The Gili Islands are a true tropical paradise in the province of Lombok, east of Bali, Indonesia. This small archipelago formed by Gili Trawangan, Gili Meno and Gili Air is an ideal holiday destination to relax and reconnect with yourself and nature, in a privileged environment. Far from the noise and fumes of the cities, the Gili Islands are a protected space where motorized vehicles are not allowed, a true oasis.
Continue reading and discover the wonderful beaches and routes of these three islands that seem to be taken from a movie scene. Also, in this post we recommend other places to visit near the islands and provide you with useful tips such as where to eat and sleep on the Gili Islands and other travel recommendations.
5 Must-do things to do on the Gili Islands
1. Snorkeling and diving in turquoise water
One of the main activities you can’t miss in the Gili Islands is snorkeling in its turquoise waters. As you can imagine, the seabed of the Gili Islands is full of colorful fish swimming peacefully among beautiful corals.
At different points of the islands, and probably in your own hotel, you will find companies that organize diving and snorkeling tours around the three islands. They will take you to the most beautiful and quiet spots. There you can observe the seabed of the islands and even enjoy the experience of swimming with turtles.
In addition to the wonderful animals and corals, on Gili Meno you can dive among sculptures. You read that right, sculptures at the bottom of the sea. British artist Jason deCaires Taylor has created a park of underwater sculptures on the bottom of this absolutely stunning island. You can dive among them and observe in great detail on one of these tours.
2. Famous Swings on the Gili Islands
One of the most typical postcards of the Gili Islands is the image of people swinging on paradisiacal beaches at sunset. However, we warn you that these are very popular places. So, if you want to get your classic photo of the Gili Islands, you will have to wait in line. Here is a list of places where you can find some of them:
- Hotel The Exile, Hotel Pandawa, The Yoga Garden, in Gili Trawangan.
- Hotel Gili Lumbung Bungalows, Youpy cafe, on Gili Air.
- Seri Resort Gili Meno, on Gili Meno.
3. Visit the beaches of Gili Meno
Many visitors to the Gili Islands choose to stay on Gili Trawangan because it is the largest and houses the most hotels and leisure options and often leave the other two forgotten. However, precisely for this reason the island Gili Meno has the quietest beaches of the three islands, where the word “paradise” does not only refer to the wonderful scenery, but to the feeling of peace.
Whether with a tour that takes you there, or by taking a ferry to the island and cycling around it on your own, we recommend spending at least a day touring Gili Meno and relaxing on its beautiful beaches.
4. Sunsets on the Gili Islands
If you are lucky enough to stay in a hotel or bungalow overlooking the sea, your favorite time of the day will be sunset, when the sky and the island sea are colored with pink. But if this is not the case, don’t worry, take advantage of the excuse to go down to the beach or look for a terrace where you can have dinner with sea views. The sunsets on the Gili Islands are unique in the world, so you can’t miss this moment.
5. Nightlife
If after you’ve investigated the peaceful beaches of Gili Meno, you want to party and have fun, the nightlife of Gili Trawangan, known as the “Party Island” will not disappoint. The night of Gili Trawangan is famous because the police does not exist, reason why the parties can become something wild since it is common among the visitors the consumption of narcotics. The most famous parties coincide with the full moon and new moon, but any day is a good day to go out, listen to live music or go for a drink at one of the many bars.
Travel Tip: To organize your trip we recommend using Passporter totally free. You can be inspired by the experiences of other travelers, choose the places that interest you most, create the travel route with a geolocated map, upload all important documents such as reservations and invite your friends so that everyone can participate in the organization of the trip.
What to see around the Gili Islands
Lombok
A half-hour ferry ride from the islands lies Lombok, also known as “The Pearl Island”. Less touristy than Bali, but equally beautiful, Lombok is an island filled with waterfalls, pristine beaches and stunning rice paddies that are well worth a visit on your trip to the Gili Islands.
Unless you travel directly by private ferry to the Gili Islands from Bali, you will have to go to Lombok first to access them from there. So, if this is your case, take the opportunity to visit Lombok and fall in love with this island as well.
The Rinjani Volcano National Park is one of its major attractions and the site of Mount Rinjani, the second highest volcano in Indonesia. Walking the many hiking trails that you can follow in the park, you can see waterfalls such as Sendang Gile and Tiu Kelep and fascinating rice fields, such as those in the village of Senaru, nestled on the park’s green hillside.
Where and what to eat on the Gili Islands
Indonesian cuisine is famous for its variety, strong and savory flavors and frequent use of rice, spices and chicken among other ingredients. Some dishes that can not miss on your trip to Indonesia are the Nasi Goreng, considered the national dish. It’s a dish based on fried rice, vegetables and chicken. Also you should try the Satay, Bakso, a delicious noodle soup with dumplings.
