IndonesiaOverview of attractions, entertainment and excursions to Gili, what to do here
Let's be honest with you right away: there are no attractions on the Gili Islands! But this does not mean that there will be absolutely nothing to do. The most important thing for which they go to Gili is snorkeling, diving and beautiful beaches with clear water, which is so lacking in Gili. Also on Gili you can buy excursions to Lombok Island with trekking and climbing Rinjani volcano, hiking in rice fields and waterfalls, sightseeing tour of the few attractions of Lombok. There are even excursions to Komodo National Park for a few days.
The most popular snorkeling tour in the coastal waters of all three islands can be purchased on the spot even on the day of departure. But options with tracking and in national parks need to be purchased in advance, at least a few days in advance, since there are not always places available and it takes time to get permission to visit.
You can buy tours already on the Gili Islands in hotels or in street travel agencies, there are a lot of them here. If you want to plan everything in advance, you can see the options for excursions on these sites with reviews:
- 📷 Trip.com – a lot of options, accepts Russian cards, but all in English.
- 📷 Sputnik8 – search engine in Russian, accepts Russian maps.
- 📷 Tripster is a Russian-language search engine that accepts Russian maps.
- 📷 Klook.com – foreign search engine, does not accept Russian maps.
- 📷 GetYourGuide.com – foreign search engine, does not accept Russian maps.
And now we will tell you in more detail what you can do and what to see on the Gili Islands on your own:
Snorkeling
Snorkeling on Gili is one of the main reasons to visit these islands! In our opinion, this is their calling card: sea turtles are waiting for you in the clear waters (they are easy to find even in shallow water at Turtle Beach), colorful corals and the famous underwater sculpture Bask Nest. A mask with a tube can be taken with you or rented on site. For the best experience, we recommend a boat tour — so you will see more fish and sights. Tours last 3-5 hours and are available at any time of the day. But you can swim on your own in many places near the shore, and there you are almost guaranteed to see turtles. Learn more about snorkeling on Gili here...
🕐 Working hours: you can swim on your own from the shore at any time. Group boat tours depart several times a day starting at 08:00 and up to 16:00. Each organizer has his own schedule, you can check on the spot.
💵Entrance fee / ticket price: independently from the shore – free of charge. Rent mask +snorkel, fins, life jacket – 25 000 rupees (1.54 rub). There is also a rental of smartphone and camera cases, a rental of an underwater camera. Group boat tours – from 150,000 rupees/person (rate temporary unavailable/span> rub), the price includes a mask, snorkel, fins. Individual tour – from 1000 000 rupees (6.16 RUB), you can bargain.
🚶 How to get there: you can swim with a mask absolutely anywhere on your own, but the best conditions are on the eastern beaches (this is on the right side of the map), because there is more depth near the shore. Also on Google maps and in applications Maps.me and Organic maps marked the points of beaches with turtles. As for boat tours, they are sold everywhere in street travel agencies and hotels.
Giving
Another tourist activity that is very popular on Gili, if you are in the topic, is diving. There is excellent visibility, a rich underwater world and affordable prices. You can see sea turtles, reef sharks, manta rays and even rare frog fish. The reefs are lively, with colorful corals, and visibility often exceeds 20 meters. On Gili Trawangan and other islets, you can complete training with a certificate, rent equipment and a dive boat if you already have a certificate, or buy a diving tour with an instructor without a certificate.
🕐 Working hours: at any time.
Entrance fee / ticket price: immersion in a group tour – from 590,000 rupees (36.35 rub). You can check the rest of the prices on the websites of local dive centers, for example at https://www.gilidivers.com or https://www.divecentralgili.com .
🚶 How to get there: dives are organized by dive centers that are on each island. You can contact them in advance via forms on their websites or Whatsapp, but this is not necessary, diving is offered on the spot.
Night market in Trawangan
The night market in Trawangan is something like a food court, where they mainly offer fresh seafood, but there are also desserts and other dishes. Behind the rows of tables and food stalls there are some clothes, souvenirs and leisure goods, but nothing special. In our opinion, a must-have place on Trawangan, where you need to go in the evening, especially since there is nowhere else to go.
