It takes time… an enjoyable time to do nothing, a thing that we are not much used to do, and sometimes is not so easy.
Just watch the landscape, and let your mind get empty from thoughts and allow your body to relax with the trembling of the boat, while the muffed sound of the engine mix with the clash of the small waves on the ferry-boat.
The arrival to Lombok coincided with the sunset, that paint magic colors on the green hills that from this volcanic island… where the vegetation breaks through the black volcanic rocks.
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How to go from Ubud to Kuta-Lombok by public ferry?
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- First, you need to go from Ubud to Pandangbai (sometimes written as Pandang Bai). For me, the best option was the Perama bus (a kind of tourist bus), because couldn’t find any bemo in Ubud. There are 3 Perama buses a day fromUbud to Pandangbai (see photo below), I took the one at 11.30 and arrive in Lombok (Lembar pier) by ferry around the sunset.
- The bus from Ubud to Pandangbai takes 1.5 hours and cost 75.000 Rp.
- The Perama bus drops you very close from the pier. Just walk straight in the direction of the sea, and ignore all the guys trying to push you away from the ferryboat, offering you faster, but more expensive options.
- As you get inside the port area, you must buy your ticket inside the building on your left side. If you need orientation try to find someone with a uniform otherwise can be one of the many touts hanging around there.
- The ferry ticket costs 40.000 Rp. The trip took me 4.5 hours.
- When you arrive at Lembar (Lombok) you just need to walk straight to leave the port area.
- When I arrive I didn’t saw any public transportation, no bemo or buses, but it was already 6.30 p.m. Grab, Uber, GoJek are NOT available in Lombok. So the only way is to use the services of one of the drivers hanging around the port gate. You can walk straight until you reach the main road (nearby a supermarket) and try to get a taxi. If you are traveling alone, the best it to talk with the other travelers while you are in the boat, to see if anyone is going to the same destination as you, so you can share the ride.
- I was going to Kuta Lombok, a less popular destination, but found other travelers going on the same way. So we walk until we reach that supermarket (Indomart I think) and there I found some drivers with a kind of old mini-vans. We were three to go to Kuta and we bargain the price to 60.000 Rp per person.
- The road to Kuta is good and the trip took about 30 minutes in the evening.
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Practical information about the ferryboat from Pandangbai to Lembar:
- Ferry Ticket: 40.000 Rp. By the ticket at the ticket counter inside the building. In Pandangbai the building is located inside the harbor area, on the left side.
- The ferry works 24 hours.
- It doesn’t have a departure fix schedule, but usually the ferries departure every hour, but it can take more time depending on the number of vehicles waiting for getting inside the boat… and no one seems to be in a hurry!!!
- My trip on the ferry took, 4.5 hours but can be more if the sea conditions were rough… but I needed to wait 45 minutes until the boat were ready to departure.
- Inside the boat there a few drinks and snacks, but if you want to avoid processed food, you can get one of the pack that some ladies are selling at the entrance of the boat, usually with fried-rice (nasi-goreng).
- The ferry goes full of cars, but doesn’t transport many people, so you have a lot of space if you want to sleep.
- For me is better to do the trip outside on the deck nearby the pilot cabin… if the fence is closed you can open without a problem and travel there.
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For more detailed and update information:
//www.lombok-network.com/ferry_tarrif.htm
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How to go from Ubud to Kuta Lombok… costs and time
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Perama bus: 7:00, 11:30, 15:00, 75.000 Rp (1.5 hours)
Ferry boat: 4.30h, 40.000 Rp
Shared Bemo: 60.000 Rp/person (minimum 2 people)
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Perama Bus has a direct service from Ubud to Kuta Lombok for 300.000 Rp, including boat and bus, but for a minimum of 2 persons.
NOTE: there aren’t Uber, Grab or GoJek in Lombok!
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