As traffic congestion in Bali becomes increasingly intense and widespread, growing into a significant issue for the island’s infrastructure, authorities continue to seek new and effective solutions to ease road traffic.
In July 2024, the regent of Badung, I Nyoman Giri Prasta, who is now the new deputy governor of Bali, announced plans to create a new “marine toll road” for tourists, allowing them to travel between Canggu and the Bukit Peninsula. The project recently received final approval and is set to be implemented in early 2025. This initiative introduces a new ocean taxi route that will connect tourists from the Berawa area in Canggu with Nusa Dua and even I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport.
The “Marine Toll Road” project will be developed alongside Bali’s new urban rail network to help alleviate the island’s road traffic.
The project will not require the construction of a new port or harbor in the Berawa area. According to officials, the current priority is to establish a marine toll road stop connecting the airport with the Canggu and Nusa Dua areas.
Prasta explained, “A ship will dock at the airport (on the coast), and guests arriving will be escorted directly to their hotel (on the Canggu-Berawa coastline).” He added, “The exact type of ship will be announced later. It could be a large boat operated by a third party.”
The program will be similar to ocean taxi services already offered from Canggu, such as GoBoat, which connects Canggu with Uluwatu.
GoBoat offers two main ocean taxi routes within Bali. The first route is Canggu-Jimbaran, operating between Nelayan Beach in Canggu and Kedonganan Beach in Jimbaran. The second route, Canggu-Uluwatu, runs between Nelayan Beach in Canggu and Padang-Padang Beach in Uluwatu.
These crossings take between 20 to 35 minutes, significantly reducing travel time. By comparison, a road trip from Canggu to Uluwatu takes over two hours by car, even without significant traffic.
During the holiday season, fast boats in Bali are always heavily booked. Tourists are advised to book tickets in advance.
If you can’t find tickets for your chosen route, consider traveling later in the day, as these boats tend to be less crowded compared to morning crossings. It’s also worth exploring crossings departing from different ports in Bali.
Sanur Port is the largest and busiest departure and arrival point for fast boats in Bali, making it the most popular choice among tourists.
However, operators also offer routes from other ports in Bali. Consider departures to other islands from Padang Bai Port in East Bali or Serangan (known as “Turtle Island”).
Serangan is just 10 km from Denpasar and is an excellent alternative for those staying in southern Bali.
Sources: thebalisun.com
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