New speedboat service from Bali to East JavaDave SmithThe West AustralianWed, 25 February 2026 10:29AM
Island-hopping can be part and parcel of the Bali holiday experience.
Whether it’s a weekend at Nusa Lembongan, a satellite island south-east of the Bali cut straight out of the Maldives, or a holiday-within-a-holiday at Gili Trawangan, a famous party island in the Lombok Strait, dedicated speed boat services make travelling to these islands from the mainland a walk in the park.
East Java Province, Bali’s neighbour to the west, has far more attractions than both all of Bali’s satellite islands put together.
+ There’s G-Land, one of the most challenging surf spots in the world.
+ Mount Ijen is an active volcano, where you can see blue fire, a rare natural phenomenon caused by the combustion of superheated sulfuric gasses.
+ Tumpak Sewa is the largest and most impressive waterfall in Indonesia — a literal curtain of water with a 120m drop into a semi-circular-shaped valley.
+ Baluran National Park (aka the Africa of Java) is a vast savanna home to bulls, deer and monkeys.
One could easily spend a week exploring the province.
But getting there is not only difficult and time-consuming — it’s risky. The journey begins with a four-hour taxi or five-hour bus ride along the Gilimanuk-Denpasar Bypass. An 80km stretch of road connecting Bali’s capital to Gilimanuk Port on Bali’s western tip, it’s the most dangerous road in Bali. According to official estimates, more than 25,000 accidents and 50 to 90 fatalities occur on the bypass every year. It’s not for nothing that locals call it Skull Track.
Then you have to cross the Bali Strait, a 2.4km body of water dividing Bali and Java with extremely dangerous currents, and the vehicle ferries that cross are poorly maintained and have a reputation for sinking.
Last July, a passenger ferry sank after developing a leak in the engine room. Sixteen people drowned in rough seas. In 2017, a ferry caught fire, resulting in five deaths. Other major disasters took place in 2011 with 27 fatalities, in 2007 with 51 fatalities and in 1981, when hundreds of passengers were lost at sea.
Only after crossing the straits safely will you arrive at Banyuwangi, a city of 100,000 and a hub for many of East Java’s leading tourist attractions. G-Land is a two-hour drive south. Baluran National Park is 90 minutes north. And Ijen Volcano, which towers over Banguwani, is only an hour’s drive inland.
You can fly from Bali to Banguwani though there are no direct flights. The fastest route, which stops in Jakarta and Surabaya, takes 20 hours and costs hundreds of dollars.
Last year, Aman Air, a small Indonesian airline that freights cargo to remote areas of Indonesia, said it planned to direct flights between Bali to and Banguwani on Twin Otter aircraft capable of carrying up to 18 passengers in mid-2026. Whether or not that eventuates is anybody’s guess.
But another option is now on the table: a fast boat from Serangan Port, which lies halfway between the resort towns of Sanur and Nusa Dua in Bali’s south, direct to Banguwani .
Operated by Express Bahari, a prominent owner of fast ferries in Indonesia with a better safety record than public ferries, the trip takes only four hours compared to eight to ten hours by bus and ferry.
The service is offered six days a week and tickets start at $20.
And it’s made travelling to East Java from Bali a breeze.
+ To book a seat, download the Express Bahari Mobile app or visit expressbahari.com
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