The Ultimate Guide to Gili Air: The Most Laid-Back Option of the Gili Islands

I hopped off the boat and onto the dock, threw my bag on my back and started walking to my accommodation. Along the beach was this road, entirely made of gravel and sand. I passed some stands selling jewelry and cute souvenirs, some restaurants and shops and was greeted with ”hello, welcome home”. It was an absolutely adorable encounter and I knew then that I had found a good place. Welcome to Gili Air! Gili Air is one of the three most famous Gili Islands and one of my favorite places in Indonesia. What makes the island so special is that there is no traffic and barely any paved roads. The means of transportation is on foot, by bike or with horse and carriage. I fell head over heels with this island immediately, so I am really enjoying writing this ultimate guide on what to do in Gili Air.

Top Things to do in Gili Air

Relax and enjoy the beaches

Gili Air really is the place to go to relax and get away from bustling streets, bigger cities and the high pace. There aren’t that many things to do in Gili Air so the main activity is to just enjoy the tranquility and the serene environment. Since Gili Air is an island it’s surrounded by beaches all around. I biked around the island and checked out every part and happen to know that the northwest side of the island has the best spot for both swimming and sunbathing.

Rent a bike and explore the island

Gili Air is a small island and is easily explored in a few hours. The perfect way to do it is by bike. There are multiple companies renting out bikes so you’ll have no trouble finding one. Renting a bike for 24 hours costs 50 000 IDR ($3). If you would just bike around the island without any stops I think it will take no more than 30 – 40 minutes, but of course you just don’t want to speed around it. There are many tiny trails and cute streets to bike and get lost. I actually got lost so many times because these streets have no logic and you lose all sense of which direction you are going in. However, this is the beauty of exploring Gili Air. It doesn’t matter that you get lost 20 times, eventually you’ll end up by the beach.

Snorkeling

Gili Air has amazingly turquoise and clear water, making it perfect for snorkeling. Right in the middle of the southeast strip of the island is the turtle snorkeling area, if you are snorkeling in the hopes of seeing those beautiful water creatures. On the northwest side of the island is another good snorkeling spot with beautiful corals and fish. You don’t need to do a snorkeling tour for this, but if you do, there are several companies offering it. Then you usually head to the best spots around all of the Gili Islands, for example to the underwater statues outside Gili Meno.

Watch the sunset on the west side of the island

One of the best things to do in Gili Air is definitely watching the sunset. This becasue the Gili Islands has some of Indonesia’s most beautiful sunsets. From Gili Air’s west side you’ll get the most perfect view with Gili Meno and Gili T in the background together with Mount Agung in Bali. The highlight is to make your way to the beach a bit before sun is starting to set, either bring a Bintang beer yourself or sit down in one of the bean bags at a beach bar. My top sunset spots when it comes to beach bars are Cheeky Monkey (picture 1) and Legend Bar (picture 2).

Watch the sunrise on the east side of the island

The best part of Gili Air being so small is that you can easily also watch the sunrise, no matter where on the island you’re staying. I was staying more to the west side but got up early and took my bike straight across the island for around 10 minutes to the sunrise spot on the east side of the island. Here you’ll get an amazing view of Mount Rinjani in Lombok while the sun is rising on the horizon.

Visit cute coffee shops and restaurants

Even though Gili Air is small, the island has some really nice restaurants, coffee shops and bars. Trying as many as possible is definitely a thing to do in Gili Air.

Best restaurants and bars in Gili Air

Below I have listed the top places to eat and drink in Gili Air.

Gili Coffee Roasters – Gili Coffee Roasters is specializing in, which you might be able to guess thanks to the name, coffee. This cafe is located in the middle of the island surrounded by palm trees and is reached on a muddy road. It is one of my favorite places for breakfast or lunch in Gili Air and I can really recommend having the dragon fruit smoothie bowl.

Warung Sunny – Warung Sunny is one of the best places in Gili Air for local food. Cheap, great food and really nice people working there.

Mama pizza – If you are searching for the best pizza on the island you should definitely head to Mama Pizza. This restaurant is located on the beach road on the west side of the island, so you can enjoy your meal here with a very nice ocean view.

Barefoot Blondie – This is a perfect place to have breakfast or lunch on your arrival or departure day. It is located close to the dock on the main street of Gili Air. Barefoot Blondie serves some amazing smoothie bowls, pancakes and avocado toasts. Don’t forget to take your shoes off when entering!

