There are quite a few speedboat companies operating between Bali and Penida. To know which one to choose from, the questions you’ll need to ask yourself are:

“where should I leave from” : If you leave from Ubud, Amed or Sidemen you are better off taking a boat from Kusamba (close to Padang Bay). On the other hand, if you come directly from the airport, Sanur, Kuta, Denpasar, Seminyak or Canggu you should take a boat from Sanur.

“where should I land” : Take into account where you’ll be staying in Penida. Also note that if you dive with us it is best to stay near Crystal Bay, Gamat Bay or Toyapakeh and that you should therefore arrive in Toyapakeh harbour. This said, if you stay close to Sampalan, Buyuk, Ped or Atuh Beach, opt for Sampalan or Buyuk harbours.

Making the right choice will save you the 150k IDR asked by all “taxi drivers” to go from Buyuk/kusamba to Toyapakeh or vice versa ! 

When leaving from sanur:

Please note that you’ll have to wear shorts and sandals since you’ll board the boats directly from the beach and will get your feet wet.

The companies operating from Sanur Beach all have offices, next to each other, on the beach at the end of Jalan Hangtuah. The only company that has a pontoon in Sanur is Semabu Fast Boat and they leave from Mertasari Beach.

The first boat leaves at 7:00AM and the last boat at 5:30PM

The one-way fare from Sanur costs 150k IDR and the trip takes around 40mn.

When leaving from Kusamba:

The operators Maruti and Sekarjaya both leave from the same place and Gangga Express is only a hundred meters away. All three have pontoons for you to board their boats.

The one-way fare from Kusamba costs 100k IDR and the trip takes around 20mn.

We found that it is usually best to go directly to the companies’ offices and ask at their counters to get the best prices but we’ve added contact information whenever possible. 

Note that most companies offer a pick up service from your hotel or the airport in Bali (for an extra charge).