DENPASAR BALI AIRPORT review : 23 May 2008 : by A Barr
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Customer Rating : 1/5 |  |
Considering that tourism is the "life blood" of the island then DPS Bali airport is a disgrace.
Expect long queues, 2 hour waiting, little air-con and virtually no comfort.
DENPASAR BALI AIRPORT review : 21 May 2008 : by F Chan
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Customer Rating : 3/5 |  |
Most Balinese I spoke with believe the hefty 150,000 rupiah tax for international departing
passengers goes straight to the central government in Jakarta. Food and beverage outlets in the
terminal are ridiculously overpriced. I suggest spending the least amount of time waiting in the
terminal. Security is tight.
DENPASAR BALI AIRPORT review : 17 May 2008 : by Aleks Popovic
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Customer Rating : 4/5 |  |
My initial reaction was that the security at the airport was very high, and prompt. The check in
staff were attentive. Garuda lounge facility was satisfactory but does need a bit of an overhaul
and soft refurbishment. All service staff are attentive and helpful. Arrival was not as good as
there is not enough staff operating the arrivals for Visa processing and it took about 2 hours to
get through the queue.
Denpasar Bali Airport by B Wasito
23 April 2008 Customer Rating : 
I'd say that at least Ngurah Rai Airport is generally better than Jakarta. But that does not mean
that it is good enough. In the domestic terminal, for instance, you could smell smoke. Don't forget,
the waiting lounge is simply too small. Worse, there is no expansion at all to the lounge as most of
the space is taken for shops and restaurants. The check-in counter is sometimes overcrowded as the
terminal is too small. Increasing of airport tax to Rp 30,000 I thought is an improvement but
nothing has been done to the domestic terminal except for space taken by Starbucks. In the
international terminal is the same problem. Airport tax has been raised to Rp 150,000, more
expensive than Jakarta. Inadequate immigration officer is another thing causing long queues. There
is expansion but it's the same like the domestic, expansion for shops.
Denpasar Bali Airport by R Chao
17 February 2008 Customer Rating : 
Have been in and out of Bali numerous times - flown international, domestic and inter-island
flights. Terminal building expansion is overdue. Especially domestic side is such a mess when there
are delays and the facilities look very tired. It has only 3 departure gates and 2 small carousels
on arrival. Boarding is very messy because gate 15 and 16 are considered one gate to me as they
share the same stairway to the tarmac. Simultaneous boarding from those gates causes chaos. Pax go
down to ramp for the buses to catch the plane parked on tarmac. It is very likely one disoriented
pax could board on a wrong bus. Outside the terminal (at the drop-off area) there are new eateries
which are such blessing additions. Bali traffic is growing over past few years domestically and
internationally. The good part of the airport is people. They are friendly and helpful.
Denpasar Bali Airport by S Allison
9 November 2007 Customer Rating : 
Departure tax has increased to 150,000 Rupiah as from 1st November 2007. We had to withdraw more local
currency. Note the Visa on arrival costs $25 US per person for up to 30 days - if you stay more than 7
days (only $10 pp) counting the day of arrival and departure. This also applies if you arrive at
11.45pm on a Saturday night and depart on the Saturday morning a week later as they say it counts as 8
days. We had a really long wait (1hour 10 mins) at the Visa on arrival desks, so be prepared if a lot
of flights come in at a similar time. By the time we got to our luggage it was sitting in a corner of
the airport as other planes were using the carousels. Some people had all their bags opened but no-one
checked others and a few people were having to report missing bags. People were very friendly but only
answered specific questions & no additional helpful information was supplied.
Denpasar Bali Airport by P Major
27 September 2007 Customer Rating : 
Had a nice transit through DPS in July. Since we had a passenger with us who required assistance, we
were given VIP treatment both on arrival and departure. On arrival, we were taken straight through
immigration without any delay, and asked to wait just past the immigration desks for an official to
buy our visas and get our passports stamped - no need to see our faces at all. This was Indonesia,
remember! Baggage came through fairly quickly, but it was unfortunate Garuda lost one of our bags.
Luckily there were forms available to fill out and the bag arrived at our hotel the following night.
Departure was a little bothersome as we had to wait for the first security check before going through
to the check in hall - the line went well beyond the airport doors, but this does get the matter of
security out of the way early on. Since a member of our group was travelling Executive Class with
Garuda, once we made it through we just rocked up to the Exec desk to check ourselves in and probably
saved ourselves forty minutes if we had joined the Economy queue. Once through very painless
immigration procedures where you play the 100,000 RP departure fee, we proceeded through to the
departure gates. The rest of the airport was pretty well set up, and, while a little lifeless and
quite lacking in any design concept it was generally a vast improvement on infrastructure one comes to
expect on Bali. Overall, not a bad airport - I love the piped Balinese music.
