PADANG BAI

Padang Bai (also Padangbai and Padang Bay) is a small port town in East Bali.
Visitors to Padang Bai are normally there to catch the ferry to Lombok. It is though a charming little place in its own right and spending a night or two here will certainly not be time wasted. Accommodation tends to be quite basic.

How to Get in

By car
Padang Bai is 54km east from Denpasar and takes about 1 hour to drive to from the southern tourist areas of Kuta and Legian.
By bus
The national tour bus company Perama has Padang Bai in its network. They will pick you up from your accommodation in many areas of Bali and take you to your destination. Reserve one day in advance.
Regular bemos ply the main east coast route between Klungkung, Padang Bai and . Bemos routed through Padang Bai leave from Batubulan terminal in Denpasar.

By boat
There are slow public ferries from Lembar, (Lombok) every hour. The trip normally takes four hours (but it can be considerably longer in poor weather) and costs Rp 35,000. Ferry staff often offer their private room to tourists for an extra Rp 50,000. The room is clean and comfortable with 2 or 3 beds. This service runs 24 hours a day. It should be understood that this ferry has a poor safety record. Perama Tour also runs daily cruises from Lombok to Padang Bai for Rp 200,000 one way.
Gili Cat and Perama operate services from the Gili Islands to Padang Bai, see that article for details.

Overview

Padang Bai is a beautiful, small, friendly village but sadly a lot of people do not stop to enjoy the life here. You do not really need any transport as everything is within walking distance but if you do decide you need a motorbike, plenty are available for rent.

What you can see

The main beach is generally awash with colorful double outrigger fishing boats in the shape of a marlin. The front of the boat is shaped with the point of its mouth open wide and large eyes looking to the heavens.

What you can do

Either side of the main beach are two other coves with nice, quiet white sand beaches:
To reach the secluded Bias Tegul Beach, back out of the the main beach cross the ferry carpark and turn west up the road next to the police station. Keep going up the hill until you see the sign to the beach on the right. Be careful on this hillside track. Before you head down into the cove turn around. Weather permitting you should be able to see the largest mountain on Bali, Mount Agung - a powerful sight.
To reach Blue Lagoon beach, head east on foot over the prominent headland at the eastern end of the main bay. Good snorkeling here and many of the local dive operators organise trips to this spot. If the waves are large, don't bother snorkeling as the current is extremely strong and visibility will be 1 to 3 metres at best. On a calm day expect lots of fish and great visibility. Buoys mark the furthest point snorkelers should go.

Padangbai is noted for its diving and the friendly dive centres are right on the beach with their own bars for after-diving refreshments.
Bali Dive, Jl Pantai Silayulkti, ☎ +62 363 42088. Located on the northern beach front at Padang Bai Beach Resort bungalows. SSI teaching centre.
Geko Dive, Jl Pantai Silayulkti, ☎ +62 363 41516 (gekodive@indosat.net.id). PADI dive centre which has been awarded GoEco operator status by Project Aware. Offer full range of courses and fun dives. English and Dutch speaking instructors.
Waterworx, Jln Pantai Silayulkti, ☎ +62 363 41220 (info@waterworxbali.com). SSI dive centre. German and English speaking instructors.

Find food

Bamboo Cafe is a lovely place to eat great and healthy food - they use bottled Aqua water for shakes etc. The cafe has been newly built mostly from bamboo and you can enjoy surprisingly good live rock and local music played by the very friendly and fun staff. It has also 3 nice aircon rooms. From the police station keep walking up the hill in the direction of Bias Tugal beach and after 100 metres find this cafe on the left hand side of the road.

Find Drink

There are plenty of bars and small cafes to choose from along the beach in the village. On entering Padang Bai, head over to the left of the Bay, keeping the ferry jetty to your right. The road here runs along the beach and is full of activity, dive shops, bars and small home stays (nice and cheap).

In the evening there are a few bars actually on the beach - notably "The Reggae Bar" which livens up at about 10PM. They have great music and flame wielding bar staff. After a while you forget the plastic chairs that wobble in the sand as the setting is just unique.

Check in

Dharma Homestay,. Cheap accommodation with roof top beach view. Aimed at backpackers.
Marco Polo Inn, Jalan Silayulkti, ☎ +62 813 37710821. Once a very run down establishment it has now been renovated. Run by two elderly Ausie expats. Has a roof top garden overlooking the bay, all rooms with their own bathrooms and friendly staff
Mustika Sari Beach Hotel, Jalan Silayulkti, ☎ +62 361 8528521 (reservation@mustikasaribeach.com). Offering nice sea views this budget hotel has a decent sized swimming pool and a passable restaurant. Traditional paintings, wall hangings and Balinese handicrafts in the rooms are nice tocuhes. From Rp 300,000.
Puri Rai Hotel, Jalan Silayukti, (reservation@puriraihotel.com). A 1 star hotel with a swimming pool and decent restaurant serving Indonesian food. This is probably the nicest hotel in town and prices follow suit. From US$ 31.
Padang Bai Beach Resort, (reservation@padang-bai-beach-resort.com). Pleasant enough rooms with a sea view. Has a purpose built dive pool and a decent restaurnat attached.
Serangan Inn II, (on the hill reached by following the road alongside the market), ☎ +62 363 41425. A budget hotel on top of the hill which catches good breezes. Choice of fan-cooled annd air-con rooms. From Rp 150,000.
Zen Inn, (just behind the port), ☎ +62 819 33092012 (liam@padang-bai.com). A small boutique hotel situated near the ferry port and and the beach. Each room is furnished in a funky, eclectic style with double bed, western bathroom and a private courtyard garden with additional outside shower. Also bar and restaurant serving western and asian food using local ingredients. Fish is fresh from the local fish market. Free WiFi in all rooms and the restaurant. $15.

Get out

By ferry to Lembar, Lombok.
Easy drive or bus transfer to the popular East Bali areas of Candidasa, Mount Agung and Amed.