Harbours for the South Gilis: Tawun, Tembowong or Lembar, with Boat Prices and Crossing Times

31 October 2026

Which harbour you use for the South Gilis off Sekotong depends on where you are going. For island hopping to Gili Nanggu, Gili Sudak and Gili Kedis, go from around Tawun harbour; for Gili Gede, use Tembowong; and for a day trip from Mataram, Lembar is convenient. A boat for the three near islands starts at about Rp350,000, and the crossing to Gili Gede is about Rp25,000 per person.

For this guide we read Indonesian news (detikBali), the travel guide Travelfish, travel company and traveller blogs, and a fast boat timetable in October 2026, and summarised the destinations, boat prices and times from each harbour. Some sources give prices per boat and others per person, so we say which. Harbour parking fees and the hours boats leave could not be confirmed in the sources we opened.

This guide is for anyone staying in Sekotong or the South Gilis who wants to know which harbour to use and how to hire a boat. For what each island is like, see our guide to the South Gili islands.

Information as of October 2026

What this article covers

✓The main harbours for the South Gilis (Tawun, Tembowong, Lembar) and where they go
✓Island-hopping boat prices and times
✓The boat to Gili Gede
✓How to hire a boat and what to check before you board
✓Fast boats from Bali to Gili Gede

In short

For island hopping, hire a boat around Tawun (from about Rp350,000 for three islands); for Gili Gede, take the boat from Tembowong (Rp25,000 per person, 10 to 20 minutes); for a day trip from Mataram, go from Lembar (Rp350,000 per boat, 30 to 45 minutes). Check first whether a price is per boat or per person.

Contents

Which harbour for the South Gilis?

The South Gilis, also called the Secret Gilis, are a scatter of small islands off Sekotong in southwest Lombok. The travel company blog tiket.com (February 2021) says Sekotong has 23 islands and that the boat to Gili Nanggu leaves from Tawun pier. The travel blog homeiswhereyourbagis (updated March 2026) says most island-hopping boats leave from near Tawun.

For Gili Gede, the travel guide Travelfish says boats leave from Tembowong harbour. Tembowong is in Pelangan, and the travel blog We Seek Travel (updated July 2025) says most of Sekotong’s dive centres are near Pelangan.

If you are coming for the day from Mataram or Senggigi, boats also leave from Lembar. According to detikBali (March 2024), Mataram to Lembar is about 30 to 45 minutes by car, and Lembar to Gili Nanggu about 30 to 45 minutes by boat.

Figure: Three harbours for the South Gilis

Tawun: hiring an island-hopping boat

To visit the three near islands of Nanggu, Sudak and Kedis, the usual approach is to hire a boat around Tawun harbour. According to homeiswhereyourbagis, a boat for these three starts at about Rp350,000 and a boat to the farther Gili Layar and Gili Rengit at about Rp600,000, with boats normally carrying 6 to 8 people. The far two islands are just under 30 minutes by boat from the start.

detikBali (March 2024) says shared boats run from Tawun and Tanjung Kelor harbours to Gili Nanggu for Rp10,000 per person, taking about 15 to 20 minutes. This is cheaper than hiring a boat, but you need to agree the return time with the boatman. The Gili Nanggu entry fee is Rp5,000 per person.

Boat prices are counted differently in different sources. We Seek Travel gives roughly Rp250,000 to 300,000 per person for a boat to Gili Nanggu, varying by boat and booking method. The tiket.com blog (February 2021) gives Rp250,000 to 450,000 per boat to each of Nanggu, Gede and Kedis. When you hire, confirm in one go whether the price is per boat or per person, how many islands, and what time you return.

← Scroll sideways to see the whole table

Destination	Harbour	Boat price	Time	Source and date
Nanggu, Sudak, Kedis	Around Tawun	From about Rp350,000 per boat	About 15 to 20 min to Nanggu	homeiswhereyourbagis (updated March 2026), detikBali (March 2024)
Gili Layar, Gili Rengit	Around Tawun	From about Rp600,000 per boat	Just under 30 min	homeiswhereyourbagis
Gili Nanggu (shared)	Tawun, Tanjung Kelor	Rp10,000 per person	About 15 to 20 min	detikBali (March 2024)
Gili Gede	Tembowong	Rp25,000 per person	About 10 to 20 min	Travelfish
Gili Nanggu	Lembar	Rp350,000 per boat (10 to 15 people)	About 30 to 45 min	detikBali (March 2024)

Prices change with group size, bargaining and season.

Tembowong: the boat to Gili Gede

Gili Gede is the largest of the South Gilis; the tiket.com blog says around 1,000 people live in five villages there. You cross by boat from Tembowong. According to Travelfish, the landing is a small one beside the petrol station at the eastern end of Tembowong, the fare is Rp25,000 per person, and the crossing takes about 10 to 20 minutes depending on where you are going on the island.