Denpasar Bali Airport by Chad Merchant
7 June 2007 Customer Rating : 
Nice, organized airport. It's reasonably modern, yet maintains a "small
airport" feel, particularly impressive given the large number of
travelers that come through it. As for the porters, a tip of Rp.
5,000-10,000 per large bag is more than ample. They may not love it,
since you're not clueless enough to fork over Rp. 50,000, but you
probably didn't ask them to carry your bags either!
Denpasar Bali Airport by Jeroen van Marle
13 February 2007 Customer Rating : n/a
Quick and efficient arrival and departure at DPS both at the
international and domestic terminal. Airport information is hard to find
however and I was directed to several corners of the airport before I
could find anyone who could tell me about domestic departure times for
the next day. Kudos to the security staff - after flying at least 10
times within Asia (Malaysia, Cambodia, Thailand - with most flights
serving food with metal knives/forks) they were the first to spot and
confiscate my nail scissors. Pennypinching backpackers should note that
everything at the airport is three times more expensive than outside,
buy water and snacks in advance before departure, and on arrival walk
200m across the parking lot through the main exit gate to find a Blue
Bird taxi that'll charge 15000Rp ($1,5) to Kuta rather than the dodgy
official voucher taxis that charge 45000Rp, or the airport touts who
start bargaining at $20.
Denpasar Bali Airport by Alain Millett
10 June 2006
The reason why cabin baggage is xrayed between immigration and customs -
is not for metal as most airports screen for, BUT for glass. Indonesia
being a Muslim country has very high taxes on wine and spirits. It is
not unusual for regular visitors to Bali to sneak in an extra bottle or
two of spirits. So all baggage is screened for glass. Hold luggage is
xrayed prior to being placed on the baggage belt, and cabin baggage is
also xrayed. So if they find glass - expect a customs search. If extra
alcohol is discovered - expect to pay a bribe to customs. This is a
Indonesian custom - they have no idea on the real price of booze but be
prepared to pay 100% of what you say its worth. Still cheaper than
buying locally.
Denpasar Bali Airport by Geir Nordvik
8 February 2006
We came in to Bali on a late flightfrom Singapore. Everything was
closed. We needed to buy a ticket to Dili (Timor Leste), but no ticket
offices were open. In the end we found an information desk with a very
service minded clerk. He started to telephone all the travel offices he
could find in the telephone book and in the end he found one that was
closing, but he urged them to keep it open until we could get there by
taxi. We drove about 10 minutes with the taxi and got our tickets for
the next day. Excellent service! The terminal is small and looks like an
Indonesian temple. The staff is friendly and much more efficient than I
expected them to be. You have to pay taxes when you enter and when you
leave. When you leave you MUST use cash - local currency only!! There is
only one ATM and it's a bit hard to find (and far from the desk were you
have to pay). So do bring some local currency when you are leaving.
Denpasar Bali Airport by Rod Hocking
3 January 2006
SIN/DPS/DRW. Chose to fly Garuda due dramatic difference in price from
other carriers even though it necessitated a 7 hour layover in DPS.
Had already ascertained that there was a commercially available
'business' lounge in DPS. On a late night arrival flight, found the
airport to be fairly quiet, although a number of children with parents,
took some time to find the lounge; @ USD12 (which includes eats &
drinks) was good value. In typical Balinese style, the staff were
attentive and friendly and the range of food/drinks acceptable. The
only down point is that the smoking area is not separated (ie enclosed)
from the rest of the lounge, even though the smoking room in the general
area is. Having been through DPS a number of times, can say that the
normal amenities are usually OK , but lessen as the night wears on.
For persons travelling without children, this (and similar) lounges are
a definite plus.
Denpasar Bali Airport by Ryan Chao
13 December 2005
Last month, I spent about an hour at this airport during my stopover (JAL has changed Jakarta -Tokyo
flight as Jakarta-Bali-Tokyo). As it was evening time, it was not that busy. Nice and small L-shape
airport to stroll around and I enjoyed it as it was not a busy time so I could chat with some staffs
in the shops. Personnels are friendly and helpful. Internet rental is tucked into a small shop near
gate 1. It has Indonesian charm. I had used it last year both domestic and international. Domestic
facility was poor. Check-in staff did not even check my ID. I showed my ticket and I got the
boarding pass. That was it. International flight was quite busy at that time. There is not enough
space at boarding area, and abit chaotic as people didnt seem to be interested in lining up. Good
thing is that jetway is used for boarding/disembarking unlike domestic flights.
