Ferries and fast boats in Indonesia: Bali, Gilis, Lombok and Komodo

Four kinds of boat, four different decisions

Fast boats are privately run speedboats on the short tourist routes: Bali to Nusa Penida and Nusa Lembongan, and Bali to the Gilis and Lombok. They are quick and leave from beaches and small harbours close to the resorts, but the community travel guide Wikivoyage describes most as light high-speed craft with petrol outboard engines, and notes that crew training, operating standards and safety equipment vary between operators.

Public car ferries (KMP) are slower, larger vessels that carry trucks, cars, motorbikes and foot passengers. The state operator ASDP Indonesia Ferry says it runs more than 160 ferries on more than 300 routes; its commercial route map includes the crossings most travellers meet: Ketapang–Gilimanuk (Java–Bali), Padangbai–Lembar (Bali–Lombok), Kayangan–Pototano (Lombok–Sumbawa), Sape–Labuan Bajo (Sumbawa–Flores) and Sape–Waikelo (to Sumba).

Pelni, the national shipping line, runs long-distance passenger ships between the big ports. Its booking system lists ports from Aceh to Papua, including Benoa in Bali, Lembar in Lombok, Labuan Bajo, Waingapu in Sumba, Maumere, Kupang, Ambon and Sorong. Tour boats and liveaboards, finally, are a separate world: in Labuan Bajo they are mostly converted phinisi sailing ships that live aboard for one or several nights in Komodo National Park.

The rule of thumb: the further and the more remote, the less a fast boat makes sense. Between Bali and Lombok the Wikivoyage Lombok page suggests flights across the strait as a comparable alternative when the sea is bad, and for Komodo, flying to Labuan Bajo is far quicker than any sea route from Bali.

Bali to Nusa Penida, Lembongan, the Gilis and Lombok

Nusa Penida and Nusa Lembongan are served from Sanur. The Bali provincial tourism site says the fast boat from Sanur Harbour to Nusa Penida takes about an hour, with many companies and departures from 07:00 to 15:00 WITA when we checked on 2026-10-03; boats arrive at harbours such as Banjar Nyuh. Indonesia's Ministry of Tourism adds Kusamba and Padang Bai as departure points and gives 30 to 45 minutes to Toyapakeh or Sampalan, depending on the weather, and advises booking well ahead in holiday periods.

The Gilis and Lombok are reached by fast boats from Padang Bai and Serangan, with a few from Amed in the north-east. When we checked on 2026-10-03, the Ministry of Tourism listed IDR 350,000–600,000 for a direct fast boat from Padang Bai or Serangan to Gili Trawangan, depending on operator and season. Wikivoyage notes that Padang Bai routes are shorter at sea but further by road from south Bali, so the total door-to-door time is similar; if you are prone to seasickness, choose the shorter crossing.

If you are already on Lombok, the crossing to the Gilis is short. The ministry listed public boats from Bangsal Harbour at Rp 20,000–30,000 and speedboats at Rp 85,000–150,000, with private speedboats from Teluk Nare from about IDR 350,000 one way. Wikivoyage advises reaching Bangsal or Teluk Nare by 16:00, since boats stop running in the late afternoon.

The slow alternative between Bali and Lombok is ASDP's Padangbai–Lembar car ferry. It is the sensible choice with a rental motorbike, a car or a bicycle. Wikivoyage describes the crossing as roughly five to six hours, sometimes with long waits for loading, and recommends bringing food and water; treat it as a travel day, not a morning transfer.

• Ask which vessel you are booked on. Wikivoyage warns that some resellers sell a premium service and then put passengers on a cheaper boat; your ticket should name the operator and boat.
• Pack for spray. Wikivoyage advises waterproof bags for phones, cameras and laptops; keep your passport in one too.
• Leave a buffer. Do not plan a Gili-to-airport transfer on the day of a long-haul flight; a cancelled boat means a lost day.

Public car ferries: Ferizy tickets and crossing days

ASDP sells tickets for its commercial crossings through Ferizy (ferizy.com and the Ferizy app). The booking form asks for the departure and arrival port, the service class, whether you travel as a foot passenger or with a vehicle (with its class and length), and the passenger categories, which when we checked on 2026-10-03 were adults from five years, seniors from 60, children of two to five and infants under two. You also choose a port check-in window.

The check-in rules are strict. Ferizy's terms say check-in takes place at the port, only within the check-in time printed on the e-ticket, and that a ticket expires if you have not checked in by the end of that window. At check-in you must show an identity document (a passport for foreign visitors) and, if you have a vehicle, the number plate that matches the e-ticket. Ferizy lists ASDP's call centre as (021) 191.

