Can you take a boat from Nusa Penida to the Gilis?
Yes. BlueWater Express publishes a seasonal Nusa Penida–Gili Trawangan–Gili Air route, while Eka Jaya lists Penida among its departure points. Choose the destination island before paying: a ticket to Trawangan does not get you to your hotel on Meno. A published route is not confirmation of seats or clearance for a particular day.
For October, BlueWater lists departure from Penida at 09:15, arrival at Trawangan at 11:00 and Air at 11:35. All times are WITA (GMT+8), approximate and include the listed stops. That is 1 hour 45 minutes to Trawangan or 2 hours 20 minutes to Air, before hotel transfers.
BlueWater seasonal scheduleBuyuk or Banjar Nyuh: go to the right harbour
BlueWater identifies its Penida harbour as Buyuk. Eka Jaya names its Penida stop Banjar Nyuh in the booking selector. These are different departure points: give your driver the operator name and exact check-in location on the ticket, rather than just asking for the Nusa Penida port.
BlueWater closes check-in 30 minutes before departure, so its listed 09:15 October boat requires check-in by 08:45. Aim to arrive earlier, with the road journey from your accommodation already arranged. Eka Jaya opens check-in an hour before departure and closes it 30 minutes before; use the departure time on your own dated booking.
BlueWater Penida harbour informationChoose your arrival island
Swipe or scroll sideways to compare every column.
| Your decision | Boat choice | What happens after arrival |
|---|---|---|
| Gili Trawangan | A ticket explicitly to Trawangan | Continue to your accommodation from the harbour; BlueWater does not provide Gili hotel transport. |
| Gili Air | A ticket explicitly to Air | On the October BlueWater route, remain aboard through Trawangan and disembark at Air. |
| Gili Meno | A dated ticket naming Meno, or a separate local transfer | BlueWater does not stop at Meno. Arriving at Air or Trawangan adds another boat and an unprotected connection. |
November to April needs a different plan
BlueWater’s November–April panel shows the Bali–Gili service via Padang Bai, without a Penida call. Do not carry the October 09:15 departure into a winter booking. Eka Jaya is an alternative to search for your exact date and island, but its general destination list is not proof of a daily sailing.
If no suitable Penida–Gili ticket is available, split the journey through Bali and allow an overnight stop before the onward Gili boat. This avoids treating separately sold crossings as a guaranteed connection. A cancellation or late arrival on the first leg can otherwise leave you holding an unusable second ticket.
Eka Jaya routes and booking guidanceFares, transfers and a Meno connection
Eka Jaya states that fares vary with season, availability and promotions; a fixed route-wide fare would be misleading. Compare the total for the same date, island and passenger ages, then add the Penida hotel-to-port ride, any separately charged fees and a local transfer to Meno if needed. Do not assume the Bali shuttle offer includes Penida: Eka Jaya explicitly excludes Penida and Lembongan from that offer.
For Meno, arrange the onward local boat before choosing a late arrival at another Gili. Leave time for unloading and finding the next departure rather than building the trip around an unverified last boat.
Boats between Air, Meno and TrawanganReturning to Penida is a different sailing
The return service runs at a different time and calls at mainland Lombok. Use the Gili-to-Penida guide for that direction rather than reversing the morning times above. For either direction, keep a flexible first evening after arrival instead of an excursion that starts immediately after the scheduled docking time.
Gili Islands to Nusa Penida