Gili Islands: All tips for your trip

Idyllic bays, turquoise water, light sandy beaches, and a colorful underwater world make the Gili Islands an absolute dream destination for holidaymakers.

But the postcard image – fueled by the countless dreamlike holiday photos circulating on social networks – triggered a real hype about the islands. Within a very short time, they were therefore overtaken by a wave of mass tourism, sometimes with serious consequences for the small islands.

Gili Trawangan in particular, the largest of the three islands, is literally bursting at the seams in the high season. A huge increase in prices, roaring party troupes, fully booked hotels, and that “Ballermann” feeling on the beach are the most obvious consequences for island visitors. In short, it’s expensive, noisy, and crowded.

Not that bad? But unfortunately, there are still a number of other downsides and long-term damage caused by mass tourism, for which the environment, in particular, has to pay a high price. The infrastructure on the small sand islands is by no means adapted to these strong visitor streams and so the sewage and waste disposal quickly becomes a problem.

Away from the tourist hotspots in the interior of the island, mountains of rubbish pile up meters high on a large landfill. The septic tanks are also totally overloaded and so wastewater from the hotel and resort facilities often ends up in the sea unfiltered, with devastating consequences for the ecosystem, of course.

The coral die-off around the Gili Islands is also a big problem. In addition to dynamite fishing and climate change, the death of many coral reefs is mainly due to tourism development and the careless treatment of the environment by many visitors.

But what does that mean specifically for your visit?

Is it still worth including the Gili Islands in your travel plans or should you cancel your Gili trip straight away?

In principle, we would recommend a visit to the Gilis despite the many downsides, but it is important to be open to the problems of the islands and not to be blinded by the hype about the islands on social media.

With realistic expectations and appropriate preparation, you can definitely spend a few fantastically beautiful days on the Gilis.

In addition, everyone can play their part in preserving the natural beauty of the islands and promoting sustainable tourism.

You can consciously reduce your plastic waste (e.g. by bringing refillable drinking bottles with you ), take part in the regular beach clean-ups, and be particularly careful when snorkeling and diving. Breaking off corals as a souvenir is an absolute taboo!

If possible, you should also avoid the high season for your Gili trip.

The fear of natural disasters is also a recurring topic. Due to its location on the Pacific Ring of Fire, the danger of volcanic eruptions, tsunamis and earthquakes are omnipresent in Indonesia. Even the small Gili Islands have not been spared from the forces of nature in the past.

The most recent earthquake with devastating effects on the Gilis occurred in northern Lombok in August 2018. Many houses collapsed, countless people were injured and some people even lost their lives.

Due to the destroyed infrastructure, tourism on the Gili Islands also came to a temporary standstill. But the clean-up work quickly began and collapsed buildings were rebuilt. When we visited Gili Trawangan the following year, much of the damage, especially in the tourist center, had already been repaired.

The incoming boats were again well filled with tourists, even if, due to the destroyed pier, you now had to climb out of the boats a few meters from the beach. Only in the side streets and in the interior of the island were mountains of rubble and rubble still piling up.

When we visited again in early 2020, about a year and a half after the earthquake, we could hardly find any traces of the destruction. Most of the damage had been completely repaired and everyday life had returned. Even the new pier was about to be inaugurated.

Three small sand islands: Gili Trawangan, Gili Meno and Gili Air form the Gilis archipelago. They are located in the Bali Sea, off the northwest coast of Lombok and about a two to three hour speedboat ride from Bali.

front right: Gili Trawangan, in the middle: Gili Meno, behind: Gili Air, behind on the horizon: Lombok

Gili Trawangan, also known as Gili T. , is the largest and busiest of the three Gili Islands and lives up to its reputation as a buzzing party island, particularly during the high season.

Especially in the east of the island, where the harbor and the tourist center of Gili T. are located, the bear is always tap-dancing.

Countless bars and restaurants line the busy beach promenade. You will also find a large number of shops, accommodation and diving schools here. In the evening, the colorful promenade becomes a party zone. Then the volume controls in the beach bars are turned up, the cocktail glasses are filled and there is partying, drinking and dancing – usually late into the night.

But not only the house and reggae sounds echo through the night. In the early hours of the morning, the muezzin’s call can be heard for the first time from the two mosques on the east side of the island.

