The '''Gili Islands''' are located just off the northwest tip of Lombok, Indonesia.
Understand
Lombok's most popular tourist destination, the Gili Islands started off as a backpacker mecca. This is still true but times are changing and there are now a rash of glamour options on the islands, especially Gili Trawangan. The islands are very relaxed and laid-back, with countless little beachside cafes still playing reggae and serving up banana pancakes, but also at the other end of the scale, elaborate seafood buffets, fresh salads and very good western and Asian food. Best of all, there are no cars or motorbikes to disturb the peace. The white sand beaches are without a doubt better than anywhere on Bali or Lombok. There are increasing numbers of westerners living on the Gilis and operating businesses from dive companies to resorts and there is a strong environmental focus here as the reefs have ben damaged in the past. While once people came to dive, snorkel and party, a more upmarket tourist is showing up now and while it is still all about the beach, there are many more options to wine and dine or hang out and meet new friends. From west to east, the islands are:
'''Gili Trawangan''' (sometimes ''Trewangan'') or just '''Gili T''' is the most developed with plenty of backpacker options, one swanky resort and increasing numbers of villas. There are no dogs on the island but according to one local, there are more cats here than people. The local population is around 800.
'''Gili Meno''', the smallest and quietest, low-key with some simple places to stay.
'''Gili Air''', closest to the mainland and with the largest local population.
Strictly speaking, the name "Gili Islands" is rather redundant as ''gili'' simply means "small island" in Sasak, but the name has stuck and is universally used and understood in Lombok.
There are also some other islands off Lombok called ''Gili Something'', eg. Gili Nanggu and Gili Gede, but these are located to the southwest near Lembar, quite a distance from the "main" Gilis.
Climate
The Gilis are noticeably drier and hotter than Lombok, but evenings are still cool and refreshing and, at night, air-con is more of a luxury than a necessity. The rainy season is roughly from November to April, but it rains ''much'' less than on Bali. The peak tourist seasons are July-August and December-January.
Get in
By plane
There are no airports in the Gilis. The nearest airport is at Mataram on mainland Lombok, but flying from Bali and taking the ferry to the Gilis (see below) are time consuming options when you take into account travel time from the airport, and taking the slow local boats over to the gilis. The ferry from Padang Bai takes up to six hours, and if you're travelling to or from the main tourist areas in south Bali the road trip to Padang Bai can take up to two hours.
a one way ticket from Bali (denpasar) to Lombok will cost around $30. The plane takes 20 minutes and is a better alternative to the slow boat and half the price of the fast boat.
You also get a sticky bun and some water.
The fast boat costs $66 one way from Bali to Gili islands
By boat
From Bali
There are now a number of direct boat services from Bali to the Gilis, all of which continue onto the main island of Lombok. The fastest services depart from Benoa in south Bali, as this avoids a long road trip up to Padang Bai. Benoa Harbour is around 20 minutes from the main tourist areas in the south (eg Kuta, Legian, Nusa Dua, Sanur), whereas Padang Bai can take up to two hours by road. It's quicker to depart from Padang Bai if you are starting from central or east Bali, such as Ubud, Candi Dasa, or the east coast dive areas of Ahmed / Tulemben.
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! Operator !! Bali (dep.) !! Lombok (dep.) !! Travel time !! Schedule !! Price
All services are subject to weather conditions, and the trip across the Lombok Strait can get quite bumpy. BlueWater and Gili Cat offer free transfers to/from south Bali. Double-check with operators for schedules and current status, and for seasonal discounts.
From Lombok
There are essentially two ways to get from Lombok to the Gilis: direct private boats from Senggigi (1-2 hrs), or a shuttle bus to Bangsal (1 hr) and a public boat from there (15/30/45 min to Air/Meno/Trawangan).
The easiest way to get to the Gilis from Lombok's airport or Senggigi is to
walk to the nearest travel agent, taxi desk or tout and book a package. The daily Perama [http://www.peramatour.com/] daily service will take you directly from Senggigi (dep. 9 AM) to any of the Gilis in under two hours for a flat Rp.100,000, plus optional Rp.10,000 for pickup at your lodgings; other operators can swing similar deals for Rp.75,000, but these often involve going through Bangsal.
The cheapest way is to take a bemo to Pemenang, walk or ''cidomo'' to Bangsal, and then take the public ferry from there. However, this may involve long waits and dealing with the boat mafia, so most people figure it's not worth the hassle; see Bangsal for details.
If you want to travel at your own pace, you can charter a boat directly from Senggigi to take you across. Ask any travel agent or simply head to the beach behind the Santosa Hotel, where you're guaranteed to be soliticed by boat operators. Prices vary: a one-way dropoff can be negotiated down to Rp.250,000 in the low season, while a return day trip with island hopping might cost Rp.500,000.
