In short. The three Gilis (Trawangan, Meno, Air) belong to North Lombok regency. From Bali fast boats run: from Padang Bai about 1 hour 15 minutes, from Serangan a little over 2 hours; the overland route is the Padang Bai-Lembar ferry (4-5 hours, round the clock) and the road across Lombok. The entry levy for the islands is 20,000 rupiah per foreigner under regional law No. 9 of 2023 on the date of checking. Diving and snorkelling are limited by a quota of 421 tickets a day. We did not check ATMs on the islands, so bring cash from the mainland. Currents are strong and change during the day: do not separate from your group; emergency numbers 112 and 115 (Basarnas).
What the Gilis are. Gili in Indonesian means "small island". Gili Matra, or the three Gilis, are Gili Trawangan, Gili Meno and Gili Air, and they belong to the Lombok Utara (North Lombok) regency in the province of West Nusa Tenggara. According to the Indonesian tax service, this is a water tourist park of about 2954 hectares, and from the port of Bangsal on Lombok it is about 15 minutes by boat to the islands. There are no cars or motorbikes on the islands; as the carrier BlueWater Express writes, people get around by bicycle and by cidomo horse carts. Electricity on Trawangan comes from generators, and fresh water is brought by boat. The carrier's page about the islands.
Getting from Bali by fast boat. The most direct way is the fast boat. According to BlueWater Express, from the port of Padang Bai to the Gilis is about 1 hour 15 minutes, and from the port of Serangan a little over 2 hours. The carrier itself advises Serangan if you are coming from the south of Bali and Padang Bai if from the centre of the island. The second carrier, EkaJaya, lists on its site the ports Padang Bai, Serangan, Bangsal and the islands themselves, and on 11 October 2026 shows on its main page a one-way ticket price from Bali to the Gilis of 685,000 rupiah and 635,000 when booked online. In both cases the schedule is built in an online form and changes, so look at it on the day of purchase at bluewater-express.com or ekajayafastboat.com. For boats from Sanur and Amed we found no travel time on official pages, so ask the carrier.
The road via Lombok. There is also an overland option: the ASDP ferry from Padang Bai to Lembar on Lombok. According to Jawa Pos of 14 July 2026, the ferry runs round the clock, the crossing takes 4-5 hours (about 38 nautical miles), and the schedule has seven sailings from 06:30 to 18:00 WITA time. The paper notes that the time may change because of weather and port work. Tickets are sold by ASDP through the Ferizy service. From Lembar to the port of Bangsal you still have to travel overland; how long this takes and how much the public boat from Bangsal costs, we did not confirm.
The entry levy for the islands. The Lombok Utara regency charges a local levy under regional law (Perda) No. 9 of 2023. According to Radar Lombok and Inside Lombok for 2024, it is 20,000 rupiah for a foreigner, 10,000 for an Indonesian adult and 5,000 for a child. It is paid on departure from Bangsal, Teluk Nara or Kecinan, or bought as part of the ticket, because carriers collect it under an agreement with the regency's tourism office. As of 30 April 2026, according to RRI, the regency authorities proposed raising the rate for foreigners to 50,000 rupiah and discussed it in the local parliament. Whether the amendment was adopted, we did not confirm, so ask when buying a ticket.
Diving and snorkelling. Gili Matra is a protected marine area. According to Kabar Bursa of 12 April 2024, the Ministry of Marine Affairs limited the number of entrance tickets for diving and snorkelling in Gili Matra to 421 a day, adjusted for season and weather. Whether these figures are current in 2026, we did not check.
Cash and ATMs. Kontan wrote in January 2016 that Bank Mandiri had opened a branch on Gili Trawangan. We did not check the present operation of ATMs on the islands, so bring a reserve of cash from the mainland. How to change money in Bali and avoid an unofficial exchange is covered in a separate guide.
Safety on the water. The currents around the Gilis are strong and change during the day. On 6 October 2026 a tourist from South Korea went missing off Gili Trawangan while snorkelling; she had separated from her group to find sea turtles. According to ANTARA, rescuers of the Bangsal post, the navy, the water police and volunteers set out to search. Before going out look at the wave forecast at maritim.bmkg.go.id: the meteorological service's site has a seven-day wave forecast, warnings of high waves and forecasts by port, and in the menu a separate item on the crossing of the Lombok Strait. How to read the flags and get out of a rip current is in the guide on the ocean.
What to do in trouble. The single emergency number is 112, and the search and rescue agency Basarnas takes calls on 115. More in the guide on emergency numbers.
What this means for you. Plan the journey a day ahead: first check the schedule on the carrier's site, then choose the port closer to your area of Bali. The entry levy for a foreigner on the date of checking is 20,000 rupiah, but when buying a ticket ask for the current amount. Snorkel only near the shore and do not lose sight of your companions. Bring a reserve of rupiah from the mainland, and if you need to get it in advance, message @buzz_ex on Telegram: rupiah can arrive on GoPay, in an account or in cash, and the rate is named before the transfer.