Sunset sky over a calm sea, with two pavilions on a rocky jettyNo. 4

Issue 4 · October 3, 2026

15.5 million passengers through Ngurah Rai, a new airline from Taipei, and a Rp 1.2 trillion port in Jembrana

A week of connections: Ngurah Rai Airport reports 15.5 million passengers in eight months and welcomes a new airline, while the first phase of a fishing port in west Bali gets under way. August arrivals held at last year's level, with Europe providing the growth.

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The week in brief

  1. Ngurah Rai Airport: 15.5 million passengers in eight months, 65 routes
  2. August arrivals: 685,994 foreign tourists, up 0.46% year on year, with France overtaking India
  3. Starlux Airlines opens Taipei-Bali, five flights a week
  4. The Pengambengan fishing port breaks ground in Jembrana: at least Rp 1.2 trillion and about 25,000 jobs

A new Bali-Java ferry from Celukan Bawang is being prepared as an alternative to Gilimanuk

The transport ministry, together with Pelindo and ASDP, is preparing a new ferry line from the north of the island. The Celukan Bawang berth in Buleleng regency would connect with Jangkar port in Situbondo, East Java, relieving the chronically congested Gilimanuk. Berth No. 3 is the priority and is being prepared for cars and buses: the road is being widened, a durable surface laid, lighting installed and steel ramps fitted for the ferry. Berths 1 and 2 are being assessed for freight, and a separate study looks at a route to Tanjung Wangi. Ticket sales will start once all berths are accepted, with the goal of being ready for the 2026-2027 holiday season.

What it means: For villa owners in Ubud and the north, the new route is shorter than the current detour via the west. Travel time drops for guests and for the logistics that bring furniture and building materials from Java.

Source: Bali.Live · Bali infrastructure projects

Infrastructure

Bali's customs revenue rises 7.35%, supported by tourist inflow

Bali's customs office collected almost Rp 950 billion from January through August 2026, 7.35% more than a year earlier, when it collected Rp 884.6 billion. The annual plan of Rp 1.57 trillion is 60.29% met. Excise on alcohol makes up 87.83% of receipts. The regional treasury links the growth to demand from foreign guests.

What it means: Rising collections confirm that visitors spend more on the island. For a property owner, it is an indirect sign of steady demand.

Source: ANTARA News Bali

Economy

Badung supplies 48.60% of Bali's regional taxes, about Rp 4.86 trillion

Badung contributed 48.60% of Bali's regional taxes, about Rp 4.86 trillion. Through August 2026 the island as a whole collected Rp 10 trillion. The province contributes 18%, Denpasar 13.22% and Gianyar 10.56%; the other eight regencies contribute between 0.55% and 2.5% each. The tax on specific goods and services rose 12.42% and reached Rp 6 trillion across Bali. Badung is home to 469 star hotels and about 6,559 restaurants.

What it means: Badung, home to Canggu, Seminyak and Uluwatu, funds much of the island's budget through tourism. That confirms the depth of the rental market in those areas.

Source: ANTARA News Bali · Indonesia rental income tax

Economy

Construction starts on the Rp 1.2 trillion Pengambengan fishing port in Jembrana

Construction began on 29 September at Pengambengan in Jembrana regency. Phase one covers a fishing port and an international fish market, with at least Rp 1.2 trillion allocated. The minister of marine affairs and fisheries expects about 25,000 jobs. The port is meant to anchor the fishing industry, processing and tourism. Benoa Port doesn't fit that role, since tourism and mangrove protection come first there.

What it means: Large investment in Jembrana creates jobs and housing demand near the port. For an investor, it is an early signal for west Bali.

Source: ANTARA News Bali · Bali infrastructure projects

Economy

Bali welcomed 686,000 foreign tourists in August, up 0.46% on a year ago

BPS Bali reports that 685,994 foreign tourists reached the island in August 2026, 0.46% more than in August 2025. Australia led with 161,258 visits and 23.51% of the flow. China sent 47,613 visits. France recorded 41,937 visits, up 20.42%, and overtook India at 34,837. Britain sent 32,928 visitors. Europe as a whole grew 4.92% to 220,047 visits.

