Month: October 2022

Riung (Flores)

Riung is a small fishing village in the north of Flores approximately 3.5 hours from Bajawa in central Flores. In summary, it is a (very) small brother of Labuan Bajo and its Komodo boat tours. Here you will enjoy a similar boat tour experience but without the tens or hundreds of other tourists within your eyesight (or your boat). You might be the only tourist on an island listening to the waves and the proverbial “sound of silence”. And you will probably enjoy the freshest fish barbecue ever on this deserted beach, which has just been caught a few minutes ago on the way by your boat captain.

17 Island Marine Park

Officially, Riung on Flores has 17 islands and hence its name “17 Pulau”. In reality, there are more but on a day boat tour will likely visit 3 or 4 of them.

So what will you do here?

Yes, there are some dragons on the Ontoloe island, but they are well hidden in the thick vegetation. Contrary to the Komodo island, there are no rangers to guide you to them so you are unlikely to spot them. We we told there is an option to bring some chicken meat, and wait and camp on the island for a day or two. Unfortunately, we did not do it. It would be probably the ultimate Robinson Crusoe experience to overnight on an uninhabited Indonesian island, while waiting for the dragons to show up next to your tent.

You will definitely see the flying foxes or the giant bats with an individual wingspan of 20-30cm. During the day they are sleeping on the trees in the mangroves. However, you will see the mayhem of them flying and screeching around.

Contrary to Labuan Bajo and the Komodo tours, you will find no diving schools in Riung. If this is an absolute must for you, you might reconsider Riung.

However, the biggest draw of Riung is to just take it easy and enjoy it. Sit in your boat while looking at all those marvellous small islands. Take a break and snorkel in the transparent waters. Walk on the deserted beaches and climb a low hill with overarching views. No pressure to see another dragon. No peer pressure to spot this giant manta ray first. No pressure to dive faster, deeper or longer. Nobody to look at you or judge you.

How often does it happen in our lives?

How to get there

Riung is located in the central north of Flores. It is relatively isolated but the upside is no crowds and a supremely peaceful visit. There are three main options to get there. (1) Bajawa – Riung, (2) Ende-Riung (probably after your Moni / Kelimutu trip), and (3) Labuan Bajo – Riung.

(1) Bajawa – Riung

Contrary to the Lonely Planet outdated information, the Bajawa – Riung road was renovated in 2020. It is still in excellent condition when compared with other Flores roads. There are no longer miles of washed out sections with teeth-clattering potholes and 5km/h average speeds.

Overall, 3.5-4 hours on the local bus, currently no Gunung Mas scheduled shuttles.

Book the local bus with your hotel or homestay in Bajawa, Ruteng or Ende. It will probably come to your accommodation so you don’t have to go to the bus station. Secondly, you might be the first to board and get the best front seat on the bus.

(2) Ende – Riung

Ah, this is a more arduous alternative. The road is passable but not as good as (1). It will take 4 hours to reach Riung on the Damri bus from the Ndao bus station in Ende. Add another 1.5 hours for Moni-Ende if you are starting in Moni.

The direct connection from Ende to Riung is the government-run Damri bus. It was large, modern and with a powerful engine.

However, please check the exact departure time from Ndao. It usually departs between 1 and 4pm. You do not want to wait for that for a few hours as Ndao is just a few small local shop stands along a busy road with noisy scooters, bemos and trucks.

(3) Riung-Labuan Bajo

No Gunung Mas shuttle or local buses going to Labuan Bajo, only private taxis at approximately IDR 1,000,000 ($67) per car. We did not take it and were told “the road is not good” (unverified).

All Flores taxi, shuttle and local bus prices are here: Labuan Bajo Taxi Prices.

What to do in Riung

A boat-only day tour to 3-4 islands is IDR 500,000 plus IDR 100,000 the national park ticket and IDR 100,000 for the excellent lunch (freshly caught fish barbecue on the beach on one of the island stops).

In terms of our boat tour experience, we were lucky to go with Luki. Fluent in English with full flexibility to adjust to your requests. Moreover, he owns the boat, which is always a good sign. It was a slow wooden boat with a good engine and spotlessly clean. In addition to the outstanding fish barbecue, his wife had cooked amazing eggplant, vegetables and rice for the trip rounded up with fresh mango. Highly recommended.

