How to safely use Grab or ride-hailing apps at Melasti Beach and Sanur port in Bali without trouble from local taxi drivers?

A pre-booked transfer can also let you down. In late July 2026 a traveler's Trip.com airport transfer driver in Bali left while she was stuck in a long passport-control queue, without notifying her; the service refused a refund for the Nusa Dua ride because she had not photographed the queue. She had to find another taxi at night, which cost about the same as Gojek. Another traveler in August 2026 got a WhatsApp message from her driver about 1.5 hours after landing, sent a photo of the queue, and the ride went ahead — her account showed a driver-replacement notice.

In late June 2026 a traveler ordered a premium Grab at Melasti Beach: the driver arrived, but local taxi drivers ran up and started harassing him, nearly to the point of a fight. The driver apologised and asked the passenger to get out. Participants advise ordering the car away from where local drivers wait — they usually stand by the gates at the bottom. In July 2026 another traveler also could not get a Grab at Melasti after arriving there by taxi.

In June 2026 a traveler reported that at Sanur port local taxi drivers do not let app-based cars pick up passengers. She pre-booked a transfer through Trip.com — the driver pulled up right at the exit of the port building and waited; from there they went to the airport.