If you want to escape the hustle and bustle, head away from the east coast. On the west side and in the north it is much quieter and more dignified. Lonely stretches of beach, pretty resorts and chic villas as well as cozy beach bars with hammocks and beanbags characterize the picture here and ensure a relaxed atmosphere.

This mix of good infrastructure, party and quiet island flair attracts an equally diverse audience. From backpackers who love to party and party groups to couples looking for peace and quiet, yogis and families to adventurous diving students, dropouts and globetrotters from all parts of the world, everything is represented on the small island.

Located between Gili T. and Gili Air, Gili Meno is the smallest and most unspoilt of the three Gili Islands.

You can easily walk around the whole island in an hour. As the only one of the three Gili Islands, Gili Meno also has a saltwater lake, which is located in the middle of the island, but is not very spectacular.

Although the tourist infrastructure on Gili Meno is not as well developed as on Gili T. and Gili Air, there is now a range of accommodation, restaurants and shops here too. The liveliest is the east side around the jetty, although here everything still has a very village character.

Apart from the local boat, which unloads a few tourists in the morning, not much happens here.

Leisure activities on Gili Meno are limited to sunbathing (on mostly deserted beaches), snorkeling, diving, yoga and relaxing – on the beach, with fruit juice or a massage.

So if you are looking for seclusion and tranquility, Gili Meno is the place for you. It is therefore not surprising that the island is particularly popular with couples and honeymooners.

Gili Air is the easternmost of the three Gili Islands and is just a few minutes boat ride from Lombok. It takes about two hours to walk around the island on the sandy path that runs parallel to the coast.

Many call Gili Air the perfect mix of Gili T. and Gili Meno and they are right!

If Gili T. is too crowded, too lively and too loud for you and Gili Meno too quiet, too small and deserted, then Gili Air is exactly the right address for you. Here you will find the perfect combination of relaxation and tourist infrastructure, which is why the island is particularly popular with families and young couples.

The tourist center of the island is located in the south of the island. In addition to the harbor with the boat dock, there are also a large number of restaurants, diving centers, shops and cafés as well as a small party scene (no comparison to Gili T., however).

Along the east coast you will also find numerous accommodations, beach bars and restaurants with live music that provide evening entertainment.

If you long for peace and seclusion, we recommend the west coast and the north of the island with its lonely and natural beaches, coconut plantations and pine forests.

Since all three Gili Islands are pure sand islands and are each completely surrounded by a wide strip of sand, there are basically only three beaches: Gili Trawangan Beach, Gili Air Beach and Gili Meno Beach.

In addition to the many beach bars with their colorful umbrellas and straw huts, the palm trees, pines and deciduous trees also provide shade on the beach.

White powdered sugar beaches, as the pictures and advertisements sometimes suggest, you will look for in vain on the Gilis.

In addition to the bright, slightly yellowish beaches, you will also find darker sections of beach in some places, especially on Gili Air. Due to the mixing with volcanic sand, the beaches here have a more yellow-greyish color.

In addition, the sand on all three Gili islands is mostly coarse-grained and mixed with small shells and sometimes very sharp-edged coral fragments. Wearing special booties can help prevent injuries.

Unfortunately, you will also see rubbish, building rubble and washed-up plastic waste far too often on the beach, which very much clouds the image of the paradisiacal dream beaches, as it is led to believe on social media.

If you want to get active, you can take part in the regularly organized beach clean-ups. You can find information on this, for example, through organizations such as Trash Hero, which regularly organize beach clean-ups on Gili Air and Gili Meno, and Gili Eco Trust – an environmentally conscious aid organization on Gili Trawangan, which regularly offers various workshops on the topics of environmental protection and recycling.

Trash Hero Gili Meno
Trash Hero Gili Air
Gili EcoTrust

The beaches of Gili Trawangan are very varied.

The beach sections in the southeast of the island are the perfect place for all those who are adventurous and cannot sit still for long. Along the lively beach promenade with its numerous cafés, shops, bars and restaurants, bored water lovers will also find a variety of leisure activities – diving, snorkeling, kayaking, stand-up paddle boarding – the list is long.

But also those who just want to roast in the sun and are looking for some peace and quiet will find what they are looking for on Gili T. Especially in the north and along the east coast there are many lonely and deserted bays where you can spend a few quiet hours before plunging back into the hustle and bustle in the evening.

