Bali to Lombok Fast Boat: Real Prices, Timings & Honest 2026 Review
Verified against Gili Getaway, BlueWater Express, and Semaya One booking pages on 22 July 2026, plus traveller reports from the Padang Bai and Bangsal jetties in the same month. For related planning, see our guide on Sea Backpacking Hub.
The fast boat is the only sane way to cross from Bali to Lombok. The public ferry is cheap but slow, runs on its own clock, and treats your schedule as a suggestion. The fast boats cost more, but they leave on time, take 2 to 2.5 hours, and drop you close to where you want to be. You may also find 4000 Islands Complete Guide for Indian Travelers Vientiane Routes Itinerary Is It Worth Visiting useful for this trip.
This article breaks down what the three main operators (Gili Getaway, BlueWater Express, Semaya One) charge in 2026, what each fare class gets you, which port pair makes sense for your Lombok plan, and the port taxes nobody warns you about until you’re standing at the gate with a backpack and a credit card that declines. See also: 4000 Islands on a 1 500 Day Budget Backpacker Cost Breakdown for Si Phan Don.
Quick Answers
| What | Answer | Price (INR) |
|---|---|---|
| Cheapest one-way ticket (open deck) | ₹1,880 (~350,000 IDR or ~$19.48) | ₹1,855 (~$19.22) |
| Standard AC cabin one-way | ₹2,417-₹2,955 (~450,000-550,000 IDR or ~$25.04-$30.61) | ₹2,385-₹2,915 (~$24.71-$30.20) |
| Fastest crossing (Gili Getaway fast boat) | 1 hour 45 minutes | |
| Most common crossing time | 2 to 2.5 hours | |
| Port tax at Padang Bai or Bangsal (cash, on the day) | ₹54-₹134 (~10,000-25,000 IDR or ~$0.56-$1.39) | ₹55-₹135 (~$0.57-$1.40) |
Which Route Are You Taking
There are four realistic combinations, and they cost different amounts and take different times. For related planning, see our guide on Baguio Complete Travel Guide for Indian Travelers Budget Best Time Things to Do.
Bali (Padang Bai) to Lombok (Bangsal) is the workhorse route. Bangsal is the gateway to the Gili Islands and to Senggigi on Lombok’s west coast. Almost every backpacker takes this one. You may also find Chiang Dao on 1 500 Day Full Budget Breakdown for Indian Backpackers useful for this trip.
Bali (Padang Bai) to Gili Trawangan skips Lombok entirely if you’re island-hopping straight to the Gilis. Same boats, same operators, often the same price as Bali to Bangsal (the boats all stop at the Gilis on the way).
Bali (Benoa) to Lombok (Lembar) is the southern route. Benoa is closer to Kuta, Seminyak, and the airport. Lembar is the main Lombok port, a 1.5 to 2 hour drive south of Mataram and Senggigi. Slower, longer, fewer departures, usually the same price or slightly cheaper.
Bali to Lombok public ferry (Padang Bai to Lembar) is the budget option at around ₹322 (~60,000 IDR or ~$3.34) for foot passengers and ₹1,343 (~250,000 IDR or ~$13.91) for a small motorbike, but it runs 4 to 6 times a day on a loose schedule and takes 4 to 5 hours including loading. Most travellers regret it.
The Three Operators Worth Booking
Gili Getaway
The best-known operator on this crossing. Runs fast boats (catamarans) from Padang Bai to Bangsal and the Gili Islands, with one or two daily departures. Standard AC cabin fare is around ₹2,955 (~550,000 IDR or ~$30.61) one-way. They also run a “speedboat” service from Sanur to the Gilis at a premium.
The boats are well-maintained, the schedule is the most reliable of the three, and the on-board staff speak enough English to handle the standard questions (where to sit, where the life jackets are, when you arrive). Booking on their official site is cheaper than walking up at the jetty. They also have a pickup service from Kuta, Ubud, and Seminyak for an extra ₹806-₹1,074 (~150,000-200,000 IDR or ~$8.35-$11.13).
BlueWater Express
The closest rival to Gili Getaway in terms of comfort and schedule. Same route (Padang Bai to Bangsal and the Gilis), similar boats, similar price (₹2,417-₹2,955 (~450,000-550,000 IDR or ~$25.04-$30.61) for AC cabin). Travellers report slightly smoother rides and a slightly less crowded boat than Gili Getaway on shoulder-season days.
BlueWater’s main edge is a more generous luggage allowance (one backpack plus one duffel per person, versus Gili Getaway’s stricter “one bag” rule). Worth knowing if you’re carrying a 60-litre pack and a daypack.
