Checked on
Fast boats, car ferries and Pelni ships: crossing Indonesia by sea
How do ferries and fast boats work in Indonesia?
Three kinds of boat do the work. Private fast boats carry visitors from Bali to Nusa Penida, the Gilis and Lombok, booked online with a hotel pickup; ASDP's car ferries cross the straits round the clock for a few tens of thousands of rupiah, tickets on Ferizy; and Pelni's big ships link Java with the eastern islands on longer voyages. Read BMKG's wave forecast before a fast-boat crossing.
Bali's fast boats from Sanur, Padang Bai and Serangan
Private companies run the fast boats east of Bali, each with its own check-in desk, landing point and timetable. Where you are going decides which harbour you sail from:
| From Bali | Where to | Crossing | Sold online, November 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sanur | Nusa Penida, about 20 companies | 30 to 45 min | Rp 150,000 to Rp 221,000 |
| Padang Bai | Gili Trawangan, 15 companies | 75 min to 2 h 45 min | Rp 400,000 to Rp 737,000 |
| Padang Bai | Senggigi or Bangsal on Lombok | 75 min to 2 h 45 min | from Rp 400,000 |
| Serangan | Gili Trawangan, via Nusa Penida | 2 h 45 min to 3 h 45 min | Rp 492,900 to Rp 830,500 |
Tickets name a meeting point, not just a harbour. In Sanur alone, companies board from their own offices, the harbour terminal or landings such as Matahari Terbit. On the islands, boats land at different points too: on Gili Trawangan at the harbour, on the beach or at a company's own pier.
Island fees. Foreign visitors pay Klungkung regency Rp 25,000 to land on Nusa Penida, Lembongan or Ceningan, and North Lombok's levy on the three Gilis.
ASDP car ferries and the online Ferizy ticket
ASDP's ferries carry foot passengers, motorbikes and cars across the straits, day and night, for a fraction of the fast-boat fare:
| Crossing | Sailings | Time | Adult on foot | Motorbike |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ketapang (Java) to Gilimanuk (Bali) | hourly, 24 hours | 45 to 60 min | Rp 10,600 | Rp 31,600 |
| Padang Bai (Bali) to Lembar (Lombok) | 13 a day, 24 hours | about 4 h 30 min | Rp 65,300 | Rp 169,400 |
| Kayangan (Lombok) to Poto Tano (Sumbawa) | about hourly, 24 hours | about 2 h | Rp 18,800 | Rp 75,000 |
| Sape (Sumbawa) to Labuan Bajo (Flores) | KMP Cakalang, KMP Cucut | 75 nautical miles | Rp 95,600 | Rp 250,400 |
The regency ferry to Nusa Penida. Besides the fast boats, the regency's own ferry sails from Padang Bai to Nusa Penida twice a day, Rp 31,700 for an adult on foot.
Ferizy, and no counter at the port. ASDP sells its tickets online on Ferizy, ferizy.com and its app; the Padang Bai to Lembar crossing is searched on trip.ferizy.com, and Lembar has no ticket counter inside the port. A vehicle ticket includes everyone riding in it, so drivers and passengers in a car buy no separate ticket.
Ketapang to Gilimanuk: buy before the port. Tickets open 60 days ahead and close one hour before your port-entry slot, and purchases near the port are blocked to stop touts.
The clock changes mid-strait. Ketapang runs on Western Indonesian Time and Gilimanuk on Central, one hour ahead.
Pelni's long-distance ships: routes, classes and booking
Pelni, Indonesia's national shipping line, runs passenger ships between the islands on long voyages. Its port list runs from Aceh to Papua and includes Tanjung Priok in Jakarta, Benoa in Bali, Lembar on Lombok, Labuan Bajo, Makassar, Bitung, Kupang, Maumere, Ende and Sorong.
Booking. Tickets are booked on pelni.co.id under ticket reservation, choosing the ports, the date and the class of cabin.
Baggage. Each passenger may bring 40 kg free, in pieces up to 0.1 cubic metres, 70 by 40 by 35 cm, that you carry aboard yourself, not dragged. Anything bigger travels as cargo in the hold. Motor vehicles and adult bicycles are not accepted as baggage; a folding bike is.
