How to get from Ubud to the Gili Islands with luggage?

Booked a transfer+ferry combo ticket from Ubud through the Trip service — it includes hotel pickup and the boat crossing, and worked out cheaper and more convenient than arranging a taxi and buying the ferry ticket separately at the counter.

You don't need to book a tour to see turtles on the Gili Islands — on Gili Trawangan at Turtle Point they swim close to shore during high tide and can even be hand-fed.

Larger turtles are more commonly spotted at the Drop Off point; on the other Gili islands turtles also come close during high tide, but less frequently than at Trawangan.

To see manta rays, go diving rather than just snorkeling — they can be seen while snorkeling too, but they stay deep, so the experience is far less impressive without diving gear.