If there are cheaper ways to travel to Bali, wouldn’t you want to know?
A TikTok user, Ezra Pratama (@muhammadezraps) said in his video that you can travel to Bali from Jakarta for just under IDR170,000 (US$11.45).
“You don’t have to save up too much nor bring that much money to travel to Bali now,” Ezra said in the video.
In the clip, Ezra said that his low-budget Jakarta-Bali trip began at Pasar Senen Station in Central Jakarta at around 11:10 am local time yesterday. He bought a train ticket for IDR104,000 (US$7) with the Airlangga Train bound for Pasar Turi Station in Surabaya. The train took around 11 hours to arrive at its destination.
Ezra said that departing before noon from Jakarta means that you could see the ocean as the sun sets during the journey, during which you will also pass through other cities such as Brebes and Tegal.
After arriving at Pasar Turi Station, Ezra said he stopped over at Surabaya’s new tourism hotspot Tunjungan Romansa that is currently popular among local youths.
“I would hang out all night until 4am [local time] and go to Surabaya Gubeng Station to board the Probowangi Train,” he said.
With a fare of IDR56K (US$3.77), the train departed at around 5:30am bound for Ketapang Station in Banyuwangi, which took around 7 hours.
After reaching Ketapang Station, Ezra walked to Ketapang Seaport some 500 meters away. He then bought a ticket for a ferry bound for Bali’s Gilimanuk Port for IDR8,500 (US$0.57).
The sea crossing takes 1 to 2 hours, so as long as you’re not sea sick, you can be mesmerized by the amazing blue waters during the final leg of your trip.
In all, Ezra spent IDR168,500 (US$11.35) to get to Bali from Jakarta.
Of course, few would actually end their journey at Gilimanuk Port. From there, you can catch a bus to Denpasar, for example, which would be a 5-hour ride costing around IDR50K (US$3.37). Still cheaper than boarding a plane, eh?
For comparison’s sake, a direct flight from Jakarta to Bali costs upwards of IDR1 million (US$67.38) these days. If you choose to drive, toll road fees on their own add up to around IDR700K (US$47.16), not to mention having to budget for gas and the ferry to cross from Java to Bali.
Ezra’s TikTok has attracted considerable attention amid rising demand for travel to Bali, reaching 8,245 likes as of today. Some lamented the fact that, while the trip was much cheaper, it can be unbearably long. Others appreciated the video and said they would try the route sometime.