- Jali Kitchen: One of the best restaurants on Gili Trawangan. The best dishes of Thai cuisine served with love, flavor and abundance. Price range: 2-6€
- Aura Bowls: A small, tucked-away, delicious place on Gili Air. Bowls and sweet fruit smoothies for breakfast and snacks, or savory with rice, chicken, curry for any occasion, always healthy and delicious. Price range: 1-3€
- MAHAMAYA: A wonderful fusion restaurant right on the beach in Gili Meno. At Mahamaya you can order everything from delicious Thai dishes to burgers and spaghetti, so no one will be disappointed. Price range: 5-39€
Where to stay on the Gili Islands
- Hotel Lumi Gili Trawangan: Luxury cabins in an enviable setting. This 5-star hotel offers rooms in a quiet area of the island and very close to the beach, outdoor pool and continental or buffet breakfast included. Price per night: from 50 to 150€ depending on the date.
- Seri Resort Gili Meno: A 4-star camping resort 1 minute from the beach. It has nice and cozy modern bungalows with garden or sea views. It has water sports facilities, a shared lounge and outdoor swimming pool, as well as a beautiful swing where you can take pictures at sunset. Price per night: from 40€ to 100€ depending on dates.
- The Koho Air Hotel: an exceptional 3-star hotel beautiful, comfortable and very cozy on Gili Air. At 100 meters from the beach, with outdoor swimming pool, the Koho hotel provides the personal and close treatment of a 20-room accommodation, with all the essential luxuries of the best hotels. Price per night: 50-105€ depending on dates.
Things to do in the Gili Islands in 3 days
The Gili Islands are a paradisiacal holiday destination welcoming you to stay there for a wonderful vacation. However, as we know that if you travel to the Gili Islands you will probably do so as one of the stops on your Indonesia itinerary, here we suggest a 3-day trip, if you want to visit all three at your leisure.
First day: Gili Trawangan
- Snorkel tour of the three islands
- Sunset swing
- Enjoy the nightlife
Second day: Gili Meno
- Tour the island in search of the best beaches
- Swing at Seri Resort Gili Meno
Third day: Gili Trawangan
- Beaches of Gili Tranwangan
- Back home
Tips for your trip to Indonesia
- The official currency of Indonesia is the Indonesian Rupiah
- We recommend to carry cash for small stores.
- Cards are accepted at most tourist sites.
- Carry your passport in good condition with at least 6 months validity.
- Lombok is one of the malaria areas of Indonesia. Carry mosquito repellent and mosquito netting as a precautionary measure and check with your doctor for other possible vaccinations.
- Be respectful of the environment, fauna and flora of the Gili Islands. Don’t litter in the nature and opt for sustainable tourism.
- It is best not to drink the tap water. Although if it is boiled it can be used for cooking.
- The official language of the country is Bahasa Indonesia, but in the more touristy areas you can communicate in English without any problems.
- Be covered for possible medical emergencies: travel insured.
- Indonesia is a safe country, but just in case be careful with your belongings, especially in the most touristy and crowded places.
How to organize what to see on the Gili Islands
Register on the website or download the free Passporter App and discover all its possibilities.
- Get inspired by the experiences of other travelers.
- Create your own itinerary and add the app’s suggestions into it.
- Add the stops you are most interested in, as well as the restaurants and bars where you want to eat (you can use the points of interest we indicate in this post as a reference).
- Organize your itinerary by route days according to their location on the map (you can be inspired by the routes presented in the post)
- Check the travel budget that the app calculates for you based on your travel stops, restaurants, and leisure activities.
- Make any modifications you need and you’ll be all set for your trip.
- Share your experience. Upload photos of the places you visited on your trip to the app and recommend other travelers the things to do in the Gili Islands.
If you have doubts about how to do it, you can check our post: How to create your travel itinerary with Passporter.
Frequently Asked Questions about a trip to the Gili Islands
The rainy season in Lombok and the Gili Islands runs from October to March, with November being the wettest month. As for temperatures, the climate is stable throughout the year with no major changes, temperatures vary from 21°C to 24°C minimum and 30°C to 32°C maximum.
The best time to travel to the Gili Islands is from April to September, avoiding the wet season.
There is no public transport service from Bali to the Gili Islands, so the options for getting there are:
1- Book a private ferry: many tour companies offer this service. The trip takes two hours and the price is around 35-55€ depending on the company.
2-Lombok: You can travel to the port of Lembar in Lombok by public ferry. Once there, go by bus to the port of Bangsal and finally take another ferry to one of the Gili islands. The final price after all combinations of transport adds up to 10-15€, but the journey is much longer.
The Gili Islands is a protected area, so polluting vehicles such as cars, motorcycles, etc. are forbidden. So, to visit the islands you will have to go on foot or by bicycle, the perfect excuse to walk outdoors and connect with the nature.
To travel from one island to another there is a public boat line that connects the three islands with Lombok. The trips last from 15 to 30 minutes and the price is less than 3€ between islands and 1€ to Lombok.
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