Three small coral-fringed islands off the northwest coast of Lombok — Gili Trawangan, Gili Meno, and Gili Air — have become among the most visited destinations in Indonesia, and they've earned it. The Gilis have no motorised vehicles of any kind; the only transport is horse-drawn cidomo carts and bicycles. The result is a rare kind of quiet that you don't find on neighbouring Bali, even as the restaurants and beach bars stay open until dawn.
The three islands have distinct personalities. Gili Trawangan is the largest and the party island — a backpacker and diver magnet with the most infrastructure, the most nightlife, and a beach road that heaves on weekends. Gili Meno is the quietest, a honeymoon island with shallow turquoise water and very little going on after dark. Gili Air sits between the two in character as well as geography — lively enough to find a cold drink, calm enough to hear the birds in the morning.
All three islands sit on top of coral reefs that support sea turtles, reef sharks, and a remarkable density of fish. Snorkelling from the beach is good on all three islands; the sea turtle colony off Trawangan's east coast is the highlight. Dive operators are excellent and prices are reasonable compared to other Indonesian dive destinations.
Getting here from Lombok takes 20–30 minutes by fast boat from the port at Bangsal, north of Senggigi. Direct fast ferries also run from Padangbai on Bali's east coast, taking two to three hours. The crossing can be rough during the wet season (November to March).
