How to get to the Gili islands from Bali on the public ferry

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7 Responses

  1. Ann says:

    I’m planning to visit Gili in September. Thank you for the tips!

  2. Jeroen says:

    Tip: there are metered taxis at Lembar, but the local taxi mafia keeps them well away from the docks. So to find them, just walk straight out of the harbour and turn right along the main road; after a few hundred metres you’ll find the spot where Blue Bird taxis usually wait for customers. To be on the safe side, simply phone and order one in advance (though you’ll still need to walk out of the harbour gate to find it). http://www.bluebirdgroup.com/nationwide/lombok

  3. M. Sova says:

    The font on your web page is extremely difficult to read especially for tired old eyes. Please consider a darker and thicker font with less graphics.

  4. hannah says:

    Do you have to go to lombok from padang bai in order to go to any of the gili islands? or can you go straight there?

  5. Rachel allan says:

    Hiya we want to go from Lombok to Gili T and we are poor backpackers ! Does anyone know the cheapest way!? Is it taxi to the ferry then ferry to Gili t!?

  6. Matt Arat says:

    I just though I would help a few people out as getting to the gilis on the cheap has been a nightmare to research for a clear and definitive answer (in terms of bemos, where you get on and off as well as prices)

    so…

    I got dropped off in padang bai by scuba tour from amed (saved on transport from kuta).

    Haggled down a fast boat price from 600,000 to 150,000 (it is mid may 2016 so not full on high season may be the reason)

    Apart from that I have seen plenty of shops offering the slow option for 200,000 – public ferry to lembar and shuttle buses all the way up to bangsal harbour and the ferry across to the gilis. This option would take around 7 hours.

    This may be the easier option if you a solo traveller, as all I have read from getting to lembar to bangsal by bemos or taxi to be a lot of hassle. This option may mean paying a fraction more than doing it all yourself, but at least it is minimal hassle.

    If you are travelling as a group of 2/3 and still want to keep it cheap and you cant get the fast boat price down, from what i have read – pay for the public ferry yourself to lembar, get the hell out of the harbour without even talking to any of the people trying to sell you stuff in the harbour and negotiate a price with one of the blue bird taxis waiting a few hundred meters up the road.

    I really hope this helps people as I have found it hard to find any decent information.

  7. john says:

    Matt Arat, you are not really helpful, 150.000 pp for a fast boat is great price, I tried to haggle down the price 7 August and it is impossible, so your advice is no longer accurate. Blue taxis should be with the meter and not negotiated. Please don’t say you have the cheap option as you went by speed boat, you are not a real backpacker, you are as I say a taxi-backpacker.