Visiting Nusa Lembongan soon?

Nusa Lembongan is an underrated island located off the east coast of Bali. While most travelers head to Nusa Penida for cool adventures, Nusa Lembongan is a slice of peaceful paradise with beautiful beaches and chill vibes.

This island is the perfect escape from the bustle of popular Bali spots like Canggu, Ubud or Seminyak.

Matthew and I recently traveled from Bali to Nusa Lembongan with some friends on a 3-day weekend getaway. And it’s become a real favorite of ours!

But how do you get from Bali to Nusa Lembongan exactly?

It’s much easier and quicker than you think! You simply catch a fast boat for 30 minutes and you’ve arrived. In recent years, they’ve also built a brand new ferry port and the entire process has become more streamlined.

We share tips on the best way to get to Nusa Lembongan (and back to Bali), which ferry companies to trust and what to expect (arrival ports, timing, etc).

Let’s break down this journey!

Quick Overview: Bali To Nusa Lembongan

The best way to get to Nusa Lembongan is by taking a ferry.

Book the ferry tickets online and catch the ferry from the new Sanur Harbour Port and the journey takes approximately 30-40 minutes.

Arrive around at least 45 minutes before your boat departs to give yourself time to check-in, get your lanyards, board and a bathroom break!

Our Personal Experience

We’ve lived in Bali collectively for years and share our best travel tips here. Matthew and I went to Nusa Lembongan from Bali with some friends for a weekend getaway for the first time recently.

We left early Friday morning to catch the ferry in Sanur Port. We booked our ferry tickets last minute on 12go website and it worked out great. Simple to use and ticket confirmation was legit!

Coming from Canggu, we knew that we had to take traffic into account. It took us about 45 minutes to reach Sanur. From here, we checked into Tanis Express and proceeded to get a coffee at Awake Coffee while waiting to board.

We made sure to stop at Circle K (convenience store) to buy some water and gum for the journey!

Once on board the boat, I beelined it for the window seat because I was slightly motion sick. This helped a lot and honestly, the boat only had rough waters for about 10 minutes of the entire trip.

We arrived in Nusa Lembongan and we specifically stayed at Dinatah Lembongan Villas because its walkable from the port and they’ve got a pool and private bungalows.. We only walked 7 minutes to get to our hotel which made it all easy breezy!

Our biggest tip for the boat journey back from Nusa Lembongan to Bali is to get to the front of the line. They overfilled the boats and thankfully, we were one of the first in line so we got seats. But the last people in line had to stand for the ENTIRE journey back!

Know Before You Go: Helpful Tips

Rocky waters on the boat ride. You won’t need to get in the water to hop on the boat because of the new port and jetty built in Sanur. However, it’s still very rocky and the waves get pretty harsh. Bring Dramamine if you easily get seasick.

Get travel medical insurance. The ferries in Bali are infamous for having malfunctions and the medical facilities on remote islands aren’t the most sophisticated. In case anything happens, we’ve used and recommend SafetyWing for short and long-term travel. Make sure to get it in advance of your trip to Nusa Lembongan since you’re taking a ferry!

Wear shorts. If you’re taking the popular ferry companies, chances are high you’ll have to step off the boat into the water thats ankle/knee deep. It’s best to wear shorts so your clothes don’t get wet! I also wore my Chaco sandals which are waterproof — highly recommend if you have them!

Get cash out before. ATMs in Bali are plenty so make sure to get some cash out before departing. There are not that many options on the island so best to have some cash on hand, in case you need it!

Book a full-day tour. Short on time and want everything handled for you?

Don’t miss out on the magic that is Nusa Lembongan and book a full-day tour instead which hits all the major spots, including handling transport and logistics.

How To Get From Bali To Nusa Lembongan (Complete Guide)

After taking the journey ourselves and spending a weekend exploring the peaceful island, this is our complete guide on how to get from Bali to Nusa Lembongan (and back).

1. Buy Ferry Tickets Online

You can buy ferry tickets online now for travel from Bali to Nusa islands.

To book your ferry from Bali to Nusa Lembongan, we recommend using the 12go.asia website.

Enter ‘Bali’ as your departure and ‘Nusa Lembongan’ as your arrival. If you know which port you prefer (‘Mushroom Bay’ vs ‘Jungut Batu’), you can enter that instead of ‘Nusa Lembongan’.

