The Gili Islands

Known for underwater museums and insane party scenes, this island off the coast of Bali will take you to another world

Written by Gracie Rounds

Introduction

Looking for an island where your only way to get from place to place is by horse carriages and bicycles? Then the Gili Islands might be your place.

Based on the three week stay of my sister, solo-world traveler Callie Rounds, this guide will show you the best of what the Gili Islands have to offer.

How to Get There

If you are already in Bali, the Gili Islands are just a boat ride off the Balinese coast, making them a super accessible destination.

You will want to be careful when booking your boat as Callie had some friends who accidentally booked a “tour” of the Gili Islands which was a 6-hour boat ride instead of an hour.

Where to Stay

Out of the three Gili Islands, Callie’s recommendation would be to stay on Gili Trawangan. Unless you are looking for a romantic secluded couples trip you will want to be where most people are choosing to stay, as there are many activities going on around Trawangan. The other islands also have really interesting things to check out, but you can just do day trips there.

These islands are considered more of a budget destination with a “backpacker” vibe so you can find a lot of cheap hostels to stay at as it’s mainly a younger crowd. The hostels are all really fun and are great ways to meet people.

Eats

Because of it’s size and reputation as a budget location, you might be surprised to learn that the coffee scene on the island is quite fantastic. In fact, 75% of the food recommendations we have are just cafes that stay open later so that you can stop back by there for lunch if breakfast wasn’t enough!

Coffee and Thyme is probably going to be your first stop every morning that you’re there, like it was for Callie. She was barley able to explore any other coffee/breakfast places at first because this one was so special. The drinks there are craftily made with beautiful latte art, and the food options are wonderful healthy meals.

The Banyan Tree is another really special spot that touts vegetarian food as well as delicious cold pressed juice and coffee options. The staff here is really friendly and the aesthetic of the restaurant is really enjoyable.

For a beach front coffee spot, check out the Kayu Cafe. This is a really yummy spot for pastries and coffee and is convinently located right by the water.

At dinner time the most fun recommendation would be to hit up the night market. Callie says that she went there every single night without fail, and that she never got tired of what was there or felt like she couldn’t try new things. She said that she had some of the best seafood there of her entire life, and that the dessert options are really amazing as well.

What to Do

There are tons of activities to do on and around Gili Tranwangan. One of the more popular activities is going to see the shipwrecks right off the island. Most people use a guide to get to them, but this pin will also get you there. Callie says that if you go to the Hotel Villa Ombok it’s about a two minute swim out from there. And if you’ve seen pictures of people riding motorbikes underwater, this is where they were!

Surfing is also a popular activity on the island. If you’re new to the sport the Gili T Surf School offers lessons, and from here you can also just go out and catch some fun waves if you know what you are doing.

For day trips you will not want to miss the underwater museum of Gili Meno. The only way to get there if you’re not staying on the island is to take a boat that shouldn’t cost more than $10. Bask Nest is where you will find the underwater sculptures, and on the way you can stop at a spot to swim with turtles called Turtle Heaven, which you can pin on your maps. This is located on the North East side of Gili Meno.

Another day trip would be to the Gili Air island. This will provide you with epic snorkeling and a chance to see a wide variety of ocean-life up close.

Night on The Town

As previously mentioned, this island is known for it’s lively party scene. There are different hot spots for parties and events happening every night, just ask around for what the current evening’s one is.

There are bars, beach clubs, DJ’s, boat parties, and live music constantly. The atmosphere is also incredible safe so you can feel secure in letting loose for the evening.

Conclusion

As you can tell, although known as a budget location you will have no lack of amazing adventures, experiences, and eats on the Gili Islands.