RTW TP Run in Jan 2026: Day 10 – Evening in Denpasar, Bali

By Nige on January 27, 2026 at 8:16 pm
Type: Post
Story: Round the World Tier Point Run in Jan 2026 Category: Travel
Tags: Denpasar | DPS | Hilton

After arriving at Gate 3, it was door 1L that opened first. That had become something of a theme on this Asia leg, particularly with Cathay Pacific.

I guess that made sense given that premium cabins were located at the front of the aircraft.

As a result, there was a short delay before I could disembark. I was seated towards the back of the large Business Class cabin, and most of the passengers ahead of me showed very little urgency.

My walk to the Immigration Hall was something of a blur. The airport wasn’t particularly large, so I assume it involved a few corridors, but I couldn’t recall any escalators, lifts, or trains along the way.

The airport’s official name was I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport, though it was more commonly referred to as Bali Airport or Denpasar International Airport — the main gateway to the island. In IATA terms, that’s DPS.

Eventually, all arriving passengers funnelled into the Immigration Hall, and this was where it paid to stay alert. I’d already secured a multi-entry D1 Tourist Visa.

The alternative would have been to join the Visa-on-Arrival queue, which costs around £35 and can take up to an hour at peak times.

I followed the signs for eVisas and used an automated kiosk to prepare my passport and scan my face. That part was quick and painless.

Next came the Customs declaration — now entirely paperless. There were no forms available; instead, you had to scan a QR code and complete it online.

Unfortunately, when I scanned the code, the webpage returned a 403 error on my Android phone, effectively telling me I wasn’t authorised to access it.

I checked with a couple nearby and discovered it worked fine on iOS. I wondered whether the issue was linked to still being logged in from my earlier D1 visa application.

Either way, I approached a Customs officer and explained the situation. When I told him I had no checked bags, he took my passport and waved me through without further fuss.

From there, I walked through a corridor lined with ATMs, currency exchange desks, and eSIM vendors — at least an area where you could feel reasonably confident about not being scammed.

And then I was finally in Bali.

As expected, the touts were out in force, searching for unsuspecting tourists to steer into overpriced rides to destinations they hadn’t asked for.

The strategy was simple: walk with confidence, never look lost, don’t make eye contact, and keep moving — even if you weren’t entirely sure you were going the right way.

Eventually, they lost interest in me and moved on to the next potential customer.

I had a clear walking route mapped out to the Hilton Garden Inn, though I initially managed to head off in the wrong direction. After a brief correction — and following a few locals — I found myself walking along the side of the road.

It didn’t feel oppressively hot, but the humidity was intense, and it wasn’t long before I was sweating heavily.

Thankfully, it soon became clear I was close. Security at the hotel gate waved me through, and I was greeted by the welcome sight of the Hilton Garden Inn’s red signage.

At that point, I could finally start to relax.

The check-in agent welcomed me warmly and thanked me for my loyalty.

She was pleased to confirm an upgrade to a one-bedroom suite — something that may well have been helped by my mentioning that the Vickster would be joining me later.

I opted for complimentary breakfast rather than extra points and headed up to my room, number 2001.

The air-conditioning was set to full blast, and the wave of cool air was an instant relief.

I had absolutely no intention of leaving the room again until morning.

Next up: A gallery of photos from Day 10 of my Round The World trip of a lifetime.

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Round the World Tier Point Run in Jan 2026