GILIS (ISLANDS) OFF LOMBOK | Facts and Details

GILIS (ISLANDS) OFF THE WEST COAST OF LOMBOK

Sunrise at Gili Trawangan, 2013

The Gilis (off the western coast of Lombok) — Gili Trawangan, Gili Meno, and Gili Air — are three beautiful islands with great snorkeling, amazing rock ridges and an active part scene that have been popular with backpackers In local Sasak language, "Gili" means "island". In the Indonesian language, plural is denoted by repeating a noun. So "Gili Gili" literally means "islands”. Travel on the islands are only by bike or “cidomo” the small horse-drawn carts taking three persons per ride. There are plenty of hotels and restaurants built in keeping with the islands’ homely village atmosphere.

White sandy beaches. Tropical coral reefs. Warm inviting waters. All this awaits you on the Gilis. And with no cars, no motorbikes and no distractions other than beautiful tropical island scenery, the Gilis off the northwest coast of Lombok are truly an ideal destination for a tropical getaway. Renowned for friendly locals and superb natural beauty, each of the island’s are well prepared for tourists. Gili Trewangan is the largest and most popular of the three islands. It has a vibrant nightlife to keep you entertained once the sun goes down. With a wide collection of restaurants and bars, you’ll never be short of entertainment here.

Gili Air and Gili Meno are also popular islands. They are similar to Gili Trawangan but smaller and slightly less developed. Gili Air is the small island it has the largest local population and is closest to the mainland. The hotels are scattered around the island, which has the feel of a large village. Gili Meno is the smallest island and, with only a few hundred permanent residents, it has the most remote feel to it. For a long time Gili Meno was the place for those who wanted to rough it. It had no electricity. It has now had power for around 25 years. It also boast the widest beach in the Gilis.

According to Lonely Planet: “Floating in a turquoise sea and fringed by white sand and coconut palms, the Gilis are a vision of paradise. And they're booming like nowhere else in Indonesia — speedboats zip visitors directly from Bali and hip new hotels are rising like autumnal mushrooms. The lure of big tourist dollars tugs against the traditionally laid-back culture of the islands, the alternative spirit imported by Western partygoers and a buoyant green sensibility.

“While the outcome is uncertain, for now the Gilis retain their languorous charm (partly due to local efforts to exclude dogs and motorbikes from the islands).Each island has its own unique appeal. Gili Trawangan (aka Gili T) is the most cosmopolitan, with a raucous party scene and plenty of upscale dining and accommodation. Gili Air has an appealing mix of buzz and bliss, while little Gili Meno has the strongest local character.”

Activities on Gili Terawangan, Gili Meno and Gili Air

map of the Gili Islands

For divers and snorkelers, there are few places better than the Gili’s where you can get up close to all kinds of marine life including a green turtle (Chelonia mydas) in all its glory. Swim up and watch this graceful creature glide through the ocean. You should be able to spot these turtles at depths of 10-20 meter below sea level. Check out other spectacular reefs and ominous dive sites like Shark reef.

Snorkeling is good off the northeastern coast. A number of dive companies offer lessons and dives. There are many boats that run between the Lombok and the island and take visitors on various trips. While I was on Gili Trawangan my friends and I rented a boat for a day and went to Gili Pop and Gili Nanggu island which are nearby. We went snorkeling from the boat in the gardens of blue coral which are found there. Gili Po is very popular. It is possible to walk around it in 15 minutes. The reef is filled with angelfish, parrotfish, triggerfish, butterflyfish and lizardfish.

Explore Turtle Point on Gili Meno for your best chance of seeing a sea turtle. Snorkel equipment can be rented at any of the diving spots nearby or on the beach itself. At the Wall's diving spots at Gili Trawangan, divers plunge to depths of 18 and 20 meter and often see white tip sharks, manta rays and turtles. At Wreck Point, around 500 meters from Mentigi beach at 43 meters below the surface, you’ll discover the remains of sunken ship full of ridge of rocks.

During peak season (June-August) the Gili’s are fully booked so it’s best to make your reservations at least four months in advance. Cars and motorbikes are prohibited on the Gili’s giving each island a very peaceful atmosphere. The best way to get around and explore the islands is by bike. Some places rent bikes; some hotels offer them free for their customers. A horse-drawn carriage or cidomo is another popular way to get around for both locals and visitors. A tour around Gili Terawangan in a cidomo for three costs around Rp. 150,000,taking around half an hour. Of course you can always walk. If you want to travel between the Gili’s you can hire a motorized boat. If you want to take scuba diving lessons make sure you bring enough money to cover the cost of hiring a diving instructor and equipment.