Cheeky Monkey – Cheeky Monkey is one of the best beach bars on the island and has an amazing sunset location. Sit down in one of the red bean bags and enjoy happy hour (two for one) while watching the sunset with Mount Agung in Bali in the background.

Mowies Gili Air – Located on the beach, this is a really nice place for dinner. The tables are literally in the sand. I had an amazing chicken burger here on a charcoal bread. It looked wild being served a black bun.

Legend Bar – Another great beach bar to watch the sunset.

Where to stay in Gili Air

I cannot recommend Captain Coconuts more for your stay in Gili Air. This hostel/hotel is incredibly cute and has a great location near the beach on the west side of the island. It takes about 15 minutes to walk to Captain Coconuts from the harbour. What makes this place so special is that the hostel option and sleeping in a dorm is one floor up in an open cabana with beds hanging from the ceiling. Every bed has a mosquito net and a fan inside so you don’t have to worry about sweating at night or being attacked by insects. It was such a vibe to wake up with the sunrise, half-outside, listeing to the birds chirping and a rooster crowing in the distance. If you want more privacy, Captain Coconuts also offers these small bungalows. Breakfast is included and in the middle of the bungalows and cabanas is the pool area.

How to get to and from Gili Air

Getting to Gili Air from Lombok

Getting from Lombok to Gili Air is surprisingly fast and cheap. The public boat runs from Bangsal Port in Lombok to Gili Air every day, although on an irregular schedule. The boat ride takes only 20 minutes and costs around 20 000 IDR. Bangsal itself is not a popular place to stay in Lombok, so if you want to get from another place in Lombok there are usually multiple our companies offering a package trip to Gili Air, where they will take you by shuttle bus or van from your destination and time you with a boat departure from Bangsal.

Getting from Gili Air to Lombok

From Gili Air there are two boat departures to Lombok, one early in the morning and one around noon. I went from Gili Air to Lombok and did exactly this. I went to one of the stands along the street by the beach and booked a ticked to Kuta Lombok. I showed up at the dock in Gili Air and was directed to my public boat that took me to Bangsal. There people pointed me in the right direction to where my shuttle would depart from. This was a regular car with A/C so it felt very luxurious. This shuttle took me the entire way to my hostel in Lombok. I paid 200 000 IDR for this service ($13).

Getting to Gili Air from Bali and vice versa

The best way to get from Bali to Gili Air is to take a speedboat from Sanur. There are no direct boats to Gili Air. They usually stop at Nusa Penida first, then head for Gili Trawangan and then Gili Air, before going to Lombok. The trip takes around 3.5 – 4 hours and cost approximately 345 000 IDR ($22). 12GoAsia is the best to search for different speedboat companies. I went with Sanur Starfish Fast Boat and it worked smoothly. The standards of the boats are not great, but they are work. I have seen and heard horror stories of getting to the Gili Islands from Bali on windy days when the ocean is crazy, so make sure you are prepared if you get sea sick easily and if you can check the forecast for your travel day that is optimal. For me the ocean was calm and I slept almost the entire trip.

Something to know is that the boats usually are delayed. Instead of leaving on departure time, they wait for people that are late, even though they request you to check-in 30 minutes to an hour in advance. However, if everyone’s on time they usually leave as scheduled.

What is the difference between Gili Air, Gili Trawangan and Gili Meno?

There are three islands next to each other which goes under the ”Gili Islands” name. There are more Gili Islands around Lombok but Gili Trawangan, Gili Meno and Gili Air are the most famous ones. These islands have somewhat different vibes and I will guide you through this to know which island suits best for your purpose.

Gili Trawangan is known as the party island. This is the biggest of the three islands and the most visited one. This island is popular among backpackers seeking a party atmosphere. There are nice beaches and the island has no car traffic, just like Gili Meno and Gili Air, but the vibe is not as tranquil compared to the other two islands.

Gili Meno is more known as the honeymoon island. This is the smallest of the three islands and the least visited one. This island does not have as many restaurants and things to to. Some might call it a bit ”dead”. If you are looking for a social scene you should definitely head for Gili T or Gili Air, but if you really want to distance yourself, Gili Meno is for you.

Gili Air is the island closest to Lombok and a mix of Gili Trawangan and Gili Meno. It does not have that party scene that Gili T has, but there is still a social scene. Gili Air has some cute coffee shops, restaurants and bars but there is generally a more laid-back vibe here.

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