from the port
Pemuteran or Lovina
city
not a coach
You have docked on the good side of the island
Celukan Bawang is a cruise port on the north coast of Bali, and its great advantage is what sits within an hour of the gangway. Menjangan Island, West Bali National Park, the Buleleng waterfalls and the highland lakes are all reachable and back inside a normal day ashore.
We are local guides and drivers based in north Bali, not an agency in the south sending a car up. Every excursion below is private, built around your ship’s schedule and the number of people in your group.
The port itself
Celukan Bawang sits between Singaraja and Pemuteran on the Buleleng coast. Ships including Celebrity Millennium, Norwegian Jewel, Holland America Line, Azamara, Seven Seas Explorer, Star Breeze, Seabourn Encore and Crystal have docked here.
Everything is close
Forty five minutes west gets you to Pemuteran and Menjangan. Forty five minutes east gets you to Lovina. An hour gets you to Singaraja. The south of Bali is four hours away and not worth attempting.
Private, not a coach
Your own vehicle and guide, at your pace. With up to four thousand passengers coming ashore from a large ship, that difference is felt at every stop.
Built around all aboard
Tell us your all aboard time when you enquire. Every itinerary is planned backwards from it, with margin, rather than forwards from the gangway.
How a day ashore from Celukan Bawang works
Seven excursions, all private, all built to fit the hours you actually have.
Your window ashore
Ship first- Send usYour ship name, date, docking time and all aboard time
- We planBackwards from all aboard, with margin built in
- MeetingYour guide meets you at the port gate
- ReturnBack at the port well before the deadline
Ships change schedule. If your docking time moves, message us and we adjust the day rather than cancel it.
Ask about a shore excursionWhy book independently
Local operator- LocalGuides and drivers based in north Bali, not sent up from the south
- PrivateYour group only, at your own pace
- FlexibleItineraries can be customised rather than picked from a fixed menu
- ReviewsSee what previous guests have said before you commit
Independent shore excursions are usually cheaper and smaller than the ship’s own, with the trade off that the responsibility for timing sits with you and us rather than the cruise line. We take that seriously, which is why the first card exists.
Before you book
Message us- Group sizeTell us how many people and we will size the vehicle
- MobilitySay if anyone has difficulty walking. Several stops involve steps
- InterestsReef, wildlife, temples, markets or highland scenery. The day is built from that
- Entrance feesSeveral sites charge their own. Ask what is included when you enquire
- SwimmingBring a swimsuit if you want the reef or the hot spring
Message us with your ship, your date and what you want to see, and we will come back with an itinerary, a duration and a rate. If you only need transport rather than a guided day, our private car service covers the same roads.
Reef, temple or town
The excursions split roughly into water, highland culture and the old colonial north. Pick one, not all three.
Menjangan Island
Snorkeling or diving
45 minutes from the port
Ulun Danu temple
At about 1,240 metres
Bedugul highlands
Singaraja old town
Dutch colonial north Bali
1 hour from the port
Everything is planned backwards from all aboard
A day ashore is not a day out. It has a hard stop, and missing it is expensive and genuinely stressful. So the first thing we ask for is your all aboard time, not your docking time, and the itinerary is built back from it with margin.
That is also why we do not offer anything in south Bali from this port. Ubud and the south are roughly four hours each way on slow roads, which does not fit a normal port call and is not worth the risk. North Bali, which is the good part anyway, is all within an hour. Our North Bali tour page covers the inland stops in more detail.
What to take with you
- Ship card and IDYou will need them to get back through the port gate.
- Cash in rupiahFor entrance fees, drinks and markets. Card acceptance is patchy outside the resorts.
- Swimsuit and towelIf you have chosen the reef, Pemuteran or the hot spring. Wear it under your clothes.
- Sarong or covered shouldersFor any temple stop. These are working places of worship.
- Shoes with gripThe waterfall stops involve steps, and they are slippery after rain.
- Sun protectionHat, sunscreen and water. North Bali is hot and much of the day is outdoors.
Seven shore excursions from Celukan Bawang
The seven excursions we run from the port, and the individual sites they visit. Search or filter, then message us with what you want.
Nothing matches that search. Message us and we will build it.
The seven excursions
7 optionsSites on the routes
8 placesMenjangan is the one most guests choose, and with good reason. Full detail on our Menjangan snorkeling page, and on West Bali National Park for the land side.
Common questions
That is the whole basis of how we plan. Send us your all aboard time when you book and the itinerary is built backwards from it with margin. If we do not think a request fits your window, we will say so and suggest something that does, rather than take the booking and hope.
Pemuteran and Menjangan are about 45 minutes west. Lovina is about 45 minutes east. Singaraja is about an hour. The highland stops are further and higher. South Bali is roughly four hours each way, which is why we do not offer it from this port.
We would advise against it from Celukan Bawang. Four hours each way on slow roads leaves almost no time at the destination and very little margin for the return. North Bali has better scenery and far less traffic.
Usually, and the groups are much smaller. The trade off is that the cruise line does not hold the ship for an independent tour, so the timing responsibility sits with us and with you. We plan conservatively for exactly that reason.
Message us as soon as you know. Docking times move and we would rather reshape the day than cancel it. Tell us at the time of booking too if your itinerary is a tentative one.
Tell us the number when you enquire and we will size the vehicles. Large ships put up to four thousand people ashore at Celukan Bawang, so booking ahead matters more here than it would at a quieter port.
