By Blaise Jaeger · Updated August 6, 2026

It is possible to reach Lombok by boat from Bali or by plane from most major cities in Indonesia. Personally, from Bali, I prefer to go to Lombok by boat.

But “which is best” is the wrong question. The right one is where on Lombok are you sleeping tonight — because the island is far bigger than it looks on a map, and the three options land you in three completely different places. I have made this crossing on every one of them, across six trips between 2022 and 2024, and the answer changed each time.

Bali to Lombok at a Glance

Option	Time	Price one way	Lands you at
Fast boat from Padang Bai	1h30-2h30 crossing	IDR 300,000-600,000 ($19-38)	Bangsal, north Lombok
Public ferry to Lembar	4-6h crossing, up to 10h door to door	IDR 62,200 on foot	Lembar, southwest Lombok
Flight to LOP	30 min in the air, 3-4h door to door	$18-45 booked ahead	Praya, 25 min from Kuta Lombok

Which Option Should You Choose?

Almost every guide answers this with “the fast boat, obviously”. That is right about two thirds of the time, and badly wrong for the rest. Match the option to your destination instead:

• North Lombok, Senggigi or the Gili Islands → fast boat from Padang Bai. You land at Bangsal, which is the gateway to all three. This is the default, and it is the one I have used most.
• Kuta Lombok and the south → fly. Lombok’s airport sits at Praya, 25 minutes from Kuta. Take the boat to Bangsal instead and you add a two-hour drive across the island. The flight wins outright, and this is the case most guides get wrong.
• Travelling with a car or a motorbike → the public ferry to Lembar. It is the only option that takes vehicles, and it is by far the cheapest.
• Boats cancelled by rough seas → the ferry again. It sails when the fast boats do not. That is how I ended up on it.

Getting from Bali to Lombok by boat

Ferries and speedboats are available from several ports in Bali. The ferry is only advantageous if you want to travel with your car or motorcycle or are on a tight budget. Otherwise, the speedboats will be much faster. The journey takes about two hours, but the duration may vary depending on the weather conditions and the state of the sea.

Several fast boat companies connect Bali and Lombok. One of the best options is Eka Jaya, which offers daily service between these islands. Eka Jaya uses spacious and comfortable fast boats equipped with four powerful engines, allowing you to travel quickly and comfortably. The boats are 23 meters long and can accommodate up to 210 passengers. Eka Jaya offers a 20% discount on the ticket price if you book on a Friday!

From Bali to Gili Islands or Lombok

If you’re leaving from Bali, the best option is to depart from Padang Bai. The connections between Amed and Lombok or the Gili Islands are currently suspended. Eka Jaya also offers a choice from Serangan, but you’ll pay an extra 200,000 rupiahs per passenger, and you’ll have to make a first stop at Nusa Penida, which will add about 2 hours to the journey. If you’re traveling with several people, driving to Padang Bai is better. You’ll save time and money.

Eka Jaya’s fast boat operates two daily connections to the Gili Islands and Lombok from Padang Bai. Sea conditions are usually better in the morning, but the journey is different for the two schedules.

The boat departing from Padang Bai at 9am stops at Gili Trawangan at 10:30am, Gili Meno at 10:45am, and Gili Air at 11am. It then arrives at Bangsal at 11:30am and departs at 12pm to return to Padang Bai at 1:30pm.

The boat departing from Padang Bai at 10:30am arrives at Senggigi at 11:50am, then at Gili Trawangan at 12:20pm, Gili Meno at 12:35pm, Gili Air at 12:45pm, and finally at Bangsal at 1pm. This boat then departs for Senggigi and arrives at Padang Bai at 3:30pm.

Semaya One and Golden Queen also offer connections between Padang Bai, the Gili Islands, and Lombok at lower prices, but the boats are smaller and you may experience more turbulence in rough seas. One exception worth knowing: Semaya One runs a 36-metre aluminium hull on some rotations, which handles swell better than most of the fibreglass fleet. Ask which boat you are booked on, not just which company.

