Gili Islands from Bali: Fast Boats, Which Island, and the Surf (2026)

Fast boats leave from Padang Bai on Bali's east coast and from Serangan, near Sanur. From Padang Bai it takes about an hour and a quarter to an hour and a half. Gili Getaway's boat from Serangan takes about three and three-quarter hours, because it stops at Nusa Penida and on Lombok on the way.

On operators' own pages, one-way fares run from about IDR 635,000 to 800,000. Ekajaya charges IDR 685,000, or 635,000 booked online. Gili Getaway starts at IDR 700,000. Scoot charges IDR 800,000 for the trip back to Sanur. Many boats also call at Senggigi or Bangsal on Lombok, so check which island you're getting off at.

At Gili Trawangan the boat lands on the beach and you step out into the water, so pack for wet feet and bring a bag you can carry. Bringing a board? Gili Getaway charges IDR 100,000 per journey for a single board bag. We couldn't find a written board policy for the other operators, so ask before you pay.

The boats run in almost any weather. Semaya One calls weather cancellations uncommon, mostly between January and March, so if you're flying home the same day, take a morning boat back to Bali.

Turtles are the highlight. Turtle Point, in Gili Trawangan's north-east corner, is the classic spot for green and hawksbill turtles. It's best at high tide, and a strong current carries swimmers south, so wear fins.

Off Gili Meno, Nest is a group of 48 life-size human figures by the sculptor Jason deCaires Taylor, sunk about 4 metres down in 2017. Visibility is best from June to September, and the Australian government's Smartraveller advice warns to take care snorkelling near motorboats.

Gili Trawangan is the largest and the most popular, with the most restaurants and bars and the liveliest nights. Gili Meno is the smallest, with only a few hundred people living on it, and feels the most remote. Gili Air is closest to Lombok and has the most residents, but still feels like a village, and it suits people who want something between the other two.

They're a short boat hop apart, so you don't have to pick just one.

There are no cars or motorbikes. People cycle, walk, or take a cidomo, a horse-drawn cart; agree the price before you get in, and pay cash. E-bikes are officially banned by the regency's rules but almost every household has one, and in May 2026 the local council was pushing to legalise them with a quota for each island.

Bring cash, especially for Meno and Air. Gili Air has ATMs, but the islands are small and you don't want to depend on one machine.

Don't drink the tap water anywhere in Indonesia. On Gili Trawangan, a mains water outage from 3 September 2026 sent at least 300 tourists home early while water was shipped in from Lombok, so check the situation before you book.

Smartraveller says Australians have drowned in rough seas and strong rip currents at beaches including the Gili Islands, and that Australians have been seriously hurt or killed in motorcycle and moped accidents there too.

GOV.UK warns of drink spiking linked to sexual assault in Bali, Lombok and the Gili Islands. Separately, Smartraveller reports methanol poisoning from contaminated drinks in Bali and Lombok, including cocktails and brand-name spirits. Watch your drink being made.

We couldn't find an official page saying what visitors pay to enter the Gilis now. In May 2026 local news reported the North Lombok council debating a rise in the area's tourism charge from IDR 20,000 to 50,000 a person, not yet agreed.

Bali charges international visitors a one-off IDR 150,000 tourist levy. Sources disagree on whether you pay it again when you come back from the Gilis, so keep your receipt.