Riung Flore Indonesia fish
One of the best lunches in Indonesia.

Where to stay

We stayed at the Riung Guest House. Large attached bungalow, spotlessly clean, free water, coffee and tea. Owner Paul and his staff are friendly, speak excellent English and will advise you on the boats, buses, restaurants and any other questions we had. Highly recommended.

Where to eat

Pato Resto is the standard tourist restaurant in Riung.

We also liked Warung Ragil Kediri, which is located immediately next to Pato Resto on the same side in the opposite direction of the port. In addition to the good gado gado, excellent barbecue snapper or grouper there.

Where to go next

Bajawa with the authentic Ngada Bena Traditional Village (Flores), Ruteng with the Manggarai traditional villages of Wae Rebo and Todo, and the Kelimutu volcano near Moni are all excellent choices for your next stop.

For all Indonesia articles: Indonesia.

Labuan Bajo Taxi Prices

These are the taxi, shuttle and local bus prices, which we managed to gather during our trip in Flores. Most tourists start exploring after their Komodo boat tour, so the Labuan Bajo taxi prices are first.

Those are the prices which we paid in IDR cash in October 2022, so not theoretical costs but real numbers.

Overall, central Flores has excellent places such as Ruteng (traditional villages and volcanoes), Bajawa (even better traditional villages and volcanoes), Kelimutu (multi-colored volcano craters) or Riung (a private mini-Komodo boat tour).

To see them, there are three main transportation options: (1) scheduled Gunung Mas minibuses, (2) private or shared taxis, and (3) local buses.

Gunung Mas

Gunung Mas is a travel agency organizing scheduled rides along the Trans-Flores Highway from Labuan Bajo to Ruteng, Bajawa, Ende and Moni (for Kelimutu). They are using Toyota or Isuzu minibuses in decent condition. Their engines are usually strong enough to scale steep passes quickly and the air conditioning is strong.

Many or most passengers will be local guests. Book in the Gunung Mas office in Labuan Bajo (close to the airport), Ruteng (town center) or Bajawa (outside of town). Alternatively, book through your hotel or homestay owner or staff.

The Gunung Mas shuttles from Labuan Bajo at 07:30am and 09:00am are frequently sold out. Please book at least the day before.

You will be picked up from your accommodation at the scheduled time. Please allow for the “Indonesia flexible time”, +/-15 minutes. Yes, the bus might arrive early as the driver might have changed the pickup order.

You will usually be dropped off in your next accommodation. Important: NOT in Bajawa. Unfortunately, Gunung Mas does not enter the center of Bajawa but will drop you off outside of town at Terminal Watujaji (2.5 kms from town center).

Local buses

Tourists are usually not taking many local buses in Lombok or Bali. Over there we are usually at the mercy of the expensive private or shared taxis.

However, in Flores the local buses are frequently taken by foreign visitors. Those are colorful buses painted with bright religious symbols or other fashionable motifs. They have few fixed stops and will pick up and drop off almost anywhere you wish. In addition, they will transport all things imaginable (or not) on a public bus. Chickens and cockerels. Boxes of bathroom tiles. Tables and chairs. 20kg sacks of rice. Bags of sweet potatoes. All making for a memorable journey. And it is pretty guaranteed that you will be greeted with a smile by all fellow passengers.

There is usually at least one 20-30 minute stop in a four-hour ride with for lunch and bathrooms. The local restaurant (warung, makasan padang) will be usually inexpensive and offering fresh food. We dined there and did not have any stomach problems afterwards. Excellent news.

Book ahead and sit in front

In general, you can book them through your homestay or hotel owner, who will probably know the bus owner and drivers well. As an added benefit, you might be the first passenger on the bus and choose your seat.

Try to get the seat next to the driver for three reasons: (1) the inevitable chickens will be far behind you. Moreover, (2) there are usually two thin seats next to the driver. You can sit in one and place your bag in the other. If you are travelling in a group, sit in the first row as the rice/potatoes/chickens will be behind you. Finally, (3) the views to Ruteng and Bajawa are stunning.

Also, local buses will usually pick you up from your accommodation at the formerly stated time plus the “Indonesia flexible time” of +/-15 minutes. Yes, one local bus knocked at our door at 7:11 am instead of 7:30-8:00am as previously communicated. A miracle.

