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I’m not affiliated with Bluewater Express and I have not traveled to the Gili Islands on any other fast boat carrier, so I do not have any comparisons. This guide is strictly based on my personal experience with the service they provided and the research I did to find them online. After reading many reviews on Bluewater Express I decided to give them a try.
Bluewater Express Fastboat Service Breakdown
Bluewater Express currently has two options going from Bali to the Gili Islands. They service Padang Bai and Serangan boat ports in Bali. They generally have a morning boat to the Gili Islands from both Padang Bai and Serangan as well as an afternoon boat. But please refer to their website for correct times.
At the time of this writing, Bluewater Express includes a shuttle from your hotel/Airbnb/homestay in the quoted price as long as you are staying in one of the popular areas the shuttle services. I was picked up from Ubud by shuttle to take the Pandang Bai fast boat to Gili Air.
Fastboat Route to Gili Islands from Bali
The route from both Padang to Gili and Serangan to Gili will stop at Gili Trawangan first then Gili Air and Gili Meno.
What to expect when boarding the boat and the boat ride conditions
Be prepared to get a little wet when boarding the fast boats as in most cases you will have to board by shore without a boat dock. This means there will be personnel that holds the luggage above water over their heads to bring your luggage to the boat. So if you have valuable electronics you want to bring I suggest buying some waterproof bags to put them in before putting them in your luggage. Note that you will also have to walk through waist-deep water to get to the boat in most cases.
The boat ride can be quite choppy based on water conditions, I have a feeling you might experience this no matter what boat service you choose since they can’t really control the weather conditions. On the boat ride to Gili from Padang Bai, it was quite choppy and I witnessed some people get seasick. They did not sell any motion sickness pills on board from what I could tell, so it is best you buy those beforehand if you get seasick easily. Also to note the air conditioner was not working on the boat I rode to Gili Island, but it was working on the boat I rode on the return to Bali from Gili Air. The return boat from Gili Air to Bali was also more comfortable, and that may have also been due to the weather conditions being nicer.
Price
I paid 1,392,000 IDR ($98 USD) for a roundtrip boat ticket with a shuttle from homestay in Ubud to Padang Bai and on the return trip a shuttle from Padang Bai back to a different homestay in Seminyak. I’m sure you can find cheaper prices either online or going straight to either Padang Bai or Serangan to price compare with the many fast boat vendors. You could even take the regular ferry which is considerably less expensive but that requires around a 5-hour boat ride with a transfer. In my case, I was looking for the easiest less painful option and I was willing to pay a little more for convenience. However please check the Bluewater Express website for current rates as they may have changed.
From Padang Bai to Gili Islands
Padang Bai is a boat port around 1hr and 15minutes East of Ubud and the boat ride from Padang Bai takes around 1hr to 1.5 hours approximately. If you are staying in Ubud or North of Denpasar choosing this route may make the most sense. Also to note the boat from Padang Bai to Gili is shorter by 1 hour than taking the boat from Serangan to Gili.
From Serangan to Gili Islands
Serangan is about 30 minutes away from both Kuta and Denpasar. If you are staying in Denpasar or anywhere South of Denpasar, then Serangan may be your best route. Keep in mind that the Serangan to Gili route is around 2-2.5 hours boat trip, so it is 1 hour longer than the Padang to Gili boat route. So keep that in mind if you are prone to seasickness.
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