In Reply to: public ferry posted by sara on Monday, 19. March 2012 at 07:43 Bali Time:
I've caught it many times. It is slow. It is often a barge/truck ferry and there is some seating for passengers. Loud blaring music is played in the sitting area. You need to have a good bladder as you will NOT want to use the toilet facilities.
The crossing takes 4-6 hours from Padang Bai to Lembar. Frustratingly, you will often arrive at the destination only to sit off the port for another hour or two waiting for a berth.
Once in Lombok, you then need to get from Lembar to your destination. Private transport is available but you need to be good at negotiating.
The condition of the ferries - they are not passenger ferries they are barges that transport trucks filled with produce, fuel, and other items between the islands.
That being said, depending on the time of day you leave, there are a couple of nicer ferries that have seating on the top deck and make for a very enjoyable crossing if the weather co-operates.
Going by boat between Bali & Lombok can be very rough, particularly between November and March. It is common for the boats to cease for several days as they did last week due to rough weather.