Fly direct to Lombok from Bali and catch the Fast Ferry:

There are daily flights from Denpasar/Bali airport, Ngurah Rai to Lombok International airport, Banda Udara. The flight takes about 40 minutes.  Three carriers provide flights to Lombok from Bali; Wings, Lion and Garuda.

Silverdog Charter

We can arrange collection from Elong, Elong in Lombok. The trip takes about 1 hour, and you will be dropped off in Maluk Bay – Silverdog is about 2 minutes away. Great views and a really worthwhile experience.

Car/Bike/Slow Ferry from Bali:

The car/bike/slow ferry combo can be fun, it can also be a bit of a mission!

From the time you leave Bali and reach Silverdog you would have spent about 14 and a half hours on the road and on the ferries. Here is the breakdown:

Ride/drive from Denpasar to Padang Bai Ferry Terminal: Approx three hours.

Ferry to Lembar Port, Lombok:  Approx five hours.

Ride/drive from Lembar Port to Kayanagan Port Lombok: Approx three hours.

Ferry to Poto Tano Port, Sumbawa: Approx two hours.

Poto Tano ride/drive to Maluk: Approx one and a half hours.

The times above are all approximates for a reason, stuff happens – see the pro’s and con’s of the ride/drive/ferry combo below.

Pro’s

The big advantage is you will have your car or bike with you. Car’s are difficult to come by in Sumbawa, so if you are not keen on bikes or scooters you won’t have the drama of trying to arrange a car.

If you are new to Indonesia you will get to see the sights, parts of the ride are really pretty and the ferry trip can provide some great photo opportunities as well.

You will meet plenty of locals and other travellers.

It is, as they say, all about the journey and not the destination, in terms of the “Indo experience” the combo is worth doing, at least once.

Con’s

The slow ferries run every hour but, they are not always on time and things can slow down considerably when big swells hit, this makes docking difficult and this means you will wait for as long as it takes to dock safely.

Day time traffic particularly across Lombok, can be, putting it mildly, testing.

Leaving Bali at night makes for a quicker trip as there is less traffic however, travel at night has it’s own dangers, including, unexpected road works, truck accidents and livestock wandering across the road. Personal safety and theft are also considerations – there can be some shady crew around at night. If you are thinking of leaving at night a car is the best option unless you’re an experienced rider.

Fly to Sumbawa Besar:

Guest’s can also fly to Sumbawa Besar, via connecting flights through Lombok. It’s then a three hour drive to Maluk. We can arrange transport for you – just let us know when you book.

The Bus:

The other option is the bus. If you are considering catching the bus, leave yourself plenty of time, the bus timetable is kinda, well, “fluid.” Buses are not always reliable and their departure time is governed by when they are full!