Benoa is a relatively new port. The ship anchors out and the tender ride through the reef is about 40 minutes.

Distance/drive time from cruise terminal of Benoa to town center: 10 km

Availability of taxis at port/terminal: Yes

You can hire at the pier a car or van & driver all day for around $50

Within the precincts of the terminal there are static and timed demonstrations of Balinese art and culture. Dancing, puppets and a Gamelan Orchestra in addition to demonstrations including: wood carving, batik printing, paintings and sculpture.

Printable map to take along on the cruise.

Cruise calendar for this port.

Check here for festivals and events in Bali when you are in port.

Watch a destination video.

Blessed with natural beauty, one of the top attractions for visitors to Indonesia is without any doubt the island of Bali. With its multitude of mountains, volcanoes, beaches, paddy fields, customs, local lifestyle, art, religions and attractions, Bali is popular as a gateway destination. The friendliness of the Balinese makes many visitors feel at home on the island. Geographically, Bali is situated between the Islands of Java and Lombok, and thus boasts a stunning coastline of beautiful beaches for relaxing or waves of international standards for surfing.

Nusa Dua is an enclave of large international 5-star resorts in south-eastern Bali. It is located 40 kilometers from Denpasar, the provincial capital of Bali.

Immediately north of Nusa Dua enclave is the peninsula of Tanjung Benoa that includes less exclusive hotels and Benoa village. A multi-denominational area, it includes a mosque, and Chinese and Hindu temples in close proximity.

Every house has a temple - in the grounds of a big house it can be a very impressive building, in artisan houses it'll be just a cupboard.
Take small change for any village temple.

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You will probably find areas like Ubud, Celuk, possibly Sanur etc appealing but more enjoyable done with a driver or very small group.

It pays to compare your cruise line shore excursions here.

In Indonesia eating with your hand (instead of utensils like forks and spoons) is very common. The basic idea is to use four fingers to pack a little ball of rice, which can then be dipped into sauces before you pop it in your mouth by pushing it with your thumb. There's one basic rule of etiquette to observe: Use only your right hand, as the left hand is used to clean yourself in the bathroom. Don't stick either hand into communal serving dishes: instead, use the left hand to serve yourself with utensils and then dig in. Needless to say, it's wise to wash your hands well before and after eating. Eating by hand is frowned on in some "classier" places. If you are provided with cutlery and nobody else around you seems to be doing it, then take the hint.

Be careful when using credit cards, as cloning and fraud are a major problem in Indonesia. Visa and Mastercard are widely accepted, but American Express can be problematic. At smaller operations, surcharges of 2-5% over cash are common.

Currency Converter

The sole official language is Indonesian, known as Bahasa Indonesia.

Internet: Prices vary considerably, and as usual you tend to get what you pay for, but you'll usually be looking at around Rp 5,000 per hour. In large cities, there are free hotspots in certain shopping malls, McDonald restaurants and Starbucks cafes. Some hotels provide free hotspots in the lobby.

mobile phones emergency number: 112

December/January Idul Fitri, the celebration of the end of Ramadan.

January 1 New Year's Day ( Tahun Baru).

March/April Nyepi, Balinese saka New Year.

March/April Good Friday and Easter Sunday.

May Idul Adha (Hajh), Muslim Day of Sacrifice.

May Waisak Day, anniversary of the birth, death and enlightenment of Buddha.

May/June Ascension Day.

June/July Muharam, Muslim New Year.

July/August Maulud Nabi Muhammad, the anniversary of the birth of Mohammed.

August 17 Independence Day ( Hari Proklamasi Kemerdekaan) celebrates the proclamation of Indonesian Independence in 1945 by Dr Sukarno.

December Ascension Day of Mohammed.

December 25 Christmas Day.

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