Bali has no bridge or tunnel to its neighbours, so every trip to the Nusa islands, the Gili Islands or Lombok starts on a boat. Most visitors use a fast boat, a private high-speed service, and a smaller number take the slow public ferry to Lombok. The two are very different in price, speed and risk, and this guide separates them.
It covers the three main routes (Sanur to the Nusa islands, Padang Bai and Serangan to the Gilis and Lombok, and the public ferry), then looks at what is known about the ferry fire that many people search for, the safety points that matter in practice, and how to choose and book. The table below compares the fast boat tickets and transfers listed for Bali.
Sanur Harbour to Nusa Penida, Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Ceningan
Most fast boats to the Nusa islands leave from Sanur. Our Sanur Beach page gives the figures we verified: boats to Nusa Lembongan take 30 to 40 minutes and boats to Nusa Penida take 35 to 45 minutes, from a harbour on Jalan Pantai Matahari Terbit. It also lists Nusa Lembongan one-way tickets from Rp 115,000 booked online and Nusa Penida from Rp 110,000 for foreign visitors. A 2026 island guide quotes 45 minutes and a range of 170,000 to 215,000 IDR one way for Penida, so fares differ by operator and by the date you check. The same guide says more than 90 boats leave Sanur daily, the first at 6:30 am and the last at 5:00 pm. The page also notes that last boats to Lembongan leave at about 5pm.
A new terminal at Sanur means passengers can board without wading, according to a 2026 guide. Check-in rules vary: our Sanur page says one operator asks for 45 minutes before departure, other guides say 30 minutes, and one says 60 minutes. Plan for the longest. Grab and Gojek cannot pick up inside the port grounds, so book a driver ahead or walk out to the road.
On Nusa Penida most boats from Sanur arrive at Banjar Nyuh, near Toyapakeh. Our Kelingking Beach page puts the Sanur crossing to Toya Pakeh at 40 to 50 minutes, so treat every duration as approximate. From Lembongan, boats to Penida are short hops of around 10 to 15 minutes. Nusa Ceningan has no fast boat port of its own that we found sourced: people reach it from Lembongan across the Yellow Bridge.
Once you land, our guides to Nusa Penida and Nusa Lembongan tours cover what to do.
Padang Bai and Serangan to the Gili Islands and Lombok
Boats to Lombok and the Gilis leave from Padang Bai on the east coast and from Serangan in the south. A 2026 Lombok guide, checked in August 2026, puts fast boat crossings at 2 hours to 3 hours 35 minutes depending on the Bali port. Its examples run from 1 hour 30 minutes on Padang Bai to Gili Trawangan, to around 3 hours for Serangan. One operator’s Padang Bai to Senggigi crossing is listed at 2 hours 30 minutes. The same guide gives one-way fares for these routes of 300,000 to 830,000 IDR, with most between 420,000 and 830,000 IDR, and says the price on 12Go can be much higher than the operator’s own price because hotel pick-up is bundled in.
That guide also says walk-up prices at Padang Bai are often twice the online rate, and that several smaller fibreglass operators had safety suspensions in 2026. It names no operators, so we cannot say which. Treat it as one source, not a ruling.
The port you choose matters more than the operator. Padang Bai is far from the southern resorts by road, so the crossing is short but the day is long. Our Gili Islands guide compares Padang Bai, Amed, Serangan and Sanur in more detail, and our getting around guide helps with the road leg.
The slow public ferry from Padang Bai to Lembar
The public ferry carries cars, trucks and scooters, and foot passengers can use it too. A 2026 guide gives the crossing as 4 to 5 hours scheduled, realistically closer to 6. It lists the foot passenger fare as 65,300 IDR, plus 169,400 IDR for a scooter. An older guide gives 46,000 IDR, so fares have changed. The same 2026 guide says the ticket windows at Padang Bai and Lembar have closed and tickets are sold only in the Ferizy app, so book before you reach the port and bring the ID you booked with. Older guides describe ferries leaving every 60 to 90 minutes around the clock, but check this in the app.