Car-ferry crossings can also be disrupted by things that have nothing to do with you. In late September 2026, ASDP reported a three-day backlog on Ketapang–Gilimanuk: on 28 September the queue on the Java side was about 17 km, mostly lorries, and on 29 September, with 27 ships in service, it was down to about 8.5 km with no queue at Gilimanuk. If you cross between Java and Bali by road around holidays or after a disruption, check ASDP's press releases before you set off.

Further east the ferries are fewer and the distances longer. ASDP's route map lists Kayangan–Pototano between Lombok and Sumbawa, Sape–Labuan Bajo between Sumbawa and Flores, Sape–Waikelo to Sumba and Labuan Bajo–Bira to South Sulawesi. These are routes for overland travellers with time; ASDP's site lists the routes but schedules change, so confirm departures in Ferizy or at the port.

Labuan Bajo and Komodo: day boats and phinisi liveaboards

Komodo is a boat destination: the dragons, Padar's viewpoint, the pink beaches and the dive sites are all reached from the harbour at Labuan Bajo. The Ministry of Tourism suggests liveaboards as a convenient way to see Komodo and Flores, and the regional tourism authority BPOLBF explains that most liveaboards are phinisi, the traditional wooden sailing ship of Bulukumba in South Sulawesi, many of them modified for tourists. It notes that facilities differ by operator and that the boats typically have up to 14 cabins for two.

A day boat suits a short stay or a sensitive stomach; a liveaboard of one or more nights suits divers and anyone who wants more time in the park than a day trip allows. Whichever you choose, the park itself limits numbers: the Komodo National Park office told Antara that a quota of 1,000 visitors a day has applied since 1 April 2026, so confirm that your operator has secured park tickets for your dates.

Sea conditions matter here too. In August 2026, after the M7.7 earthquake in East Nusa Tenggara, BPOLBF and the Labuan Bajo harbour authority (KSOP) denied reports that sailings to Padar and Komodo had been suspended, and said the advice in force concerned high waves and strong winds in the southern Sape Strait. Liveaboards are not risk-free: Antara reported a phinisi sinking off Pink Beach in July 2023 with nine foreign tourists on board. Ask the operator about life jackets, the life raft, the radio and the crew, and follow the harbour master's warnings.

Pelni: the long-distance ships

Pelni ships are for travellers with time who want to sail rather than fly between provinces. According to Pelni's FAQ, tickets can be booked on pelni.co.id, in the PELNI Mobile app (Android and iOS), through the contact centre (021-162, WhatsApp 0811-162-1-162), at Alfamart and Indomaret convenience stores and through travel agents. Online tickets must be bought at least one day before departure, and one booking covers up to ten passengers.

The e-ticket is not your boarding document. You exchange it for a ticket or boarding pass at the Pelni branch or the departure port, from 24 hours before sailing, and foreign passengers show their passport. When we checked on 2026-10-03, the FAQ listed a 50% cancellation charge on the base fare (cancellations only at a Pelni branch) and allowed schedule or route changes up to five hours before departure for a 10% administration fee.

On board, Pelni lists economy cabins and class cabins for two (1A), four (1B), six (2A) or eight (2B) adults, and three meals a day are included. The free baggage allowance is 40 kg with maximum dimensions of 70 × 40 × 35 cm; adult bicycles and motor vehicles are not accepted as baggage, nor are animals, flammable goods or strong-smelling food. Paid onboard Wi-Fi (SEAWIFI) is sold in packages, but plan on being offline for long stretches.

Safety and weather: how to choose a boat on the day

The UK government's travel advice is blunt: sea conditions can change rapidly, safety standards vary between providers, and vessels can be crowded, overloaded and poorly maintained. It advises checking for life jackets and lifeboats before you travel, bringing your own life jackets for children because suitable sizes are not always available, and avoiding travel after dark unless you are satisfied the vessel is properly equipped.

Indonesia's meteorological agency, BMKG, publishes maritime forecasts with dedicated pages for the Sunda, Bali and Lombok Strait crossings, port forecasts, seven-day wave outlooks and high-wave warnings. Check them the evening before and again in the morning. The UK advice gives October to March as the usual rainy season, noting that it can differ in eastern Indonesia; Wikivoyage adds that on the Bali–Gili run July and August bring southerly swell and wet crossings, and that the sea is usually calmest in the morning.

• Look before you board. Count life jackets, check the passenger load and where luggage is stowed. If the boat is overloaded or the weather looks wrong, Wikivoyage's advice is not to board and to ask for a refund.
• Sail early. Morning departures leave room for delays and avoid the late-afternoon and night crossings the UK advice warns about.
• Pay the Bali levy before you travel. Bali's IDR 150,000 tourist levy is paid once per visit through Love Bali; if you arrive by sea at Benoa, there is also a cashless payment counter at the port.
• Keep slack. Leave at least one spare day between the last boat of a trip and an international flight.