Which port in Bali: Padang Bai, Serangan or Sanur?

Padang Bai, on Bali’s east coast, is the port to aim for. It has the most departures, the shortest crossing and the lowest fares. The catch is the drive: 2 to 2.5 hours from Seminyak or Canggu, so a 9am boat means leaving before dawn.

Serangan, near Sanur, saves you that drive if you are staying in the south. You pay for it twice over — around IDR 200,000 more per person, and a crossing of 2h30 to 4h because most rotations stop at Nusa Penida on the way. Worth it for a couple sleeping in Uluwatu; not worth it for a family of four.

Sanur serves Nusa Penida and Nusa Lembongan almost exclusively, with only occasional Lombok rotations. Amed no longer has a service — the route closed in 2020 and has not reopened, despite what some older guides still claim. And Lembar, on the Lombok side, is now a public-ferry port only: no fast boat calls there any more.

From Nusa Penida to Lombok and the Gili Islands

Eka Jaya fast boat provides two daily trips from Nusa Penida to Lombok.

The first boat departs from Nusa Penida at 9:30 AM to reach Padang Bai and then continues on to Senggigi (11:50 AM), the Gili Islands (12:20 PM, 12:35 PM, 12:45 PM) before arriving at Bangsal at 1:00 PM.

Another boat leaves Nusa Penida at 10:30 AM and arrives in Senggigi at 1:00 PM. It departs from Senggigi at 2:00 PM to reach Nusa Penida at 4:30 PM via Padang Bai.

For the return trip, you can depart from Gili Trawangan at 12:20 PM, Gili Meno at 12:35 PM, Gili Air at 12:45 PM, Bangsal at 1:30 PM, and Senggigi at 2:00 PM to arrive at Nusa Penida at 4:30 PM via Padang Bai.

One warning that costs people half a day: most operators do not say clearly whether a “direct” Nusa Penida crossing detours via Padang Bai. Semaya One runs both a genuine direct service and a Padang Bai routing, and the difference is roughly two hours. Ask before you book. If you are specifically going from Nusa Penida to the Gilis rather than to Lombok itself, the schedules and operators are set out in our guide to fast boats from Nusa Penida to the Gili Islands.

The Public Ferry: Padang Bai to Lembar

This is the option nobody writes about, because almost no visitor takes it. It is also the only way to bring a vehicle across, the cheapest crossing by a factor of five, and the one that still sails when every fast boat has been cancelled.

The ASDP ferries run between Padang Bai in Bali and Lembar in southwest Lombok, roughly every hour, twenty-four hours a day. There is no booking and no timetable to speak of: you turn up, buy a ticket at the terminal, and board the next boat. The crossing itself is 4 to 5 hours, stretching to 6 in bad weather.

• Foot passenger: IDR 62,200 (about $4)
• Motorbike under 500cc, rider included: IDR 160,600
• Motorbike over 500cc: IDR 313,800
• Car or MPV, driver and passengers included: IDR 1,127,300
• Minibus: IDR 2,144,200

Those are the published ASDP tariffs and they have been stable for a while, but treat them as indicative rather than a quote — regulated fares do get revised.

Budget the day, not the crossing. The four to five hours at sea is the honest part; the rest is queuing. Expect one to three hours to board while vehicles are loaded, sometimes more waiting on board before the ropes come off, and another wait for a berth at the far end. Door to door, Padang Bai to Lembar realistically runs 8 to 10 hours. Add the drive: Lembar to Kuta Lombok is about an hour and a half, Lembar to Bangsal closer to two and a half.

On board it is basic and perfectly fine: bench seating, an air-conditioned cabin that may or may not be cold, a canteen, a prayer room, toilets. Some boats sell a VIP room for a few extra rupiah, which is worth it if you want to sleep. Two practical warnings — agree a price with any porter before he touches your bag, and keep an eye on your belongings during loading, when the deck is crowded and vehicles are moving.

