Making the most of Padang Bay
Use these notes to shape a realistic day ashore, then confirm any time-sensitive information for the date of your call.
Arriving at the port
Cruise ships cannot berth at Padang Bay, so passengers go ashore by tender.
Padang Bay, often spelt Padangbai, is a lively harbour used as a starting point for ferries and where the first Dutch fleet found shelter. This beach-fringed village is a real meeting point for Indonesia’s many cultures and races, as well as seafarers who came to trade and stayed.
Padang Bay provides some of Bali’s finest diving. Sharks appear on nearly every dive, ocean sunfish are regularly seen, marine life is exceptionally abundant, coral remains healthy and visibility is crystal clear. Strong currents and swell from Lombok Strait create unpredictable movement at the dive sites, demanding care and respect.
Getting around
Agree a day rate for a taxi or van; a small van costs only about US$50. Plenty wait at the jetty because operators know cruise schedules. Drivers are experienced with ship passengers, can propose routes and understand return-on-board deadlines. Set the price before entering and pay after returning.
Available choices include:
Food and shopping
Eating with your hand instead of utensils such as forks and spoons is very common in Indonesia. Use four fingers to make a small ball of rice, dip it into sauces, then push it into your mouth with your thumb. The basic etiquette rule is to use only your right hand, as the left is used to clean yourself in the bathroom. Do not put either hand into shared serving dishes: use the left hand to serve yourself with utensils, then dig in. It is wise to wash your hands well before and after eating. Eating by hand is frowned on in some…
Money
ATMs are common in any major city in Indonesia.
Use cards cautiously because cloning and fraud are serious Indonesian problems. Mastercard and Visa are broadly taken, but American Express may prove difficult. Smaller businesses commonly add 2-5% compared with cash.
Staying connected
Indonesian, or Bahasa Indonesia, is the only official language.
Internet prices differ considerably and quality generally follows cost, though around Rp 5,000 an hour is normal. Some large-city malls, McDonald restaurants and Starbucks cafés provide free hotspots, as do certain hotel lobbies.
On mobile phones, the emergency number is 112.