It may still be October, but the countdown to Christmas and New Year has officially begun!
In Indonesia, the Christmas and New Year holiday is known as Nataru, and this festive season on the Island of the Gods is set to be bigger and better than ever.
Every Christmas and New Year holiday in Bali, the island welcomes over one million arrivals. This includes domestic tourists traveling from around the country to celebrate the festive season in the most famous tourism destination on the archipelago, and a huge number of international tourists who opt to spend the festive season in the sun.
With over one million additional people on the island, leaders have to start planning for the Christmas and New Year holidays way ahead of time.
From hotels to attractions, transport to eateries, all eyes are now on the festive season in the tourism and hospitality sector in Bali. This is none so true as for the Sanur Port Authority and Harbormaster Office (KSOP) II, who are preparing anticipatory measures to manage the surge in passengers during the 2025 Christmas and 2026 New Year holidays.
Speaking to reporters, Komang Sunarka, who is the Head of the Sanur Port II Working Area, explained that vessel seaworthiness inspections will continue to be conducted routinely, including spot checks on all commercial boats, especially while additional trips outside the regular schedule are carried out when there is a surge in passengers. Sunarka explained, “We’re not adding any new fleet, but if traffic increases, we’ll adjust the trip schedule. The priority is ensuring passenger safety and comfort.”
Sunarka revealed that there are 80-90 departures from Sanur Harbor daily, operated over 72 fast boats and 29 service providers. Newly published data show that this year’s passenger numbers are expected to remain stable in comparison to 2024.
In 2024, 1,573,455 passengers arrived, and 2,054,913 departed from Sanur Harbor. Between January and September 2025, 1,214,583 passengers arrived and 1,561,927 departed; the Sanur Harbor team has noted that they are expecting these figures to stay similar to those seen in 2024 by the end of the year.
Sunarka concluded, “Crossing activity remains stable and running smoothly. Facilities are adequate, and we continue to maintain services to ensure they meet safety standards.”
Tourists who are planning on traveling from Bali to Nusa Penida, Nusa Lembongan, Nusa Ceningan, the Gili Islands, or Lombok over the Christmas and New Year holidays in 2025 are advised to book their fast boat and ferry tickets as far in advance as possible.
Over the Christmas and New Year holidays, fast boat services often get fully booked, and even tickets for the additional services get snapped up super quickly.
Tourists who find themselves unable to book their preferred crossing time from Sanur should look for availability for crossings both earlier and later in the day.
Alternatively, there are dozens of crossings every day departing from Padangbai Harbour in East Bali.
Tourists who are set to travel around Bali during the Christmas and New Year holiday are also urged to leave more than enough time to travel from A to B, and be prepared for traffic jams.
This is the case for day trips to top attractions and even when hopping in a taxi for a short ride for brunch or dinner reservations.
This is true of all of Bali’s must-visit attractions and popular activities over the Christmas and New Year holidays. To avoid disappointment, it is essential to book in advance. Thankfully, most attractions now offer online booking, or there are online tour operators and travel guides who can guarantee itineraries long in advance.
Tourists who have a keen eye on dining at some of Bali’s most popular restaurants are also advised to book tables in advance, especially during the festive season. Though it is important to note that most restaurants will not take table bookings any further than 30 days before the reservation.
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