The ferry suits people with a scooter, a tight budget or a night to save. It takes longer, and as the next section explains, it is not free of risk. We found no dated source for the Gilimanuk to Ketapang ferry to Java, so we do not cover it here.
The “Bali ferry fire”: what happened
Several different incidents sit behind this search, and they are easy to mix up.
Putri Yasmin, 12 August 2026. The Putri Yasmin caught fire at around 4:15 a.m. on Wednesday while travelling from Padang Bai in Bali to Lembar in Lombok. Xinhua reported on 13 August that 211 people were rescued and one Indonesian woman was confirmed dead. The ship’s manifest listed 131 people, including 17 crew members, and officials later confirmed that unregistered passengers were also on board. Early reports from the day itself, including Tempo, spoke of over 130 rescued and no immediate casualties, so the figures changed as the count was verified. Indonesia’s National Transportation Safety Committee began an investigation, and we found no published cause.
Sampalan, 9 February 2025. A fast boat carrying 85 passengers had an engine fire at Segitiga Emas Sampalan Port on Nusa Penida at 4pm, just after boarding. The Bali Sun reported no injuries, an electrical short circuit as the likely cause, and a fire put out in about 2 minutes. That boat continued to Sanur after a check by the harbour master.
Mutiara Timur I, November 2022. A passenger ferry with 271 people caught fire in the Bali Strait about a mile from Karangasem beach, and the report that day mentioned no casualties.
Do not confuse these with the KMP Mutiara Sentosa 2, a ferry fire off East Java in early August 2026 in which five people died, or with a fast boat that sank after engine failure on the Nusa Penida to Sanur crossing in January 2024. Those are separate events and are not on the Bali to Lombok route.
Safety, weather and luggage
Xinhua, reporting on the Putri Yasmin fire in August 2026, notes that lax safety enforcement and unpredictable weather are frequently blamed for deadly maritime accidents in Indonesia. Operators should carry life jackets for every passenger. One 2026 island guide says all operators from Sanur provide them, and one operator’s FAQ also lists life rafts. Ask for yours, put it on, and avoid any boat that looks packed: the Putri Yasmin shows that the passenger list and the number aboard do not always match.
Weather is the other issue. The Bali Sun reported in February 2025 that some fast boat services were cancelled as winds of 25 knots and waves of up to 3.5 metres affected Bali. A 2026 Lombok guide says the crossing to Lombok can be rough, especially in the rainy season from November to March, and that morning departures usually give calmer seas and more reliable service. Another 2026 guide adds that wet-season crossings to Lembongan can be rougher and a boat day may be postponed. Treat a cancelled sailing as a sensible decision, not a reason to find a skipper who will go. One operator says it offers a refund or rescheduling after a weather cancellation, so ask your operator before you pay.
On luggage, allowances differ: one operator allows 15 kg on a standard ticket and 25 kg on a premium one, and another guide says most boats allow 25 kg plus a small carry-on bag. Keep your passport, phone and wallet in a small bag that stays with you. A guide updated in September 2026 says some landings on Lembongan involve steps or getting wet, and recommends a dry bag because landings can be splashy. Wear shoes you do not mind soaking and use porters only after agreeing the price.
How to choose an operator and book
Start with the port, not the brand: pick the departure harbour closest to your hotel and the arrival point closest to where you are staying. Then compare the same date, the same departure time and the same inclusions across operators, including hotel transfer, harbour fees, luggage and the cancellation terms.
Book online ahead, especially around Balinese holidays, when boats can sell out. Avoid buying at the harbour, where a 2026 guide reports scalpers charging far more. Choose a departure early in the day, and leave a spare day before any flight. Look for life jackets, a clear weather cancellation policy and a boat that is not packed beyond its seats.
The table below compares the fast boat tickets and transfers listed for Bali, with live prices and ratings.
