You can now fly direct from the UK to the Indonesian island of Bali

If you are from the UK and are planning to visit the island of Bali, you’ll be pleased to learn that you can fly direct one-way from London from 22 January. Indonesia’s national carrier, Garuda Indonesia, will begin flights to Denpasar on the Indonesian island, replacing its existing London Heathrow to Jakarta service.

The popular island attracted over five million visitors in 2017, and while many people visit Bali for its estimated 10,000 unique temples, other attractions include its black sand beaches, colourful sunsets and the dramatic volcanoes of the central mountains. Visitors also enjoy watching locals marching to the myriad temple ceremonies. The new flight will hopefully boost visitor numbers, as Tourism Indonesia says that the numbers arriving in Bali fell 2.77% in the first three months of 2018. Contributing factors include the continued eruption of active volcano Mount Agung, and two earthquakes in eastern Indonesia.

Denpasar, Bali’s capital, has been the focus of a lot of the island’s growth and wealth over the last five decades and is a hectic and busy place. This is the hub of the island for nearly a million locals and it’s where you will find their shopping malls and parks. The authentic restaurants and cafes are aimed at the burgeoning middle class and these are most enticing to visitors.

The new 7760-mile flight from London will take 15 hours and 35 minutes, and it will operate on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. The only drawback is that the route is only direct on the outbound leg, because those returning to London will have to travel back via Jakarta. By the same token, visitors who want to go from London to Jakarta will now have to connect in Bali instead.

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