The sights
Padang Bai harbour
A compact bay ringed by green headlands, with the big public car ferries at one end and the fast-boat jetty at the other. The village behind is three streets of guesthouses, dive shops and warungs. On sailing mornings it is crowded and noisy for an hour, then goes back to sleep.
ℹ️ About 1.5–2 hours from Seminyak or Canggu, 1–1.5 from Ubud. Fast boats mostly leave between 8 am and 1 pm. A small harbour fee is payable in cash.
Blue Lagoon and Bias Tugel
Padang Bai’s two beaches lie over the headlands either side of the harbour. Blue Lagoon, to the east, is a small cove with easy snorkelling over coral and the odd reef shark or turtle. Bias Tugel, to the west, is a beautiful pocket of white sand with stronger waves.
ℹ️ Each is a 10–15 minute walk from the village. Small entry or parking donations. Snorkel at Blue Lagoon at high tide; swim with care at Bias Tugel.
The public ferry to Lembar
Huge roll-on, roll-off ferries shuttle between Padang Bai and Lembar on Lombok around the clock. The crossing is slow, cheap and steady, with open decks and instant-noodle stalls — the choice of overlanders, motorcyclists and anyone travelling when the fast boats are cancelled.
ℹ️ About 4–5 hours, sometimes longer when ships queue to dock. Buy tickets at the terminal. From Lembar it is around 1.5–2 hours by road to Bangsal for the Gilis.
Serangan
A low island joined to the mainland by a causeway just south of Sanur, home to a fishing community, a turtle conservation centre and a small harbour used by several Gili fast boats. Its advantage is location: twenty to thirty minutes from Kuta, Seminyak and the airport.
ℹ️ Check-in is usually early, around 7–8 am. The crossing is longer — commonly 2.5–3 hours or more — and more exposed than from Padang Bai.
Sanur harbour
Sanur’s modern port terminal replaced years of wading out to boats from the beach. It is the main gateway to Nusa Penida and Nusa Lembongan, with dozens of sailings a day, and a few services continue to the Gilis. The town’s long beachfront path is one of the nicest walks in south Bali.
ℹ️ At the north end of Sanur beach. Arrive 30–45 minutes before sailing. Boats to the Nusas take 30–45 minutes; to the Gilis, several hours.
Amed
A string of fishing villages along a black-sand coast beneath Mount Agung. The snorkelling starts at the shore, with coral gardens and a small underwater shrine at Jemeluk, and the Liberty wreck at Tulamben is a short drive away. Small fast boats cross from here to the Gilis.
ℹ️ About 2.5–3 hours from south Bali. The crossing takes roughly 1–1.5 hours; boats are smaller and sail only in suitable weather.
Nusa Penida
A big, rugged limestone island best known for the dinosaur-shaped headland of Kelingking, the natural pool of Angel’s Billabong and manta rays off its south coast. Roads are rough and distances longer than they look; allow at least a full day, ideally two.
ℹ️ 30–45 minutes by fast boat from Sanur. A direct fast boat to the Gilis usually runs once a day; book ahead in high season.
Nusa Lembongan
Penida’s small, easy-going neighbour: mangrove channels, seaweed farms, surf breaks and sandy coves such as Dream Beach, with a yellow suspension bridge across to tiny Nusa Ceningan. It feels a little like the Gilis did twenty years ago.
ℹ️ About 30 minutes from Sanur. Gili boats from the Nusas call here or collect by transfer from Penida, depending on the operator.