Finally, they will also usually drop you off at your next accommodation, INCLUDING Bajawa.

Current Labuan Bajo taxi and bus prices

All prices per person, unless otherwise noted.

Labuan Bajo

Labuan Bajo airport – Labuan Bajo accommodation: IDR 70,000 ($4.70) PER CAR

Labuan Bajo – Ruteng: Gunung Mas shuttle, IDR 120,000 ($8), 4 hours, pick up: Labuan Bajo accommodation, drop off: Ruteng accommodation; three departure times: 7:30am, 9:00am, 11:00am. Frequently sold out, especially the 7:30 and 9:00am departures, book at least the day before

Labuan Bajo accommodation – Labuan Bajo airport: IDR 65,000 ($4.30) PER CAR (cheaper as more competition from the city)

Ruteng

Ruteng day tour: destinations (rice terraces, Hobbit’s Cave, Todo traditional village), IDR 700,000 PER CAR, 6 hours

Ruteng – Bajawa: shared car (3 tourists), IDR 150,000 ($10), pick up: Ruteng accommodation, drop off: Bajawa accommodation

Bajawa

Bajawa – Moni (for Kelimutu): local bus (Gunung Mas NOT entering Bajawa center), IDR 120,000 ($8), 7 hours

Bajawa traditional village day tour: destinations (Bena, Luba, Tololela, Bla, hot springs), IDR 700,000 PER CAR , 7 hours

Bajawa – Ruteng: shared taxi IDR 150,000 ($10), local bus IDR 100,000 ($6.70)

Bajawa – Labuan Bajo: shared taxi IDR 250,000 ($16.70), local bus IDR 150,000 ($10)

Riung

Moni – Ende: Gunung Mas, IDR 50,000 ($3), 1.5-2 hours (depending on the duration of the lunch stop), bus stop on the road opposite Mopi’s restaurant; private car: IDR 500,000 ($33)

Ende – Riung: local bus (no Gunung Mas available), IDR 80,000 ($5.30), 4 hours, departing from the Ndao bus station in Ende between 12 and 4pm (check the exact time on your day).

Warning: the Ndao bus station is just a few small local shops along the road across the Pertamina gas station. Please do not make the same mistake as we did – ask for the exact departure time before. Otherwise, it is not the most pleasant experience to spend 2-3 hours next to a busy road with little shade.

Riung islands day tour: whole boat-only, IDR 500,000 plus IDR 100,000 park ticket fee plus IDR 100,000 lunch (expensive but excellent barbecue fish on the beach)

Riung – Bajawa: local bus, IDR 80,000 ($5.30), 4 hours, 6:00am departure time

Where to go next after Labuan Bajo

Similar to this price overview, check the Bali Taxi and Ferry Prices or How to get to Gili islands if heading west after Flores.

If you are staying in Flores, a Komodo tour, Riung (Flores) or Bena Traditional Village (Flores) around Bajawa are great options to do.

For all Indonesia articles: Indonesia.

Bena Traditional Village (Flores)

Flores seems to be 10-20 years behind its more famous neighbors, Bali, Lombok or Java. Further to the east, it is mountainous with lush green forests, abundant rice fields and traditional villages. Especially the villages in the Ngada culture around Bajawa are authentic. Bena is one of the most accessible and instagramable ones.

Yes, you will pay a small entrance fee (IDR 10-25,000, $0.70-1.70), but villagers still live in the picturesque grass-covered huts. They will go about their everyday business and you will be met with a smile and “hello mister” or “hello lady” from the village kids. In smaller villages you will have a sense that BOTH sides are trying to satisfy their curiosity about the other party.

Which village to visit?

One of the most marketed villages is Wae Rebo with 7 conical-roof houses, 4 hours from Labuan Bajo. The current entrance fee is IDR 250,000 ($17) per person with an overnight fee of IDR400,000 ($27).

Another adjacent village is Todo, which is touristy with five traditional houses located in the middle of a modern village. IDR60,000 ($4) entrance fee with the compulsory donation before the 60-second speech ritual. Many modern houses around, a soccer field, and even satellite dishes next to the traditional houses.

Many find Wae Rebo and Todo pretty touristy and superficial, and skip it for the other more authentic villages in the Ngada district further east around Bajawa.

Bena, Luba, Tololela, Gurusina and Bla are definitely better choices located 30-60 minutes from your homestay in Bajawa. Those are real villages with vibrant communities still living there and practicing their Christian and animist beliefs.

Which Ngada village(s) to visit?

Bena is the largest village 30 minutes by car or scooter from Bajawa. In the local language, a large five-totem settlement with nine clans living there. Picturesque and atmospheric when approaching.

Tip: stop on the road 30 seconds away from the main Bena entrance and look through the trees on the right. There is a clearing with a lovely village view.

Luba is a smaller three-totem village 5 minutes away from Bena built around a square. Atmospheric especially during the sunrise or sunset. Minimum IDR 10-20,000 donation with few tourists visiting. Locals will be genuinely interested in you as a rarity from the far away lands.

Gurusina and Tololela are further away with the similar Ngada houses. There is also a one-hour walk forest walk to Tololela, which is a good respite from the midday sun. Again, fewer visitors with IDR 20,000 donations.

Bla is closest to Bajawa next to the road, if you are only passing through this town.

Overall, you can opt for Bena and Luba with Bla on the way back, or have a longer trip to Gurusina and Tololela.

Traditional ceremony

If you can time it, witnessing a traditional ceremony in any of those villages is a fascinating experience. You will be greeted with a smile but largely ignored as a tourist, when the rest of the village is busy with their centuries-old rituals.

I was lucky enough to see the house inauguration ceremony of the Bena’s chief. This is a rare event as those reed-hatched houses can last up to 100 years, if the roof and bamboo planks are replaced regularly every 3-5 years. Bena is Christian but the earlier animist ancestor beliefs still form an integral part of the culture. Ngada people believe that they can connect and revere their ancestors through those rituals, who will protect them in everyday life. Hence, an abundant animal sacrifice is compulsory.

Bena day one: families arriving

Given the ritual’s rarity and significance, families from other villages and even other islands (e.g., Toraja in Sulawesi) are arriving to participate. The event lasts two days. Different families arrive on day one in their celebratory clothing and enter Bena dancing and signing.

The community spirit is strong with families mixing easily together with talking, gossiping and eating. To demonstrate its position, each family arriving is required to present a pig to the ceremony. More on those animals on day two.

Bena
Bena
Bena

Upon arrival, a family of relatives from as far as Toraja in Sulawesi, is introducing itself with dancing, singing, joyful gossiping and communal feasting.

Bena day two: animal sacrifice

Having arrived, being greeted and accepted on day one, day two is the main ritual of connecting with the ancestors through the animal sacrifice. In the Western culture, consumption of cows or pigs (for some) is relatively widespread. However, we almost never see (and probably avoid) the gruesome process of animals becoming steaks on our tables.

Absolutely not during the Ngada rituals. The whole village is excited and looking forward to the sacrifices, and everybody from the age 8 upwards in participating. For centuries, such ceremonies provided the critical nutrition and rare meat also to the less wealthy members. This event is still viewed with excitement and joy instead of apprehension or revulsion.

Buffaloes

This festival of life and death starts with the large buffaloes. They are a sign of prosperity as the most prized meat and donated by members of the individual clans. Ngada families even living on another continent (for example, Canada was specifically mentioned) are obliged to contribute to the buffalo cost.

The buffalo sacrifice started promptly at 6am with all eight animals sacrificed one-by-one by 7am. The villagers must have participated in similar events before, because the whole village is participating with their roles clearly specified and the sacrifice process efficient.

However, this is still a manual process with some animals dying quickly with others not so lucky. Probably not the clean death practiced in the Jewish or Islamic halal traditions.

The buffaloes are then efficiently dismembered and the precious meat cooked in Harry Potter-sized cauldrons.

Pigs

Pigs are viewed as the next most valuable animals but significantly cheaper than the prized buffaloes. This is the time for various families to show their wealth and prestige. I assume BMW, Mercedes and Lexus are playing the same non-food role in our communities. In Ngada, size, age and fat of each pig donated is widely commented (“they had a big pig”).

The sacrifice of 23 pigs was similarly gruesome and efficient, and all in the thick smoke of the burning bamboo sticks heating the pots. A pretty primordial experience, but greeted with unbounded joy by all Ngada. This all feels as if this ritual was catapulted a few hundred years into the twenty first century. Simply unreal.