Is the fast boat safe? Lombok Strait weather, the dry-season swell and who should not go
The open strait can turn rough, and a few habits make a real difference.
Read the forecast. BMKG, Indonesia's weather agency, runs a forecast page for each strait crossing, among them the Lombok Strait between Bali and Lombok, with wave heights at both harbours and high-wave warnings.
The rough months. On the Lombok Strait the big waves come from June to October, peaking around August, when the dry-season easterlies meet the Indian Ocean swell; in August 2026 BMKG warned of 4 to 6 m in the south of the strait. December to February brings the west monsoon's squalls.
Who should not go. Wahana Virendra does not carry pregnant women or passengers with heart or back problems, because of the jolts on the open strait.
Insurance. Scoot Fast Cruises states passenger liability cover through Jasa Raharja up to Rp 50,000,000.
International ferries: Singapore to Batam and Bintan
Ferries leave Singapore's HarbourFront and Tanah Merah terminals for Batam all day. For November 2026, Sindo Ferry sold seats from SGD 38, Majestic Fast Ferry from SGD 43 and Batam Fast Ferry from SGD 47.30, crossing in 45 to 70 minutes to Batam Centre, Sekupang, Nongsapura or Harbour Bay.
The Batam and Bintan ferry terminals are immigration checkpoints that accept the e-VOA; the Singapore to Batam guide has the details.
Crossings by boat: the route guides
Fast boats, car ferries and Pelni ships: what travellers ask
Do you need to book ASDP ferry tickets in advance?
On the Ketapang to Gilimanuk crossing, yes: tickets are sold only on Ferizy, from 60 days to one hour before your port-entry time, and purchases made close to the harbour are blocked. Buy before you set off for the port.
Is there a ferry from Bali to Komodo?
Not a direct fast boat. Most travellers fly from Bali to Labuan Bajo in about 75 minutes; Batik Air and Indonesia AirAsia sold seats from about Rp 915,000 for November 2026. Pelni's long-distance ships call at both Benoa in Bali and Labuan Bajo; its schedule shows which voyages link them.
Are Bali fast boats safe?
It depends most on the sea that day: BMKG publishes wave forecasts and high-wave warnings for the Lombok Strait crossing. Some companies refuse pregnant women and passengers with heart or back problems, and some state passenger liability cover through Jasa Raharja.
Is there a ferry from Lombok to Sumbawa?
Yes, from Kayangan to Poto Tano, round the clock about every hour, about two hours, Rp 18,800 for an adult on foot; tickets on Ferizy. From Sumbawa, ASDP's Sape ferry continues to Labuan Bajo, Rp 95,600.
How do I book Pelni tickets?
On Pelni's website, pelni.co.id, under ticket reservation: choose the departure and arrival port, the date and the class. Each passenger may carry 40 kg of free baggage, in pieces no bigger than 70 by 40 by 35 cm that you carry yourself.
Sources for ferries
- Antara Mataram: BMKG on the monsoon and high waves in NTB (9 August 2026)
- InsideLombok: Kayangan - Poto Tano tariff (SK Gubernur NTB, 11 January 2023)
- detikBali: Sape - Labuan Bajo ferry fares and holiday schedule (8 December 2025)
- Satpel Pelabuhan Penyeberangan Lembar (Kemenhub BPTD Kelas II NTB): Padang Bai - Lembar fares
- Eka Jaya Fast Ferry
- Wahana Virendra (Wahana Gili Ocean)
- Scoot Fast Cruises
- BMKG maritime weather (Posko Cuaca Jalur Penyeberangan)
- IDN Times NTB: Lembar-Padangbai ferry timetable and fares, 31 October 2026 (from KSOP Lembar)
- Radar Banyuwangi: Ketapang-Gilimanuk crossing guide (16 October 2026)
- detikJatim: Ketapang-Gilimanuk fares (9 February 2026)
- detikBali: Padangbai-Nusa Penida roro fare to rise (4 August 2026)
- Klungkung Regency (Diskominfo): tourism levy from 1 September 2026
- Pelni (PT Pelayaran Nasional Indonesia)