From Lombok
The daily Perama service will take you directly from Senggigi departing 9AM to Gili Trawangan in under two hours for a flat Rp 100,000, plus optional Rp 10,000 for pickup at your lodging in Senggigi. Other operators can swing similar deals for Rp 75,000, but these often involve going through Bangsal.
Another option is to arrange a speedboat charter or pickup with your hotel, or a dive shop on Trawangan. These speedboat services run in and out of the lovely Teluk Nare bay in Lombok, south of Bangsal and thus avoiding the thoroughly unpleasant experience of combating the touts there. A speedboat charter normally takes up to three passengers, crosses in 20-30 min, and will cost about Rp 500,000.
The drive north from Senggigi follows the coast and the road offers panoramic views and glimpses of roadside village life. It is not a lengthy trip and the road has recently been upgraded throughout almost the entire length to either Teluk Nare and Bangsal a little further to the north. It is a quite scenic trip and glimpses of the Gilis can be seen as the road rises over the headlands whilst travelling up the coastline.
Public boats
The cheapest way to reach Gili Trawangan is on a Public boat which departs from Bangsal from 8AM-5PM (but rarely later than 4PM). The official price is Rp 10,000. Sometimes these depart only when there are enough people, normally a minimum of 15 is enough. If numbers are insufficient you might be in for a long wait. The official maximum is 20 people but sometimes the boat is overloaded by the time it is ready to depart. The experience of departing from Bangsal is rarely pleasant due to the very persistent touts who infest the place, just try to ignore them and do not listen to their generally fanciful tales that involve you paying them money to solve an imaginary transportation problem. They often provide a chorus of gloomy predictions regarding the alleged unavailability of services, then if successful they just place unknowing passengers upon the normal scheduled service or a private charter at an often seriously inflated prices.
Buy your tickets direct from the official Koperasi Angkutan Laut Karya Bahari office. In Bangsal this is located inside the main building near the door at the eastern corner. The Koperasi operate the Public Boat, the Shuttle boat, the Island Hopping boat and also offer (official) Charter boats.
The Public boat office on Trawangan is right on the beach north of the unused concrete jetty, near where you are dropped off. You may need to wait until 15-20 others show up, so it's best to be there early in the morning (7AM-8AM) if you want to get moving quickly. The last boat leaves Trawangan around 3PM.
Public boat (ferry)
This is the standard method to reach Gili Trawangan and is used by both local residents and tourists. The maximum number of passengers is fixed at 20 persons but it is often overloaded with goods and or passengers. If it seems clearly unsafe due to either overloading or prevailing weather conditions then it is most likely best not to board it.
Bangsal to Gili Trawangan 1 way is Rp 10,000
Gili Trawangan to Bangsal 1 way is Rp 10,000
Shuttle boat
This service supplements the Public boat (ferry) service and departs Gili Trawangan to Bangsal (on the main island of Lombok).
Bangsal to Gili Trawangan departs at 5PM, the official price is Rp 28,000.
Gili Trawangan to Bangsal departs at 8:15AM, the official price is Rp 28,000.
(This is more expensive than the standard Public boat cost officially fixed at Rp 10,000).
Charter boat
The official charter boat service provided by Koperasi Angkutan laut Karya Bahari is permitted to carry a maximum of 12 persons.
Bangsal to Gili Trawangan 1 way is Rp 185,000, return Rp 350,000
Gili Trawangan to Bangsal 1 way is Rp 185,000, return Rp 350,000
Informal and unofficial charters are also available from private operators to travel from Bangsal to Gili Trawangan. If requiring one try to deal only with the boat operator, ignore the touts and 'facilitators' and use your time over a negotiation, any hint of haste or urgency is sure to raise the price.
The situation arising from the activities of pestering touts combined with confusing and inadequate formal services at Bangsal is the source of many disappointments and complaints.