Flying to Lombok

Another option is to take a plane. Several airlines offer direct flights from Bali to Lombok, with a flight time of about 30 minutes. Lion Air and TransNusa run the route, and fares are low if you book ahead: $18 to $45 booked in advance, $60 to $105 at the last minute. Door to door, counting the transfer to Denpasar, check-in and security, allow 3 to 4 hours.

The detail that decides it is where the airport is. Zainuddin Abdul Madjid International Airport (LOP) sits at Praya, in the south of the island. That puts it:

• 25 minutes from Kuta Lombok and the south coast beaches
• about 1h30 from Senggigi
• roughly 3 hours from Bangsal and the north

So the usual advice — “the airport is far from everything, take the boat” — is only true if you are heading north. If Kuta Lombok, Tanjung Aan or the Mandalika circuit is your destination, flying puts you at your hotel in half the time of any boat, and often for a similar price. It is also the sensible choice if you get seasick, if you are travelling during the rough months, or if you are continuing on to Flores, Sumbawa or Komodo afterwards. To compare schedules and fares, have a look at Trip.com.

What Six Crossings Taught Me

I have been to Lombok six times between August 2022 and February 2024, plus the trips where the island was only a stop on the way to the Gilis. Four of those six arrivals were at Bangsal, and I have taken the fast boat, the public ferry and the plane.

The fast boat is the right default, and the morning departure is not a suggestion. The Lombok Strait is one of the deepest, most current-swept channels in Indonesia, and it builds through the day. A 9am crossing and a 2pm crossing on the same route are two different experiences.

I ended up on the public ferry because I had no choice. Every fast boat was cancelled for rough seas and I was stuck. If that happens to you — and in July and August it happens regularly — the ferry is not a fallback, it is the answer. It sails in conditions that ground the speedboats, because it is a ship rather than a launch.

And I rent a scooter at Bangsal every single time. It is the thing I would tell anyone arriving in north Lombok: the port has rental places, the paperwork takes ten minutes, and it turns the island from a series of expensive transfers into somewhere you can actually explore. I have ridden Bangsal to Senaru, and Bangsal all the way down to Kuta Lombok — that last one is around 90 km and a solid three hours, on roads that are mostly good but never empty. It is a real ride, not a hop. Do it in the morning, take a break at Kuta Mandalika, and do not attempt it after dark.

Arriving in Lombok: What Happens Next

Fast boats land at Bangsal, sometimes calling at Senggigi first. The ferry lands at Lembar. Flights land at Praya. From Bangsal, the driving times that matter:

• Gili Islands — 20 to 30 minutes by public boat from the harbour itself
• Senggigi — 30 to 45 minutes
• Senaru, for Rinjani and the waterfalls — about 2h30
• Kuta Lombok and the south coast — 1h30 to 2h by car

Taxis and private drivers wait at every arrival point, but prices at the port are negotiated rather than metered, and you will be tired. Arranging a transfer in advance is worth the small premium. If you would rather explore under your own steam, rent a scooter at Bangsal — see the section above.

Once you are on the island, our Lombok travel guide covers where to stay, the waterfalls of the north, Kuta and the south coast beaches, and the Sasak villages.

Practical Tips for the Crossing

Rough seas — and when they happen

Counter-intuitively, the roughest crossings are in the dry season, June to September, when the southeast trade winds blow hardest across the strait. Book a big boat, take the earliest departure of the day, and keep a spare day in your itinerary during those months — cancellations are common and they cascade.

Seasickness

Take something before you board, not once you feel it. Skip the heavy breakfast and the beer. Sit in the middle of the boat, low down and near the centreline, where the pitching is least. Outside on the rear deck beats a stuffy cabin if the weather allows it.

