Unlike Gilimanuk, Padangbai Port Experiences Steady Flow of Returning Travellers by H-5 Lebaran

Hundreds of thousands of travellers have left Bali Island in advance of Eid al-Fitr 2026. By five days before Lebaran, the flow of returning migrants heading to Java Island via Gilimanuk Port, Jembrana, Bali, remained heavily congested.

However, a different atmosphere has emerged at Padangbai Port, Karangasem, Bali. The number of returning travellers preparing to cross from Padangbai to Lembar Port, Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), has remained steady as of five days before Lebaran, on Monday (16 March 2026).

The Head of Service Unit (Satpel) of the Land Transport Management Centre (BPTD) at Padangbai Port, I Ketut Sugiartono, stated that the crossing conditions had been relatively quiet since morning until 14:00 Wita. According to him, this situation differs markedly when compared with the previous two days.

“As of this afternoon, conditions remain quiet. The peak exodus at Padangbai Port likely occurred yesterday (15 March),” said Sugiartono on Monday (16 March).

Sugiartono said the number of returning travellers crossing from Padangbai Port on Sunday (15 March) reached 7,110 people. The crossing operations were even increased from 13 to 16 trips per day.

“The number of passengers crossing in the last two days is relatively similar with only slight differences. It is likely that today will see a decline,” said Sugiartono.

The management of Padangbai Port remains prepared with plans to anticipate increases in returning travellers towards the evening. Sugiartono stressed that monitoring of port conditions continues to be conducted in stages.

Based on data compiled by port management, a total of 24,827 people have left Bali via Padangbai Port. This figure was compiled from ten days before Lebaran until six days before.

As previously reported, returning travellers leaving Bali via Gilimanuk Port have surged through the five-day mark before Lebaran. Latest data shows 232,640 people have crossed to Ketapang Port, East Java, since the ten-day-before period began.

In fact, on five days before Lebaran, on Monday (16 March), traffic heading towards Gilimanuk Port from the Denpasar direction still experienced long queues stretching up to 16 kilometres from the port entrance. Meanwhile, queues from the Buleleng direction reached 3 kilometres, which has been utilised to accommodate large trucks.

Data from the Gilimanuk Command Post recorded that 232,640 people have crossed to Java Island during the ten-day-to-six-days-before period (11-15 March 2026). The total number of vehicles departing Bali reached 74,762 units.