Getting to and from Lombok

By Air (fastest & easiest)

Lombok International Airport (LOP) sits in the centre-south of the island, about 20–30 minutes from Kuta and the southern beaches. Flying from Bali takes roughly 35 minutes and costs around $60–125, with frequent connections also from Jakarta, Surabaya, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore.

By Fast Boat from Bali & co (the popular tourist route)

Fast boats run daily from Bali — mainly Padang Bai, plus Sanur, Serangan and Amed — and also from Nusa Penida/Lembongan. Crossings take about 1.5–3 hours and cost roughly $15–50 one-way, with air-conditioned seating and life jackets. On the Lombok side they land at one of three northwest jetties:

-Bangsal Harbour — the main hub. It handles Bali fast boats plus the local boats out to Gili Trawangan, Gili Air and Gili Meno, and gets very busy in high season.

-Teluk Nare (Nara) and Senggigi — quieter sub-harbours also used by Bali fast boats, handy if you're basing on the west coast.

By Public Ferry (budget & vehicles)

The slow car ferry connects Padang Bai (East Bali) with Lembar Harbour (Southwest Lombok). It runs 24 hours, departing roughly every 1–2 hours, and the crossing takes 4–5 hours (sometimes longer with loading). Foot-passenger tickets are around IDR 45,000, plus a small harbour tax — cheap, but cramped and basic, and best suited to budget travellers or anyone bringing a motorbike. Lembar is about an hour's drive from the south. Tip: only buy at the official ticket office — and there's no Grab or Gojek at Lembar, so arrange a transfer in advance.

Onward East: Lombok → Sumbawa

If you're continuing east, the ferry from Kayangan / Labuhan Lombok (East Lombok) crosses to Poto Tano (Sumbawa). It runs about every hour, takes 1.5 hours on a modern boat, and costs around IDR 135,000 for adults. The drive from Lembar across to Kayangan is roughly 2.5–3 hours.

Reaching the Smaller Gilis

• Northwest Gilis (Trawangan, Meno, Air): local and fast boats from Bangsal.

• Southwest "secret" Gilis (Nanggu, Sudak, Asahan, Gede): chartered tourist boats from Tawun and the Sekotong area in the southwest.

• East Gilis (Kondo, Lampu, Bidara): small boats from the Sambelia coast in the northeast.