Padang Bai Fishing Village
Padang Bai Fishing Village
3.5
Tours & experiences
Explore different ways to experience this place.
What is Travelers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Top ways to experience Padang Bai Fishing Village
The area
Best nearby
Restaurants
30 within 3 miles
Attractions
33 within 6 miles
Contribute
Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
3.5
94 reviews
Excellent
20
Very good
36
Average
13
Poor
8
Terrible
17
Mark0vski
Geelong, Australia42 contributions
Aug 2023 • Couples
This was propbably the most impressive place we visited in Bali. It's a gorgeous little village where you can board ferries to the various islands. There are some great food places and accomodation along the waterfront which provide a lovely view of the harbour and all the boats. You can grab a good coffee there as well. For thos wanting a swim, the gorgeous Blue Lagoon beach is a short stroll over the headland. Highly recommend a visit here to get away from the hustle and bustle of Legian and Seminyak.
Written October 3, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
petra451
Denpasar, Indonesia8 contributions
Oct 2014 • Friends
Hi, if you go to White Sand Beach in Padangbai, be careful about guys who come to chat with you. There was one man around 40 with dolphin tattoo on his face and tattoos on his leg who came to us and talked and when we wanted to leave he asked us to give him a ride to intersection with a main road. And there I've seen that he took a lighter and was signalising something to someone behind us so I managed to persuade him to get of the bike with some excuse and went away but then it seemed that behind the crossroad was another man on motorbike waiting and watching and when he saw me, he went on the road too. I managed to shake him off so I don't know what was their intention but it seemed that it was organized action of minimum 3 people so I was really freaked out. I don't think that they wanted to make a surprise party for me... So please be careful and don't talk to this guy, it can be dangerous.
Written October 12, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The Wandering Reviewer
Melbourne, Australia12,189 contributions
Apr 2016 • Friends
I love that Padang Bai is still a small, typical Balinese fishing village and has some gorgeous little places for tourists to stay, eat and play. Best of all, the place is authentically Balinese when so many other places have gone way down the tourist track catering to western ideals.
I've been coming to Bali since 1994 and this place continues to draw me in and have me stay, with its tranquility and cultural traditions. The village is located on the south-eastern side of the island, approximately 40kms from Kuta. Fishing is their mainstay and if you are a fish foodie then this is going to knock your socks off.
Padang Bai Fishing Village also plays a critical role as far as transport systems are concerned. This is attributed to the fact that it presents a transit point for ferries travelling between the main island and Lombok.
Tour the local market like a Balinese and get fresh farm produce to prepare your meals if you are staying in a villa. Proceed to the three village temples (pura) on location at Padang Bai. These temples are the location of an array of traditional rituals, so it is fascinating to watch just how well Balinese have preserved their culture over the years.
I've been coming to Bali since 1994 and this place continues to draw me in and have me stay, with its tranquility and cultural traditions. The village is located on the south-eastern side of the island, approximately 40kms from Kuta. Fishing is their mainstay and if you are a fish foodie then this is going to knock your socks off.
Padang Bai Fishing Village also plays a critical role as far as transport systems are concerned. This is attributed to the fact that it presents a transit point for ferries travelling between the main island and Lombok.
Tour the local market like a Balinese and get fresh farm produce to prepare your meals if you are staying in a villa. Proceed to the three village temples (pura) on location at Padang Bai. These temples are the location of an array of traditional rituals, so it is fascinating to watch just how well Balinese have preserved their culture over the years.
Written March 24, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Shaan E
London, UK13 contributions
Padang bai is a very small place and can be quite a shock coming from the hustle and bustle of Kuta or Ubud. We found some cool bars but not great restaurants however the locals are friendly. Make sure you go to the beach as its hidden out of the way but beautiful and sandy with really clear water.
Written March 15, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Scuba2013
Perth, Australia600 contributions
Jan 2015 • Friends
Diving - After walking up and down the road looking for somewhere to dive we tried Geko Dive located towards the end of the beach, they didnt seem very interested in our business and quoted a non negotiable 100,000 IDR ($80 USD ) for two boat dives which is the most expensive ive seen in Bali to date. We know the prices and wasnt going to pay that. Next we went to Water Worx Diver Center a few doors down. These guys were great very welcoming and professional. The price was 750,000 IDR before discounts after 4 dives. The guides were fantastic and very enthusiastic. Now I have dived all over Bali and this place blew me away..first dive was superb, dropped in and at about 5 mtr came across at least 10 huge Cuttlefish, there was everything on this dive that I had been longing to see for some time, Orangutan Crabs, Juvenile Sweetlips, White Tip Reef Sharks, Octopus big and small new types of Nudibranch, Moray Eals, Redtooth Triggerfish, Titan Triggerfish (Caution they were starting to breed and do get very aggresive) some of the other divers saw some huge turtles. The coral is spectacular and some of the best ive seen.The second dive was equally as good. Yes you could say theres loads of rubbish in the ocean or the visibility isnt the best! well this is the most easterly point of Bali and some of the strongest currents in the world, Sadly Asia does have problems with rubbish and it does have to wash up somewhere.