Prices for seafood are indicated here by weight for fish, crabs, squid and shrimp, and shellfish individually. Not to say that it's very cheap here, but everything is very fresh and tasty:
- Fish red or white Snapper (Red Snapper, White Snapper) – from 65,000 rupees /100 grams / 4.01 rubles
- Lobtser, shrimp, king shrimp – from 95,000 rupees/100 grams / 5.85 rubles
- Squid – from 65,000 rupees/100 grams / 4.01 rubles
🕐 Working hours: open in the evening after 17:00 and approximately until 22:00.
💵Entrance fee / ticket price: free, seafood on average from 200,000 rupees(rate temporary unavailable/span> rub).
🚶 How to get there: The night Market is located near the pier of Gili Trawangan(night market on the map).
Sunsets on Gili
One of the popular daily tourist activities on the Gili Islands is the sunset meeting. Especially impressive sunsets can be seen on Gili Trawangan, where the sun slowly sinks below the horizon, leaving the island of Bali and the majestic volcano Agung in the background. The sunsets on Gili Meno and Gili Air are also beautiful, but the view is slightly obscured by the neighboring Trawangan.
Every evening, tourists gather on the west coast to spend the sun. A special atmosphere has formed here: bars and romantic restaurants with panoramic views work along the shore, offer horseback riding along the water against the sunset. And after sunset, evening entertainment begins — music plays in bars, and tourists enjoy the relaxed atmosphere of Gili.
🕐Working hours: sunsets from 17:30 to 18:30.
💵Entrance fee / ticket price: free.
🚶 How to get there: Sunsets on Gili are best met on the west bank (this is on the left on the map).
Observation deck on Mount Trawangan
This is the only viewing point on all three islets, which offers at least some kind of view of the surrounding area. We will not say that it is absolutely necessary to go here, but if you have free time, then take a walk, because the ascent here is not difficult. From above you will see the west coast of the island and Lombok. Also here are the remains of an artillery battery, a bunker and a tunnel, which are described in more detail below.
🕐 Working hours: around the clock, it is best to visit at sunset.
💵Entrance fee / ticket price: free of charge.
🚶 How to get there: the observation deck is located on Mount Trawangan at an altitude of about 120 meters, it is about 40 floors, in this place – observation deck on the map. On the maps you can also see two more points with lookouts on this mountain, but we checked everything: there is nothing there, the view is blocked by trees. You can get to this observation deck only on foot along the trail from the center of the island, or by steps from the beach. All tracks and trails are on maps in the apps Maps.me and Organic Maps. The approach is simple, gentle, it will take 20-30 minutes in one direction.
Tunnels and artillery battery
This is the only historical landmark on the Gili Islands, although it is difficult to call it an attractive and interesting place worth a visit. However, if you like unpopular tourist routes and you have enough time for Gili, you can include it in your program. The tunnels, the bunker and the remains of the battery have been preserved since the Second World War, when Japanese troops were stationed here. Unfortunately, little has been preserved here today. The tunnels have partially collapsed and can be dangerous, only ruins remain of the bunker and the battery. Read more about the tunnels and the artillery battery here...
🕐 Working hours: around the clock.
💵Entrance fee / ticket price: free.
🚶 How to get there: located on the top of Mount Trawangan in the center of Gili Trawangan (battery on the map, tunnel entrance on the map, back-up of the bunker on the map). How to get there and find this place, read more at the link with the full description and in our video about the Gili Islands.
Rinjani Volcano
Rinjani Volcano and the national park of the same name are located on Lombok, but this is such a grand and bright attraction that we definitely recommend visiting it even if you are resting on Gili. This is an active volcano with a height of 3726 meters. Together with him they visit the volcanic lake Segara Anak, hot springs, waterfalls and other places, it depends on the route to choose from. Ready-made trekking trips are offered for climbing to the top or passing through the crater. We went to Rinjani, and we definitely recommend it to saddle willows, although there are some subtleties that you need to know about. Read more about Rinjani volcano here...
🕐 Working hours: around the clock.
💵Entrance fee / ticket price: excursions from 150 to 400 USD per person, depending on the program.
🚶 How to get there: Rinjani is located on the neighboring big island of Lombok. We recommend visiting it strictly with guides and guided tours. There are no day trips, all tours provide at least one overnight stay in a tent, but we recommend taking 3 nights. Why so, read the link with the full description.
Friends, we remind you that it is much more interesting to get acquainted with the sights of Gili with the help of excursions, and therefore we advise you to look at options with online booking and reviews on these excursion aggregators in Russian.: