Begin your journey at the bustling Gili Trawangan jetty. Arrive 30 minutes early to check in at The Tanis ticket office near the harbor, confirm your booking, and receive your luggage tags and boarding pass.
Let the crew take your heavy suitcases or backpacks, load them onto their shoulders, and secure them safely on the roof or front deck of the boat, protecting them from the sea spray. As 12:00 PM approaches, the crisp white boat with its distinctive red and blue stripes—“THE TANIS LEMBONGAN EXPRESS”—glides up to the shoreline. Depending on the exact tide, you might have to wade through calf-deep, crystal-clear turquoise water to climb the rear steps of the boat.
Once inside the spacious cabin, escape the midday tropical heat. The boat is designed for maximum passenger comfort during open-ocean crossings. The cabin features rows of padded, comfortable seats. Large, clear windows line both sides of the vessel, ensuring you never miss a moment of the ocean views. The boat is equipped with air conditioning to keep the interior cool, though many travelers love to feel the ocean breeze by keeping the back deck area accessible.
The Tanis takes safety seriously. Underneath the seats or easily accessible in the overhead racks are adult and child life jackets. The boat is also equipped with life rafts, a first aid kit, and GPS communication systems, giving you complete peace of mind as you head into deeper waters.
As the powerful outboard motors roar to life precisely at noon, the boat smoothly accelerates away from Gili Trawangan. The island’s iconic shoreline, dotted with coconut trees and beach bars, slowly shrinks into the distance. Fast boats operating from the Gilis to Sanur typically make quick, efficient stops to drop off and pick up passengers at neighboring islands.
First, the boat will make a brief 10-minute stop at Gili Air or Bangsal Harbor (Lombok). After securing the new passengers, the captain turns the bow toward the open sea, heading southwest across the Lombok Strait.
This stretch of the journey is spectacular. On a clear day, looking back rewards you with a majestic view of Mount Rinjani towering over Lombok. As you push closer to Bali, the iconic, sacred silhouette of Mount Agung rises dramatically from the clouds to your right. The deep blue water crashes into white foam against the hull as the vessel glides over the swells. It takes about 1.5 to 2 hours of open-ocean cruising to reach the next major transit point: Nusa Lembongan.
Because this boat is operated by The Tanis Lembongan Express, it will pull into the stunning, cliff-lined shores of Nusa Lembongan to disembark passengers who are staying there. It provides a beautiful, brief sneak peek of Lembongan's dramatic coastlines and seaweed farms.