For the way back, there is a public boat ticket office on each of the Gilis. The one on Trawangan is right on the beach near where you are dropped off. Public boats to Bangsal cost only Rp.10,000, but you may need to wait until 20 others show up, so it's best to show up early in the morning (7-8 AM) if you want to get moving quickly. The last boat leaves around 3 PM.
Note that the sea is calmest in the morning and all transport stops running in the mid afternoon, well before dark.
Get around
In a rare display of foresight, all forms of motorized transport are banned from the islands: your only choice is '''horse-drawn carts''', known as ''cidomo'', which are used even to shuttle around diving gear. The standard price for foreigners is Rp.10,000 per head for any trip. However, as the islands are only a few km in diameter, it's entirely possible to just walk instead.
Traveling between the islands requires either catching the infrequent shuttle boats or chartering one to take you across. The distances between the islands may seem swimmable, but do '''not''' attempt it — the currents can be fierce and several backpackers have died trying.
See & Do
There are no sights as such on the islands themselves, but the '''snorkeling and diving''' all around is a major draw.
The locals living on the island are pretty interesting. If you walk behind the main road you will see how the locals live which is much different then the beautiful bungalows the tourists stay in. Try to find the farmers market everyday from 12-2.
Scuba diving
The Gili islands have excellent diving, with an impressive array of sea creatures and plant life to be seen, such as green and hawksbill turtles, manta rays, bumphead parrotfish and more. Visibility is commonly in the 15-20m range. However, due to the exposed position of the Gilis, currents can be quite strong and drift diving is the norm.
Gili Trawangan has the most dive operators, but PADI licensed dive operators exist on all islands, equipment is kept in top shape, with excellent facilities, western dive masters and preset prices. Prices: Dives $US40, Discover Scuba US$60, Open Water US$350, Advanced Open Water US$275. The dive shops accept credit cards, except when the telephone lines are down (in this case, pay using internet banking).
Trawangan Dive. ili Trawangan. 62-370-649220. ttp://www.trawangandive.com/. Trawangan's largest dive operator. High standards, great instructors, new gear, good boats, saltwater pool for training. They also have half a dozen ''excellent'' bungalows (US$50/night) with aircon, flat-panel TV/DVD and hot and cold fresh water showers.
Blue Marlin Dive. ili islands. 62-37-632424. ttp://www.bluemarlindive.com/. Blue Marlin Dive has operations on all three islands. PADI licensed, awesome instructors, well maintained gear.
Snorkeling
You can rent masks and fins off the beach, or contact any of the numerous dive shops to arrange snorkeling or diving at choice spots nearby. A daily snorkeling programme usually involves a 10AM departure and 4PM return that includes three or four spots around the three islands and a two-hour lunch break. The cost ranges from RP 60,000 to 150,000 depending on the shop and your negotiating skills and includes the fins, mask and snorkel, but not the cost of lunch.
It's possible to snorkel right off the beach, but pay attention to the currents, which can be quite strong even near the shore.
The best snorkeling is at Coral Beach 1. Take a horse there and relax in a hut just off the road and snorkel all day - turtles abound in this area! At low tide it is hard to get out without reef shoes.
Surfing
Surfing is a distant third to diving and snorkeling, but Gili Trawangan has a fast right hander which can really pump with the right conditions. The best waves are at high tide, and the underlying reef can be sharp so booties can come in handy. The surf break is at the end of the main street towards sunset beach. There are a few breaks off Gili Air and Gili Meno, but they are more difficult to reach. The best season is the January-June wet season, with swells from 3ft up to 6ft. Daily conditions can be checked out at Magic Seaweed [http://magicseaweed.com].
Relax
One of the attractions of the islands is the ability to do nothing. With no cars on any of the islands and the lower tempo of Gili Air and Gili Meno, there are several bungalow-style accommodations with verandas that overlook gardens of the ocean. The styles of cafes and restaurants involves small open huts perfect for two to four people to claim for a good part of the day. With a good book and your swimsuit, the day passes quickly when you leave your watch in your bag. The beaches are not exceptional. Gili Trawangan has the nicest beaches of the three islands, but even these are not great and can be over-crowded in some seasons. Gili Meno and Air have their best beaches on the West side of the islands. The South side tends to be windy and rough and the North and East sides have a lot of coral on the beaches, making the sand rough. On Gili Air, the only pleasant beach for swimming is really in front of the Chill-out cafe and Sunrise Hotel on the main strip.