The same guide gives Lembar to Tembowong as Rp200,000 to 250,000 by taxi or Rp30,000 by shared bemo, taking 1 to 2 hours. Bemos cannot enter the immediate port area, so you walk about 1 km from the main road. If you have a room booked on Gili Gede, Travelfish says you can also ask your accommodation to arrange the boat.

Take care

Check first whether the price is per boat or per person
Agree how many islands and what time you return before you board
Check there are life jackets for everyone before you board
Snorkel gear may not be on board (rental from about Rp50,000)
There may be no drinking water on the islands; take plenty

Lembar: crossing for the day from Mataram

If you are staying in Mataram or Senggigi and want a day in the South Gilis, boats also leave from Lembar. detikBali (March 2024) gives about 30 to 45 minutes by boat from Lembar to Gili Nanggu, at Rp350,000 per boat for up to 10 to 15 people. The travel blog Kathmandu and Beyond (updated January 2023) says the drive from Senggigi to Lembar took about an hour.

Lembar is also where the public ferry from Bali arrives. You can cross to the South Gilis on the day you arrive by public ferry from Padang Bai, but as the ferry takes about 4 to 6 hours and can run late, it is calmer to leave island hopping until the next day.

Hiring a boat: how the day works

You can hire an island-hopping boat directly from a boatman at the harbour, or through your accommodation or a tour company. The author of homeiswhereyourbagis hired a boatman from Batu Leong, the village next to Tawun. The tiket.com blog notes its prices were correct at the time of writing and may change. If you arrange it at the harbour, checking these points in order avoids misunderstandings.

Figure: How to hire an island-hopping boat

Split between people, the cost comes down: six people on a near-three-island boat pay around Rp60,000 each. In a small group you can also take a shared boat (Rp10,000 per person), but which islands you visit and when you return depend on the boat.

Straight from Bali to the South Gilis: fast boats to Gili Gede

There are also fast boats from Bali straight to the South Gilis. On the operator Gili Getaway’s timetable, Serangan harbour to Gili Gede takes about 2 hours (for example, leaving at 10.30am and arriving at 12.30pm), and Nusa Penida to Gili Gede about 1 hour. Going back, one example leaves Gili Gede at 12.45pm and reaches Serangan at 2.45pm. Times change by day and season, and the same page says change rules are stricter in the busy July to September period.

From Gili Gede onwards to the Sekotong mainland or other islands, you take local boats. If you stay on a South Gili island, accommodation may offer transfers from the airport or Lembar; one Gili Asahan property lists an airport transfer at Rp650,000.

A note from Sekotong

If you stay on the Sekotong mainland, island-hopping boats usually leave in the morning and return between early and late afternoon. Semelar Beach Village’s stay programme also includes island trips in a local boatman’s boat. How a stay works is on our Stay page, island trips and other things to 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 crossing on your own suits

First, the downsides. The harbours for the South Gilis are all small landings, and there are almost no scheduled services with timetables. Prices are set by bargaining and counted differently between sources. Boats may not go out on windy or rough days, and in the rainy season (November to March) there are days when you cannot cross as planned.

Still, from the harbours you can reach small, quiet islands in 15 to 45 minutes. Hiring a whole boat lets you choose where to go and when, and split between a group the cost per person is small. If you want to go island hopping as a group or stay on an island and take it slowly, crossing from the harbour yourself suits you.

Frequently asked questions

Q. Which harbour do South Gili island-hopping boats leave from?

Most boats for Nanggu, Sudak and Kedis leave from around Tawun harbour. For a day trip from Mataram, boats also leave from Lembar.

Q. How do I get to Gili Gede?

By boat from the landing at Tembowong, Rp25,000 per person, about 10 to 20 minutes (Travelfish). From Serangan on Bali, the fast boat takes about 2 hours (Gili Getaway timetable).

Q. How much is an island-hopping boat?

From about Rp350,000 per boat for the near three islands, and from about Rp600,000 for the farther Gili Layar and Gili Rengit. Check first whether the price is per boat or per person.

Q. Is there a shared boat?

detikBali (March 2024) says shared boats run from Tawun and Tanjung Kelor harbours to Gili Nanggu for Rp10,000 per person, about 15 to 20 minutes.

Q. Do I need to book a boat?

You can arrange one at the harbour, but booking the day before through your accommodation or a tour company means you can leave in the morning without waiting. On busy days or with a large group, book ahead.

Summary

For the South Gilis, use the harbour around Tawun for island hopping, Tembowong for Gili Gede, and Lembar for a day trip from Mataram. A boat for the three near islands starts at about Rp350,000, and the boat to Gili Gede is about Rp25,000 per person.

Before boarding, check whether the price is per boat or per person, how many islands, and the return time. Prices and times change, so check with your accommodation or boatman before you go (as of October 2026).