Discover of Gili Trawangan Island
Gili Trawangan is easily located near some other excessive islands to explore including Bali, Nusa Penida, and Lombok. Gili Trawangan is the largest of the three Gili Islands, it still holding onto its natural charm, a heavenly island like a shining jewel of Indonesia. Gili Trawangan has a permanent population of around only 800 people. With direct ferries from Bali, this is one place you won’t want to miss. There are two possibilities to get to Gili, first is the airplane direct to Lombok then take the local boats to the Gili Islands, and the second is the daily fast boat from Bali. The fastboat is really recommended for example Bali Eka Jaya fast boat (especially for a larger group). You can book this online and it takes you to the Gili Islands in about 2 hours. There are also daily boat connections from Bali via the Nusa Islands to Gili Gede and finally Gili Trawangan.
TRAVEL NOTE
Language : The native language is Indonesian but pretty much everyone in the Gili Islands speaks some common of English.
Cash : The local curency is the Indonesian Rupiah, and it’s best to bring cash over from Bali. You’ll find an ATM at Hotel Villa Ombak on Gili T and a few others on the island. Note that ATMs are not all 24hrs and withdraw amounts can be low.
Weather : The climate here is as close to perfect as you’ll find anywhere, around thirty celcius degrees, with the rainy season running from November to April (although it gets much less rain than Bali).
High Season: There are two peak seasons: July to August and December to January. These are the best times to go, but they’ll also be the busiest.
GETTING AROUND IN GILI TRAWANGAN
Gili Trawangan is less than six square miles in total, making it easy to rent a bicycle or walk to anywhere you want to go. Having no cars on an island is a blessing and a curse. You won’t deal with the traffic or the pollution of Bali, but it does mean that if your hotel is outside of walking distance and you have a lot of luggage there’s no other way to get around. Horse-Pulled Carts: Known as Cidomo, these are actually the island’s only means of public transport.
Here are a list of things to do in Gili Trawangan, Indonesia.
1. Travel around the island
A captivating stroll on the beach or beach track is a great way to see the island, but if you’re planning on seeing it all, you should rent a bike, which you can get almost anywhere (prices are negotiable). Often, however, the accommodations have their private bike rental. It takes approximately one hour to cycle around it and two hours to walk.
2. Diving and Snorkeling
Gili Trawangan is the perfect place to dive and probably the classic at the Gilis, because the islands have a very interesting underwater world. Close to the harbour, you’ll find The Freedive Gili center and it offers freediving and breath holding courses for beginners to advanced. There are also diving schools on each of the 3 islands, although most of them are on Gili Trawangan. Dives for beginners are offered and you can rent snorkel equipment almost on every corner.
3. Surfing
There are a few surf spots on the Gilis, mainly in the southeast of Gili Trawangan. It’s possible to surf all year around, but January – June is the high season for surfing. You can rent a board anywhere on the island.
4. On Tour With The Glass Bottom Boat
It’s usually offered together with island hopping, snorkeling or diving. A trip lasts from 10am – 3.30pm and take you to three different snorkeling locations around Gili Meno and Gili Air; one of those is where you can be lucky to see sea turtles and then you stop at the other island for lunch.
5. Water Sports
Very popular is the standing paddling, also known as “Stand Up Paddling” (SUP), which lets you comfortably paddle along the island. Or you can rent a canoe/kayak for one or two people. Karma Kayak for example, offers a day trip to the islands (including food and guide) for around € 20. Also kite surfing or wakeboarding is offered on the Gilis. During all activities in the water it is very important to never underestimate the sometimes very strong currents.
6. Fishing and BBQ
Often fishing tours are offered, where you will be driven out by boat and can catch the fish yourself and then grill it. It doesn’t get any fresher and tastier! Even spear fishing is possible.
7. Horseback ride along the beach
Maybe not the most classic activity for us guys, but suitable for families or couples. It is a nice break to ride along the beach at sunset and partly in the water. Available at Stud Horse Riding Adventures or Sunset Stables.
8. Gili Trawangan Night Life
The Gili Trawangan nightlife is notorious so you’ll have no problem finding a party. Besides the clubs, you should look for the South Sea Nomads, which is a party boat that operates Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Gili Trawangan is clearly most suitable and best known for partying! Mondays (Blue Marlin), Wednesdays (Tir Na Nog or simply known as the Irish Pub) and Fridays (Rudy’s) are always having the big parties. You cannot overlook or miss it, simply follow the crowd.
9. Gili Trawangan view point
The highest point of the island where you can have a superb view on the other Gili Islands, Lombok with the Mount Rinjani and Bali with the Mount Agung. The view point is located at the southern part of the island and is also very suitable for watching the sunset.
10. Visit The Night Market
The Night Market started About 6 p.m. daily at the market square in front of the boat pier on Gili Trawangan. It takes place where you can eat well and cheaply, and impossible to overlook or miss it! A wide range of various specialties is offered such as fresh fish, seafood, Sate of all kinds, different rice and noodle dishes, vegetables, grilled corn on the cob and much more. Highly recommended is the Nasi Campur stand near the entrance which is closest to the pier. At other booths you should definitely try a grilled Red Snapper, which costs about 100,000 rupiah (about € 8), including rice, vegetables and tofu for 2 people. Treat yourself for dessert with a grilled, spiced with chili sauce (Sambal) corn on the cob for only around € 1.
11. Do Yoga and Get A Massage
If you’re looking to treat yourself with a massage, You can get cheap massages everywhere on the island from 100,000 Rp / $8,3 to 200,000 Rp / $16,7. You can even find a hangover recovery massage. And also Gili Yoga Center offers yoga practice twice a day, gourmet vegetarian food and meditation.
12. Relax on The Beach and Catch The Gili Sunset
Most bars and restaurants offer sun protected loungers or giant cushions on the beach where you can simply enjoy a delicious, cool Bintang or a fresh fruit juice and of course eat something while marveling at the wonderful view.
Watching the sunset in one of the beach bars with chill out music and a Bintang is certainly a must on the Gilis. This is, for example, wonderful in the Sunset Bar in the southwest of Gili Trawangan. It is best to go a little earlier, as you can imagine the bar is packed around sunset. If you like it more quiet and lonely, you just need to drive or walk along the beach a little further and you surely you will find one or another deserted stretch of beach. The sunset is on the other side of the island, but it only takes 20 minutes or so to cycle there.
Where To Stay
The good thing about the Gili Islands is that you can truly find yourself in a dream hotel or bungalow without even paying a lot of money. That’s one of the reasons why it’s such a good place for your tropical holiday, but also for budget travelers who likes to treat themselves now and then after sleeping in the cheapest places on earth for a while. You can find Gili Trawangan accommodation on every budget. And is highly recommend you to get a hotel near the harbour. This is where all the restaurants and shops are, and it’s easy to find accommodation away from the crowds. All listed here!
