The three Gili Islands Lombok are a small-scale backpacker mecca and Lombok’s most popular tourist destination. The islands are very relaxed and laid-back, with countless little beachside cafes playing reggae and serving up banana pancakes, and no cars or motorbikes to disturb the peace. The beaches are without a doubt better than anywhere on Bali or Lombok.
The flip side of the coin is that as they exist solely to cater for travellers, they’re also rather anonymous (you might as well be at anywhere) and, aside from snorkeling and diving, there’s little if anything to do. Note that there are no ATMs on the islands, so bring plenty of cash with you. From west to east, the islands are:
- Gili Trawangan Lombok, or “Gili T” is by far the most developed with plenty of backpacker options and one swanky resort. 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. There is no police on the island and all problems are usually settled by the local “council”
- Gili Meno Lombok, the smallest and quietest, low-key with some simple places to stay.
- Gili Air Lombok, closest to the mainland and with the largest local population. Strictly speaking, the name Gili Islands Lombok is rather redundant as gili simply means “small island” in Sasak, but the name has stuck and is universally used and understood in Lombok.
How to Get to Gili Islands?
There is now a new Fast Boat service running direct to the Gili Islands Lombok from Benoa Harbour in South Bali. This takes just two hours on the water, and the ticket price of around US$100 includes air-con transfers to and from the Kuta area in Bali (about 20 minutes from the harbour). This is by far the easiest way of getting to and from the islands – as an added bonus there are frequent sightings of dolphins on the way. This service is operated by BlueWater Safaris.There are regular shuttle services from Bangsal on the main island of Lombok, stopping at all islands. The trip takes about 15 minutes to Air, 30 minutes to Gili Meno and 45 minutes to Gili Trawangan. Around 30,000 to 40,000 Rp one-way, or 70,000 Rp if including land transfer from Senggigi. Avoid traveling to Bangsal as captains will wait until the boat is full of passengers before setting off. If you do go via Bangsal, you driver may warn you about the Bangsal Mafia: a bunch of guys hanging around the port who will seriously hassle you to buy boat tickets to the Gili’s from them, with various excuses like claiming that your ticket is no longer valid. Do not give in! Book a trip with Perama instead, which will travel to and from the islands no matter how many people they have.
Alternatively, the Gilis can be visited on a day trip from Senggigi, in which case you’ll get your own little boat and crew to take you around. The trip across take 1-2 hours each way and is quite scenic, if a little bumpy when the waves are high. Available from any travel agent, figure on 400,000 Rp for a tour for two.
Private transport from Senggigi without the tour is 250,000 Rp, after negotiation in the low season, and leaves from the beach by the Santosha Hotel and Resort. If you go through the hotel property to the beach there are several boats on the beach and guaranteed solicitations to go to the Gilis. This part of the beach can also be accessed near the Senggigi Beach Hotel. You can book directly with these guys the day before you want to go or though any tour operator.
Note that the sea is calmest in the morning and all transport stops running in the afternoon, well before dark.
Get Around Gili Islands Lombok
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. 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.
What to see and do in Gili Islands
There are no sights as such on the islands themselves, but the snorkeling and diving all around is a major draw. Sea turtles are also common, especially around Turtle Point just north of Gili Meno. 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 10:00 departure and 16:00 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.
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 is you leave your watch in your bag. The beaches are not exceptional. Gili Trawangan has the nicest physical 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.
Map of Gili Islands
