You can reach Lombok by plane, although you might have to do some layovers, as not all international flights go to Lombok, or you can go by boat.

Going by boat is a great option as it will be cheaper and there are several stops. So if you’re planning to visit several islands, the boats that travel between Lombok and Bali also stop in the Nusa Islands (Penida and Lembongan) and the Gili islands (Meno, Air and Trawangan).

We chose the boats as we had no flights within the schedule we wanted and there are two boat options! A typical fast boat and a bigger boat, I’ll explain the differences below:

• Fast boats: these boats will take you to your destination faster (between Bali and Lombok we took around 3 hours) and are normally cheaper. However, these boats also have less organization and structures: they will start and stop at the beach as they don’t stop in harbours so it might be tricky for a person with mobility issues or a lot of bags to get on and get off the boat. The company we used was the Fast Scoot Cruises.
• Big fast boats: there’s a company named Ekajaya that provides fast boats, but they are bigger and more structured. They stop in proper harbours, there’s more assistance from the staff and the boat itself is more comfortable with several floors and a lot of places to seat. The only thing you have to take into account if you wish to take the boat is seasickness! Although the boat is bigger and that normally means less balance, here the opposite happens. As these boats go fast and they go to deeper waters than the smaller boats you will feel more turbulance.