Those are the Lombok taxi prices, which we gathered during our trip. It has the following sections:
- How to get good taxi and ferry prices in Lombok?
- November 2022 taxi prices
- Lombok airport
- Tetebatu
- Kuta (Lombok)
- Mataran
- Senaru
- Bangsal
- More information about Indonesia
Lombok is a relatively small island. Even if you go to Senaru in the northern part next to the Mt Rinjani, it will take approximately 4-5 hours. No 8 or 10 hour journeys as in Flores or Sumbawa.
There are local minibuses (bemos) around but most tourists use the private taxis. You can either book it all for yourself or share with other passengers thus splitting the cost.
The prices below are what we managed to gather during our trip to Lombok. They were after the major hike in the gas price in September and October 2022. If the gas price goes down again, please check as they might be lower.
How to get good taxi and ferry prices in Lombok?
What are the main factors to get good prices?
(1) Your lack of time
If you are pressed for time, your options are limited. You will have no time to get a few quotes from the drivers and agencies. You will probably have to settle for a private car booked at your hotel, which will be more expensive at the last minute.
(2) Agency versus direct price
It is always cheaper and better to agree on the price with the driver, who will actually be in the vehicle with you. Even more preferably, it will be his own car. Two reasons: (1) Each agency and homestay is charging (sometimes a hefty 50-100%) commission. (2) You will be able to evaluate the car and the driver for their safety and reliability. A huge advantage as some cars might be a bit vintage. That is definitely not great when going up a mountain. Finally, it is generally easy to find direct drivers on Bali. Given their abundance, they will usually find you before you can spot them (“Hello, where are you going?” with a broad smile).
(3) Your accommodation
More expensive hotels/homestays will quote higher prices for the same service than the less expensive ones. Secondly, even when you are stopped on the street and asked if you need transportation, the drivers and agents will ALWAYS ask which hotel you are staying in. They will try to determine your ability to (over)pay. If you are lucky to be in one of the top accommodations on the island, it might be not the best time to mention that. Otherwise, it will be harder to get to a more fair cost.
(4) Driver’s price calculation
Our experience has been that drivers’ two biggest factors are distance and time traveled. The car brand or age seem to be less important as most of them are the similar (Toyota, Daihatsu). Also, if you want a one-way trip, the driver will add the distance and time for the trip back and charge it to you. All drivers are currently sensitive to the distance due to the higher gas prices. However, some are more relaxed about their own time and might quote a lower price.
(5) Driver’s experience
Some will also quote with hesitation and vastly different prices for the adjacent locations. That probably means that the driver has not had that many clients. More experienced driver usually deliver a realistic quote quickly without mentioning how many tourists they had driven around in the last week or month. More fluent English is also usually a sign of more tourist business.
(6) Driver’s personality
Finally, it always pays attention to driver’s behavior. You will be stuck with him for a few hours in a confined space, so it is better to have someone who is positive and conversational.
(7) Check Grab prices
Always check Grab prices as your benchmark. Grab is the equivalent of Uber or Lyft with a major difference. Contrary to their U.S. competitors, you can pay the Grab driver directly (similar to Yandex Go in central Asia). This has an advantage that anybody in your hotel, restaurant or even on the street can order a Grab taxi for you.
Secondly, when negotiating a price with a private taxi driver, just mentioning Grab’s price usually does wonders to establish a realistic price level.
November 2022 taxi prices
Prices below are PER CAR unless otherwise noted.
Lombok airport
Lombok airport – Tetebatu: IDR250,000 – 300,000 (1.25 hours)
Lombok airport – Mataram: IDR150 – 200,000 (30 minutes)
Lombok airport – Sengiggi: IDR 200-250,000 (45 minutes)
Lombok airport – Kuta (Lombok): IDR 100 – 150,000 (20 minutes)
Lombok airport – Senaru (for Mt Rinjani): IDR 700,000 (4 hours)
Tetebatu
Tetebatu – Senaru (north of Mt Rinjani): IDR500,000-600,000 (3 hours)
Tetebatu – Bayan (traditional/animist village north of Mt Rinjani): IDR500,000-600,000 (3 hours)
Tetebatu – Sambulan (east of Mr Rinjani): IDR300,000 (1.5 hours)
Kuta (Lombok)
Kuta (Lombok) – Tetebatu: IDR300,000 – 450,000 (1.25 hours)
Kuta (Lombok) – Lombok airport: IDR 120,000
Mataran
Mataran – Tetebatu: IDR 300,000 – 450,000 (1.25 hours)
Mataran – Lombok airport: IDR150,000
Senaru (north of Mt Rinjani)
Senaru – Bangsal (for ferry to Amed in Bali): IDR 200-300,000 (2 hours)
Senaru – Lombok airport: IDR 650 – 700,000 (4 hours)
Bangsal (ferry to Amed)
There are two boat types on this route. We came on “FreebirdExpress Escape 99“: large, stable, no engine smells, departed on time, arrived on time, not crowded.
Direct price: IDR 300,000 per person one way. Agency price: IDR 500,000. Buy direct at the harbors in Amed, Gilis or Bangsal.
The other boat is supposedly smaller and more bumpy. We were also told cheaper at IDR 250,000 direct price (did not buy this ticket / not verified).
More information about Indonesia
Beyond this list of Lombok taxi prices, the traditional village of Tetebatu (Lombok) or Mt Rinjani (Lombok) Hike might be useful.
If you are going to Flores, check Komodo tour or the unique Bena Traditional Village (Flores).
Also, on Bali do try a Body Cleansing Ceremony (Bali). A unique experience, which will leave you more refreshed and positive.
The overall country introduction: Indonesia.