Denpasar Bali Airport by W Valentine
8
July 2005
Not a great airport but better than I expected. Relatively modern and clean. I understand that wait
times for customs and security can vary dramatically, depending on what time you arrive (I think
that more flights arrive/depart in the evening, but that could be myth). All-in-all, it's an airport
that's far more on par with Western standards than many in Southeast Asia. Some of the higher-end
hotels offer "airport services" which might be an option worth considering. Okay, I'll admit its
probably the silliest $50 (US) that we spent while on the island, but it does take some of the stress
and wait out of the process. Basically, you're buying an escorted pass to skip to the front of every
line in the airport. The representative will meet you at the gate upon arrival (or at the curbside, if
departing) and essentially tell you exactly what to do. If you don't like uncertainty of customs or
think you'll be arriving at a "peak" time, its well worth it.
Denpasar Bali Airport by F Chan
30
January 2005
Denpasar airport is quite old and small. Balinese classical music played throughout the terminal all the time.
While I'm a great lover of Balinese music, sometimes one would appreciate some quiet rest before a
flight. Staff were friendly. But taxis are expensive. On top of that, the taxi counter attempted to
shortchange me on the fare to Legian. I promptly told him in fluent Bahasa Indonesia how much change
he was supposed to return to me, and this he did, without apologizing.
Denpasar Bali Airport by M Devor
6
October 2004
I appreciate the use of jetbridges at the int'l terminal and it is a relatively modern terminal, but
the lines are long and the place is somewhat chaotic. Add to this the new requirement
for the need to purchase a visa for Indonesia with lines to go with it, followed by 2 immigration
checks, then they x-ray all your carry on luggage, which makes no sense at all.
I was annoyed by the aggressive porters who grabbed our bags and took us through customs.
They then directed us to the exchange desk after which demanded tips. I gave them too much and felt
like a sucker afterward. Leaving was better and I said a firm no to the porters. Garuda domestic check in was slow
and disorganized. Lounges at the domestic terminal are ok though they have the usual 3rd world shops
and eateries.
Denpasar Bali Airport by Robert Thomas
27
August 2004
Mal Heckenberg's experience can be overpowering, but a firm but polite no will do the trick.
It should also be noted that most of these porters hand over much of their tips to the airport staff
who allow them to do what they do.
On the flip side, when leaving Bali the porters are worth their weight in gold. For a Rp they guide
you through security and to the front of the check in queue as though you are some sort of vip... So
although a bit of a pain on arrival I would always have a good word for them.
As for Denpasar Airport it is typical Indonesia, bent customs men, hot, sticky and smelling of clove
cigs and queues for everything.
A good selection of duty free's helps overcome the sadness of leaving The Island of The Gods and the
20hour trip back to the UK.
The lounges are open to anyone with $10 to spend. The International Lounge is a bit dingey but the
lounge in domestic is just the opposite, enjoying views across the runway to Jimbaran.
Denpasar Bali Airport by Mal Heckenberg
18
August 2004
I am quite annoyed at what is happening when trying to exit at Bali airport. Official Porters (3
per one customer) hassle travellers - taking their bags off the turntable for them, taking them
out thru customs, trying to get them to change money at a money changer, and then demanding large
sums of money for each of the 3 men for their unwarranted assistance. This is obviously going on
with the knowledge of officials who "noddingly" let them take their "captive" customers thru without
being checked. This happened to my wife and my self and also to my daughter who was on another
flight to Bali from Australia. Not a pleasant welcome to a new country after a long tiring flight.
Denpasar Bali Airport by Alain Millett
11
March 2004
Denpasar - the gateway to "Bali - Island of the Gods' - the heat and humidity hits you like an
oven door - after the comfort of a long flight - the immigration line is usually very long - baggage
is x rayed for glass before it is on the belts - so if you have any bottles of alcohol hidden - be
ready to pay a back pocket price to clear it.
Green way and red way works well. watch out for the money changers - not the best rate - if you
want a taxi - go to the taxi window and pay the prepaid rate - its double what the meter is - but
the only way to get a taxi at the airport.
Departure is much better - security as soon as you enter the door - tickets need to be checked -
then Garuda Executive Class is normally very fast - upstairs to pay your departure tax 100,000
rupiah (about $20AUD) .
Lots of shops - if you are using the Garuda Exec lounge its the pits - old dirty poor catering -
awful toilets.
The Star Alliance one is fantastic. But no Star Alliance airline fly direct to Australia, since
the demise of Ansett.
Be prepared when you go to the gate lounge for another security check- this time passport and
boarding pass as well.
I find this airport a total pain in the rear - hot and humid when i arrive - if there is a flight
in before mine - very slow - when all I want is to greet my regular driver - and hit the pool bar.
On departure - it means I am leaving paradise and returning to work - its an airport of frustration
- some personal.
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