Gili Meno probably has the most beautiful and loneliest beaches of all three islands. Only on the east coast in the area of the famous NEST sculpture does it get a bit crowded during the day when the excursion boats dock with the day tourists. Away from the popular diving and snorkeling spots, you usually have the beach to yourself.

A sandy path leads completely around the island. Again and again, small bays with gently sloping, crystal-clear water invite you to swim and relax. In addition to the chic resort facilities, simple but cozy beach bars provide for the physical well-being and offer fantastic views of the sea and the neighboring islands.

Similar to Gili T., beach life on Gili Air is very diverse.

The pulsating center in the south of the island with a variety of leisure activities and a large selection of restaurants and bars leaves no room for boredom.

The widest and most beautiful stretches of beach are in the southeast, although many boats also dock here during the day. The beach at Mowie’s in the southwest is also recommended.

In the north, on the other hand, it is much quieter. Away from the hustle and bustle, you’ll find a little spot that’s all yours in no time at all, as well as cozy beach bars where you can relax with a fresh smoothie and great views.

The list of excursions and leisure activities on the Gilis is quite manageable.

Depending on the island and stretch of the coast, Gili visitors mainly relax, enjoy various water activities, and party.

Below you will find a small list of how you can pass the time on the Gilis:

As there are no motorized companions in the Gilis, good old-fashioned bikes are the best way to explore the islands independently. On all three islands you can rent bikes for little money and go in search of secluded bays, hidden villages and cozy beach bars.

On Gili Meno you can visit the small Turtle Sanctuary, which is located near the port. Small baby turtles grow protected here in the water tank for the first few weeks before they are released into the sea. This significantly increases their chances of survival.

If you are interested in protecting these amazing creatures, then you should definitely stop by the Turtle Sanctuary when you visit Gili Meno. In addition to information boards, there are often nice helpers who can tell you more about raising the turtles.

Gili Meno Sea Turtle Sanctuary 

Watching the scenic sunsets is an evening highlight on all three islands.

Along the west coast, particularly on Gili Trawangan and Gili Air, you will find a variety of small beach bars from which to enjoy the spectacle over happy hour drinks. On a clear day you can even see Mount Agung volcano in Bali.

Early riser? Also the sunrises from the east coast of Gili Meno and Gili Air overlooking Lombok and Mount Rinjani are spectacular.

A must-have in every Instagram photo gallery is of course the obligatory swing picture – #giliswing. You can find many of these popular ocean swings along the coast of all three Gili Islands, including the Ombak Sunset hotel swing on Gili Trawangan that started it all.

Other popular swing spots are in front of the resorts of The Exile, Aston Sunset Beach, and Pandawa Beach on Gili T. and the pink sea swing at the Pink Coco Hotel on Gili Air.

You can find delicious fresh and cheap food at the Gili Trawangan night market, which is located not far from the boat dock on the east side of the island.

Every evening after dark you will be spoiled with local delicacies – from fresh salads, rice dishes, meat skewers, and grilled fish to fruit juices, desserts and cakes, there is something for every taste.

Don’t feel like action and hustle and bustle? No problem. On all three islands you will always find a quiet spot away from the tourist crowds that invites you to take a leisurely nap on the beach or a small beach bar where you are guaranteed immediate relaxation with a cool coconut, reggae music and fantastic views of the sea .

There are also countless SPAs where you can let yourself be pampered from head to toe with various wellness offers and massages.

On Gili Trawangan and Gili Air there are a few open-air cinemas right on the beach, where popular Hollywood films are shown in the evenings – with the sound of the sea and a starry sky, could it be more romantic?

Popular addresses for a movie night on the beach include the Aston Sunset Beach Resort , the Pink Coco, or the Pearl Beach Lounge on Gili Trawangan.

Since Gili Trawangan is the only island that has a small mountain with a viewpoint, this is a popular destination.

You can reach the Gili Trawangan Hill Viewpoint in about half an hour and on a clear day you will be rewarded with great views of the neighboring islands as well as Lombok and Bali.

If you want to continue a piece of food culture at home, you can take part in an Indonesian cooking class and learn how typical Indonesian delicacies are prepared.

The Gilis are a popular destination for yoga enthusiasts, as there are a variety of yoga classes available on the islands, including agua yoga, SUP yoga, and sunrise and sunset yoga, all set against a spectacular backdrop.

Some of the most popular yoga studios include Sunset Beach Yoga, Soraya Yoga, and Gili Yoga on Gili Trawangan, Kenza Yoga, and the H20 Yoga and Meditation Center on Gili Air.