It is also nice to walk around the islands. The perimeters of the islands are conducive to a two or three hour leisurely walk with no strenuous hills. Just follow the coastline and put on your sunscreen and it makes a nice morning.
Gili Trawangan is known as more of a party island and activities tend to revolve around the bar scene.
Gili Meno has a "bird sanctuary", which is more like a bird zoo owing to the fact that birds are caged and not free to fly around. There are a range of birds and tourists used to go to see the komodo dragon which died in 2007. Access to the site is a short walk in island from the North end of the main strip on the West of the island.
Buy
There is now a Bank Mandiri ATM on Gili Trawangan, in front of the Vila Ombak Hotel, but it's not always working so it's better to bring along enough rupiah to tide you over. The rates offered by moneychangers are noticeably poorer than on the mainland. Credit cards are accepted by some of the more upmarket places and all dive shops; some will also arrange credit card advances, but with hefty fees on the order of 7-10%.
'''Shopping''' opportunities are very limited. There are plenty of kiosks offering drinks, basic cosmetics, suntan lotion and such, but anything even remotely unusual is best brought with you. The '''Art Market''' (''Pasar Seni'') next to the pier on Gili T has a few scruffy stalls hawking souvenirs, but it's all brought in from elsewhere and the selection is far more limited than what you'd find on Bali or even Lombok.
Eat
All the islands feature a myriad of restaurants and cafes concentrated on the beaches. The East sides of all the islands have the most activity. The majority are small cafes with decent food oriented toward tourists in small open huts. Featured food is usually barbecued fish or pizza from a wood-fired oven.
Gili Air
Starting at the Jetty and working your way North on the East side is the island up to the Hotel Gili Air there are lots of decent places to eat. Since there is no "fresh" water on the island purified shipped water is the norm, which does not mean that salads are safe, but food might be safer here at most restaurants than other international destinations.
'''Chillout Cafe''' at the foot of the Sunrise bungalows has the benefit of the nice beach and good food. Mostly serving some variation of Sasak food with a lot of good curries and satays. Expect about Rp. 20,000 for a decent main dish.
'''Hotel Gili Air''' is at the North end of most of the action. This is a fancier restaurant than most of the cafes on the island and serves and excellent meal with a nice selection of wines and spirits. The nprice tag is a bit higher than the others at about Rp 40,000 for a meal and another Rp 40,000 for each glass of wine, but the quality is nice. Mostly Italian food served.
Gili Meno
'''Good Heart''' Good local dishes (''ie'', seafood). Located directly on the beach overlooking the sea. This hotel and restaurant are off the beaten track a bit on the other side of the island from most of the facilities. You can take the ring road around the island or a shortcut across the middle of the island to get there. If you are not staying there, this might be a better choice for lunch as walking through the island in the dark may not be comfortable for some travelers.
'''Yaya warung''' Choose your fish and let Yon cook it on the open fire. Inexpensive, expect to pay around 25000 for a fresh fish with nasi goreng and vegetables. Nasi goreng is 7000 and fresh juices around 6000. Around 200 m on the right of the "harbour". Slow service, but a chat with the owner and the view will distract you.
Gili Trawangan
'''Anna''' Between the Jetty and the Borobudur Restaurant, this place serves superb local food and is one of the cheapest on the island. Expect to pay for a Nasi Campur around 7.500 Rp (around 0,60?) close alredy/sold out to different investor
'''Beach House''', Trawangan. Great seafood buffet but some think kind of expensive (paid about $8.50 USD for 300 gm fresh Baracuda grilled, with salad bar and a 22 oz beer).
'''Coco''' Near the ferry-stage. open over the day only (till 5PM), selling the best deluxe sandwiches on the island. Try BLT or grilled vegetables with feta on brown bread. Illy coffee and funtastic brownies or apple-crumble-pie.
'''Manta Cafe''' Run by the dive shop next door, has a very large menu offering Western, Italian, French, Mexican and Indonesian dishes for around Rp20-30,000 each. Very good watermelon lassis but don't try the pizzas.
'''Living Room'''. Scruffy-looking joint with an extensive menu covering both Indonesian and Western food, but prices are cheap (most mains under Rp.20,000) and the food is excellent. Gets ''packed'' in the evenings.
'''Pesona''' Shisha-Lounge and great indian style food! Try Daals, Curries and Naans. Located directly in front of the sea. Very nice atmosphere, you can chill on a matress on the ground or lay down in a typical indonesian 'bruga' (little house on stilts) and listen to Cafe del Mar-Cds.
'''Ryoshi''' Great Japanese food and fresh air-flown sushi, right next to the Irish Bar (TirNanOg).
