Gili Islands to Sekotong and the South Gilis: Fast Boat via Gili Gede or by Road from Bangsal

The quickest way from Gili Trawangan to Sekotong and the South Gilis is the fast boat that calls at Gili Gede. It is run by Gili Getaway, and in the Direct Ferries timetable for 26 October to 8 November 2026 it leaves Gili Trawangan at 12:00 and reaches Gili Gede at 14:00, about two hours, from $28. On days without the fast boat, you can take a boat to Bangsal and drive via the airport in about three hours, or take a fast boat to Senggigi and drive about two hours south.

For this guide we read two fast-boat booking sites (Direct Ferries, Gili Bookings), the Travelfish guide to Gili Gede transport, a route guide with road times and a travel blog in October 2026, and compared the time and cost of each option. Timetables change by season and day, and the sources disagree in places, so dates are given.

This guide is for anyone who has stayed on the Gili Islands and wants to spend the next part of the trip in Sekotong or on the South Gilis, including travellers who want to see both the northern Gilis and the South Gilis on one trip.

Information as of October 2026

Three ways from the Gili Islands to Sekotong

The three northern Gilis (Gili Trawangan, Gili Air and Gili Meno) lie off Lombok’s northwest coast, and Sekotong is at the southwest tip, so the trip runs from north to south down the island’s west side. There are three main options.

Figure: Three ways from the Gili Islands to Sekotong

On time alone, the fast boat is quickest and involves the fewest changes. It runs once a day at midday, so if you want to leave the Gilis in the morning, or are moving on a day it does not run, go by road.

The fast boat via Gili Gede: times, fares and luggage

On Direct Ferries, Gili Getaway is the only operator on the Gili Trawangan to Gili Gede route. The crossing takes about two hours over about 23 km, and the timetable for 26 October to 8 November 2026 shows a 12:00 departure arriving at 14:00. Fares start at $28 per adult (shown with a dollar sign only; Openferry lists £29 to £59), plus booking fees.

The sources disagree on sailing days. Direct Ferries says six sailings a week, but its timetable lists five days, Tuesday to Saturday. Another comparison site, Openferry, says about five crossings a week. Check that there is a boat on your day when you book.

Gili Bookings, which publishes the operator’s timetables, also lists boats from Gili Air at 12:15 and from Bangsal at 12:30 arriving at Gili Gede at 14:00, and a 13:15 boat from Senggigi arriving at 14:00. However, the same page shows several undated timetables and does not say which is current.

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Departure	Arrives Gili Gede	Source
Gili Trawangan 12:00	14:00	Direct Ferries (26 Oct to 8 Nov 2026), Gili Bookings
Gili Air 12:15	14:00	Gili Bookings
Bangsal 12:30	14:00	Gili Bookings
Senggigi 13:15	14:00	Gili Bookings

Times change by season and day. The Gili Bookings timetables are undated. Always check when booking.

Each passenger may bring one piece of luggage up to 25 kg free; extra luggage may cost more. Port taxes are not included in the fare and are paid in rupiah at check-in. Date changes are free up to 48 hours before departure, or 96 hours in high season from 1 July to 30 September (all from Gili Bookings).

How do you get from Gili Gede to mainland Sekotong?

The fast boat arrives on Gili Gede itself; Gili Bookings gives the Gili Gede check-in point as Kokomo Resort. If you are staying on Gili Gede, your journey ends there. If you are staying on the mainland, you take one more boat.

According to Travelfish, small boats link Gili Gede with Tembowong (Pelangan) on the mainland for Rp25,000 per person, taking 10 to 20 minutes depending on where you are going. The landing is beside the petrol station at the eastern end of Tembowong and is small and easy to miss.

If you are staying on the mainland, ask your accommodation in advance to arrange the boat from Gili Gede and a car at Tembowong. How to choose between South Gili harbours is covered in Harbours for the South Gilis, and the island itself in our Gili Gede guide.

By road from Bangsal: time and cost

On days without the fast boat, or if you want to leave the Gilis in the morning, take a boat to Bangsal on mainland Lombok and drive south from there. The Hotels.com travel guide puts the boat between Bangsal and the Gilis at about 30 minutes.

We could not find a source for a direct Bangsal to Sekotong drive time. The route guide unchartedlens puts Bangsal to the airport at about 65 to 70 km, 1.5 to 2 hours in normal traffic and 2 to 2.5 hours in the 7 to 9am and 4 to 7pm rush. The airport to Sekotong takes about 1 hour 10 minutes, so counting via the airport, allow about three hours or more in total.

For costs, unchartedlens gives Rp350,000 to 450,000 for a taxi from Bangsal to the airport and Rp300,000 to 450,000 by Grab. It says Grab is hard to find at Bangsal and there are no ATMs at the harbour, so carry cash and book a car in advance.

Another approach is to hire a car with driver for the day and travel south with stops along the way. Driving times around the island are summarised in Lombok Travel Times.

By fast boat to Senggigi, then by car

The third option is a fast boat to Senggigi on Lombok’s west coast, then a drive south to Sekotong. The Gili Bookings timetable lists a boat leaving Gili Trawangan at 12:00 and reaching Senggigi at 13:00.

From Senggigi to Sekotong is about 70 km and about two hours by car, according to the travel blog We Seek Travel (updated July 2025). The writer paid about US$17 for a Blue Bird taxi from Senggigi, split with fellow travellers. This is quicker than going from Bangsal via the airport, but you will be waiting for a car in Senggigi, so agree a pickup time in advance.

Which option to choose: decide by where you stay and the day

If you are staying on Gili Gede, the fast boat is easiest because it takes you straight there. If you are staying on the mainland, change to a car at Tembowong and you can leave the Gilis at midday and reach your accommodation before evening.

If you are moving on a day without the fast boat, want to leave in the morning, or have a lot of luggage and want fewer boat changes, the road from Bangsal suits you better. It takes longer, but you choose when to leave.

Semelar Beach Village is in a fishing village in Sekotong, about 1 hour 10 minutes by car from the airport and about 40 minutes from Lembar port. The stay programme available now runs from 3 nights/4 days to 5 nights/6 days at Rp4,800,000 per person, including airport transfers, local transport, a guide, a welcome dinner and a massage; flights and accommodation are separate. Where you can stay is on our Stay page, what you can do in the village on Things to Do, the beach cafe on SAKURA CAFE, and the route from the airport on Getting Here.

Downsides, and who this move suits

The downsides first. The fast boat via Gili Gede runs once a day, not every day, and timetable sources disagree. The road is reliable, but it takes about three hours from Bangsal via the airport and involves changing from boat to car.

If you want to see both the lively northern Gilis and the quiet South Gilis on one trip, or stay on Gili Gede or another South Gili, this move is worth building in. For splitting a week between areas, see our Lombok one-week itinerary.

Summary

The quickest way from the Gili Islands to Sekotong is the fast boat via Gili Gede: 12:00 from Gili Trawangan, 14:00 at Gili Gede, about two hours, from $28. For mainland accommodation, take a boat from Gili Gede to Tembowong in 10 to 20 minutes.

On days without the fast boat, go by road from Bangsal via the airport in about three hours, or by fast boat to Senggigi and then about two hours by car. Timetables change, so check sailing days when you book (as of October 2026).

Fast boats that cross directly from the Gilis and Lombok to Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Penida are covered in Gili and Lombok to Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Penida.

Sources used for this article

• Direct Ferries, “Gili Trawangan – Gili Gede” (updated 30 October 2026; operator, crossing time, distance, timetable for 26 October to 8 November 2026, fares)https://www.directferries.com/gili_trawangan_gili_gede_ferry.htm
• Openferry, “Gili Trawangan to Gili Gede” (updated 2026; operator, times, weekly sailings, fare range)https://openferry.com/routes/gili-trawangan-gili-gede
• Gili Bookings, “Gili Getaway” (timetables from Gili Trawangan, Gili Air, Bangsal and Senggigi to Gili Gede, check-in point, luggage, port taxes, date changes)https://www.gilibookings.com/gili-getaway
• Travelfish, “Gili Gede transport” (boat fare and time between Tembowong and Gili Gede, landing location)https://www.travelfish.org/transport/indonesia/west_nusa_tenggara/lombok/gili_gede/all
• Hotels.com, “How to Get to Gili Islands and Between Islands” (boat time between Bangsal and the Gilis)https://www.hotels.com/go/indonesia/get-to-gili-islands
• unchartedlens, “Bangsal Harbour to Lombok Airport” (distance, time, rush hours, taxi and Grab fares, ATMs at the harbour)https://unchartedlens.com/routes/indonesia/bangsal-harbour-to-lombok-airport/
• We Seek Travel, “Best Things to Do in Sekotong, Lombok” (updated 14 July 2025; distance and time from Senggigi, taxi fare)https://www.weseektravel.com/best-things-to-do-in-sekotong-lombok/