Things to Do in Gili Islands

Are you traveling around Bali or Lombok and looking for things to do in Gili Islands? Then you’ve come to the right place! Here are our top 4 things to do in the Gili Islands.

The Gili Islands are three small islands off the coast of Lombok: Gili Trawangan (Gili T), Gili Meno, and Gili Air. We spent 4 nights on Gili T, the largest of the three, but still tiny compared to Bali or Lombok.

On the Gilis, there are only two ways of transport: by bike or horse cart. You can ride around the entire island of Gili T in about an hour. Despite its small size, Gili T has all the tourist infrastructure you might need, as it’s almost completely focused on tourism.

1. Snorkeling & Scuba Diving

The Gili Islands are known for their colorful coral reefs, sea turtles, and other colorful marine life, therefore snorkeling or scuba diving are the main attractions.

Since we’re relatively new to underwater sports, we chose a two-hour snorkeling trip, which included all equipment as well as a rental GoPro-Camera to capture great photos. Here are the highlights of our tour:

• Bask Nest Underwater Sculptures: These 20 circular sculptures sit underwater, creating a mysterious, sunken-treasure atmosphere. They were built purely for tourism, and don’t serve any other purpose. Nevertheless, they are a joy to look at and a great motive for underwater photos. Visit early to avoid crowds for a peaceful experience.
• Blue Coral Reefs: Between Gili T and Gili Meno lies a beautiful reef, home to colorful fish and perfect for underwater photography.
• Turtle Point: Our final stop was Turtle Point, where we spotted about 4–5 sea turtles feeding on algae and underwater plants, which was an exceptional experience, to see these peaceful animals in their natural habitat. If you visit, please respect the turtles by keeping a safe distance, not chasing, and definitely not touching them. Help protect this special place!

Equipment we used: Go Pro Hero 13 Link: https://amzn.to/48yAr0U , Snorkeling Mask: https://amzn.to/48yAr0U , Fins: https://amzn.to/4ftfxCK

2. Sunrise & Sunset Yoga

Yoga is popular all around Bali and Lombok, and Gili T is no exception. The best spot on the island is Sunset Beach Yoga Studio, located in a beautiful treehouse overlooking the beach. Our favorite was the daily 5 pm Sunset Aerial Yoga class, which lets you try various poses while suspended in a hammock. Aerial yoga uses gravity to deepen stretches in ways traditional yoga cannot.

3. Sunset Horse Riding

While we didn’t try this ourselves, we saw many people enjoying sunset horse rides along the beach. With so many horses on the island, it’s a popular activity. Guided rides along the shore are perfect for a memorable evening.

4. Beach Clubs

In comparison to Gili Meno and Gili Air, Gili T is the party island. Two popular places to check out are Rabbit Jump Beach Club and Mad Monkey Hostel. Mad Monkey caters to budget backpackers, while Rabbit Jump is inspired by beach clubs in places like Cancun and Ibiza.

5. Hotel Recommendation

We stayed at the Gili Teak Beach Front Resort, a small, beautiful resort with around 10 cozy bungalows. In addition to a swimming pool, this hotel has a a private beach with restaurant service and very friendly staff. We had an amazing time here!

Best,
Laura and Philipp