However, even to an adult tourist, not a day to forget easily anytime soon. We will skip those images on the general page. However, if you want to see them, please contact me and I will send them.

Joyous communal sharing

In the afternoon 5-8,000 villagers came for the joint feast and food was also distributed free of charge to each house and family living in Bena. Even as a tourist, you will be gladly invited to this community feast with rice, meat and the local alcoholic arak.

Definitely a day (or two) to remember. Am I glad that I have witnessed that? Definitely yes. Would I go to another sacrifice ritual in the next week? Not so sure.

Where to go next?

Ruteng, Riung (Flores), Kelimutu or a Komodo tour are great (and more quiet) places afterwards.

Or go to Lombok for a the rice fields in Tetebatu (Lombok) and a Mt Rinjani (Lombok) Hike.

For all Indonesia articles: Indonesia.

Komodo tour

Which Komodo tour to choose and how much to pay? There are many tour providers (direct and agency) at vastly differing prices.

Day trip or multi-day. Budget, mid-range or luxury? Which boats are safe and good quality? How to get a good price? Is the snorkelling equipment included or not? What about meals? Unlimited water? Air conditioning or not?

You can find them all in Labuan Bajo, the starting point for the Komodo tours. Below is an overview of the Komodo tours with length, destinations and prices.

What Komodo tours are offered?

Broadly speaking, there are private (tailor-made) and scheduled tours. The private tours will be similar to the top luxury safari camps in Africa. Elegant and comfortable. Excellent fresh food including the catch from a few minutes ago. A chef on board. Flexible itinerary to suit your particular needs. However, it all comes at a (hefty) price. A three-day two-night luxury tour can be easily $3-10,000 for smaller boats.

For the rest of us, the scheduled tours come in a few flavors depending on the length, comfort level and number of activities.

Important: all tours share the same base itinerary, with additional islands and activities for the longer trips. All trips go to the stunning Padar island and the Komodo National Park, a beach and manta ray snorkelling.

How much is a Komodo tour?

Generally, there are three main types: a day trip, 2 days 1 night (2D1N), 3 days 2 nights (3D2N). All prices below are for shared accommodation: you will share a room on the boat with other 2-3 people. A mid-range option with all those included: snorkelling equipment, unlimited water, coffee/tea, and three meals per day. In Labuan Bajo evaluated as a good-quality vessel with a good safety record.

A good-quality day Komodo tour costs around IDR 600,000 (some agents or hotels will charge IDR 50-200,000 on top).

A good-quality 2D1N costs approximately IDR 1,750,000 to 2,000,000 (direct price) with agency price IDR 300-500,000 more.

A 3D2N Komodo tour is currently IDR 2,500,000 (direct) with agency price IDR 300-500,000 on top.

In addition, you will pay the Komodo National Park entrance fee of IDR 400,000 separately in cash on your boat. This covers also all snorkelling fees.

(1) Day trip

A day trip offers the base itinerary, and can be done on a slow or fast boat. A slow boat will be a larger wooden vessel prevalent on all Indonesia islands, with a capacity for 10-20 tourists. A fast boat will be a modern western-type speedboat also for 10-20 tourists. As you would expect, fast boats are more expensive.

(1a) 6:00am Labuan bajo

All tours usually start at 6:00am before the heat starts to build up from the Labuan Bajo harbor. You cannot miss the modern building dominating the landscape. Boats are docked on the right hand side with a few bays. You will probably also see the large ferries to West Sumba or Sumbawah (“we bridge nation”) on the right.

You will depart promptly on time with the safety introduction. The guide will describe the itinerary and provide an introduction to the islands. My guide spoke excellent English, was friendly and quick to answer any questions or requests. This is a ratings-based business and the tour owners know it well.

You will pay your IDR 400,000 Komodo National Park fee in cash on the boat now.

On my trip the following were included free of charge: bottled water, hot tea or coffee, bananas, use of snorkelling equiptment, lunch box.

(1c) labuan bajo to padar island

It will take approximately two hours to reach the Padar island. The ride will be awesome and you will probably see some large silver fish jumping out of the water. Don’t sleep, those views are unique and you have paid for them.

You will also pass the Rinca island on the left. This is the island with a large dragon population (approximately 1,200). Look closely at the Rinca shore. If you are lucky, you might see a dragon walking along the beach looking for the turtle eggs, one of their preferred meals.

An incredible sight, completely authentic with not a single tourist around. Just a Komodo dragon cruising around looking for breakfast.

(1C) 8:00am padar island

After two hours of impressive views of the islands and rocks, you will arrive on the Padar island. It is stunning with thousands of Instagramable pictures everywhere. You will hike the mountain with all comfortable steps in probably 10-15 minutes, depending on how many photos you will take on your way up.

The view from the top is magnificent with many islands and rocks and beaches. On a clear day, you will not forget this view any time soon.

Depending on the season, there will be (many) tourists, but especially the local groups are friendly. You will probably swap stories with some people from Jakarta or Denpasar.

(1d) 10:00 komodo national park

After another one hour of beautiful views in all directions you look, you will come to the Komodo island. If you have read its reviews earlier, they are probably true.

It is touristy with many groups of approximately 10-15 tourists shepherded by a park guide. It is hot and dry. And yes, there are hawkers selling the dragon badges or wooden sculptures or plates. However, to be fair they are not aggressive and a simple “no, thanks” will usually do.

On the other hand, please do not forget that tourists are the biggest source of income here, so buying an excellent fresh coconut will already help the local community. And it will taste great after the 30-45 minute walk.

You will probably see 1-5 dragons (max) close to the entry gate. In all likelihood, there will be several groups taking pictures of a single animal. It has seen it all thousands of times, and usually does not care about anything else but how to cool down its body in the midday heat.

Komodo tour dragon
After thousands of tourists, you will be able to come 3-5 meters away from the dragon.

In summary, we all have to do it, but it will probably not be the highlight of the trip. If you have been to the Galapagos islands before, this Komodo experience will probably feel a bit underwhelming.

(1E) 12:00 beach

With the Komodo dragon ticked off your lifetime to-do list, all tourists enjoy the well-deserved break after this hard work. A lunch box is then provided and it usually includes some good local food (rice, vegetables, spicy sauce, fish or chicken).

(1F) 15:00 Manta ray point

On the way back to Labuan Bajo you will stop at a place frequently visited by the giant manta rays. They are incredibly elegant creatures floating majestically with a wing span up to 2 meters. An incredible sight, a lifetime memory to swim along them.

(2) 2 days 1 night (2D1N) Komodo tour

The trip will have the same base itinerary as the day tour with more time spent in individual stops and more snorkelling. You will also visit additional destinations: Kelor island and see the flying foxes. Those are large bats up to 50-70cm size.

(3) 3 days 2 nights (3D2N) Komodo tour

The 3D2N tour will again share the same itineraries such as the day and 2D1N trips with some add ons. You will visit the Kanawa and Siaba islands for turtles. If you are lucky, you will be able to swim with them, a great experience.

Overall, the longer trips are offering a wider experience with a more leisurely pace, more stops, and nice sunrises and sunsets in the sea. Moreover, you will probably also bond with the fellow passengers and almost everybody like this cameraderie.

Where to go next?

If you have a few days to travel west along the Trans-Flores highway, Ruteng, Bajawa, Riung (Flores) and Kelimutu are excellent. You will see few tourists but many traditional villages (some more touristy than others).

Or you will have a private tour of the islands in Riung (Flores), because there will be no other tourists in this fishing village (our experience, not making it up). Similar to the Komodo tours but MUCH more private.

If you time it well, you might also be able to see a traditional village ritual, for example in the Bena Traditional Village (Flores) close to Bajawa.

If you are going back to Lombok, we liked Tetebatu (Lombok) and Mt Rinjani (Lombok) Hike a lot.

On the always lovely Bali, after a Body Cleansing Ceremony (Bali) you will feel refreshed and more positive. Guaranteed.

Bali Taxi and Ferry Prices

These are the taxi and ferry prices in Bali, which I managed to gather in October 2022. Currently the following locations are covered: (1) Amed, (2) Padangbai, (3) Bali-Gili and Gili-Lombok ferry, (4) Gili Air-Bali or Gili Air-Lombok, (5) Ubud, (6) Kuta, (7) Sanur and (8) Others.

