WHICH IS THE BEST GILI ISLAND TO VISIT? HERE’S THE ANSWER!
April 1, 2024
Which is the best Gili Island? Here is our answer on how to choose the best of these 3 small paradises of Indonesia!
Here’s what you need to know for a trip to the Gili Islands, three small paradises in Indonesia where you can relax and swim in the coral reef!
Indonesia is made up of many islands, some of which are large and densely populated, while others are smaller and are true paradises, far from the chaos typical of islands such as Bali and Java.
If you’re after relaxation on white beaches and diving into a sea with a truly beautiful coral reef, then the three Gili Islands are the perfect destination for you!
Here are 13 useful tips for organising a trip to the Gili Islands!
The Gili Islands are a group of three Indonesian islands located between Bali and Lombok. They are Gili Trawangan, Gili Meno and Gili Air. These are three small tropical paradises with a wonderful sea and a coral reef full of marine life, with colourful fish and coral.
On these islands, you can only travel on foot or in carts pulled by horses. Here, life seems to slow down so much that you might even lose track of time!
The Gili Islands are a popular destination for tourists from abroad and locals alike. They are beautiful, peaceful and not too expensive. There are different types of places to stay on the islands, which makes them a great place for both travellers who like to organise their own trips and couples on their honeymoon.
During our trip to Indonesia, we spent a relaxing week on the Gili Islands. In this article, we give you seven useful tips to plan your vacation in these three small paradises of Indonesia!
Do you want to know more about how to organise a DIY vacation in Indonesia? Then we recommend you read our article where you will find lots of useful information!
The Gili Islands are in the Bali Sea, near the island of Lombok, east of Bali, and are part of the southern islands of Indonesia. Gili Air is the closest island to Lombok, just over 1 km from its coast, while Gili Trawangan is the closest to Bali and is about 35 km from its coast.
It takes about 5 minutes by boat to reach Lombok from Gili Air, while the journey from Bali to Gili Trawangan takes about an hour and a half by fast ferry.
The three Gili Islands are Gili Trawangan, Gili Air and Gili Meno. Gili Trawangan is the largest island and Gili Meno is the smallest, but they are pretty similar in size. It takes about an hour to walk around Gili Meno and about an hour and a half to walk around Gili Trawangan.
View of Gili Meno from Gili Air
There are no airports on the islands, so if you are planning a trip to the Gilis, the only way to get there is by boat from the larger nearby islands, such as Lombok and Bali, where there are airports.
If you want to visit the Gilis only, the fastest way to get there is from Bali. Ngurah Rai International Airport in Denpasar offers flights from countries close to Europe and Italy, such as Doha (with a stopover on Qatar Airways) or Dubai (with a stopover on Emirates). For example, you could fly from Milan to Denpasar with a stopover, and then take a ferry from Bali to the Gilis.
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In Bali, there are two main ports from which you can reach the Gilis: Sanur and Padang Bai.
Sanur port is closer to the airport, but it is further from the Gilis. The speedboat ride takes between 3 and 4 hours, so it’s not great if the sea is rough! We recommend Padang Bai port, which is in the eastern part of Bali and closer to the Gilis. From the airport, it will take about 1 hour and a half (without traffic) to reach Padang Bai by car, for example with a private transfer that costs between €20 and €30. From here, you can take a fast ferry to the Gilis. The journey takes about an hour and a half.
We suggest you choose this second option because sea conditions can change and sometimes ferries take longer than expected.
🛥️ BOOK HERE the fastboat from Sanur to Gili Islands
🛥️ BOOK HERE the fastboat from Padang Bai to Gili Islands
Although Lombok Airport is an international airport, it mainly receives domestic flights or flights from Asian cities such as Kuala Lumpur or Singapore. In this case, to get to Lombok you will have to opt for a domestic flight from the airport where you land with your international flight (usually Denpasar or Jakarta, but also from Singapore if you travel with Singapore Airlines).
Once you land at Lombok Airport, you will have to reach Bangsal Port by car, a journey that will take about an hour and a half. In Lombok, there are no traffic problems like in Bali, so you should not find traffic jams along the roads, but keep in mind that some roads are narrow and wind through the mountains, so you need to drive calmly. We recommend that you travel with a bit of time and rely on a trusted private driver. If you need a contact, write to us and we will be happy to give you the contact of our driver in Lombok.
