Getting to Gili Trawangan

From Bali to Gili Trawangan

The easiest way to travel to Gili Trawangan is by fastboat service from Bali. There are many Fastboat operators that offer daily “door to door” transfers from your hotel in Bali or the airport to the beautiful beach harbor on Gili Trawangan. Most fastboat services include pick-up from you hotel in Bali, shuttle bus to the boat harbor in Benoa or Padangbai and the boat crossing itself.

The crossing from Bali to Lombok takes 1 hour 20 minutes and then continues on from Lombok to Gili Trawangan which takes about 10 minutes. Depending on the time of year there are usually morning and afternoon crossings to and from Gili and Bali.

There are many Fastboat operators to choose from. We recommend reputable companies which offer the highest standard of safety and comfort. If you are looking for the cheapest options there are other available too. Eka Jaya, Ostina, Golden Queen and Blue Water Express all offer friendly services. You can book online, from your accommodation in Bali or we can help to organize fastboat transfers for you. Please get in touch with us should you wish for us to book your boat tickets for you.

For those who prefer to fly, there are on average, five daily flights from Bali’s Ngurah Rai International Airport to the new International Airport on Lombok. It is an easy flight of 40 minutes. From the airport you can take a 2 hour taxi ride to Teluk Nare, the speedboat harbor for the Gili Islands. From there, a speedboat will bring you to Gili Trawangan in 10 minutes.

From Lombok to Gili Trawangan

Budget conscious travelers may chose to take the “slow boat” from Bali to Lombok and then on to Gili Trawangan. This journey includes a shuttle pick up from your homestay in Bali and ride to Padangbai, one of two main harbors in Bali. From Padangbai you board the public ferry (think big, slow and a little creaky) which will take to to Lombok in 4-6 hours.

You arrive in Lembar, a harbor town on Lombok and from there take a taxi or bemo (local minibus service) to Bangsal. From Bangsal you take a small public boat to Gili Trawangan- this journey takes 30 minutes to an hour. The total journey time can be from eight to ten hours, so take a good book!

There are many tour operators in Bali and Lombok which will offer one price for the entire trip. It will save you time and money to buy one ticket for the whole journey rather than at each section of the trip. For the adventurous this is more of an experience but you won’t save a lot of money by taking the slow boat. If you value your time over money then opt for a fast boat.

If you have anymore questions about getting to and from the island email us or send us a message on our Freedivegili facebook page. We are here to help.