Gili Trawangan

Gili Trawangan (a motorized outrigger boat from Bangsal) is a delightful place that has become a bit overdeveloped in recent years but remains fabulous. Great reefs for snorkeling are right off shore. The coral is great and the fish were very colorful. There are no motorbikes of hawkers. Most accommodation is in the form of basic bungalows Some offer a bungalow with meals for about $25 a day. Full moon parties may still be held on the southern part of Gili Trawangan. Here DJ’s spin tracks of house, dance and techno until dawn.

Gili Trawangan has the most guest houses and restaurant; receives the most visitors; and is regarded as a party island of the three Gilis. It is a popular hang out for young backpackers. There are no police on the island and many young people and locals too are fond of doing mushrooms. In recent years it has become a little overdeveloped and too popular. There are problems with waster disposal water supplies. The prices of accommodation vary greatly between the high season in July and August when they be three or four times higher than the low season.

While snorkeling off Gili Trawangan I saw a school of a couple dozen huge coral-eating fish — humphead wrasses — that had huge foreheads and were about two meters long. During a night snorkel I saw a shark through the beam of my flashlight. Some reefs suffer from bleaching and damages from anchors but there are still lots of fish. Turtles are often seen. Sometimes manta rays cruise by.

Eric Weiner wrote in the New York Times: “Gili Trawangan, has earned a reputation as a requisite pit stop on the backpacker circuit. Once famous for its anything-goes full-moon parties, Gili T, as it is known, is now veering toward being more tame and up market. I arrived by boat and immediately decamped at the Beach House, an eclectic bar and hotel that, while lovely, has no beach. Gili T takes Lombok's laid-back vibe and turns it down a few more notches. There are no cars or motorized vehicles, only bicycles and cidomos, the donkey-driven "taxis" prevalent throughout Lombok. (Local wags call it "the Lombok Ferrari.") Without the din of traffic to contend with, Gili T offers visitors an audio buffet: the call to prayer mingles with the clinking of beer glasses and the sing-song of hawkers and giggling children on their way home from school. [Source: Eric Weiner, New York Times, September 24, 2008]

“The most common sound heard on Gili T, though, is one simple phrase: "Kenapa tidak" — why not? Want to sleep until noon? Kenapa tidak? Want to order one of those magic mushrooms on the menu? Kenapa tidak? (They're legal here.) Or, like me, you can pass on the craziness and just enjoy the wonderful snorkeling. Kenapa tidak? Tami Ortenau, a graphic designer from Los Angeles, came to Gili T on a lark, a side trip from Bali. When I met her, she'd already extended her stay twice. "I could spend a month here," she said, clearly smitten.”

Accommodation, Restaurants and Getting to the Gilis

Currently there are more than 100 accommodations situated in the Gili area. Mostly at the northern part. Some are even international-scale hotels. Prices range from Rp. 400,000 per room at the simpler hotels to Rp. 1.7 million per night for a cottage at the more upscale establishments.

Typical of what you can find on Gili Trawangan is The Beach House ( 62-370-642-352; beachhousegilit.com), described by the New York Times as “A funky, mish-mash of a hotel that somehow manages to work. Rooms range from un-air-conditioned boxes to lavish bungalows with private plunge pools, and are priced accordingly.”

Among some of the restaurants and places to eat at Gili Gilis are Toto & Peppino (Italian Food, Tel. +62 821 4471 9994) on Gili Air and Scallywags (62-370-631-945; Asian fusion cuisine) served beachfront on Gili Trawangan. In 2008 it boasted the island's "first and only wireless internet connection," which may or may not be a selling point. Expect to spend $30 for two, without drinks.

Boat service is available to the Gilis from Bali or Senggigi The Gilis are easily reached by speedboat from Senggigi, taking only some 20 minutes boat ride. Many tourists also travel direct to Gili Trawangan by ferry that leaves Bali daily from Serangan or Padang Bai. (for details check: bluewater-express.com), In the old days, many travelers took a bus to Bangsal and organized a boat there to the islands. The public boats there operated like public transportation and left on a when full basis, usually with about a dozen people..

Gili Terawangan, Gili Meno and Gili Air are easily reached by speedboat from Senggigi. Speedboats with a capacity for 10 passengers can be chartered at between Rp. 800,000 to Rp. 1 million two ways. Travel time is around 20 minutes. There are also regular passenger boats from Senggigi harbour, tickets cost Rp. 10,000 per pax. The regular fast ferries from Bali direct to Gili Trawangan, departing Serangan at 8:00am and 10:00am, and daily from Padang Bai, leaving at 11.15am.

Image Sources: Wikimedia Commons

Text Sources: Indonesia Tourism website ( indonesia.travel ), Indonesia government websites, UNESCO, Wikipedia, Lonely Planet guides, New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, National Geographic, The New Yorker, Bloomberg, Reuters, Associated Press, AFP, Japan News, Yomiuri Shimbun, Compton's Encyclopedia and various books and other publications.

Last Updated January 2026