From Bangsal Harbour, you can take a fast boat or a standard ferry to Gili Air. The fast boat takes just a few minutes. Another option is to ask your accommodation in Gili for help, as they will definitely be able to sort out the transfer for you.
🛥️ BOOK HERE Lombok airport -Gili Islands and viceversa
We suggest taking a fast boat to the Gili Islands because it’s good value for money and gets you there quickly. But we suggest you pay attention to the company you choose to travel with, as the standards of boat maintenance in Indonesia can be different.
We recommend Eka Jaya, a company we have used, although it is more expensive than the others. However, it is the most reliable, as we have been able to verify this by talking to local people. Eka Jaya offers several daytime routes and is the only fast boat company that goes to Gili Meno.
Ticket prices with this company for the Padang Bai-Gili route are about €24 per person. We recommend that you buy tickets online through the official website a little in advance, especially during the busy season.
We don’t recommend using private boats for longer trips, like from Bali to the Gilis, but for trips between the Gilis or to reach Lombok, private boats are definitely a good option instead of ferries or fast boats. You won’t have to queue and you can choose the time you want to go. We used a private transfer from Gili Air to Lombok, which took only 5 minutes and cost very little (about €25 for the boat transfer and the private car transfer to Lombok airport).
Private boat from Gili Air to Lombok
🛥️ BOOK HERE Eka Jaya fastboat to get to Gili Islands
What is the best time to go to the Gili Islands? The ideal time to visit the Gili Islands is from June to September, during the summer.
During these months, the days are sunny, with only a few short periods of rain. The sea is usually calmer at this time of year and the temperatures are mild thanks to the sea. It is rare to have very hot days, with temperatures of around 30 °C during the day and around 26-27 °C in the evening.
On the other hand, in autumn and winter, the rainy season arrives, and the sea might become too dangerous to cross, which could make it hard to get around.
We recommend that you check the weather forecast carefully, because if the sea is very rough or there are strong winds, the ferries will not run and all transfers will be cancelled (even with fast boats). If this is the case, you may have to move your transfer to a different date to avoid missing your return flight, so make sure you check the weather forecast!
Gili Meno
Sunset on Gili Meno
The official currency of Indonesia is the rupiah (IDR), and the exchange rate is approximately 0.00006 € for 1 IDR (as you can see, the Indonesian currency has an extremely low purchasing power).
We advise you to withdraw (or change) your money when you arrive at the airport, and don’t count on being able to withdraw money on the Gilis. There are not many cash machines on the islands (especially on Gili Meno where there is only one) and they don’t always have cash.
Also, you can’t pay with a debit or credit card in some restaurants and places (especially B&Bs or apartments).
Generally speaking, Gili Trawangan is better equipped in this respect, but we still recommend that you bring enough money with you to enjoy your holiday on the Gilis without worrying.
Many people wonder if Indonesia and the Gili Islands are dangerous. Our experience tells us no, the Gili Islands are not dangerous!
If we are talking about safety from the point of view of people, know that there is no police on the Gili Islands but everything is managed with an almost “family” management. In fact, there are groups of residents responsible for monitoring the islands.
There have never been episodes of violence on the Gili Islands, at most thefts, and especially by tourists. In this case, whoever is caught will have to walk around the island with a sign hanging around their neck saying they are thieves: it is in fact a walk of shame in all respects!
As for nature, there are snakes on the Gili Islands and monitor lizards on Gili Air. Obviously, not all snakes are poisonous but we still recommend that you pay attention when walking in areas with thick vegetation. Also, the Indonesian coral reef is home to the yellow-mouthed sea snake, which is easily recognizable because it has black and white stripes. This is one of the most poisonous sea snakes, but if you happen to see one while snorkeling, just continue on your way without bothering it.
On the other hand, as far as earthquakes and tsunamis go, there is no point in sugarcoating the pill: in Indonesia there are earthquakes every day (obviously most of them are small). When we were in Gili Meno we felt one while we were on the beach and by now the locals are used to it. Of course, before leaving we recommend that you download the BMKG app, which is the Indonesian geophysical and meteorological agency. This app will warn you in advance of potential tsunamis that could occur.
The Gili Islands have lots of different places to stay, from small resorts to similar to our B&Bs. We chose the latter option and we must admit that the cost of staying in these structures was very low (30-60 € per night).
The places where we stayed were clean and had everything you need. The accommodation we chose in Gili Air was very well-kept.