The top sellers among local tour operators are clearly the snorkeling trips and diving trips around the Gili Islands, where you have the opportunity to explore the diverse underwater world with an experienced guide.

The warm and mostly crystal clear water is ideal for this and with a bit of luck you can expect sea turtles, manta rays and various types of sharks.

There are also a few very special diving and snorkeling spots off the coast of Gili Meno:

• a beautiful coral reef off the southwest coast with dazzling schools of fish
• the sunken platform called the Bounty Wreck, which was rammed by a ship in 2002 and subsequently sank into shallow water
• the popular Nest underwater sculpture park, created by artist Jason De Caires Taylor

The latter is a large number of sculptures arranged in a circle, which are located at a depth of about 4 meters. Since this area is an Instagram favorite, you should come either early in the morning or just before sunset.

It’s usually unbearably crowded around lunchtime when large groups of day-trippers splash into the water to pose for the perfect picture with the underwater statues.

Most of the diving and snorkeling tours can either be booked directly through the local dive schools and accommodation providers or conveniently through providers such as Get your Guide and Viator.

The range of restaurants in the Gilis is very varied and adapted above all to the palates of international tourists.

There are also small supermarkets on all three Gili Islands where you can buy essentials such as snacks, drinks and typical drugstore items.

Many accommodations offer their guests drinking water free of charge. Alternatively, you can refill your drinking bottle in many small supermarkets and cafés for free or for little money.

Although the Gili Islands are strongly Muslim, you don’t have to do without your caipirinha on the beach. Beer, wine and a good selection of cocktails are on the menu almost everywhere and happy hour is a regular thing in the beach bars – especially on Gili Trawangan.

Along the beach promenade, to the right and left of the ferry terminal, you are spoiled for choice with the multitude of restaurants with international cuisine: From French crepes, American burgers, Mexican burritos, and Turkish kebabs to Thai curry, sushi, and Italian stone oven pizza, this is really the place represent everything.

You will only look in vain for warungs typical of the country. These are hidden in the second and third rows in the small streets parallel to the beach promenade.

If you still pay prices of around 8 USD dollars per meal in the beach restaurants, you can eat your fill in the small warungs for 2-3 USD dollars.

For everyone who loves Indonesian cuisine or wants to save on their travel budget, the night market on Gili T., which you will find a few meters to the left of the ferry dock, is worthwhile. Here you can get bulging plates with Indonesian delicacies, freshly squeezed juices, and sweet desserts for little money.

Good breakfast and lunch snacks are available at the BanyanTree Café or the Kayu Café – both have a terrace and seats on the beach, from where you can watch the hustle and bustle along the beach promenade.

For authentic pizza from the stone oven, we recommend a visit to Pizzeria Regina, which is a bit hidden on the street parallel to the beach promenade. But you should hurry here, the places in the evening are quickly taken. Alternatively, you can also order pizza & co. to take away.

For tasty and affordable Indonesian cuisine, we recommend Oh Warung near the night market, where you can put together a big colorful plate of local delicacies for a few dollars, including many vegetarian options.

There is a cozy rooftop terrace with boho vibes in the boutique café Samadhi (formerly Casa Vintage) and for a dinner with a great ambiance we recommend the Pearl of Trawangan – a chic hotel with beach restaurants, which was built entirely from bamboo.

The choice of restaurants on Gili Meno is very manageable and is limited to a few warungs and simple beach restaurants, which are mainly frequented by day tourists during lunchtime.

Recommended is the Diana Café not far from the NEST sculpture, from where you have a great view of Gili Trawangan and the sunset, and the Two Brothers Café, which is a little further south.

For pizza and cocktails, head north to the Slainte Irish Bar.

In contrast to Gili Trawangan, the selection is a bit more limited, but on Gili Air, you will still find a large number of restaurants and cafes with international cuisine, chic beach clubs, and small warungs with local dishes, so there is no boredom when planning meals should arise.

Most of the bars and restaurants can be found in the small island center near the ferry terminal and on the busier stretches of beach in the south and southeast of the island. Fans of fish and seafood will also get their money’s worth here.

For all breakfast lovers, we can recommend the Coffee & Thyme directly at the ferry dock.

There is a touch of Europe in Breadlicious in the center of the island, where sandwiches, baguettes, waffles, and cakes as well as good coffee are offered.

