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.
The island is ideal for people seeking beautiful beaches and peaceful island life while still offering a good selection of restaurants, hotels and dive shops to explore.
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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 here.
Out of the three Gili Islands, Gili Air is located closest to Lombok but is still only a short trip by private speedboat or local ferry from Gili Meno and Gili Trawangan.
Read more about the Gili Islands here.
Peaceful, but with a lot of options
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, and I have visited the island several times since I was in my mid-20’s.
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.
Read more about scuba diving in the Gili Islands here or find your PADI course or program here.
Some of the biggest dive shops on Gili Air are Blue Marlin Dive Gili Air, Blue Marine Dive and Oceans 5 (not sponsored).
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 without being woken up by hordes of party-goers.
I’ve also found prices for accommodation and food to be lower on Gili Air compared to Gili Trawangan and Gili Meno.
The best places to eat and stay in Gili Air
Some of the best restaurants on Gili Air are Mama Pizza and Juju Zero Waste. Mama Pizza has tables on the beach and a great sunset view of Mount Agung on Bali. And Juju Zero Waste is both a vegan restaurant with great food options and a store selling beautifully crafted candles, mugs and bags as well as souvenir-worthy oils and lotions.
Kopi Susu is a great place for coffee and breakfast.
There are also many good homestays, hostels, and hotels on Gili Air. We have stayed at Jago Gili Air several times and can recommend it (not sponsored by Jago).
It is a cute boutique hotel located on the central main road in a quiet area with a great pool, amazing smoothie bowls for breakfast and comfortable rooms. You can get to the beach quickly by walking or renting bikes at the hotel. If you want to have a look, I will share the link to the Jago’s own website here, and a link to Jago Gili Air on Booking.com here.
Hey people!!!!!
Good mood and good luck to everyone!!!!!