Ubud to Gili Trawangan

Leaving Ubud early

The road out through Gianyar is slow before about 07:00 and again in the late afternoon, but the stretch to Padang Bai itself is quick. For a 09:00 boat a pickup around 07:00 is comfortable; earlier buys you nothing but a longer wait at the harbour.

Bags down the stairs

Many Ubud hotels sit down a flight of steps or along a path a car cannot reach. Drivers know this and will help, but it is worth telling us the property name when you book so the pickup point is agreed in advance rather than negotiated at 07:00.

The harbour itself

Padang Bai is small and busy, and the ticket counters sit behind a short strip of warungs. Touts work the car park and will offer to carry bags or sell you a ticket you already hold. A pre-booked transfer drops you at the counter itself, which is most of the reason to have one.

The eco-retribution

Every visitor to the Gilis pays an island levy on arrival, in cash, at the jetty. It is genuinely fixed and genuinely small, and it surprises people only because nobody mentions it beforehand. Bring small notes.

Pick a morning boat

Book a morning departure and you are on the sand before lunch, with the whole afternoon to settle in — and if weather shuffles the schedule there are later boats to fall back on. Several operators run the crossing every day; the results page compares them live, with each boat’s bag allowance shown on its card.

Gili Air or Gili Meno instead

The same boats call at all three islands on most runs, so the journey is identical until the last twenty minutes — just pick your island when you book and get off at your stop. Timings shift a little by operator; the crossing pages list each island’s departures.

Via Sanur

Doable, but usually slower from Ubud: the drive south is against the traffic and the crossing is longer, so the same trip runs four to five hours door to door. It earns its place only when a South Bali departure time happens to fit your day better than the Padang Bai ones.

Via Serangan

A premium, operator-specific route from the far south — closer to five hours from Ubud once the drive is counted. Nothing about it is faster from here; it exists for travellers already staying nearby.

Via Amed

The shortest crossing to the Gilis, a little over an hour, but the drive up the coast from Ubud is closer to two. We do not sell this crossing, so it is a direct booking with the operator if you want it.

Shuttle bus and boat

Tourist shuttles run Ubud to Padang Bai for a fraction of a private car. They are shared, they collect from several hotels first, and they are timed to the operator rather than to you. Cheap, and the least forgiving option if anything runs late.