Semaya One
The newer entrant, lower prices to compete. Around ₹1,880-₹2,417 (~350,000-450,000 IDR or ~$19.48-$25.04) for the standard cabin, depending on season. Fewer daily departures, smaller boats, and the schedule shifts more than the bigger two. If you’re flexible on time and want to save ₹537-₹806 (~100,000-150,000 IDR or ~$5.57-$8.35), Semaya One is fine. If your Lombok ferry or Gili connection is tight the next morning, pay the extra for Gili Getaway.
Subodh’s Pro Tip: Book direct on the operator’s own site (GiliGetaway.com, BlueWaterExpress.id, SemayaOne.com). Third-party booking platforms like 12go and Klook add a ₹269-₹537 (~50,000-100,000 IDR or ~$2.78-$5.57) markup on top of the operator’s price for the same seat. The only reason to use 12go is if you want a single confirmation page covering buses, boats, and hotels for the same trip.
Bali to Lombok Fast Boat Prices 2026
Here is what the three operators currently charge for a one-way Padang Bai to Bangsal ticket, standard AC cabin class.
| Operator | One-way standard | Open deck (cheapest) | Premium/VIP class |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gili Getaway | ₹2,955 (~550,000 IDR or ~$30.61) | ₹1,880 (~350,000 IDR or ~$19.48) | ₹3,760 (~700,000 IDR or ~$38.96) |
| BlueWater Express | ₹2,417-₹2,955 (~450,000-550,000 IDR or ~$25.04-$30.61) | ₹1,880-₹2,149 (~350,000-400,000 IDR or ~$19.48-$22.26) | ₹3,223-₹3,760 (~600,000-700,000 IDR or ~$33.39-$38.96) |
| Semaya One | ₹1,880-₹2,417 (~350,000-450,000 IDR or ~$19.48-$25.04) | ₹1,612 (~300,000 IDR or ~$16.70) | Not offered |
Add ₹54-₹134 (~10,000-25,000 IDR or ~$0.56-$1.39) per person in port tax at both ends, paid cash at the jetty office. Some operators bundle this into the ticket price, but most don’t. Bring small notes.
Round trip is usually 10-15% cheaper than two one-ways if you book both legs together on the same operator’s site.
Safety Alert: The Bali Strait is genuinely choppy in the November to March wet season. Crossings run on time but boats pitch and roll. Take seasickness tablets (Dramamine or Avomine from any Indonesian apotek) 30 minutes before boarding if you get even mildly seasick. The open-deck class is the worst affected.
Bali to Lombok Fast Boat Timings and Schedule
Most operators run 1 to 3 daily departures, mostly morning, with one afternoon service. The standard pattern:
- Gili Getaway: 09:00 and 13:00 from Padang Bai, arriving Bangsal 11:30-12:00 and 15:30-16:00.
- BlueWater Express: 08:30 and 13:30 from Padang Bai, similar arrival windows.
- Semaya One: 09:30 only, sometimes a second departure at 14:00 in high season (July, August, December).
Check-in closes 30 minutes before departure. Latecomers lose their seat, no refund, no negotiation. The boats leave on time because the Indonesian port authorities run on time.
Real journey time is 2 to 2.5 hours port-to-port. Operators market the crossing as “1 hour 45 minutes” or “2 hours flat,” but that is the moving time. Add 30-45 minutes for boarding, life-jacket briefing, and the slow approach into Bangsal harbour. Total door-to-door from your Padang Bai hotel to your Bangsal guesthouse is realistically 3.5 to 4 hours.
Subodh’s Pro Tip: The 09:00 morning departure is the calmest ride. Wind picks up after noon, and afternoon crossings feel noticeably bumpier. Worth booking the early boat if you have any choice in the matter.
Padang Bai vs Benoa: Which Bali Port
Padang Bai is the backpacker port. Closer to Ubud, Candidasa, and Amed. Smaller jetty, faster check-in, fewer touts. All three operators run from here. The drive from Kuta/Seminyak is 1.5 hours (longer in traffic), from Ubud is 1 hour, from Sanur is 1 hour.
Benoa is the southern port, closer to Kuta and the airport. Longer drive to the Gili Islands and to Lombok (the boat has to go further). Mainly used by Gili Getaway’s “speedboat” service and by tour packages. Skip Benoa unless your hotel is in the airport/Kuta area and you hate the road to Padang Bai.
For 95% of Indian backpackers coming from Ubud, Canggu, or Seminyak, Padang Bai is the correct port.
Bangsal vs Lembar: Which Lombok Port
Bangsal is the small harbour on Lombok’s northwest coast. Tiny, chaotic, and 10 minutes from the Gili Islands boat connection and 30 minutes from Senggigi. This is where you arrive if your plan is Gili Trawangan, Gili Air, Gili Meno, or Senggigi. Every fast boat operator stops here.
