FERRY GILIMANUK

"From the train station it was a few minutes walk to the harbor where our week in Java was on, time to travel to the 'Beautiful Bali'! After all that early getting up and running for miles, I was now ready for a week of relaxation. Of course there were also several trips on the planning, but also a lot of relaxing on the beautiful beaches! We have chosen to take the ferry to Bali, which cost about 25,000 IDR, so a few euros. The ferry departed from Banyuwangi (port Ketapang) and went to the harbor Gilimanuk in Bali. Normally the ferry would take about an hour to sail from Java to Bali. But because there was a very strong current during our cruise, we took a little longer, about 1.5 hours."

          Bali Strait is a stretch of water separating Java and Bali while connecting the Indian Ocean and the Bali Sea. At its narrowest it is 2.4 kilometres wide. The water forms the border between the Indonesian provinces of East Java and Bali. The Bali Strait is shallow. The water forms a connection between the Indian Ocean in the south and the Bali Sea in the north. Crossing the Strait Bali with the ferry from Ketapang to Gilimanuk is a real experience.

For many tourists, crossing the Bali Strait between Java and Bali is the easiest way to reach the "paradise" - the island of the Gods. Some people opt for the more expensive and direct possibility to fly to Bali (mostly from Surabaya or even Jakarta). The ferry gives you a more authentic experience. On the Java side, the departure point is Ketapang. Near the port of Ketapang there is a bus station and train station, which is very convenient. These stations have an extensive range of services to other destinations in Java, such as Probolinggo (Mount Bromo), Yogyakarta, Malang, Bandung and even the capital Jakarta

Ferries and boats do not have a good reputation in Indonesia. Many boats and ferries are dirty, overcrowded and sometimes even unsafe and they have an untrained crew. However, most of the ferries that make the crossing from Ketapang on Java to Gilimanuk in Bali are completely safe, although it is always busy on the ferries. There are toilets on the ferries; there are also refreshments and drinks for sale and coffee. The crossing from Java to Bali takes only 25 minutes, although during this time the loading and unloading of cars, mopeds and other small cargo loads is not included. The ferries run 24 hours a day and leave every 20-30 minutes. In stormy weather there may be cancellations, so let yourself be well informed in bad weather.

When arriving in the port of Gilimanuk on Bali Gilimanuk turns out not to be a very spectacular city. Gilimanuk has little to offer tourists. The nearest city of interest is Lovina on the north coast, but most people want to travel south or to the spiritual heart of Bali: Ubud. Or further south, where places like Kuta and Nusa Dua are with the main beaches!

There are no trains in Bali, so a bemo (small van) or a private taxi is the only choice. The taxi ride can be very expensive, but you can almost always negotiate the price. Do not forget that there is a time difference between Java and Bali of one hour, but do not forget to enjoy it when you are in Bali!

 

From the bus station of Gilimanuk there are several buses to all major places on the island, such as Denpasar, Ubud, Sanur, Singaraja, Tabanan etc. The police station is located about 300 meters south of the ferry terminal and a cash machine can be found at about 1 km away. Ojeks and dokars bring you there for little money.

The villages around Gilimanuk contain a mixture of Balinese, Javanese, Madurese and Buginese architecture, which is unique to Bali. No less beautiful are the different boats that possess these ethnic groups.

 

From a travel blog:

"During our cruise on the ferry we got into conversation with a father and his son. They live in Bali and had been on holiday to Jakarta. He has given us some tips on what we could do in Bali.
When we arrived at the port of Gilimanuk he told me that his wife and daughter were inside the boat and that they were with the car. He offered to take us to the bus station so that we did not have to walk that whole part! Super nice! At the bus station our bus left for Lovina, a journey of several hours and our first introduction to Bali."

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