Along Sunset Boulevard, a small street that connects the south and north shores, you’ll find a number of warungs where you can eat inexpensively. Our favorite was zZz Warung – a simple bamboo hut with tasty and cheap dishes.

For pizza fans, we can recommend Mama Pizza, which is located directly on the beach on the west side of the island not far from the beach bar Mowie’s, which also offers a good menu with international dishes and a relaxed island feeling. For an inexpensive Western lunchtime snack like a burger or burrito and fries, head to the H&R Resto.

The Panchama Organic Café is tucked away in the northeast and a bit away from the tourist center with a nice interior and vegetarian and vegan delicacies such as smoothie bowls, salads, and burritos.

The Gili Islands have long been a hit with young party people – Gili Trawangan, also known as Gili Tralala in particular, has made a name for itself here and offers a wide range of evening island entertainment.

It doesn’t matter whether it’s merry pub crawls, chilled live music in a beach bar, party boats, or loud reggae and hip-hop sounds booming out of the speakers in the numerous bars along the beach promenade and inviting you to celebrate and dance, it gets boring on Gili T. never.

Popular addresses with the night owls are the Blue Marlin, the Lava Bar, the Irish Pub, the Jungle Bar, and the Sama Sama Reggae Bar, all of which are located along the main tourist street on the east side of Gili T.

On Gili Air and Gili Meno, it is much more sophisticated and is essentially limited to sunset cocktail happy hours in the small beach bars – sometimes with live music like in the Sasak Island Café or the Slainte Irish Bar on Gili Meno or the Raja Bar on Gili Air.

The Chill-Out Bar and Mowie’s in the south of Gili Air are also popular addresses for happy hour drinks in a relaxed atmosphere.

Although there are no shopping malls or large shopping centers on the Gilis, nothing stands in the way of an extensive shopping spree.

On Gili Trawangan and Gili Air you can quickly fall into a shopping spree and plunder the holiday budget uninhibitedly. Around the ferry docks you will find many small, charming shops and boutiques where you can get new clothes (hello fluttering floral dresses and brightly colored Hawaiian shirts!) or look for souvenirs and gifts.

Particularly popular in the shopping bag: sarongs, coconut oil and handmade jewellery.

On Gili Meno, on the other hand, the offer is very limited and is limited to a few small general stores with snacks, drinks and sunscreen.

On average, the prices for everyday products in the Gilis are slightly higher than in Bali, but you can buy souvenirs such as bracelets or handicrafts from small stalls on the beach very cheaply.

A visit to the Gili Islands is also suitable for families with children, although the range of leisure activities is mainly limited to water activities such as swimming, snorkeling and kayaking. There are no special offers for children such as playgrounds.

All three islands have quite wide beaches and mostly very shallow water, so that nothing stands in the way of bathing fun for young and old.

However, parents should watch out for the corals. Especially at low tide you can quickly injure yourself on the sometimes very sharp-edged coral remains. It is therefore worth wearing special water shoes to protect your feet.

Gili Air in particular is very popular with families. In contrast to Gili Trawangan, it is much quieter here, but it is not quite as isolated as Gili Meno.

There are still a variety of cozy restaurants and beach bars as well as smaller shops and accommodation options that provide enough variety and a carefree island feeling.

There are art practices on Gili Trawangan and Gili Air, hospitals of international standard are in Bali.

Accommodation in all price ranges awaits you on the Gilis. From simple backpacker hostels with shared rooms, privately run homestays and guest houses to chic beach villas and luxury resorts, everything is represented here.

Despite the wide range of offers, we advise you to book your accommodation well in advance, as the good deals sell out quickly. This applies in particular to the high season from June to August, when many hotels are quickly fully booked due to high demand.

On Gili Trawangan you will find what is probably the largest and most diverse range of accommodation, from good and cheap to chic and expensive, there is something for every taste and budget.

The cheap guesthouses and budget hotels with dorms are mostly tucked away on the second or third row parallel to the busy seafront, while most of the luxury villas and high-end resorts are a little more quiet and secluded on the west side of the island.

Budget:
La Boheme
Deep house bungalow

Comfort:
Coconut Dream Bungalow
Little Coco
Pink Coco Gili Trawangan

Chic:
Aston Sunset Beach
Pearl of Trawangan
Kuno Villas Resort

Gili Meno has significantly fewer accommodation options than Gili Trawangan and is more focused on couples and honeymooners. Therefore, you will mostly find higher-priced resorts and chic villas on the small, quiet island.

