Bali Fast Boat Provider Is Changing The Game For Tourists

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Contrary to popular belief, Bali isn’t a tiny island.

The province, which includes the outlying islands of Nusa Penida, Nusa Lembongan, and Nusa Ceningan, covers a total land area of 5,780 square km.

This is a lot of ground and ocean to cover to really explore Bali to the max. 

Transport within Bali has always been a hot topic.

With traffic piling up here, there, and everywhere, and limited options available in terms of public transport, getting from A to B in Bali can be a bit of a mission. 

Traveling by road is straightforward enough to organize, although sometimes journeys can be long. There are plenty of taxi drivers available at all hours fo the day, and applications like GoJek and Grab make it easier than ever to hail a ride.

Hiring a private driver for the duration of a vacation in Bali is pretty affordable too.

Tourists can also drive themselves around Bali, provided they are up to speed with Indonesian traffic law. 

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However, traveling by fast boat and ferry to Bali’s outlying and neighboring islands has long been a bit of a hassle for tourists.

While there are plenty of providers out there, tourists have often found issues with online booking platforms offering fast boat trips in Bali and beyond. For the most part, tourists still book fast boat tickets via a travel agent or their accommodation provider.

While this is a perfectly acceptable, safe, and cost-effective way to book fast boat tickets in Bali, more and more tourists are managing their own trips from start to finish and want to be able to book their own tickets and do so in advance.

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Bali’s GoBoat is changing the game when it comes to boat travel in Bali in all kinds of ways.

The first transfer service by GoBoat was launched in 2023, and a shuttle boat service was launched between Canggu and Uluwatu.

The fast boat service cuts down travel time considerably, with ocean-bound journeys taking just 35 minutes rather than the minimum two hours by car, despite what GoogleMaps says, and even if traffic is flowing freely. 

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The Canggu-Uluwatu service runs between Nelayan Beach and Padang Padang Beach. The Canggu to Uluwatu route runs five times daily, at 9 am, 11 am, 1 pm, 3 pm, and 5 pm.

The Uluwatu to Canggu route runs four times daily, departing at 10 am, 12 pm, 2 pm, and 4 pm. Tickets for the crossing between Uluwatu and Canggu start at IDR 245,00 per person. 

GoBoat may have changed the game by introducing the sea taxi service between the two surf havens, but the provider is shaking things up in other ways.

The company has undergone a period of expansion and is now operating regular fast boat services out of Bali’s most popular harbors to the province’s most in-demand destinations. 

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GoBoat now offers fast boat crossings from Jimbaran, Sanur, Padangbai, and Seranagan to destinations like Nusa Penida, Nusa Lembongan, Lombok, Gili Trawangan, and Gili Air. It’s so easy, too.

The website is super user-friendly and works seamlessly on mobile; ideal for tourists who have left their laptop at home!

Tickets are issued as PDFs sent via email after the booking is confirmed and paid for. The ticket is also available in Apple Wallet format for an even easier journey.

All tickets are non-refundable, but those who have booked a flexible ticket are able to change the time of their departure one time only and no later than one hour before the scheduled departure. 

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Over the years, there have been dozens of horror stories in circulation from tourists who have made the fast boat crossings in bad weather.

GoBoat will cancel or postpone scheduled crossings if they deem the conditions at sea too dangerous or extreme.