One is known as the party island, one as the family island and one as the honeymoon island. But is this true, are the islands affordable, and which Gili island is best to visit? Keep reading to learn more about the wonderful Gili Trawangan (Gili T), Gili Air and Gili Meno.
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The Gili Islands offer the perfect combination of tropical beaches with white sand, amazing scuba diving, great parties, and relaxation. With that said, the three Gili Islands, Gili Trawangan, Gili Air and Gili Meno have different advantages and disadvantages.
Perhaps your research has led you to guides calling Gili Trawangan the party island, Gili Air the family friendly island and Gili Meno the honeymoon island. This has some truth to it. But it is not so clean cut.
As someone who has spent over four months on the islands, there is something for everyone on all three islands. It just depends on your preferences.
Keep reading to find out more about the wonderful Gili Islands. And find out where you should go to get the best parties, unspoiled beaches, cool scuba experiences, and much more.
First, some general information about the Gili islands:
Many people think the Gili islands are in Bali, but even though you can get there quickly from Bali, they are actually next to Lombok. All three islands are located next to the larger Indonesian island Lombok and just a few hours by fastboat from Bali.
If you are not a fan of sailing, you can also fly from Bali to Lombok, get a car to Bangsal Harbour and then it is only about 15 minutes by speedboat to Gili Trawangan. Gili Air and Gili Meno are even closer to Lombok.
If you have some extra time to explore more than one island, the three Gilis offer different experiences. And it’s possible to choose one island as your base and visit the other islands by booking a private speedboat or taking the local ferry, which is very easy and cheap.
All three islands have affordable and luxury accommodation, but Gili Trawangan has more diversity and a larger variation of hotels, restaurants, dive shops and bars. The same way, with Gili Air and Gili Meno being smaller, the selection of places to stay, eat and dive is smaller.
Their larger neighbor Lombok is also worth a visit. Lombok is becoming more and more popular by the minute for travelers who want to surf on the beaches of Kuta, visit the beach town Senggigi, or climb Mount Rinjani.
Mount Rinjani is the second highest volcano in Indonesia, and several local companies offer guided trekking tours to the crater and summit.
Gili Trawangan: a scuba diving paradise and great parties
If you want to go scuba diving by day and party by night, Gili Trawangan is the answer. Gili T is known as the party island of the three Gili islands. And the island offers different parties scattered over the island every day of the week.
Walking on the main strip you pass dive shop after dive shop. They offer several boat dives each day to the dive sites surrounding all three islands. Some of the biggest shops on the island are Blue Marlin Dive (PADI), Trawangan Dive (PADI), Manta Dive (SSI) and Gili Divers (SSI) (not sponsored).
But there are many places to choose from for beginning and experienced recreational divers to tech divers alike. For this reason, Gili Trawangan is a popular island for beginner divers looking to get their PADI Open Water Certification (affiliate).
If you want the largest selection of restaurants, bars, spas, hotels, dive shops – and a variation of beaches to lounge on and snorkel from – Gili T is also for you. Some yoga resorts, and larger luxury resorts are placed a bit further from the tourist harbour and main nightlife hubs. So you can get the best of both worlds on Gili Trawangan.
Read more about Gili T here.
Gili Air: relaxed vibes, great scuba diving and family friendly
Travelling with kids? Or simply looking for a relaxing holiday away from the buzz and parties of Bali and Gili Trawangan? Then Gili Air is the place to be.
With its reasonable size, bike friendly and walkable roads, pristine beaches and delicious selection of local and international food, there is something for everyone on Gili Air.
Out of the three Gili islands, Gili Air is located closest to Lombok. But it is still only a short trip by private speedboat or local ferry from Gili Meno and Gili Trawangan.
There is more to do on the island than on its quiet neighbor Gili Meno. And it offers a more peaceful and chill atmosphere than Gili Trawangan. For that reason, Gili Air is my favorite of the three islands.
If you enjoy scuba diving, there are still several large dive shops on the islands. And you can visit the same spots that the dive shops on Gili Trawangan go to while enjoying a less crowded experience at the dive shop and on the boat.
And not to worry if you still want to enjoy the sunset with drinks or go to a party. The island also offers multiple beach bars and parties. And when you’re done you can go home and get a good night’s rest.
Prices for accommodation and food are also lower on Gili Air compared to the other islands.
Gili Meno: unspoiled beaches and the perfect place for a honeymoon
If you just want to lounge on a beach with no other people around. Or enjoy the sunset and the sunset at your local luxurious resort, then you should look at Gili Meno.
Here you can relax and experience the true bounty-island vibe. There are very few tourists, fancy resorts and boutique hotels and white sandy beaches that look completely untouched. And you can always take a daytrip to one of the larger islands if you are bored. That way you can have a party, a larger selection of restaurants or dive shops and retreat to your peaceful island after.
Tthe Gili Islands are so close to each other. So there is no need to worry about not being able to travel between the islands.
Read more about Gili Trawangan here.
