The Badung Regency Government has confirmed that it is in the final stages of planning for a new fast boat service that will connect tourists directly from I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport to Canggu.
This is just one of a series of new water taxi services that will come into operation in the next 12 months.
The Regent of Badung, Wayan Adi Arnawa, told reporters this week, “As previously stated. We are encouraging the existence of a mode of sea transportation in the form of a water taxi or sea taxi. We try maybe from the airport to Canggu.”
He conceded that the traffic congestion issue in the heart of the Canngu tourism area cannot be solved by building highways and new road networks on land alone. He shared his assessment that a comfortable public transportation system needs to be established in new ways.
He told reporters, “Indeed, if overcoming traffic jams, it is not enough to just build roads, without also building an alternative transportation system. Indeed, in 2026, we will design a public transportation system.”
Regent Arnawa told reporters that utilizing a sea-based transportation network by providing a series of fast boat services from the airport can be one of the alternatives to overcome traffic jams on the highway. Implementing wider use of sea taxi services, he feels, is an affordable and enjoyable option for tourists who have just arrived in Bali, so that they can travel more efficiently to their vacation destination of Canggu.
There are also hopes that once the Airport – Canggu Sea Taxi route is up and running, a similar service could be established between other top destinations, including Uluwatu and even the island of Nusa Penida.
Regent Arnawa noted that infrastructure developments are needed to get this initiative flowing, but that he is seeking to allocate funds as soon as possible. He told reporters, “Maybe from the airport to Canggu. Canggu [needs to be] arranged, we will arrange the beaches first, and we will make access. People from the airport who want to come to Canggu no longer need to go by road.”
Regent Arnawa revealed that he has been in communication with officials from PT ASDP Indonesia Ferry (Persero) to scope out the possibilities some time ago. He shared that the ASDP team also encourages the operation of the sea transportation system.
He added, “They also hope so, and there may be an addition of piers for it. Once again, we will try our best to encourage infrastructure, both sea and land, and to overcome congestion.”
Though Regent Arnawa did not give a timeline for the project in this latest set of statements, it has previously been discussed that the route could be operational by the end of 2025, though more likely early 2026.
New water taxi services will become increasingly widely available between top travel hotspots in Bali. This week, the Executive Director of 3 Pelindo Daru Wicaksono Julianto, on fire, announced that he and his teams are launching a direct sea taxi service between Benoa and Tanjung Benoa in Denpasar.
The new service cuts travel between the popular vacation resort areas by half, from 30 minutes by road to 10-15 minutes by boat, depending on the tide.
Julianto told reporters, “We want to ensure that development not only touches the infrastructure aspect, but also brings direct benefits for the local community.”
The new route between Benoa and Tanjung Benoa comes just days after the official launch of the new Denpasar – Banyuwangi service that connects travellers between Bali and East Java in just under 3 hours.
The new service is poised to be particularly impactful for commuters based out of East Java who work in Bali and for adventurous tourists seeking to explore more than one province during their trip to Indonesia. East Java is famous for being home to Mount Ijen and its turquoise blue sulfur-rich caldera lake.
These new sea taxi services come in addition to fast boat services from providers like GoBoat, who offer more than 300 departures daily between Bali’s most in-demand travel hotspots, including Uluwatu, Jimbaran, Nusa Penida, and Canggu.
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Safia
Sunday 3rd of August 2025
I'm sure it will all be fine (it's not like there is a frequently recurring problem of ferries and fastboats sinking and taking dozens of lives with them).
M
Thursday 7th of August 2025
@Safia, that was a good one 😆
Thommo
Monday 4th of August 2025
@Safia, overloading to scam extra money, poor maintenance, incompetent crew and training. How do you get to own an Indonesia Ferry or fast boat? Sit at the bottom of the ocean and wait.
Thommo
Sunday 3rd of August 2025
"Regent Arnawa told reporters that utilizing a sea-based transportation network by providing a series of fast boat services from the airport can be one of the alternatives to overcome traffic jams on the highway." How on earth do these people get in governance and think? This initiative and the suggestion that it will help overcome traffic jams is delusional. Nothing about water taxis on the west side of the island makes any sense. Any feasability process in place? Whats that? It's completely unviable at all levels. A guaranteed disaster in process. Bali again in the Grand final for stupid illogical ridiculous ideas.
Steve bm
Monday 4th of August 2025
@Thommo, yes it will fail
Shorty
Saturday 2nd of August 2025
Docks will be needed - where will they be built? Getting to the dock at the airport? How many will be needed to cope with passenger numbers? Timetable or taxi? Assistance with luggage at both ends? Transport links and the cost of getting to the intended destination (and reverse)? When time from the Airport to the terminal, waiting time, transit time to Canggu and time to the final destination is it any faster, easier and more amenable than by road Heavy rain, rough sea service suspension - alternative arrangements?
If an intending operator does their homework and believes it's commercially viable why not? After all the existing operators seem to have succeeded despite the previous negative posts.
Thommo
Sunday 3rd of August 2025
@Shorty, existing operators have succeeded ? Are you kidding us. This water taxi idea from the airport to Canggu is totally unviable.
Exp
Saturday 2nd of August 2025
"They want to built a pier on Canggu beach for water taxi boat?"
A pier (walkway on stilts) is not for docking passenger boats or have they just decided to ignore the open ocean swells and give it a go anyway?
Sound like they just make up things now as safe docking would need a massive breakwater structure like they have in Sanur port. That type of breakwater will be very expensive and suffer a lot under the heavy open ocean swells.
Thommo
Sunday 3rd of August 2025
@Exp, agree it's unviable.