Padang Bai Harbour is known to be the port to cross from mainland Bali to Lombok. Padang Bai can now be reached from Sanur in less than an hour.  And about one and a half hours  if traveling from Kuta or Nusa Dua. Padang Bai is not so far from Candidasa. The public ferries leave from here and and took about 4 to 5 hours to cross over to Lembar Harbour, Lombok. Backpacker's usually take this route to Lombok and it is not recommended for family holiday trip.

Situated on the west coast of Lombok, Lembar harbour is the arrival point for ferries from Padang Bai harbor in Bali. The ferries depart from Padang Bai Bali  every hour. Journey time is 4-5 hours. A one way ticket fare is about RP 15,000 per person.  Most tourists prefer to take the tourist shuttle service from Bali which includes transfers to and from the harbours to the destination of their choice.

Lembar Harbour  is about 1 hour south of Senggigi, Lombok. You must catch the ferry in the morning from Padang Bai to Lembar Harbour so you don’t have to stay one night on Lombok as Bangsal harbour closes around 5pm if you are planning to go to the Gilis. If you arrive at night, you should stay one night at Senggigi or Mataram and continue to Gili Islands the next morning.

From Lembar Harbour you can take a shuttle bus service to Bangsal  harbour or take a public transportation (bemo) to Pemenang. From Pemenang you can ride ‘cidomo’ (horse cart) to Bangsal Harbour.  Once you got there, register your name at the ticket office and you still have to wait until the list is full. The boat leaves when passengers reached 20 pax headed for Gili Islands.

The Gili islands offers you the feeling of tropical islands of paradise. You can go diving and snorkeling and sun bathing and admire the diversity of aquatic life in the Gilis. When you are taking a vacation on Gili Trawangan, make sure you stay at Hotel Villa Ombak. Hotel Vila Ombak is the first international hotel on the magical island of Gili Trawangan which offers comfort stay and first class services.

Travel Tips :
-    These harbours can be busy and filled with hawkers, so don’t leave your stuff unattended
-    If you someone help you with your bag, expect to pay for it and negotiate the price first.