What it means: Arrivals are holding at last year's level, and Europeans supply the growth. Australia remains the biggest market, so rental demand stays even.

Source: ANTARA News Bali · Bali villa occupancy rates

Tourism

Balinese script on business signs: the deadline is April 2027

Bali's governor has set April 2027 as the deadline for businesses and public facilities to comply with Gubernatorial Decree No. 80 of 2018. The decree requires Balinese script on signboards for office buildings, places of business, shops, company names, restaurants, warungs and public facilities. The script goes above the Latin lettering, at the same size and proportion. The requirement has been in force for nine years, and the governor repeated it at a ceremony in Buleleng on 26 September.

What it means: If a villa, its management office or a cafe on the property carries a sign, check the lettering now. Redoing a signboard is a small, one-off cost.

Source: Bali Discovery · Bali villa rental license

Law

Klungkung to pilot battery swapping for electric vehicles in October

PLN is preparing a battery-swap system for electric vehicles in Klungkung. The pilot is planned for October 2026, starting with five electric three-wheelers for special tasks such as garbage collection and cargo. In 2027 the project expands, with more than 30 electric vehicles on Bali. The partners are PLN, PT INAKO Kreta Udhaya and Korea's KEMA and KATECH. The project ties into the plan to make Nusa Penida a green island by 2030.

What it means: Nusa Penida is moving toward green-island status. For villa owners on the islands, it is a signal that energy and transport there will keep developing.

Source: ANTARA News Bali

Infrastructure

Ngurah Rai Airport handled 15.5 million passengers in eight months

Ngurah Rai Airport served 15.5 million passengers from January through August 2026: 10 million international and 5.5 million domestic. Aircraft made 94,000 takeoffs and landings, 52,000 international and 42,000 domestic, and about 64,000 people pass through the terminals each day. The airport runs 65 routes: 41 international with 44 airlines and 24 domestic with 11 carriers. Foreign visitors totaled 4.7 million, with Australia the biggest source at 1.1 million.

What it means: A busy airport with 65 routes keeps the flow of guests steady. For a villa owner, that is the base of short-term rental demand.

Source: ANTARA News Bali · Bali tourism statistics

Infrastructure

Badung's water-taxi pier near Berawa needs 14 more studies before a decision

The government says plans for a water-taxi pier in Badung are not final: at least 14 follow-up studies must cover social-cultural, environmental and technical aspects, and the central government is starting with public consultations. A joint team inspected a candidate site by Perancak beach, in Berawa, Tibubeneng, North Kuta, on 2 October. Berawa is among the first sites considered because its waves are comparatively lower than at other points along the coast. Officials also want to assess how a breakwater might change coastal sedimentation, and to account for sacred areas and community activity nearby.

What it means: A water taxi would add a transport option for Berawa and its neighbors, but it is still at the study stage. Treat it as a possible upside later, not as part of today's price.

Source: detikBali · Berawa: prices and listings

Infrastructure

401 Bali schools to be renovated in 2026, with a budget of Rp 272.7 billion

In 2026 the school renovation program will reach 401 schools in Bali, with a budget of Rp 272.7 billion. In 2025 it covered 188 schools and Rp 157 billion. Schools carry out the work themselves, without a contractor, with priority for remote areas and the most worn buildings. Each school gets three interactive panels. The building work will employ 5,580 local workers, against 2,649 a year ago. Badung will renovate 22 schools and Denpasar 26.

What it means: Schools in Badung and Denpasar are being renewed faster than last year. For families moving to the island, it adds confidence in local infrastructure.

Source: ANTARA News Bali · International schools in Bali

Places

Jembrana approves releasing 88 hectares of HPL land to Gilimanuk residents

The Jembrana council voted on 1 October to release 88.49 hectares of land held under an HPL management right to Gilimanuk residents. That is 884,925 square meters, 2,358 parcels and about 2,849 families who have lived on the land for decades; the aim is to convert it to full ownership (SHM). Around 56 hectares stay with the state for roads, temples, schools, health care, the port and government buildings. It is only a step: parcels must be verified, the land valued, and the provincial prosecutor's office and agencies must sign off.

What it means: Land under an HPL right is gradually getting private owners. For buyers it shows how a plot's status shapes a deal: until certificates are issued, there is nothing to transfer.

