Indonesia - The Rough Guide to Southeast Asia on a Budget - page 286

TRAVEL TO AND FROM THE GILI ISLANDS
Most boats to the Gili Islands anchor in the shallows and passengers wade to and fro, so
expect to get your feet wet. Confusingly, ferries leaving Gili Trawangan don't usually depart
from the harbour, but from wherever it's moored along the east coast, so ask for directions to
their mooring site when you book.
FROM BANGSAL
The access port for the Gili Islands is Bangsal , 25km north of Senggigi, a cidomo (horse-drawn
cart) ride or a shadeless 1.5km walk from Pemenang , 26km beyond the Ampenan-Mataram-
Cakranegara-Sweta area and served by buses from Bertais/Mandalika/Sweta terminal. There is
no bemo service along the coastal road north from Senggigi to Pemenang.
The ticket o ce (daily 8am-4.30pm) is right on the seafront; there's a printed price list
covering public boats, shuttles and charters. Buy your ticket only from there; ignore anybody
who tries to persuade you otherwise. Everything on sale in Bangsal is also on sale on the Gili
Islands, including water, mosquito coils and return boat tickets, despite what the hawkers insist.
Public boats Between Bangsal and Gili Air, Gili Meno and Gili Trawangan, leaving when full
(7.30am-4.30pm; 20-45min; Rp10,000). You can also charter a boat for up to ten people,
one-way or return, or for trips to more than one island. Prices, from Rp150,000 for a one-way
charter, are fixed and displayed in the ticket o ces at Bangsal and on the islands.
SENGGIGI AND ELSEWHERE ON LOMBOK AND BALI
Combination tickets for tourist shuttle buses and public ferries between the Gili Islands and all
main tourist destinations on Bali and Lombok are widely advertised. Perama customers can use
the Perama boat between Padang Bai and Senggigi/Gili islands or public ferries and buses. Other
companies use public ferries. For more information, contact Island Promotions (see box, p.248).
From Senggigi Daily Perama boat at 10am
(returning 8am; Rp200,000; 2hr). Charters are
also available - approach the boat captains
on the beach (or they're quite likely to
approach you). It's a great trip but the boats
are small and weather conditions
sometimes make it impossible.
From Serangan Harbour to Gili Trawangan:
daily Mahi Mahi (book through Island
Promotions: T 0818 0530 5632) and Blue
Water Express ( T 0813 3841 8988, W bwsbali
.com) boats (Rp690,000 one-way; 2hr 30min).

4

From Benoa (Denpasar harbour, Bali) to
Gili Trawangan, Gili Meno, Gili Air: daily Blue
Water Express (see above) boat runs daily
June to October (Rp690,000; 2hr).
From Padang Bai (Bali) to Gili Trawangan:
daily Gili Cat (Rp700,000; 1hr 30min-2hr
30min; T 0361 271680, W gilicat.com), one
of numerous companies.
From Nusa Lembongan/Sanur (Bali)
see p.254.
From Amed (Bali) see p.271.

In addition, increasing numbers of skippers arrange charters to the islands. The boats are
often small with single engines and don't carry radios. For the return trip talk to Dean on Gili
Meno (see p.293) and Ozzy's Shop (see p.293) on Gili Air, who have twin-engined boats.
ISLAND HOPPING
The “ hopping island ” boat service is handy for day-trips to other islands. It does one circuit
- Air-Meno-Trawangan-Meno-Air - in the morning, and one in the afternoon. It's
conveniently timetabled, picking people up between 8.30 and 9.30am, and returning between
2.30 and 4pm. A return journey costs Rp25,000-35,000, depending which islands you want to
travel between. Prices and times are posted in ticket o ces on the islands.

more peace elsewhere. It's worth noting
that there's no fresh water on any of the
islands - showers are salinated, except in
the smarter resorts which transport the
water by boat from the mainland.
Accommodation prices vary
dramatically depending on the season,
increasing by anything up to 100 percent

from June to September and in
December. Reservations are essential in
the high season, or you face a long,
possibly fruitless, search for a bed.
Women should take care during and after
the Gili Trawangan parties - don't leave
these alone. You'll inevitably be offered
drugs on the islands, but remember