Bali to Gili islands: The best travel options and prices

Bali to Gili islands: How to get there and how much it will cost

Bali to Gili islands: Island hopping in paradise

Hey fellow travellers! While in Bali (check out our complete guide to Bali, and what Bali is seriously lacking) we met a load of people trying to get from the island across to the Gili islands; three postcard-perfect islands with white sand, turquoise water and naturally some great snorkelling to be found. there is also surprisingly good and cheap accommodation; click here to see the best deals for Bali and Gili islands accommodation). Here are the best ways to get from Bali to Gili islands.

Get a fast boat, either from Padang Bai in the south or Amed on the far east coast. This takes 90 minutes from Padang Bai and 75 minutes from Amed and should cost around £70 return. Tickets are easily available from pretty much every street in Kuta, Sanur, Ubud and the usual tourist areas, but if you want to pre-book there are plenty of websites such as www.gilitickets.com. Personally we like to buy face-to-face but it’s up to you.

2. Slow boat, via Lombok. It doesn’t make time-sense to travel this way, but if you have time to kill and a small budget, of if you want to visit Lombok too, this might be an attractive option. Catch the ferry from Padang Bai for around £4 and arrive at Lembar, Lombok. This boat also takes scooters and cars so if you fancy renting a vehicle, no problem (although Gili Air is strictly no motorised transport). It costs £6 to take a scooter with you (including passenger) and around £35 for a car plus passengers.

3. Fly from Bali (Denpasar airport) to Lombok, for as little as £22. I personally would recommend this in January and February as the seas can be super choppy. Check out SkyScanner for the best prices.

After arriving at Lombok you’ll need to get to the Gilis. You have 3 further options-

a) The public slow boat (ferry) for around £1, which takes around 2 hours and leaves at 7.30am and 4.30pm from Bangsal Harbour. Buy tickets from the Bangsal office which opens 8am-4.30pm daily.

b) Fast boat from Teluk Nara or Teluk Kodek on the west coast of Lombok. Most travellers depart from Nara, with private resorts mainly using Kodek. Tickets are around £25 one way.

Bear in mind that as Gili Meno isn’t as popular as Gili Air and Gili T, often the fast boats won’t go there unless there is high demand so you might want to think about getting a private speedboat (around £100 one way through The Lombok Network including transfer from Lombok’s airport).

c) Swim. Don’t obviously.

Click here for the best price accommodation deals: