Ngurah Rai International Airport

Ngurah Rai International Airport is at the southern end of Bali, occupying a narrow isthmus between Kuta and Jimbaran. It's the prime way to get into Indonesia's most visited tourist destination.

Understand
Ngurah Rai is the second busiest airport in Indonesia, after Jakarta's Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, catering to tourists who wish to explore the island.

The airport is separated into two terminal buildings, each for international and domestic. The domestic terminal occupies the former international terminal building while the international terminal sits on what used to be the domestic terminal building but widely expanded to include high roofs and high end facilities.

Once a year, the airport is closed from 06:00 on the day of silence (Nyepi) to 06:00 on the following day, as the whole island goes completely quiet. Volcanic eruptions on Bali and neighboring Java and Lombok can also cause intermittent disruptions, the longest of which lasted for a week in late November 2018 due to the eruption of Bali's highest mountain, Mount Agung.

Flights
Owing to its international reputation as a resort island, plenty of international flights land here, with some even serving Indonesia exclusively through Bali. The most popular flights are coming from most of the major cities in Australia and China, also with direct connections to many of the Asia's airline hubs such as Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, and many cities in the Middle East. Travelers from North America generally also connect through Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, or Hong Kong, where they also join with originating passengers for their Bali getaway. Charter and seasonal flights from eastern Europe, China, and New Zealand are also common. Private planes also occasionally make presence here.

Domestic flights are also well covered, with flights to Jakarta departing at least every half hour by different carriers from dawn to dusk alongside daily flights to major cities in Java, Makassar in Sulawesi, and Medan in North Sumatra.

The airport also functions as a hub to the Nusa Tenggara island chains, with daily flights to Lombok and Labuanbajo, where most travelers already spending their time in Bali would like to hop between islands or see the Komodo dragon.

Ground transportation
Transportation from the airport is not too bad, but is far from perfect too. Some hotels organize free transfers from the airport, and plenty of public taxis are also available: go to the ticketing booth, on the right side just after the exit, buy a fixed fare ticket and a driver will be assigned to you trouble-free. However, the ticketing booth closes after the last flight arrival for the day and re-opens at 08:00, so anyone wanting an airport taxi during this period should be prepared to haggle or seek the alternatives described below.

By taxi
If you are travelling on a restricted budget, you can flag down a Blue Bird Taxi from outside the airport area (but now it will take at least 8–10 minutes walk from the new International terminal, more from the Domestic; there's neither clearly signed way out, nor are there many people using this way), or try and catch a taxi dropping off passengers near Domestic terminal departures. Blue Bird Taxis are safe and reliable, and their metered fares are cheaper than the prepaid taxi fare (especially for shorter rides, e.g. Rp 20,000–30,000 to Kuta). Depending on how much baggage you have and how bulky it is, you might want to evaluate whether all that extra effort is worth it to save a few dollars.

By bus
The public bus service, Trans Sarbagita, is the only bus company allowed to enter the airport. You can catch the bus at both the domestic and international arrivals. Bus stops are shaded, but small, so be on the lookout or ask for directions. The bus is the cheapest AC transportation Rp 3,500 from the airport, although it only stops at major roads and intersections and does not go into main hotel areas, so you will either need to walk or get a taxi from the nearest bus stop.

After several months dormant, Trans Sarbagita reruns with limited schedule, 09:15 to Nusa Dua, 11:00 to Batu Bulan, 13:15 to Nusa Dua, 15:00 to Batu Bulan, 17:15 to Nusa Dua and 19:00 to Batu Bulan.

By car
As all commercial passenger terminals are located on the north side of the airport, passengers coming from Kuta can easily access the airport from Jl. Dewi Sartika or Jl. Raya Tuban opposite the cargo terminal. Passengers coming from other points at the airport can take the roundabout at Jl. Bypass Ngurah Rai (do not take the underpass). Even quicker, those going to/from Sanur & Nusa Dua can use the Bali Mandara Toll Road (Rp10.000 flat for cars using prepaid card), where its exit to the airport also leads to the same roundabout.

Get around
Both terminals are compact and require a few minutes walking from departure to the gate. The longest walk in the international terminal should take around 15 minutes from passport check to Gate 9.

Transfer between the domestic and international terminal can only be done at landside and involves walking along a corridor at the arrival level.

International terminal
Luxury brands set up shop here, even the ones that are not normally present in malls across Bali.

Sleep
There is one hotel within the airport property. A lot of accommodation can also be found within less than 500 meters from the grounds.

Nearby

 * Jimbaran, a beach south of the airport