Luggage, tickets and cash

Suitcases are stacked at the bow or on the roof and they get wet — dry-bag anything electronic and keep valuables with you. Arrive an hour before the official departure whatever your ticket says. And carry cash: port transfers, porters and scooter rentals are cash businesses, and the ATMs at Bangsal are unreliable.

How to book on line your ticket to Lombok

My recommendation is to book your transport, including fast boats and planes, online with 12go. They have very good fares with the best companies, and it is super easy to book. You can compare operators, departure times and traveller reviews in one place, the prices are often below the published fares on the operators’ own sites, and the e-ticket arrives by email — I have never had a problem exchanging it at the counter. Just remember to be there an hour before the official departure time.

Frequently Asked Questions About Getting to Lombok

How do you get to Lombok from Bali?

By fast boat, public ferry or plane. The fast boat from Padang Bai is the most popular, crossing in 1h30 to 2h30 and landing at Bangsal in north Lombok. The public ferry to Lembar is far cheaper but takes 4 to 6 hours at sea. Flights to Praya take 30 minutes in the air and make sense if you are heading to the south of the island.

What is the fastest way to get to Lombok?

Flying, on paper — 30 minutes in the air. Door to door, once you add the transfer to Denpasar, check-in and the drive from Praya, it is 3 to 4 hours, which is comparable to the fast boat unless your destination is in the south. For Kuta Lombok, flying genuinely is fastest.

Which port should I use in Bali?

Padang Bai, on the east coast. It has the most departures, the shortest crossing and the cheapest fares. Serangan near Sanur saves you the drive east but costs around IDR 200,000 more and adds up to two hours at sea because of the Nusa Penida stop. Amed has had no service since 2020.

How much does the Bali to Lombok fast boat cost?

Roughly IDR 300,000 to 600,000 one way, or $19 to $38, depending on the operator and the season. Eka Jaya sits at the top of that range and Golden Queen and Semaya One below it. Eka Jaya discounts 20% on Friday bookings.

Can you take a car or motorbike to Lombok?

Yes, on the public ferry between Padang Bai and Lembar — it is the only crossing that carries vehicles. A motorbike under 500cc costs IDR 160,600 including the rider, a car IDR 1,127,300 including driver and passengers. Fast boats take passengers and luggage only.

How long does the public ferry to Lombok take?

Four to five hours at sea, up to six in bad weather. Budget 8 to 10 hours door to door: boarding takes one to three hours while vehicles are loaded, and there is usually another wait for a berth on arrival. Ferries leave roughly hourly, around the clock, with no advance booking.

Can you go straight from Nusa Penida to Lombok?

Yes. Eka Jaya and Semaya One both run daily services, usually calling at the Gili Islands on the way, in 2 to 3 hours. Check whether your “direct” boat detours via Padang Bai — many do, and it adds around two hours.

Is the crossing between Bali and Lombok dangerous?

It is generally safe, but the Lombok Strait is deep and current-swept and the sea gets up, particularly from June to September. Choose a large boat and a morning departure. Departures are delayed or cancelled outright in bad weather, which is a sign the system works rather than a reason to worry.

How far is Lombok airport from Kuta and from the Gili Islands?

Praya airport is 25 minutes from Kuta Lombok, about 1h30 from Senggigi and roughly 3 hours from Bangsal, the port for the Gili Islands. That distance is what should decide between flying and taking the boat.

What is the best time of year to cross to Lombok?

April, May, October and November give the calmest seas. June to September is the dry season but also the windiest, with the roughest crossings and the most cancellations. In the wet season, from November to March, the sea is often calmer than people expect.

About the author — Blaise Jaeger

Blaise Jaeger has been based in Bali since 2020. He has crossed to Lombok six times between 2022 and 2024, by fast boat, by public ferry and by plane, landing at Bangsal on four of those trips and renting a scooter at the port each time. He also publishes the Nusa Penida travel guides, which is why the Nusa Penida connections on this page come from having taken them rather than from a timetable.