Bangsal
From Wikitravel
Contents
Bangsal is a tiny little port in northwestern Lombok, about 1 km away from the town of Pemenang. It's strictly a transfer point on the way to and from the Gili Islands, and few people hang around here any longer than necessary.
[edit] Get in
[edit] By public boat
The only reason to come to Bangsal is to go to the Gilis, and that means you have to deal with the Koperasi Angkutan Laut (Sea Transport Co-operative), which monopolises transport to the islands. Try to get to Bangsal by 10 AM or earlier as most boats go in the morning. The public boat office in Bangsal closes at 16:30 PM.
In theory, it's very easy: show up, buy a ticket for the public boat (Rp. 8000-10000 to any of the Gilis), and wait until the 20-25 people needed to fill up a boat show up. Early in the morning, this rarely takes over an hour, and you'll be told by the ticket sellers when it's time to go: tickets are numbered and color-coded. Later in the day, though, you may be in for a long wait. If you aren't in the mood to sit around, you can also charter an entire boat for a fixed Rp. 185,000 to Trawangan, which is not unreasonable if you can share the cost with a few fellow travellers.
Life is made harder by the Bangsal Mafia, a bunch of guys hanging around the port who will seriously hassle you to buy boat tickets to the Gilis from them, with various excuses like claiming that your ticket is no longer valid. Do not believe them and do not give in! Above all, do not let them lead you to any dodgy "offices": head for the water, where you will see a large sign, the ferry terminal and the real ticket office.
The way to sidestep this hassle is to book an organized tour. The largest operator, Perama [1] arranges trips from Mataram and Senggigi direct to the Gilis for Rp. 100,000 per person, bypassing Bangsal entirely.
[edit] By speedboat
Hotels, dive operators etc can also arrange speedboat pickups, using the alternative ports of Teluk Nara and Teluk Kode. All Bali-Gili-Lombok ferry services (see Gili Islands) also terminate at one of these two.
[edit] By taxi
Metered taxis are not usually found in Bangsal, but the touts hanging around can rustle up Kijang jeeps that seat four comfortably and cost around Rp. 150,000 to anywhere in Senggigi/Mataram.
Taxis are more viable option on the way in from eg. Senggigi. A metered taxi will run about Rp. 70,000 but if you search around and bargain with the drivers, it may be possible for a little less. This is an excellent option if sharing the trip with some other travellers and it could be as cheap as bemos but far more convenient.
[edit] By bemo
Bemos do not call at Bangsal itself, but they do stop in nearby Pemenang.
[edit] Get around
Cidomo horse carts hang around Bangsal, waiting to ferry visitors to the main road in Pemenang.
[edit][add listing] See
[edit][add listing] Do
[edit] Buy, Eat and Drink
There is a small kiosk and some scruffy warungs around the ferry dock, but no other facilities.
[edit][add listing] Sleep
- You can find somewhere to stay easily and a few restaurants are keen for your business.
[edit] Contact
[edit] Get out
You'll likely want to leave Bangsal immediately.
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