DENPASAR BALI AIRPORT review : 23 May 2008 : by A Barr

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

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

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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