Bangsal Port is a tiny port in North Lombok. About 1 mile from Pemenang. It's strictly a transfer point on the way to and from the Gili Islands, so there isn't much reason to hang around longer than necessary. Bangsal Port is 30 minutes drive from Senggigi and 30 minutes boat transfer from Gili Islands.
Bangsal harbor has two types of boats, charter (private) boats and public boats. Local boats usually depart with a maximum of 20 passengers, or you can charter an entire boat to Gili islands, especially Gili Trawangan. The cost may be higher or lower, depending on your negotiating skills. Some people want to help you, but they may seek a commission from the boat operator, hence driving the price more expensive. Some of them will hassle you to buy tickets from them, especially in the afternoon.
The reason to come to Bangsal is to get to and from the Gili Islands (local boats from Lombok). Try to get to Bangsal by 10 AM or earlier as boats leave in the morning. The public boat office in Bangsal may close at 4:30 PM if you want to use a public boat. Make sure you check the departure times back to Bangsal from Gili.
For the easiest way, you can use a private boat charter with a flexible transfer time. With gilitransfers you can reserve private transfers. You will get a transfer car from Lombok International Airport to the port and a private boat to get to the island of Gili. But if you want to enjoy the natural beauty of Lombok before you go to Gili or Bali island, you can visit Traviora.com for a package tour of Lombok. And for those of you who like climbing, you can stop by the Rinjani volcano which is about 99km from the airport.