Attached is also some additional information: shuttle bus and how to get the best prices and avoid paying 50% markups.

Three categories: (1) private cars, and (2) shuttle buses, and (3) ferries and boats. All are grouped per destination below.

What is a shuttle bus?

Shared shuttle is usually a (Toyota/Isuzu) minibus or a larger Toyota/Daihatsu car leaving on fixed schedule. You buy an individual seat to your destination. Most probably, there will be several stops depending on the other passengers. For example, from Amed the same shuttle will go to Sanur, Ubud, Kuta and the Denpasar airport.

You might get a lower price if a driver already has a few passengers, and you will be his pure additional profit. Always ask how many tourists are already booked on this particular shuttle. You probably do not want to be too squeezed either.

Shop around for best price

Overall, the cost differences are usually wide with the more expensive providers quoting up to 50% higher prices. The taxi and ferry prices on Bali are fragmented and opaque to achieve a high level. Overall, food is excellent and inexpensive, and accommodation well-developed and adequately priced. However, transportation is expensive in relative (and sometimes absolute) terms. Yes, the gas prices have gone up a lot, but there are still hefty margins in this business.

Please do not pay the inflated prices. Clearly, it will be good for your wallet. But you will also help future tourists by NOT increasing the price level, and not encouraging the agencies and drivers to get away with excessive quotes.

So what is driving the car price? Car prices depend on how you book, location, distance to be traveled, your hotel price, perceived evaluation of your wealth when negotiating, and life in general on the agency’s or car driver’s side.

How to get good taxi and ferry prices in Bali?

(1) Your lack of time

If you are pressed for time, your options are limited. You will have no time to get a few quotes from the drivers and agencies. You will probably have to settle for a private car, which will be more expensive at the last minute.

(2) Agency versus direct price

It is always cheaper and better to agree on the price with the driver, who will actually be in the vehicle with you. Even more preferably, it will be his own car. Two reasons: (1) Each agency and homestay is charging (sometimes a hefty 50-100%) commission. (2) You will be able to evaluate the car and the driver for their safety and reliability. A huge advantage as some cars might be a bit vintage. That is definitely not great when going up a mountain. Finally, it is generally easy to find direct drivers on Bali. Given their abundance, they will usually find you before you can spot them (“Hello, where are you going?” with a broad smile).

(3) Your accommodation

More expensive hotels/homestays will quote higher prices for the same service than the less expensive ones. Secondly, even when you are stopped on the street and asked if you need transportation, the drivers and agents will ALWAYS ask which hotel you are staying in. They will try to determine your ability to (over)pay. If you are lucky to be in one of the top accommodations on the island, it might be not the best time to mention. Otherwise, it will be harder to get to a more fair cost.

(4) Driver’s price calculation

My experience on Bali has been that drivers’ two biggest factors are distance and time traveled. The car brand or age seem to be less important as most of them are the similar (Toyota, Daihatsu). Also, if you want a one-way trip, the driver will add the distance and time for the trip back and charge it to you. All drivers are currently sensitive to the distance due to the higher gas prices. However, some are more relaxed about their own time and might quote a lower price.

(5) Driver’s experience

Some will also quote with hesitation and vastly different prices for the adjacent locations. That probably means that the driver has not had that many clients. More experienced driver usually deliver a realistic quote quickly without mentioning how many tourists they had driven around in the last week or month. More fluent English is also usually a sign of more tourist business.

(6) Driver’s personality

Finally, it always pays attention to driver’s behavior. You will be stuck with him for a few hours in a confined space, so it is better to have someone who is positive and conversational.

(7) Check Grab prices

Always check Grab prices as your benchmark. Grab is the equivalent of Uber or Lyft with a major difference. Contrary to their U.S. competitors, you pay the Grab driver directly (similar to Yandex Go in central Asia). Grab does NOT charge your credit card. This has an advantage that anybody in your hotel, restaurant or even on the street can order a Grab taxi for you.

Secondly, when negotiating a price with a private taxi driver, just mentioning Grab’s price usually does wonders to establish a realistic price level.

Bali taxi and ferry prices, and timetables per location

The prices are for the whole car one way, unless otherwise noted. The prices have been rising quickly with the increasing gas prices. Check for the current levels.

