Indonesian Holiday Airfares Surge; Media: Land Travel to Bali Becomes New Option

According to the Central News Agency (CNA), as Indonesian school holidays approach, the price of one-way air tickets from Jakarta to Bali has risen sharply. This has made land-based alternatives, such as inter-provincial buses and trains, which are more affordable, a new choice for many Indonesian families to adjust their holiday budgets. Geographically, the capital, Jakarta, is located on the western side of Java, Indonesia's core island, while Bali is located in the sea to the east of the island. Indonesia's 'Kompas' newspaper reported that the flight time from Jakarta to Bali is about 1 hour and 50 minutes, but the current one-way fare has risen to nearly 2 million Indonesian Rupiah (approx. 3,533 NTD) per person, increasing the economic burden on families traveling during the school holidays from late June to mid-July. Kompas stated that if travelers have flexible time and want to save budget, they can choose inter-provincial buses. The Indonesian state-owned bus company DAMRI operates regular services from Jakarta directly to Denpasar, the capital of Bali, with a one-way fare of 600,000 Indonesian Rupiah (approx. 1,060 NTD) and a travel time of about 23 hours. This service operates only once a week, departing from the Jakarta bus terminal at 16:00 on Fridays. In addition to state-owned buses, private bus companies operating this route include Alendra, Kramat Djati, Gunung Harta, and Pahala Kencana, with one-way fares starting from 550,000 Indonesian Rupiah (approx. 971 NTD) and travel times of about 18 to 20 hours. Buses drive directly onto large ferries midway to cross the strait to Bali. Furthermore, Kompas pointed out that travelers can take the 'Sangkuriang' train from Bandung in West Java, near Jakarta, which takes 16 hours to traverse the southern part of Java, passing through major cities like Yogyakarta and Surabaya, and arriving at the easternmost Ketapang train station the next day. Train fares range from 450,000 to 2.5 million Indonesian Rupiah (approx. 795 to 4,416 NTD) depending on the class. After arriving at Ketapang train station, travelers only need to walk about 5 minutes to reach Ketapang Port. There is a frequent ferry service between here and Gilimanuk Port in Bali, with a voyage time of about 45 to 60 minutes. Under good weather conditions, the ferry operates 24/7.