Public transport is one of the solutions to make the transport sector in Bali more sustainable. As Bali aims to become greened and reduce traffic congestion, it has launched a brand new public bus system connecting the airport to Ubud and Singaraja. It is an easy way to make it to the North of Bali, a region seldom explored by tourists yet has a lot to offer. Read on to find out how to take this bus and what to expect.
Content of this article:
Schedule of the bus from the airport to Singaraja.
The bus leave at 8 am from the airport and travels to Singaraja via Sanur, Ubud, Kintamani and Kubutambahan. The whole journey takes 4 to 5 hours.
The arrival time in each intermediate town is fluid as it depends on traffic. Ubud is around 9:30 or 10 am. Kintamani around 11 am, Kubutambahan around 12:00 and Singaraja around 12:30
The bus leaves Singaraja at 1 pm to make the way back to the airport. The price is 35000 RP. per way regardless of where you step in
Where are the bus stops?
In my experience, the bus stops seemed a bit fluid as the driver is happy to stop for you anywhere along the road.
At the airport, the bus stops at the parking area of the domestic terminal.
In Ubud, the stop is at the Monkey forest parking, but this can change, so it is better to call the company on the morning of your trip.
In Kubutambahan, the stop is at the junction of the two main roads, near the Ganapati statue.
In Singaraja, the stop is on the old harbor waterfront behind the Chinese temple.
My experience traveling from the airport to Singaraja bus.
Be aware that the schedule and itinerary are pretty fluid.
I planned to take the bus from the monkey forest and was told that the bus would stop there between 10 am and 11 am, depending on traffic. I was recommended to call the bus company in the morning to check on the schedule. Then they told me that this morning bus would not stop on Ubud Monkey forest today because of road constructions. But I could go and meet the bus in Kedawatan around 9:30 am
They gave me the phone number of the driver. The change of plans and earlier departure was stressful and a bit of a scramble to make it. But I did manage to meet the bus. They actually waited for me in the parking of Pepito supermarket Tebongkang, which was super kind of them.
Tip: call +62 812-3998-5033 on the morning of your trip to check the schedule. They will give you the phone number of the bus driver. The staff at DAMRI don’t speak English, so if you don’t speak Bahasa Indonesia, I would not recommend you to take the public bus.
How comfortable is the DAMRI bus?
Once on the bus, I could relax. The bus is large, clean, modern, and comfortable. There were only seven passengers.
Signs on the bus advertise free wifi, but that was not working. The bus is non-smoking.
Tip: there is no bathroom on the bus, so make sure you use the bathroom before.
The bus picked me up at Pepito Tebongkang at 9:30. By 10:45, we were in Kintamani, and by 12:20, we were in Singaraja. It was faster than I expected.
A bemo was waiting and took me to my villa in Temukus for 50000 rpies.
What to do and where to stay in North Bali?
If you are looking for a place to stay in North Bali, check out the villa Samastiti by the beach in Lovina. It is a luxury three bedrooms beachfront villa with a huge private pool.
If you are traveling alone and need only one bedroom, they also have a beachfront joglo called the love shack.
To explore the Northeast of Bali, check out villa Seaview in air sanih. I wrote an article about it here. It is a three bedrooms beachfront villa with a private pool and is one of the quietest places I have seen in Bali. If you go to villa Seaview, ask the bus to stop you in Kubutambahan, saving you 20 minutes. The bus passed Kubustambahan around noon.
You can also check my article about what to do in Singaraja in a day here.
Conclusion
The DAMRI bus is an excellent addition to transport in Bali. It is a bit confusing as the itinerary or schedule is not fully set, so I recommend it to people who can speak Indonesian and call the driver to confirm the pickup time and location.