Source: NusaBali · Property due diligence checklist

Law

ASDP upgrades the Ketapang and Gilimanuk berths for ships up to 5,000 GT

Ferry operator ASDP Indonesia Ferry is rebuilding berths on the Ketapang-Gilimanuk crossing. At Ketapang it is extending Berth V, formerly a pontoon berth; at Gilimanuk it is raising the capacity of Berth II. Both are designed for loads up to 50 tonnes and ships up to 5,000 GT. The contract runs to March 2027, but the operator is speeding up to finish before the Christmas 2026 and New Year 2027 season. It cites vehicle traffic growing about 5% a year.

What it means: The main crossing from Java to Bali gains capacity. For owners who are building or furnishing, that means steadier delivery of materials and goods.

Source: ANTARA News Bali · Cost to build a villa in Bali

Infrastructure

The undersea water pipe for Nusa Dua is connected and awaits its test

Badung's water utility, Perumda Tirta Mangutama, has finished connecting its undersea pipe. It will strengthen clean-water supply in eastern Badung, especially Nusa Dua and Jalan Pratama, and will split the western and eastern distribution lines that shared one transmission network. The old pipe will serve the west; the undersea line will supply the east. The utility now waits for raw water to run the commissioning test. In the short term it is preparing to draw about 300 liters per second from the Tukad Mati river: detailed design is under way, and construction tendering is planned from early 2027. Free tanker deliveries continue for areas hit by lower raw-water flow.

What it means: Water is a basic for any villa. In Nusa Dua and eastern Badung, ask the seller or the manager how the plot is supplied and whether the new line reaches it.

Source: NusaBali · Nusa Dua: prices and listings

Infrastructure

Starlux Airlines starts flying Taipei to Bali

Starlux Airlines flew its first service into Ngurah Rai Airport. Flight JX765, an Airbus A321 with 188 passengers, landed on the afternoon of 1 October, and the same aircraft flew back to Taipei as JX766 with the same number on board. Starlux is the third airline on the Taipei-Bali route, after China Airlines and EVA Air. It will fly five times a week: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday. The airport now lists 45 airlines serving 43 international routes.

What it means: Each new airline widens the pool of guests who can reach Bali on a direct flight. For an owner, that means a broader mix of nationalities and less dependence on one or two source markets.

Source: ANTARA News Bali

Infrastructure

Buleleng speeds up paving of the 6.5 km Dencarik-Munduk road

Buleleng regency is paving 6.5 kilometers of road between Dencarik and Munduk in Banjar district. The work splits into three sections: Dencarik-Pedawa, 936 meters; Dencarik-Cempaga, 1.1 kilometers; and the link from the Temukus national-road junction to the Munduk provincial-road junction, 4.5 kilometers. The contract allows 150 calendar days, and the regency says every section will be ready in December. Residents of Pedawa village welcomed the work as a strategic link between villages.

What it means: Better roads in the highlands around Munduk bring the north coast and the interior closer together. For buyers of land or a villa there, access is one of the first things to check when valuing a plot.

Source: Balipuspanews

Infrastructure

The Ketapang-Gilimanuk ferry queue shrinks to about 500 meters

Traffic on the Ketapang-Gilimanuk crossing is flowing again. On Friday the queue of freight vehicles was down to about 500 meters, after reaching 17 kilometers earlier in the week. ASDP is running 27 ships across several berths on a reinforced schedule of up to eight trips. On 30 September the port logged 19,101 passengers and 5,881 vehicles, an increase of 4.57% on the day before; on 1 October it logged 19,942 passengers and 5,745 vehicles.

What it means: Supplies for the island arrive from Java through this crossing, so faster loading helps builders and villa suppliers alike.

Source: ANTARA News Bali

Infrastructure

All issues

Issue 2 · September 20, 2026

Infrastructure week: the airport, the roads and the parking lots

  • AirNav and Boeing are modeling how to raise Ngurah Rai's capacity without a second taxiway
  • Badung is putting Rp 4.8 trillion into construction and land purchases for parking
  • Bali's fishing port moves to Jembrana, freeing Benoa for cruise ships and yachts
  • Melbourne–Denpasar gets four flights a week starting October 19
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