But there are also a few cozy bungalow resorts for the small purse along the sandy coast road, especially in the north of the island. Most of them don’t offer much comfort, but they do have a direct beach location and pure island feeling.

Budget/Backpackers:
Gili Meno Eco Hostel

Bungalow facilities:
Yaya Bungalow
Blue Coral Bungalow
Ana Warung and Bungalow

Resorts & Villas:
Mahamaya Boutique Resort
Villa Pulau Cinta 
Avia Villa Resort
Gili Meno Gataway

Gili Air is particularly popular with couples and families who appreciate the colorful mix of simple bungalow huts, cozy homestays, small boutique hotels, private villas, and chic resorts. Backpacker accommodation with shared rooms and evening pub crawl offers are rather rare here.

Budget – Backpackers & Bungalows:
Tipsea Turtle
Begadang

Comfort – bungalows and small resorts
Sandy Beach Bungalows
Solabose Cottages
cabana

Resorts & Villas:
Pink Coco Gili Air
Lagoon Resort
Slow – Private Pool Villas
The Mandana Gili Air

As all three Gili Islands are free of motorized vehicles, the best way to get around is on foot or by bicycle. Most accommodations as well as numerous providers in the tourist center offer cheap bicycles for hire. Cost: about 2 to 4 USD dollars per day.

On Gili Air and Gili Trawangan, you need about one to two hours for a complete tour of the island by bike, on Gili Meno just under an hour. If you are on foot, you have to plan half an hour to an hour more.

There are also simple horse-drawn carriages on the Gilis – so-called “cidomo” – that wait at the ferry docks to take newcomers with their heavy luggage to the hotel. Cost, depending on the route, is 4 – 10 USD dollars.

One can imagine that animal welfare is rather a minor matter here. For hours the horses stand in the blazing sun with little or no water. So you should think carefully about whether you really need horse-drawn carts or whether you can walk to the hotel.

The connection between the three islands is well developed. For less than two USD dollars each way, you can take a public boat from one island to the other twice a day (morning and afternoon).

Of course, you can also charter a private boat at any time, which costs around 17-22 USD dollars.

Outside the high season, food and accommodation prices in the Gilis are quite cheap and comparable to Lombok or Bali. For less than 10 USD dollars per night, you can sleep in a shared room and for 20-30 USD dollars you can get a private room with a private bathroom in a small guesthouse.

You can eat cheaply in the small warungs as well as at street stalls and at the night market (Gili Trawangan), so you should get by with about 10-15 USD dollars per day. A simple breakfast is often included in most accommodations.

Tip: Bring your own drinking bottle! In most accommodations, supermarkets, or restaurants, these can be refilled for little money at the drinking water dispenser. (Sometimes even free of charge)

There are now cash machines (ATMs) on all three Gili Islands, which you can find near the ferry piers, but it can happen again and again that they don’t work or are simply empty. So I advise you to always have enough cash in your pocket.

Also, many smaller hotels and private accommodations often do not accept credit cards, so you should calculate the cash payments on site in your travel budget.

Of all three Gili Islands, the medical care on Gili Trawangan is certainly the best, but you will also find a small selection of doctors, local clinics, and pharmacies on Gili Air.

In the case of serious injuries or illnesses, the limits of what is possible are quickly reached in the small “medical clinics” on Gili T. Comprehensive medical care is not guaranteed on any of the small islands.

In an emergency, transport to one of the international hospitals in Bali or Lombok is therefore essential. Since this can quickly become really expensive, we recommend that you take out good international health insurance in advance, which will cover the costs of transport and treatment in an emergency (and it costs little).

Below are the addresses of some local clinics on Gili Trawangan and Gili Air.