Scallywags Seafood Grill & Bar. 2 370 648792. ttp://www.scallywagsresort.com. Fantastic organic seafood, probably the most expensive restaurant in the islands but you can still get a decent meal for under Rp.100,000. Sea views, tasty all-you-can-eat salad buffet and desserts to die for (try the chocolate mousse or cheesecake).
Drink
There are regular '''party nights''' on Gili Trawangan - the various bars take it in turn to host the late night gig (up to 4AM), to ensure that everyone gets together in one place rather than being spread around. The island is small and easy to find eveerything just ask around for where the party is going on on any given night.
'''Horizontal''', Trawangan. Probably the only place in the Gilis that wouldn't look out of place in Seminyak, this stylish outdoor bar offers fancy drinks, funky furniture and DJs spinning the night away.
'''Tir Nan Og''', Trawangan, [http://www.tirnanogbar.com/]. The smallest island in the world to feature an Irish pub gets its self-proclaimed title from this long-running joint offering indoor and outdoor seating, a sushi restaurant and ten villas for rent (Rp200,000 and up). Party night weekly on Wed.
'''MOZ.ART''', Trawangan. Relaxing and chilling Cafe-Restaurant at the bathing and snorkeling beach area with full indonesian and speciality austrian
Sleep
Demand often outstrips supply, so prices tend to be noticeably higher than on Bali or Lombok. During peak season (Jul-Aug, Dec-Jan), it pays to make advance reservations, as the best places are often booked full.
Budget
There are plenty of largely identical backpacker guesthouses on the islands. The price ranges, depending on the season and island. Figure on Rp. 50,000-150,000 for a basic room with fan only. Air conditioned rooms are more in the Rp. 200,000+ range. When understanding hotel prices, try to negotiate for the "best price" and be clear on whether or not the quoted price includes taxes and breakfast. Some hotels feature fresh water for showering and others use sea water. Even fresh water is very soft (on the salty side) so it is hard to feel really clean after a few days.
'''Gili Hideaway''', +62-812-3744578, [http://www.gilihideaway.com]. A bit pricy but really a nice place just built. A bit off the path so the only noise you hear is the mosque and the chickens. Rp300,000 a night for a great bungalow with fan and breakfast.
'''Pondok Lita''', tel. +62 370 648607. Rp150,000 plus 10% service charge for a super clean fan room with western bathroom. Tommy the staff there was fantastic and so hospitable. A Great safe and friendly place all in a gated garden and in a central location.
Gili Air
Gili Air budget hotels tend to bear a striking resemblance to one another and most are on the West side of the island. There is not a wide range in quality or appeal, although a few stand out.
'''Coconut Cottages''', tel: +62 370 635365, [http://www.coconuts-giliair.com/]. About a 10 minute walk north of the main strip on the island. Kamil and Elaine, the owners, have developed a lovely grounds packed primarily with hibiscus. The low-season cost is RP 200,000 with air conditioning and RP 150,000 without, including tax and a great breakfast. This is a nice place to relax and enjoy as there is a decent restaurant and private cottages on account of the gardens. With spacious verandas one can spend the whole day there. There are several other restaurants within a five-minute walk of the cottages and Ozzy's Surf shop, which arranges day trips and transportation about 100m from the entrance to the Cottages. If you have heavy bags, a horse-taxi would be wise as it is about a 20 minute walk from the jetty on a dirt road.
'''Indah Gili''' is arguably a step-up in terms of the quality of the bungalow and does not cost much more, if any, than the other hotels on the island. The grounds are not that nice though and the South side of the island has very rough water and is quite windy.
'''Sunrise Hotel''' features bungalow-style accommodation right in the centre of the main strip of the island. The grounds are not inspiring, but the units are nice enough although many not be accessible to people who do not handle stairs well since they are in traditional styles with an open room on the main floor ans steep stairs to the room. None of the rooms have a really good sea view. The price in the low season is RP 150,000 with airconditioning and 100,000 without.
'''Salabose''' is definitely the best place on the island for the stunning sunsets. It's located on the sunset side, about 10 minute walk from the harbor, and it offers modest bungalows starting from RP 50,000 including breakfast. The place is one of the favorites within young backpackers and surfers.
Gili Meno
'''Gili Meno Bird Park Resort''', Gili Indah Village, [http://www.GiliMenoBirdParkResort.com]. Villa accommodations in a bird park just off the coast of Bali. Since the owner fell ill, the park is deteriorating and the animals aren't taken care of properly anymore. Facilities include an aviary, restaurant & bar, and snorkeling and fishing trips. Online booking available.
