Anyone visiting Bali should definitely make a trip to the Gili Islands. The three famous Gili Islands are Gili Trawangan, Gili Meno, and Gili Air. Here you can expect clean white sandy beaches, turquoise waters, and great snorkeling and diving spots. Literally, all you need to know.
If you are looking for a quiet area other than Ubud. Then, these islands are good choices. This is also why you should know a little about the Gili Islands beforehand. Each has its own unique atmosphere.
Common to all three Gilli islands is that the island has no motorized transport and few paved rolex daytona uomini 116523bkso 40mm braccialetto tono argento roads. The only transportation to the hotel is by horse-drawn carriage and bicycle.
About Gili Islands
Gili simply means “small” in the Sasak language. An archipelago of three smaller islands Gili Meno, Gili Trawangan, and Gili Air, off the northwest coast of Lombok, Indonesia.
The islands are tourist destinations. Each island has several resorts, usually consisting of tourist cottages, small pools, and restaurants. Just off northwest Lombok and you will reach one of the famous tourist destinations. High visitor numbers just off competing areas of Bali, like expats or even Local who want to escape from Bali
How to reach Gili Islands?
The distance from Bali to the Gili Islands is only about 95 km. The main mode of transportation from Bali to the Gilis is mostly by speed boats, public boats, shuttle boats, and private boats. The fast boat services such as Eka Jaya Fast Boat, Blue Water Express, and Manta express.
Speedboats depart daily from Padang Bai (South East Bali), Serangan (South Bali), and Amed (North East Bali) with an average journey time of 1.5-2.5 hours.
You can also get to Gilis by public ferry, but you’ll spend a lot of time traveling. This is because you will first have to travel by boat to Lombok and from there another boat to your destination in Gilis. Traveling can take up to 8 hours and is not highly recommended.
If you are from Lombok island, go to Bangsal Port and from there you need to pay IDR 45.000 for all the islands, and it is just a short boat ride.
Gili Trawangan
Gili Trawangan is the largest island, and the most populated island of the other three Gili islands and offers the most possibilities for tourists. If you visit Gili Trawangan, you will find so many bars around the port and when night comes they became a noisy bar.
Gili Trawangan Island is 3 km long and 2 km wide and is located on the west coast of Lombok.
Things to do in Gili Trawangan
Snorkeling trips
Snorkel trips here are one of the most popular activities for tourists. Snorkeling is indeed an exciting thing because you will see the unspoiled underwater beauty of Gili Trawangan.
Cute fish and colorful coral reefs are the main attraction when snorkeling on the Gili trips. On Gili T, the trip starts from 9 am to 3 pm with a local boat. No need to worry, you will find many people asking you to go snorkeling. The snorkeling spots are many here.
If you want to see a sea turtle there’s a turtle sanctuary established in both Gili Trawangan and Meno.
Travel around the Gilis with Cidomo
This tourist activity in Gili T is in high demand among mothers and young tourists. See the beauty of Gili Trawangan’s beaches and explore the settlements of Gili Trawangan. The cost to travel to Gili Trawangan with Cidomo is only IDR 150,000 with a capacity of 3 people.
Diving in a Beautiful Spot
This one activity has the highest demand by foreign tourists, that’s diving in the Gili T Sea. The diving tourists want to see the beauty of Terumbu Karang Bill (blue coral), the marine here is very rare and beautiful.
The popular dive site in Trawangan has the type of blue coral on the Gili Islands dive sites that are only found in two places in the world. Gili Trawangan has many official diving service providers ranging from courses to equipment rentals to diving tours.
The diving spot you need to know in Gili is Shark point, Manta point, Terumbu Karang Bill, and Simon’s reef. You don’t have to worry about the equipment, if you don’t have any, there are dive shops that sell everything you need for diving.
Check out Manta Dive or Blue Marlin for your diving experience, they are also located both at Gili Trawangan and Gili Air.
Party Island and Boat
Gili Trawangan has so many populations and also many attractions, including party boat trips. This also has the reputation referring to the many fun parties held in various bars and restaurants around the island, which is a misleading description of this beautiful place.
Water Sports
With the beautiful blue water and strong wind, there are so many things to do when you wanted to enjoy the sea. Including, stand-up paddleboarding, kitesurfing and snorkeling, kayaking, and scuba diving.
Chilling Spot
The southwest coast of Gili Trawangan is often called Malibu Beach. About 15 minutes by bicycle from Sunset Beach. While, Northeast Beach in Gili Trawangan, is a sandy beach in front of shops and villas along the beach, just a 5-minute walk from the pier, is great for swimming and a great place to spot sea turtles in the shallow waters.
There’s also Gili Trawangan Hill is just 200 feet above sea level. It’s a short bike ride from almost anywhere on the island, and once you arrive, just have to a 10-minute hike through the woods to the top of the hill.
Things To Do In Gili Air
Gili Air is one of the three islands off the coast of Lombok. With its white sandy beaches, turquoise waters, and amazing life, this tiny island is the perfect place to add to your trips. Another popular island is Gili Air, this island is all about easy living, while Gili Trawangan is perfect for those who prefer a fun party every night.
Live music on the beach
You can spend a pleasant time with your family and friends in a healing space where live music plays. Enjoy the beach and if the sky is clear you will able to see the Rinjani Mountain on the south coast.
Also Read: Padang Padang Beach: Location, Pictures, and More
Island Hopping
Turtles are easy to spot when snorkeling or diving in the northern part of the island. The south side of the island has many beautiful places for relaxation and photography. You can visit all three islands in your itinerary.
Visit Cafes and Market
Gili Air of the three islands is the closest to Lombok and has a well-developed local community. There are few upmarket hotels in the area, but simple, comfortable, family-run mid-range and budget category hotels also offer excellent value for money.
Many cafes for tourists and warungs (stalls) for locals offer a wide range of Western, Indonesian, and local Sasak dishes.
Gili Meno
Snorkeling
Snorkeling The Gili Islands are known for their crystal clear waters and abundant marine life. You can expect to see turtles, lionfish, eels, rays, and many other amazing aquatic creatures. There is an underwater sculpture called ‘The Nest’ by Jason DeCaires Taylor that has become very famous on Instagram and you can rent a GoPro for some pretty amazing underwater photography.
Since Gili is such a small island you can go from anywhere in Gili islands to Meno to spot this area. The trip usually consists of charter boats or using the transportation boat to reach the snorkeling spot areas.
Honeymoon In Meno
Gili Meno is Gili’s most popular and family-friendly honeymoon destination. The island has some of the best white sand beaches in Gilis. In short, the perfect place for couples seeking beauty, tranquility, and quiet conversation.
There’s A Lake In Meno
The saltwater lake Gili Meno has located the Northwest of Gili Meno. During the dry season, the water evaporates and the salt is used for production. It is a 10-minute walk or 5-minute cidomo (horse-drawn carriage) ride from the port on the east coast of Meno.
Nature lovers can enjoy the tranquility and greenery of the lake, with private wooden cabins providing resting places for birdwatchers.
Visiting Gili Islands Soon?
If you are planning to visit Gili island, and wondering where to find trustable Visa agency. We can recommend you to LetsmoveIndonesia, Indonesia’s most trusted visa, and business consultancy. Visit their website and get a free consult now.