Lembar is Lombok’s main commercial port, 1.5 to 2 hours south of Mataram, Senggigi, and the Gilis. This is where the public ferry lands and where the rare fast-boat service from Benoa arrives. Only relevant if you’re heading south to Kuta Lombok or Mataram.
If you’re going to the Gilis or Senggigi, Bangsal is the right answer. If you’re heading to Kuta Lombok or the south coast, Lembar makes sense, but you’ll likely overland from Bangsal instead (cheaper, more frequent transport).
What’s Included in Your Ticket
Standard AC cabin fare on all three operators includes:
- One piece of luggage up to 25-30kg (one backpack or one suitcase, depending on operator).
- A seat in the air-conditioned cabin with a window.
- A bottle of water and a small snack (biscuit packet, sometimes a banana).
- Basic safety briefing in English.
Not included:
- Port tax at Padang Bai (₹54 (~10,000 IDR or ~$0.56)) and Bangsal (₹81-₹134 (~15,000-25,000 IDR or ~$0.83-$1.39)).
- Hotel transfer (₹806-₹1,074 (~150,000-200,000 IDR or ~$8.35-$11.13) extra if you want pickup from your Ubud or Kuta hotel).
- Travel insurance (basic Indonesian domestic coverage is on board, but it is not international travel insurance).
- Larger luggage or a second bag (Gili Getaway charges ₹269-₹537 (~50,000-100,000 IDR or ~$2.78-$5.57) for an extra bag).
Where to Eat in Padang Bai Before You Board
Padang Bai is a small harbour town with a strip of warungs within 5 minutes of the jetty. Most open by 07:00 for the morning boat crowd.
Iga Sapi Bali does the local specialty: slow-braised beef ribs in Balinese spice paste, served with rice and sambal. Expect ₹188-₹269 (~35,000-50,000 IDR or ~$1.95-$2.78) per portion. Tender enough to cut with a spoon, rich enough that half a portion plus rice is a filling breakfast.
Lotus Garden sits slightly uphill from the main strip and gets you out of the harbour noise. Standard Indonesian menu (nasi goreng, mie goreng, gado-gado), ₹134-₹215 (~25,000-40,000 IDR or ~$1.39-$2.23) per dish. Reliable, no surprises, decent for vegetarians (order the gado-gado and the tempeh penyet).
de nata is the bakery and coffee stop. Pastries, banana bread, and proper Balinese kopi. ₹81-₹134 (~15,000-25,000 IDR or ~$0.83-$1.39) for coffee and a snack. Good for the 30-minute wait between check-in and boarding.
If you need a heavier vegetarian meal before crossing, the gado-gado (boiled vegetables with peanut sauce, no egg) and the tempeh penyet (crushed fried tempeh with sambal) at Lotus Garden are safe, filling, and around ₹134-₹161 (~25,000-30,000 IDR or ~$1.39-$1.67).
How to Get from Padang Bai to Bangsal Step by Step
- Get to Padang Bai 1 hour before departure. The town is small, the jetty is the only thing happening. Grab or Gojek drop-offs are at the main road, 5 minutes’ walk to the check-in office.
- Check in at the operator’s counter. Bring your booking confirmation (printed or on your phone) and your passport. They weigh your bag, tag it, and hand you a boarding pass.
- Pay the port tax. ₹54 (~10,000 IDR or ~$0.56) cash at the small booth next to the check-in office. Keep your receipt, port police check it on the jetty.
- Wait in the departure area. Usually 20-30 minutes of sitting on plastic chairs while staff load luggage into the boat.
- Board when called. Life jackets are handed out on board. Sit where your ticket says, the boat balances differently with people moving around.
- Crossing. 2 to 2.5 hours. Stay hydrated, take seasickness tablets if you need them, and keep your camera in your daypack (overhead storage bounces).
- Arrive Bangsal. Disembark onto a small floating dock, walk through the port building, pay the Bangsal port tax (₹81-₹134 (~15,000-25,000 IDR or ~$0.83-$1.39) cash, separate counter), and exit to the main road.
- Connect onwards. Public boats to Gili Trawangan, Gili Air, and Gili Meno leave from the beach 200 metres north of the port building (₹54-₹134 (~10,000-25,000 IDR or ~$0.56-$1.39) per person). Bemos and Grab cars to Senggigi and Mataram wait outside the port gate.
Common Mistakes
Mistake 1: Booking through 12go or Klook for the “convenience” Third-party platforms charge a ₹269-₹537 (~50,000-100,000 IDR or ~$2.78-$5.57) markup on the same seat you would get booking direct on GiliGetaway.com or BlueWaterExpress.id. The only reason to use a third-party site is if your itinerary is complicated enough that one confirmation page is worth the extra. For a simple one-way, book direct.