'''The Sunset Gecko''', West Beach, [http://www.thesunsetgecko.com]. A Japanese owned small eco resort, with a couple of cabins and one beachside family house. rooms are simple and clean, great atmosphere. Online booking available.
Mid-range
Gili Air
'''Hotel Gili Air''', tel: + 62 370 643580, [http://www.hotelgiliair.com/en/index.html]. The nicest hotel on the island. A bit out of the way on the North end of the West side of the Island, it has a tranquil ground, wonderful restaurant, and nice, modern bungalows. The cost is higher than the rest of the hotels on the island though. They have four level of rooms ranging from standard to "luxury", resulting of charges starting at RP 150,000 and going to RP 600,000 depending on the season.
Gili Trawangan
'''Marta's Bungalows''', joannafgreen@yahoo.com, owned by Marta and his English Wife Joanne. Traditional 1 and 2 Bedrooms bungalows, with a pool and includes breakfast. Prices start from RP 250,000 per night including breakfast.
'''Pesona Resort''', [http://www.pesonaresort.com]. Bollywood-style resort with flamboyant rooms, hot water, TV and DVD players in each room, private balconies, airconditioning. Owners are Indian British who were travelling and fell in love with the island and decided to live the dream and take the plunge and build the resort. US$70 and up.
Scallywags Resort. outh Beach. 62 370 648792. nfo@scallywagsresort.com. ttp://www.scallywagsresort.com. 0USD night. Ten garden rooms by the seaside. Large fresh water pool and one of the island's best restaurants.
'''Tir Na Nog'''. Offers both bungalows ($75/night) and two-room villas ($140/night), all set in private gardens with hot water, aircon and private balconies.
Splurge
Balinese-style luxury villas have started to pop up on Gili Trawangan.
'''Baruna Villas''', [http://www.barunavillas.com]. Brand new traditional, beautifully designed family run villas near the main beach offering complete privacy and 4 star accommodation with all modern conveniences. Also with fresh water pool and showers!! Owned and run by Steve and Leila Jackson. Prices range from US$200-250.
'''Dream Village''', [http://www.dreamvillagegilitrawangan.com], only 5 bungalows available. AC, TV, Minibar, Babysitting, Massage, 24h Security service, very friendly staff and Angelo (the Italian owner) and Lulu (his little monkey) are two sweeties.
Vila Ombak. 62-370-642336. ttp://www.hotelombak.com. 150 and up. The first international hotel on Gili Trawangan. The Hotel Vila Ombak features the traditional building style of Lombok.
'''Desa Dunia Beda Beach Resort''', Trawangan, tel. +62 370 641575, [http://www.desaduniabeda.com]. Beachfront resort with Javanese ''joglo''-style villas.
Respect
The Gilis may feel like Bali at times, but the locals here are Muslim, and while they're used to the endless parade of Westerners partying on their front lawn, it's good to show them some respect. Don't sunbathe nude or topless, cover up outside the beach (no bikinis), avoid excessive displays of affection in public and try to treat early-morning prayer calls from the mosque as just a part of the island's character.
Very little changes on Gili during the fasting month of Ramadan, as food is served during the day and bars stay open at night. However, many dive shops cut down the diving schedule to cater for fasting locals, and out of respect you should also refrain from eating, drinking or smoking in public.
Stay safe
True to the hippie vibe, '''magic mushrooms''' are widely available and openly advertised. Their legality is questionable, as are any physical and psychological effects.
Small but annoying '''jellyfish''' are common in the waters around the Gilis during August only, so wearing a full-length wetsuit or surf skin in the water is advisable.
There are '''no police''' on any of the islands. Crime is largely limited to opportunistic petty theft, and all problems are usually settled by the local "council"; if you face larger problems or need to make a police report for eg. insurance purposes, you'll need to head over to Mataram to do it.
Stay healthy
Tap water is not potable. Bottled water is widely available and some cafes will fill up bottles for a nominal charge, reducing waste.
Thanks to the islands' dryness, '''mosquitoes''' are quite rare and malaria/dengue is thus not really a concern.
Cope
The islands have no supplies of fresh water and very spotty electricity supply; it's not uncommon for power to be off for hours at a time. Most upmarket hotels, restaurants and dive shops have generators, and there are tentative plans for solar and wind power generation.
Laundry can be cheaply arranged through most guesthouses.
Contact
Mobile phone towers ensure you're never out of touch, and there are several Internet cafes on Trawangan for feeding your Internet addiction, although connection speeds tend to be painfully slow. Printing is possible in a few Internet cafes and you can even hook up your laptop in some.
There is no post office on the Gilis, but '''William's Bookshop''', right behind the Art Market on Gili Trawangan, sells stamps and can mail out your postcards.