Most ferry companies run from Bali to Nusa Lembongan and back around 4+ times per day. The times depend on each company.

The average ticket price ranges from $9 to $23 for one-way ferries from Bali to Nusa Lembongan for online bookings. For a return ticket, the ticket price starts from $18 up to $40+.

We used The Tanis Express to get to Mushroom Bay Harbor and can recommend them. But our trip was last minute so if we had more choice, we think Rocky Fast Cruises and D’Camel Fast Ferry are also good options.

The boats are very similar in size and comfort level. It’s just about choosing the ferry company with a better reputation.

Here are ferry companies with decent reputations:

• The Tanis Express (⭐️⭐️⭐️.6)
• D’Camel Fast Ferry (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)
• Rocky Fast Cruises (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.2)

The ferries start operating from 7am to 5pm, daily unless weather doesn’t allow it. There’s more than 30 ferries going back and forth every day, so it’s easy to catch another one in case anything happens!

Make sure to choose the ferry company that arrives at the right port closest to your hotel. For us, that was Mushroom Bay Harbor. Jungut Batu Beach is the more popular port in the ‘center’ of Nusa Lembongan.

Whereas Rocky Fast Cruises have their own port on the other side of the island (which isn’t easy to get to). However, they do offer free transfer to your accommodation and you don’t have to jump in the water when you arrive because they have a jetty.

2. Book Arrival Transfer Before Arriving

Now, the next thing you have to book is your pick-up transfer.

Figuring out how to get from the port to your hotel is an easy thing to forget but it’s pretty important — especially if you don’t want to waste time at the arrival port looking for a transfer, it’s best to have one pre-arranged.

There are a few options to consider for your arrival transfer in Nusa Lembongan:

1. Book via ferry company
2. Book via hotel
3. Walk to a hotel near the port

Some ferry companies offer free transfers from the port to your hotel, make sure to confirm and double-check with your chosen ferry company. It’s usually a shared pickup truck that will load passengers and their luggage in as well. 

This takes time but if you don’t have much luggage, we suggest walking to your hotel. We stayed at Dinatah Lembongan Villas which is only a 7-minute walk from Mushroom Bay.. Easy and no hassle!

3. Get To Sanur Port

Sanur is a quieter, family-friendly destination on the east side of Bali. The beautiful beaches, stunning sunrises and promenade make it a great place to chill for a while.

The port to the Nusa islands can be found in Sanur.

Now, you have to travel from other parts of Bali to Sanur port to catch your ferry. The journey depends on where you’re coming from and what season you’re traveling in.

The ferry companies suggest arriving an hour early. This was way too long for us, we had to find a cafe to sit at and wait till boarding. However, our friends ran into unexpected traffic and almost cut it too close.

We suggest aiming to arrive around 45 minutes earlier than the departure time, depending on where you’re coming from.

Traffic plays a BIG factor in estimating your arrival time. If you’re traveling from Canggu or Ubud, make sure to leave earlier. We took about 40 minutes longer than expected on Maps!

Note: You can take a Grab or GoJek car to get to the port. They will drop you off in the parking lot.

In order to get from Bali to Nusa Lembongan, the best port to catch the ferry is the new Sanur Port. Recently built and finished in 2023, passengers no longer have to wade through the water to get on a ferry.

There’s a whole new boarding area and a proper jetty to get on each ferry.

4. Check In With Boat Company

Once you arrive in Sanur Port, the first thing you do is check in at your boat companys’ counter.

They are scattered in a certain area, here’s some Map locations of popular ferry companies at the port:

• D’camel Fast Ferry
• Rocky Fast Cruises
• The Tanis Express

Start walking towards your check-in counter. Look for the sign and show your online booking confirmation to the staff.

You may need to show ID for each passenger. They will give you 2 things:

• Boat ticket with QR code
• Lanyard

Make sure to keep both handy!

You may have to wait a while depending on how early you arrive. We went to a cafe called Awake Coffee & Eatery, it was just okay coffee but gave us somewhere to sit. There’s a Circle K nearby if you want to grab water, drinks or anything else before getting on the fast boat.

