Which harbour?
Padang Bai
The default. It has the most operators and sailings, the shortest regular crossing and the easiest rebooking if your boat is cancelled. The price is a long road transfer from the south.
Serangan and Sanur
Convenient for Kuta, Seminyak, Sanur and the airport. The longer open-sea leg means more time to feel unwell on a choppy day, and fewer alternative boats if yours does not run.
Amed
Ideal if you are already in east Bali for diving. The crossing is the shortest, but the boats are smaller and more easily stopped by weather.
Nusa Penida and Lembongan
The smart choice if the Nusas are on your list anyway: you avoid returning to Bali and shorten the second leg.
Fees and paperwork
- Bali tourist levy. Bali charges international visitors a one-off levy, payable online or on arrival. Keep the receipt on your phone.
- Harbour fees. Padang Bai and other ports charge a small passenger fee, and the Gili harbours collect a small arrival fee. Both are paid in cash, in rupiah, and are rarely included in tickets.
- Tickets. Print or screenshot your voucher. You will swap it for a boarding pass at the operator’s desk.
Amounts change, so we do not quote them; each is the price of a coffee or two. If anyone asks for much more, ask to see the official tariff board.
Safety on the crossing
The Lombok Strait is serious water: deep, with strong currents and steep swell when wind opposes tide. Standards have improved, but there have been accidents over the years, including capsizes and fires. Sensible precautions:
- Choose an established operator with large, modern boats over the cheapest ticket.
- Check that life jackets are on board and within reach.
- Do not pressure crews to sail in bad weather, and be wary of any boat leaving when others have cancelled.
- In doubtful conditions, fly to Lombok or take the big public ferry instead.
Around Nyepi
On Nyepi, the Balinese Day of Silence (usually in March), all of Bali shuts for 24 hours: the airport closes, no boats sail and nobody may be on the streets. The Gilis do not observe it. Boats are very full the day before and the day after, so book early or cross a couple of days ahead.
Eating and sleeping near the ports
Padang Bai has cheap guesthouses, seafood warungs on the front and a few dive resorts; smarter hotels lie along the coast towards Candidasa and Manggis. Sanur has everything. Amed’s small hotels are strung along several bays — check which one before you book.
Sample plans
Bali to the Gilis in a day
Hotel pick-up around 6.30–7 am, check in at Padang Bai by 8.30, sail around 9–9.30 and step onto Gili Trawangan or Gili Air before lunch. Spend the afternoon in the water rather than on the road.
The night-before plan
Travel to Padang Bai the afternoon before, snorkel at Blue Lagoon, eat grilled fish on the front and sleep five minutes from the jetty. Take the first boat, when the strait is at its smoothest.
Island chain: a week or more
Sanur to Nusa Lembongan for two nights and Nusa Penida for a day or two; direct fast boat to Gili Trawangan; island-hop to Meno and Air; finish with Lombok and fly back to Bali or onward from Lombok airport.
