Sanur Ferry Guide: Nusa Penida, Nusa Lembongan, the Gilis and Lombok

Sanur, on Bali's south-east coast, is a departure point for fast boats to Nusa Penida, Nusa Lembongan and the Gili Islands, and our Sanur ferry hub lists those routes. This guide is for the step before you buy: which boat, which harbour and which office your ticket really means, what the operator says about check-in, luggage and assistance, and where its own pages disagree with each other.

Everything below was read on 30 October 2026. Rocky Fast Cruise is a fast-boat brand whose own pages we quote for Sanur to Nusa Lembongan; we found no About page on its site, so we do not describe who owns it. Ferryhopper and Asia Ferries are booking sites and are quoted only for what they themselves list. PT ASDP Indonesia Ferry describes itself as a state-owned enterprise running ferry and port services. We could not open the national weather agency (BMKG, HTTP 403) or the Ministry of Transport sites (they did not load), so no sea-state or safety statement here comes from an official marine or government page. The Bali Tourism Board and Indonesia Travel home pages opened but carried nothing on these crossings.

1. Do not assume how you board

Asia Ferries describes crossings from "Sanur beach" and says the port is sometimes called Matahari Beach. Rocky Fast Cruise says something different about its own service: guests check in at its Sanur office, and "guests and luggage will be transferred from our office to Sanur Harbor for boarding", at what it calls Sanur Harbour Terminal. Its hotel-transfer page also mentions its team "at the Serangan Harbour". We cannot tell you how any boat boards today, and the sources suggest it differs by company. Ask the operator in writing where you board, whether there are steps or a gangway, and whether you walk through water.

2. Getting to the check-in

Rocky Fast Cruise's FAQ gives its Sanur office as Jl. Matahari Terbit No. 9A, Sanur Kaja, and its Lembongan office as Rocky Private Harbor at Telatak Village, three minutes from the Yellow Bridge. Its fares page lists a door-to-door option that includes a shared hotel pick-up and drop-off in selected areas of Bali, and a boat-transfer-only option; its FAQ says a car service is coordinated with the boat schedule. We found no source we could open for a transfer from a cruise berth or the airport to any Sanur office or harbour, so we give none; ask your cruise line and the boat company.

3. Routes and times as the sources list them

Rocky Fast Cruise's time table lists four departures a day each way for Sanur to Nusa Lembongan (east side): from Sanur at 10:00, 12:00, 14:00 and 17:00, and from Nusa Lembongan at 09:00, 11:00, 13:00 and 16:00. It says the Sanur to Lembongan trip is approximately 35 to 45 minutes depending on conditions, and that its boat is anchored at its own private harbour at Telatak Village, near the Yellow Bridge, on the east side of the island.

Ferryhopper, a booking site, says Sanur to Nusa Penida runs all year with over 10 daily crossings and that boats usually dock at Banjar Nyuh, Buyuk Harbour, Maruti Port and Toya Pakeh. For the Gili Islands it lists the following shortest trips, in the direction shown. The same page lists some reverse trips as running 5 to 7 days a week, so check each direction separately.

For Lombok by road-and-sea, PT ASDP Indonesia Ferry's commercial crossings map lists a Padangbai to Lembar crossing and the reverse. The page gives no timetable or crossing time, so we give none; use ASDP's own ticketing.

4. Tickets, check-in and what the operator's pages say

Rocky Fast Cruise's own pages give three different check-in times for Sanur: its FAQ says to arrive at the harbour at least 60 minutes before departure; the time table says to check in at the Sanur office 45 minutes before; and the time table's introduction says 1 hour to 45 minutes. Use the longest, 60 minutes, and confirm with the operator.

Its pages also differ on changes. The FAQ says date or time changes can be made at least 24 hours before departure; the terms say 2 days before in the regular season and 4 days before in the high season (June, July, August, December and January). On cancellation by the passenger, both say 48 hours to 2 weeks before departure gets a 50 percent refund (the terms add "or 100% credit") and less than 48 hours gets no refund; late arrival or no-show pays the full seat price.

On bad weather they disagree more sharply. The FAQ says that if a trip is cancelled because of bad weather or conditions the captain deems unsafe, passengers are offered a full refund or a free reschedule. The terms say the company will not give any refund if it cancels because of a sailing ban or bad-weather warning from the Indonesian Government or Harbor Master. We cannot tell which applies; ask before you buy. The terms also say Rocky is a beach-to-beach point carrier and takes no responsibility for delays or connecting flights at any airport.

5. Luggage, assistance and comfort

Luggage is stated three ways on Rocky Fast Cruise's own pages: the FAQ allows one piece up to 20 kg plus one hand-carry bag; the baggage page allows two checked items of up to 22 kg each and one carry-on up to 60 x 40 x 30 cm; the terms allow two pieces totalling no more than 30 kg. Ask for the allowance in writing before you pack.

On assistance, the FAQ asks passengers with mobility issues, a recent operation or a medical condition to consult their doctor and tell the company at booking so the crew can help, says it has trained staff to assist passengers with special needs, and says certain seats may be reserved for them. It recommends non-slip shoes for boarding and disembarking and a light jacket because the air conditioning can be cool. The vessels page lists air conditioning, life rafts and a BKI classification. None of this describes steps, ramps or wading, so we make no accessibility claim. Questions to ask:

• How do I board and disembark at each end: gangway, steps or through water?
• Who helps with my luggage between the office and the boat?
• Which seats are reserved for passengers who need assistance, and how do I request one?
• Which harbour does my ticket use: Sanur, Serangan or another?

6. Plan and cautions

Because the same operator's pages disagree on check-in, changes, luggage and weather refunds, treat the strictest figure as your plan and get the rest confirmed in writing. A boat ticket and a cruise ticket are separate contracts, so build the day backwards from the ship's all-aboard time with a margin; our guides on why separate tickets need a buffer and the all-aboard worksheet show how.

We found no official sea-state source we could open, and the booking sites say little about weather, so do not rely on this page for conditions. Ask the operator on the morning of travel whether your sailing is running.