BLUE ISLAND CLINIC
Jl. Pariwisata Pantai Kuta, Kuta, Pujut, Kabupaten Lombok Tengah, Nusa Tenggara Bar. 83573,
Indonesia +62 819-9970-5700
blueislandclinic.com

Trawangan Medical Clinic (TMC)
Dusun Gili Trawangan Desa, Gili Indah, Pemenang, Kabupaten Lombok Utara, Nusa Tenggara Bar. 83352,
Indonesia +62 853-3811-0348
gilimedservice.com

Air Medical Center
Dusun Gili Air RT.04, Gili Indah, Pemenang, Kabupaten Lombok Utara, Nusa Tenggara Bar. 83352,
Indonesia +62 877-5757-7999

Gili Air Clinic Center
gili air Jl. Shvea, Gili Indah, Pemenang, Kabupaten Lombok Utara, Nusa Tenggara Bar. 83352,
Indonesia +62 852-3888-8339

The risk of malaria in the Gili Islands is very low. However, since there are areas in Indonesia where the risk of contracting malaria is significantly higher, you should make any protective measures dependent on your general travel route and discuss them with your family doctor in advance.

As everywhere in Indonesia, there is a risk of contracting dengue fever. Therefore, you should always ensure good protection with mosquito spray containing DEET and appropriate clothing, and use mosquito nets in your accommodation.

The climate in the Gilis is tropical. That means you will never freeze here. The average daytime temperatures are a comfortable 26 to 30 degrees and even at night the thermometer rarely falls below 20 degrees.

As the rainy season in the region begins in late October and lasts until April, the best time to visit the Gili Islands is during the dry season between May and September.

The high season is from June to August as well as Christmas and New Year. Then the number of visitors and the prices for accommodation on the Gili Islands shoot up. Accommodation can be fully booked quickly, so you should book well in advance.

If you are flexible in terms of time, we recommend a trip to the islands in the transition months of May or September/October. Then the Gilis are not so crowded, the prices for accommodation are moderate and the sun shines almost every day.

Here you will find detailed information about the best travel time in Indonesia.

Holidays and religious festivals and events in Indonesia always depend on the respective religious community.
While the religious festivals in Bali are based more on the Balinese calendar, the Islamic festivals are mainly celebrated on the Muslim Gili Islands.

These include, for example, Ramadan, the festival of sacrifice Idul Adha, Mohammed’s birthday, and the Islamic New Year Muharram.

As a visitor, however, you won’t really notice much of these religious festivals, as there are hardly any restrictions for tourists.

Tip: It is always important to keep an eye on both calendars. For example, when the Balinese New Year – Nyepi – is celebrated in Bali and everything is closed, many tourists are drawn to the Gili Islands, where Nyepi is not celebrated too strictly. Therefore, you should book well in advance here.

Since the Gilis do not have their own airport, you can only get to the small islands by sea. The nearest international airports are in Bali (abbreviation: DPS) and Lombok (LOP)

The fastest and easiest way to reach the Gilis from Bali is by speedboat! Speedboats sail daily to the Gili Islands from Padang Bai, Amed, or Sanur ports in southeast Bali. Depending on the ferry port and route, the crossing takes about 1.5-3 hours.

The public ferry is not recommended as the crossing takes a long time and the safety standards leave something to be desired. If you still prefer this variant, note that the public ferry only runs between Bali and Lombok, and you then have to book a connection to the Gili Islands.

If you are in one of the tourist strongholds such as Ubud, Seminyak, or Canggu and want to set off to the Gilis, you can book the ferry crossing including a shuttle service to the ferry port from local providers. Of course, the rule of thumb also applies here: check several providers and negotiate prices! If you are a small group or book a return trip together, it is often much cheaper.

Note that depending on the weather and wind conditions, the crossing can be very shaky and is not for weak stomachs! You should also choose the right clothes. You often get wet and have to wade a few meters through the water to get out.

Lombok is just a few kilometers from the Gilis and there are regular boat services to the islands from Bangsal Harbour. If you arrive by plane, you have to reckon with a transfer time of about 1.5 -2 hours to the port.

The crossing from Lombok to Gili Trawangan by public boat takes just under half an hour and 15 minutes by speedboat.

You can also charter a private boat from Bangsal. Of course, this costs a lot more, but it can be worth it if you are traveling as a group.

Bangsal Harbour 

Since all three Gili Islands are very close together, it is of course a good idea not only to stay on one island but also to visit the others. Whether it’s a day trip or a longer stay, the best thing to do is hop on one of the small local boats, also known as slow boats or public boats, that travel between the islands every day.

There is usually one crossing in the morning and one in the afternoon. The journey takes no longer than half an hour and costs only a few USD dollars.

In addition, between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m., there are speed boats almost every hour, which cost a few USD dollars more. On the other hand, the equipment with leather seats and water protection is a bit more elegant, the transfer time is a bit shorter and the boats are not as crowded.