Mistake 2: Not bringing cash for port tax The ₹54-₹134 (~10,000-25,000 IDR or ~$0.56-$1.39) per port is cash-only. Card payment is not available at the port booths. Indonesian ATMs at Padang Bai and Bangsal charge ₹134-₹269 (~25,000-50,000 IDR or ~$1.39-$2.78) foreign withdrawal fees. Withdraw in advance at a Kuta or Ubud ATM where the fee structure is clearer.
Mistake 3: Missing the check-in cutoff The 30-minute-before-departure cutoff is enforced. If your Bali taxi is late or you underestimate the Padang Bai drive from Seminyak in rain, you lose your seat. Aim to arrive 90 minutes before departure, not 30.
Mistake 4: Taking the public ferry to save money The ferry is ₹322 (~60,000 IDR or ~$3.34) for a foot passenger and ₹1,343 (~250,000 IDR or ~$13.91) for a motorbike, versus ₹2,417-₹2,955 (~450,000-550,000 IDR or ~$25.04-$30.61) for the fast boat. The ferry takes 4 to 5 hours including loading, runs on a flexible schedule, and breaks down often. The 400,000 IDR difference buys you back 2 to 3 hours and most of your sanity.
Bali to Lombok Fast Boat vs Ferry vs Flight
| Option | Cost one-way | Time | Schedule reliability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fast boat (Gili Getaway/BlueWater) | ₹2,417-₹2,955 (~450,000-550,000 IDR or ~$25.04-$30.61) | 2 to 2.5 hours | High |
| Public ferry (Padang Bai to Lembar) | ₹322 (~60,000 IDR or ~$3.34) foot passenger, ₹1,343 (~250,000 IDR or ~$13.91) with motorbike | 4 to 5 hours | Low |
| Flight (DPS to LOP) | ₹4,298-₹8,058 (~800,000-1,500,000 IDR or ~$44.52-$83.48) | 40 minutes flight, 2+ hours total with airport transfers | High |
The flight looks tempting on paper. But Denpasar to Lombok Praya flight time plus airport transfers plus check-in lands at 3 to 4 hours door-to-door, costs 2 to 3x the fast boat, and saves you maybe 30 minutes. The fast boat wins for budget backpackers.
The ferry wins only if you have your own motorbike to bring across (cheaper than renting a bike in Lombok) and you have a full day to waste.
FAQ
How long is the Bali to Lombok fast boat? The crossing itself is 2 to 2.5 hours port-to-port. Operators market “1 hour 45 minutes” for the moving time, but the realistic door-to-door journey including boarding and Bangsal disembarkation is 3.5 to 4 hours.
Is the fast boat to Lombok safe? The boats are Indonesian-flagged, carry life jackets for every passenger, and run standard safety briefings. Rough weather crossings in the November to March wet season can be uncomfortable for anyone prone to seasickness but are not dangerous. Take Dramamine 30 minutes before boarding if you get even mildly seasick.
Can I buy a ticket at the jetty without booking? Yes, but only if the boat is not full. High season (July, August, December to early January) boats sell out 2 to 3 days ahead. Low season you can walk up the morning of. Booking in advance online is cheaper and guarantees a seat.
What is the cheapest way to get from Bali to Lombok? The public ferry at ₹322 (~60,000 IDR or ~$3.34) for a foot passenger is the cheapest. The cheapest fast boat is Semaya One at ₹1,612-₹1,880 (~300,000-350,000 IDR or ~$16.70-$19.48) for the limited open-deck class. The cheapest reliable fast boat is BlueWater Express at ₹2,417 (~450,000 IDR or ~$25.04) standard AC cabin.
Do I need a visa to enter Lombok from Bali? No. Lombok is part of Indonesia, the same country as Bali. Your Indonesian visa-on-arrival (₹3,379 (~35 USD), paid on arrival at Ngurah Rai International Airport in Denpasar, or any major Indonesian international airport) covers you for both islands. Bali charges an additional ₹806 (~150,000 IDR or ~$8.35) tourism levy on top of the visa fee, but Lombok does not have an equivalent levy at any port.
Can I take a large suitcase on the fast boat? Yes, all three operators accept checked luggage up to 25-30kg. Gili Getaway charges ₹269-₹537 (~50,000-100,000 IDR or ~$2.78-$5.57) for a second bag; BlueWater and Semaya One are more flexible. Keep valuables, passport, and medication in your daypack, not in checked luggage.
Subodh’s Take
The fast boat is not a question, it’s the answer. The only real choice is which operator. Pay the ₹537-₹806 (~100,000-150,000 IDR or ~$5.57-$8.35) extra for Gili Getaway or BlueWater over Semaya One unless you are on a hard daily budget, and always book direct on the operator’s site. The boats leave on time, the crossings are smooth, and Bangsal is closer to where you want to be than Lembar. Bring cash for port tax, take a seasickness tablet if you need one, and you’ll be in Lombok before your second coffee gets cold.