For longer or multi-stop trips, it might be cheaper to hire a car with the driver for the whole day. The current daily rate is USD50-55.

Ferry and boat tickets are per person one way.

(1) Amed

(1a) Private car from Amed to Bali destinations

Amed Bali taxi prices
Amed private taxi prices.

Amed – Mount Agung (with waiting while you hike): IDR 700,000

(1b) Shuttle bus from Amed

Check prices across different agencies and with drivers directly. Prices differ up to 30%. Below is one of the lowest for a safe vehicle (a Toyota or Daihatsu minibus in a good condition).

Tetebatu transport prices
Shuttle prices per person from Amed.

Free pickup from any hotel in Amed. Departure: 10:00-10:30am.

Driving time:

Amed – Padangbai (ferry to Lombok, Gili, Nusa Penida): 1 hour

Amed – Ubud: 2.5 hours

Amed – Sanur: 2 hours

Amed – Kuta: 3 hours

Amed – Denpasar Airport: 3.5 hours

(1c) Ferry Amed to Gili and Lombok

Fastboats to all Gili islands and Lombok (Bangsal) depart from JEMELUK. They do NOT depart from the other Amed harbor further north-west. Do NOT trust Google maps as they have the wrong fastboat link. Do NOT make the same mistake as I did.

Fastboats departing daily at 09:30am from Amed to all Gilis and Lombok. There are two boat types. I came on this one below “FreebirdExpress Escape 99“: large, stable, no engine smells, departed on time, arrived on time, not crowded.

Direct price: IDR 300,000 per person one way. Agency price: IDR 500,000. Buy direct at the harbors in Amed, Gilis or Bangsal.

The other boat is smaller and more bumpy. I was also told cheaper at IDR 250,000 direct price.

amed gili lombok ferry
Amed – Gili – Lombok fastboat schedule.

(2) Padangbai taxi and ferry prices

Padangbai Bali taxi and ferry prices
Padangbai ferry and shuttle prices and times (1).
Padangbai Bali taxi ferry
Padangbai ferry and shuttle prices and times (2).
Padangbai Bali taxi prices
Padangbai private taxi prices.
Padangbai Gili ferry times
Padangbai to Gili ferry times.

(3) Bali-Gili and Lombok-Gili ferry and boat

Bali-Gili and Lombok-Gili fast and slow boats, their prices and timetables are here: How to get to Gili islands.

(4) Gili Air – Bali or Lombok

Gili Air ferry taxi prices
Gili Air prices (1).
Gili Air taxi ferry prices
Gili Air prices (2).
Gili Amed ferry
Amed-Gili-Amed departure times.

(5) Ubud

The running price for Ubud central to the Denpasar airport is IDR 300-350,000. The lowest real quote I received was for IDR 250,000 (a modern and clean Toyota sedan, arrived on time, English-speaking driver).

The shuttle buses are cheaper but usually for 2 pax minimum. However, even if you travel solo, you can pay IDR 85,000 twice (=IDR 170,000), which will be still cheaper than the lowest private taxi.

Ubud shuttle prices 1
Ubud shuttle bus prices (1).
Ubud shuttle bus prices (3).

Ubud taxi prices (November 2022):

Ubud – Sanur: IDR 250,000

Ubud – Padangbai: IDR 300,000

Ubud – Sidemen: IDR 300,000

Ubud – Kuta / Seminyak / Canggu: IDR 300,000

Ubud – Lovina / Munduk: IDR 495,000

Ubud – Nusa Dua / Jimbaran: IDR 375,000

Ubud – Uluwatu: IDR 400,000

Ubud taxi hire per day (November 2022):

Half Day 5 Hours for the whole car: IDR 350,000

Full Day 8 Hours for the whole car: IDR 450,000

Ferry or fast boat prices from Ubud are sometimes cheaper if you build your itinerary yourself. For example, you buy a seat in the shared taxi or shuttle and separately a Padangbai-Gili boat ticket.

Ubud ferry
Ubud to Gili, Nusa Penida and Nusa Lembongan.

(6) Kuta

Kuta shuttle prices
Shuttle bus prices from Kuta (1).

(7) Sanur

Sanur shuttle prices
Shuttle bus prices from Sanur (1).

(8) Others

Bali shuttle prices
Shuttle bus prices from others (1).