New Low-Cost Flight Service Gives Bali Tourists Access To More Island Adventures 

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Bali International Airport is welcoming a series of new flight services this month, each aimed at making travel easier, more affordable, and more enjoyable for Bali tourists.

With a new route to the Thai resort of Phuket, a new connection with Australia, and an exciting new service to the world’s third-largest island, Bali tourists now have even more access to island adventures. 

Borneo is not only one of the world’s largest islands but also one of the world’s most culturally and ecologically diverse.

With around 73% of the island under Indonesia’s jurisdiction, the remaining 26% is comprised of the Malaysian states of Sarawak and Sabah, with the sovereign state of Brunei Darussalam accounting for just 1% of the island’s land area. 

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Island lovers seeking a diverse cultural and geological adventure can now more easily combine a trip to Bali and Borneo. AirAsia has just launched a new flight service from I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport to the Malaysian city of Kota Kinabalu.

The service, which launched on Friday 8th August, will operate three times weekly. The Head of Government Relations & Corporate Communications of Air Asia, Eddy Krismeidi, spoke to the press after the inaugural flight touched down in Denpasar. 

Krismeidi said, “This is just the first flight. The response was very good, and we hope this continues. We hope that this route can increase the number of passengers from Malaysia to Bali.”

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He suggested that if demand for the route continues with tourists from all around the world, as well as business travelers the flight frequency could soon increase.

He explained, “It’s normal for us to look at the market three times a week [initially]. If the market development is good, it is possible to increase the number of flights to Kinabalu.”

Speaking separately, the General Manager of Airport I Gusti Ngurah Rai, Handy Heryudhitiawan, said, “We believe that the increasing connectivity of Bali Island with Kota Kinabalu will have a positive impact on both countries, especially in improving the tourism sector in each destination.”

@wilbertspace This was hands down one of the most amazing experiences of my life! Thank you @Sabah Malaysian Borneo for making this possible! Orangutans are found only in the rainforests of Borneo and Sumatra and our guide told us that they spend most of their lives up in the trees so spotting one down and close to the river was a unique and rare moment! Not only we’ve been very lucky to witness this but also to capture these moments *all videos are my own* Unfortunately, deforestation and other human activities such as hunting, have place orangutan in danger of extinction 📍Kinabatangan river, Sabah #sabahtourism | sponsored trip #sabah #sabahmalaysia #malaysianborneo ♬ Jenkins, Ratledge: Adiemus – Adiemus & Karl Jenkins & Jody K. Jenkins & London Philharmonic Orchestra & Mary Carewe

Tourists looking to explore both Bali and Borneo on a two-week vacation can really make it happen. With a flight time of just 2 hours and 40 minutes, Kota Kinabalu is an easy hop over the ocean for Bali lovers.

What makes Kota Kinabalu so special is that it is the gateway to the jungles of Sabah, home to the iconic proboscis monkey, Borneo pygmy elephants, and even the Borneo orangutan; none of these species can be found in the wild in Bali.

Imagine a week in Bali soaking up culture, beaches, and sunshine, then jetting off to Kota Kinabalu to spend an evening exploring Malaysian city culture and indulging in incredible street food to fuel up before setting off into the jungle in search of some of the rarest wildlife on earth!

For tourists seeking more beaches than jungles, new flight routes have also increased vacation options. For the first time ever, it is now possible to fly directly from Bali to Phuket’s Thai resort.

Giving Bali lovers the chance to explore even more of Southeast Asia on vacation, the new Denpasar to Phuket service will be operated by AirAsia and will operate three times a week. 

Australian based Bali lovers will be pleased to learn that starting 14th August a new direct service between Cairns and Bali will launch.

Also operated by AirAsia, the service will make it even easier for Queensland-based holidaymakers to set off to paradise. The service comes in addition to AirAsia’s direct service from Brisbane to Bali.

Bali is on track to see its busiest year ever for tourism, and with even more flight options available as the end of the year fast approaches, tourists are starting to see Bali as a travel launchpad for more adventures around Indonesia and Southeast Asia.

In the coming months, tourists can expect to see more promotions for travel experiences that include Bali, Lombok, and the Flores Islands, including Komodo National Park.

The region that will be promoted as Bali Nusra will combine Bali Province, East Nusa Tenggara, and West Nusa Tenggara into a well-connected travel destination, enabling tourists to hop from one iconic island to another across the archipelago with greater ease.