One important thing to remember about the places where you want to stay: check before you go if you can pay with credit or debit cards, as you might have to pay with cash. As we expected, there are not many cash machines on the islands (for example, only one in Gili Meno) and you might find it difficult to get cash out as the machines often run out of money quickly.
Our accommodation in Gili Air
Gili Trawangan:
💰 Low budget : Little Elephant Cottage
💰💰 Medium budget: Pearl Sunset Resort ⭐ Trip To Try Choice
Gili Air:
💰 Low budget: Ananda B&B
💰💰 Medium budget : Kaien Villa ⭐ Trip To Try Choice
Gili Meno:
💰 Low budget ridotto : The This-Kon ⭐ Trip To Try Choice
💰💰 Medium budget: Mahamaya
In the Gili Islands, the main food is fish, because there is so much of it, and it is often grilled. Many restaurants offer one-pot meals that include grilled fish, rice, and sides such as French fries.
As well as fish, you can try typical Indonesian dishes, such as Nasi Goreng, which is a fried rice dish with vegetables and eggs, and you can add meat or fish. Another option is mie goreng, a variation that uses noodles instead of rice.
There are lots of different restaurants on the islands, especially in Gili Air and Gili Trawangan, but there are fewer options in Gili Meno. You can get local dishes at affordable prices in traditional warungs, and there are restaurants serving more sophisticated cuisine that cost about the same as those in Western countries. Lots of tourists come to visit, so lots of restaurants now offer food from other countries too, like hamburgers and pizza.
The sea in the Gili Islands is beautiful everywhere, but if we really had to express our preference, the coral reef of Gili Meno is, without a doubt, the most beautiful and has some points of interest such as the Nest, an underwater installation of statues.
A piece of advice we give you for swimming and snorkeling is to find out about the tides, because when the low tide arrives it is impossible to access the reef (unless you step on the coral reef, in addition to risking hurting yourself).
For example, when we went in August it was only possible to snorkel until the early hours of the afternoon. We recommend that you bring some rock shoes, because many areas surrounding the islands are full of coral.
Various snorkeling excursions are offered on the islands that will take you to discover the most beautiful spots of the three islands!
Low tide in Gili
The Nest in Gili Meno
Coral reef in Gili Islands
🤿 BUY HERE the snorkeling tour to the Nest in Gili Meno and other spots in Gilis
🪸 BUY HERE your dives
The trip to the Gili Islands takes at least a full day, so we recommend planning a vacation of at least ten days. This way, you will have at least a full week to stay and you can plan to stay on at least two different islands.
To fully enjoy everything the islands have to offer, we recommend staying at least four days on a single island.
We have dedicated an article to this topic, as many people wonder which of the Gili Islands is the most beautiful or the best. The answer to this question depends on the person answering. But there are certainly differences between the islands, which have similar characteristics but also individual peculiarities. We recommend you read the in-depth article that we report below.
Which is the best Gili Island? Here is our answer on how to choose the best of these 3 small paradises of Indonesia!
In short, these are the characteristics of the three islands:
The cost of a vacation to the Gili Islands can vary greatly depending on the structure where you decide to stay and the activities you want to do on site, such as sea excursions or diving with diving centers. Here are some indicative costs:
To these costs you will have to add those relating to any excursions, such as snorkeling tours to the most interesting points of the coral reef, and the expenses for the purchase of souvenirs or other necessary goods.
In general, a two-week trip to the Gili Islands can start from a total cost of around €2,000.
The Gili Islands are three little paradises. If you want to visit them, we recommend that you leave as soon as possible to see them as they are now (Gili Trawangan is already changing). A trip to these islands is still quite affordable, and we promise you that it will be worth it!
We think that going to Indonesia just to see the Gili Islands is a bit missing the point. So, we suggest that you add them to the end of your trip, after having visited Java and Bali. If you need some travel inspiration, here is a 2-week itinerary for Indonesia!
We also suggest that you read the article we wrote about important information for travelling in Indonesia. There, you will find useful information on the currency, the language and other general aspects that concern the entire country, including the Gili Islands.
We hope this article has answered all your questions, but please get in touch if you have any more questions or need more information. We hope you enjoy your trip and, as always… trip to try!
Indonesia is a country of thousands of islands, each with unique characteristics! Here’s what to know for a travel to Indonesia DIY!
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