Once it gets close to boarding time, go back to the stand of your ferry company. They will guide you to the boarding terminal.

5. Go To The Ferry Terminal

It’s time to start the boarding process!

This is where you see the new, modern terminal building. It’s quite impressive they were able to build and it’s made the boarding process much more efficient!

Enter the terminal and they will scan the physical receipt (with a QR code) and check for your lanyard. Follow the escalator up to the waiting area.

You don’t get on the boat right away. You have to wait 5-20 minutes before getting out on the jetty. Look out for the TV screens around to show which boats are boarding!

6. Taking The Fast Boat Ride

Once you’ve been called to board, walk out to the jetty and head to your boat. Hand over your lanyard and any larger luggage to the staff to secure it on board.

We traveled pretty light and kept our backpacks with our valuables next to us inside the boat.

The boats are usually safe but they are known to have issues or travel through rough waters. At this point, we always double-check we’ve got our travel medical insurance.

The fast boats in Bali are notorious for rough rides and going to an island means there isn’t easy access to quality medical facilities. We suggest checking out SafetyWing for travels around Bali and to nearby islands, especially. In case anything happens, at least you have peace of mind!

Some boat companies assign seats and some don’t. Sit anywhere you’d like! I prefer sitting by the window or near the door to get some fresh air because I’m a tad sensitive to getting seasick.

If the waves get intense, pull the window up so you don’t get wet. And pull the windows back down once you’re back in calm waters as there’s no air conditioning on the boats.

Most fast boats from Bali to Nusa Lembongan take around 30-40 minutes. Try to relax and before you know it, you’ll be arriving in Nusa Lembongan!

7. Arrive In Nusa Lembongan

After a 30-minute ride, you will arrive in Nusa Lembongan at either of these 3 ports:

• Jungut Batu Beach
• Mushroom Bay Harbor
• Rocky Beach (only if you take Rocky Fast Cruises)

When disembarking, be very careful when stepping out of the boat for the first 2 ports. You have to get out of the boat and walk down some stairs then jump down into the water (usually knee or ankle-deep).

The staff are there to lend a helping hand. They will also start unloading the luggage onto the beach. Don’t forget to grab it!

Now, all you have to do is find your pick-up transfer. If you booked with the ferry company, you might be taking a shared pickup truck. You’ve got to wait for everyone else and they take you to your hotel.

Otherwise, if you booked with your hotel — they’ll be waiting at the harbor (sometimes with a sign) and escort you to the accommodation.

The best thing to do? Book a hotel near the port! You can easily walk from the harbor to your hotel within a few minutes.

Return Trip From Nusa Lembongan To Bali

The return trip from Nusa Lembongan to Bali is pretty simple. For this, we recommend buying a return ticket (instead of one-way) to ensure an easy journey back.

The first thing is to find your ferry company at the port. Search your ferry company on Maps for the respective port and head there to check in.

Similarly, they hand you a lanyard. Make sure to wear it because they can spot you if you venture a little further off. Arrive around an hour before departure to get all of this done.

We waited, and had a drink and some Mie Goreng noodles while watching the boats come through.

The most important part?

Try to be the first in line to get on the return boat to Bali. Since there are no assigned seats, grab a seat as fast as you can. They tend to overfill the boats and that means whoever gets on last has to stand in the aisle of the boat for the entire 30-minute journey. Not fun!

When you arrive in Bali, you cannot order a Grab or Gojek from the Sanur Port. This area is a ‘drop-only’ zone! This means you have 3 options to get transport:

• Hail a local taxi (but you pay more than on the rideshare apps)
• Hire a private driver to pick you up (most convenient option)
• Walk out further and book a Grab/Gojek from there

We did the latter and walked to this gas station. We saw others walk to the DUNKIN if you want to be further from the port. The cars took longer to arrive but it worked out fine for us and we avoided the ‘taxi mafia’.

Wrap Up: Getting From Bali To Nusa Lembongan

And that’s how you take the ferry from Bali to Nusa Lembongan.

This island surprised us in the best ways — from the beautiful beaches, calm waters and laid-back vibes.

Nusa Lembongan is the perfect escape for a day trip or a weekend getaway to relax and explore a this underrated island in Indonesia!

Frequently Asked Questions