The Town - We stayed right on the beach in a place I think was called Padang Bai Beach Bungalows, (they all have very similar names) The hotel was very cheap 200,000 IDR per night hot water and A/C room very clean but service in the restaurant was the terrible. Anyway their not on Tripadvisor so I just thought id mention. The problem being anywhere you stay along the beach front you will get woken through the night with the Ferry horns as they leave and Arrive the Harbor. This is 24/7 the road is quiet but the Ferries are noisy. There are quite a few places to eat but the town is tiny with very little to see and do. The restaurants tend to stay open late 11pm which is good. Because of the Ferries there are a lot of people wanting to sell their wares...especially taxi drivers.. ( dont pay more than 300,000 IDR to go to or from Kuta/Denpasar area ) Like I first said if you want good diving this place is worth a look but only plan one or two nights, If you want to catch a boat to Gilli's think about Sanur would probably save you time and money if your in the Kuta/Denpasar area.
The Town - We stayed right on the beach in a place I think was called Padang Bai Beach Bungalows, (they all have very similar names) The hotel was very cheap 200,000 IDR per night hot water and A/C room very clean but service in the restaurant was the terrible. Anyway their not on Tripadvisor so I just thought id mention. The problem being anywhere you stay along the beach front you will get woken through the night with the Ferry horns as they leave and Arrive the Harbor. This is 24/7 the road is quiet but the Ferries are noisy. There are quite a few places to eat but the town is tiny with very little to see and do. The restaurants tend to stay open late 11pm which is good. Because of the Ferries there are a lot of people wanting to sell their wares...especially taxi drivers.. ( dont pay more than 300,000 IDR to go to or from Kuta/Denpasar area ) Like I first said if you want good diving this place is worth a look but only plan one or two nights, If you want to catch a boat to Gilli's think about Sanur would probably save you time and money if your in the Kuta/Denpasar area.
Written January 4, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Laura E
London, UK21 contributions
May 2018 • Couples
We took a taxi from the aiport and when we arrived the taxi driver followed us into ticket offices to ‘help’ us buy or ticket. Needless to say we felt harassed and were horrendously ripped off with no one giving us honest ticket prices. Then, when the driver left, the ‘gentleman’ in the ticket office decided to let us know we had paid too much offering us a cheaper return ticket. This, despite him being there while we bought our ticket. DO NOT make the same mistake we did. Tell your taxi driver to leave you to buy your own ticket. Walk right down to the harbour where you can find stalls selling tickets for 200 idr. (One is behind the shaded waiting area). Fellow travellers paid 350 idr. More than this and you are being ripped off!!! Hoping other travellers can avoid the same fate by reading this. When I confronted the office they were rude, unhelpful and told us the price on brochure is 650idr so we should be grateful for the bargain price. Don’t fall for this scam!!!!
Written May 6, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
James O
Connemara, Ireland1,366 contributions
Jan 2018 • Friends
Passed thro here on way to blue lagoon. Busy spot. But main port for ferries to other islands. Used for ferry to Gily trawanga. Used CKYJAYA fast boat. Cost 400000 rupiah pp. It is expensive but you don't have much of choice. However ferry is comfortable safe and fast. 1 hour and 15 mins to destination. Some laugh on board plenty of beer and disco at 9 30am in the morning crew great fun. Now here is my warning the company will push you to buy an open return ticket to Bali again 400000 pp telling you it is so expensive on island to purchase ticket back to Bali or onto lombok. Absolute BullSxxh. The ticket to return to Bali to the airport included is 300000 or cheaper. To Lombuk airport can get for 180000. So do not purchase in ferry terminal in parang bai. A complete ripoff as a lot of things in Bali. They do not have any shame. Complete gangsters.
Written January 16, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
tetamianbalitours
Ubud, Indonesia79 contributions
Jan 2017 • Family
Padang Bai has remained a small, typical Balinese fishing village. While there are many facilities catering for tourist's need like hotel and restaurant. Blue Lagoon is a favorite snorkeling spot for families and new snorkelers because the waters are extremely calm. The snorkeling area has a sandy bottom and is home to one of Bali’s coral reefs. While you are exploring the reef, expect to see cuttle fish, angel fish, cow fish.
Written January 30, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lala
Gold Coast, Australia181 contributions
Aug 2016 • Family
I'm so glad I decided on only a day trip to Padang bai instead of staying there! It is crazy busy with people trying to get on the fast boats, traffic is more horrendous than the usual Bali chaos and it is very dirty and crammed and the Bali hustle of trying to get you to buy things is worse than Kuta. I actually felt a little unsafe here and so did hubby. You have to pay to get into the beaches and lagoon too. If you go to Tugul (white sand) do not pay more than 40k for 4 people. I paid 100k because I wasn't sure and then meet some people down the beach and they paid 2k each. I'm happy to give a little more but I paid way too much. Okay for day trip but go further up to candidasa or amed if your staying a little while like us.
Written August 20, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
madhav r
Singapore, Singapore81 contributions
Mar 2015 • Family
snorkeling @ Padang Bai is an excellent option for all levels. the sea was really calm on the day we went(in march 2015), bright sunny day we had a chance to see colorful fish, corals, and lucky enough to spot sting ray too. we went there with kids 11 and 6, they too enjoyed there. long drive is only the drawback but its worth the trouble. clear Shallow water and live corals. local food there also nice and tasty.
Written April 7, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi,
Im will be staying in UBUD and taking Ferry to Gili T island. How did I arrange to get to Padang Bai from UBUD? Just hire a tax?
Also, how far in advance should I purchase fast boat ticket to Gili T?
Thanks!
Arleen
Written September 12, 2018
Not sure about boats they were coming and going while we were there went for snorkelling rent a driver or download grab or GO-JEK (bike) usually cheapest transport
Written September 13, 2018
Is there free camping on the beach and how do I get there from Kuta.
Written June 27, 2016
Showing results 1-4 of 4
*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listing