From Gili Air and Gili Meno
To move from one island to another the formal procedure is to take the Public boat (ferry) to Bangsal and then a further similar ferry to the required island departing from Bangsal. To return the reverse is required. This can be confusing and co-ordinating the timing with the connecting boat departing from Bangsal may be either difficult or elusive. There is also a limited official inter-island Island Hopping service provided.
Ferry operators may sometimes enter into informal arrangements with passengers to journey inter-island. In this situation a passenger boards a boat that is meant to go directly to Bangsal from one of the three Gili islands but instead it detours and sets down on the beach at another island whilst en-route. The prices are a movable feast but people will normally pay a price of around Rp 25,000. Inter-island access on the public boats in this manner is dependant upon timing, weather, loading, payment and the inclination of the crew to facilitate an inter-island journey and such arrangements are not officially sanctioned. The standard procedure is to travel to Bangsal and make a separate trip to the different island or to use the very limited official service. The price for a single journey Public Boat ferry journey from Gili Air to Bangsal is Rp 8,000. The price for a Public boat from Gili Meno is Rp 9,000. The price for the subsequent Public boat to Gili Trawangan from Bangsal is Rp 10,000, this assuming the required connection was made at Bangsal.
Island Hopping boat
A limited formal Island hopping boat service is provided by Koperasi Angkutan Laut Karya Bahari, this is the same local koperasi (maritime transport co-operative) that provides the Public Boat ferry service.
Gili Meno to Gili Trawangan departs at 8:50AM and the official price is Rp 23,000
Gili Air to Gili Trawangan in the morning is an indirect service. Take the Island Hopping boat leaving Gili Air for Gili Meno at 8:30AM. The same boat then departs Gili Meno for Gili Trawangan at 8:50AM. The official Gili A to Gili T Island Hopping boat price is Rp 23,000. Hopefully you will only pay once.
Gili Air to Gili Trawangan departs at 3PM and the official price is Rp 23,000
Gili Trawangan to Gilli Meno departs at 9:30AM and the official price is Rp 20,000
Gili Trawangan to Gilli Air departs at 4PM and the official price is Rp 23,000
Charter boat
The official charter boat service provided by Koperasi Angkutan laut Karya Bahari is permitted to carry a maximum of 12 persons.
Gili Trawangan to Gilli Meno 1 way is Rp 190,000, return Rp 350,000
Gilli Meno to Gili Trawangan 1 way is Rp 195,000, return Rp 350,000
Gilli Trawangan to Gili Air 1 way is Rp 195,000, return Rp 350,000
Gilli Air to Gili Trawangan 1 way is Rp 195,000, return Rp 350,000
Gili Trawangan to Senggigi 1 way is Rp 490,000, return Rp 690,000
Informal private charters are also available. Prices are subject to negotiation, take your time over the process.
From Bali
All services are subject to weather conditions and the trip across the Lombok Strait can get quite bumpy especially in July and August. Amed Sea Express offers free transfers to/from Tulamben and Amed in East Bali while BlueWater, Gili Cat and GiliGili offer free transfers to/from south Bali. Most operators offer pickups and drop offs but all cover slightly different regions. Prices usually include land transport from/to your destination in Bali. Double-check with operators for seasonal discounts, schedules and current operational status. You may get a better price by booking from a travel agent in Bali rather than booking directly with the boat company as the agents get discounts and some may pass them on to their customers. Prevailing weather conditions in the Lombok Strait can lead to rough crossings and occasional cancellation of services especially during the peak of the monsoon season around January-February. The vessels currently serving the fast boat crossing may not be suitable for open water use and are generally of a light duty hull construction. All are powered by petrol fuelled outboard engines. Crew training, operational standards and safety equipment are of a mixed standard and may be well below the normal expectations of many foreign visitors. If you have legitimate concerns about either the vessel, the operator or the prevailing weather conditions do not board the boat, immediately seek a refund of your fare and make alternative arrangements for your trip. Consider your options and choice of provider very carefully. Especially during inclement weather the air services across the Lombok Strait may provide a more reliable, comfortable and safer journey.
