Those direct speedboats from Sanur and Padang Bai to the Gili Islands charge 500-650k IDR per person for what's essentially expensive tourist transport in crowded boats. If you're up for a longer journey, take the scenic route instead: negotiate ojek or taxi to Padang Bai port (50k from Sanur), public ASDP ferry to Lembar Lombok (50k economy, 70k VIP), then public boat from Bangsal Harbor to whichever Gili you want (40k to Gili Trawangan, 35k to Gili Air).

Total cost around 120-155k IDR versus 500k+ for tourist boats. Takes 4-5 hours total but you're experiencing real Indonesian inter-island transport, not sitting in a sterile speedboat watching backpackers scroll phones. The Padang Bai-Lembar crossing is spectacular - proper deck space for watching flying fish and dolphins during the 4-hour journey.

Public ferry runs every 2 hours from 6am-6pm, rarely cancelled unless serious weather. For a quicker direct route, there's also the shorter Bangsal crossing. Bring snacks from the port warung and enjoy the passage instead of just enduring transport. The water crossing becomes half the adventure, not an obstacle between destinations.