors so instead of writing 100 articles about getting more people to north bali or pass through it now what can be done for most visitors to totally bypass north bali. Really need to hand out fat bonuses and slush fund accounts for the rulers they deserve more for game changing ideas
Josh
Tuesday 8th of April 2025
Will safety be considered properly?
Exp
Tuesday 8th of April 2025
@Josh, Good question.
Many of the local new sites refer to fast boat with 300 pax capacity, length 70 meters and 5 meter width (beam)! Intended to travel from East Java to Denpasar via the Indian Ocean south of Bali including south of Uluwatu in 2.5 hours, i.e. 30 knots!
Something does not add up as the largest fast boats to the Gillis with 300 pax are 37 m x 6 m. So a vessel much longer and less beams does not make sense at all for the far longer open sea Indian Ocean crossing.
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