Gili Islands are Indonesia’s paradise hideaway. Easily reachable by ferry from hip Bali, stunning Nusa Penida and beautiful Lombok, the Gilis are the dream destination of many travellers. There are 3 islands in this amazing archipelago: Gili Trawangan, Gili Meno and Gili Air. They have many things in common: idyllic beaches, crystal clear waters and a chill vibe. However each of the islands has unique character, allowing the travellers to choose the perfect place for their holidays. This guide of Gili Air will give you all the infos on what to do there and where to stay.

The Gili Archipelago

Gili Trawangan, known more as Gili T, is the largest island in the archipelago. It is the most developed, hence it has the biggest choice of hotels and restaurants. However, for this reason it gets the most crowds. This island is famous for throwing great parties that last till dawn.

Gili Meno is the smallest and the most tranquil of the islands. It is also the least developed. Its simple style is perfect for those looking for relaxing, easy holidays, without a need of going out.

Gili Air is the hip destination in the archipelago. This island perfectly combines the activities of Gili T and tranquility of Gili Meno. And for this reason we have decided to spend 3 days right there.

Gili Air

The Gili Air island is the perfect destination for travellers who love nature, stunning beaches and to relax. But who also like to have fun in the evenings and sip cocktails in beach bars watching the sunset.

The island is so small that you can bike around in 15 min. The north part is still pretty undeveloped. Riding through the island you will pass the local village: there are few hundred locals living here. Let’s see in this Gili Air guide what there is to do on this precious island.

Relax on the beach

It’s the most obvious thing to do. You can walk all around the island and pick the place you like the best. Just lie down your towel and submerge yourself in the sweetness of doing nothing and sunbathing. Farniete & Dolce Vita, as our Italian friends would say.

Go scuba diving

Gili Air is the first place we tried scuba diving and we absolutely fell in love with this spot! We dived with Scallywag Divers and it was great! The instructor was very patient and fun. We did 4 dives within two days and each was great. We even saw a black tip shark on our second dive!

Dive and snorkle at NEST, the underwater statues

Nest are 48 statues situated in a circle just few meters under the surface. They symbolise life and continuity and were created by British artist Jason deCaires Taylor. The sculptures are located next to Gili Meno, but they are easily reachable from Gili Air by small boat.

Watch the sunset from the swings

One of the most recognisable places in Gili Islands are the famous swings placed on the water. Located right on the sunset side of the island, they are the perfect place to come and enjoy the last light on the day.

↬ Note : Be aware of the queues for the swings! It’s free to sit and take a picture, but there are always lots of people waiting to do the same thing.

Sink in the chill vibe

Gili Air is also the ideal place to forget your phone, emails and leave all the worries behind. Allow yourself to truly relax, sipping a coconut (with metal or bamboo straw), leave your responsibilities in your bags and forget about the world. Enjoy the present moment and let the waves of Gili Air guide your thoughts. ✌?

How to get to Gili Islands

Getting to the Gili Islands is really easy. There are fast ferries traveling from Bali, Nusa Penida or Lembongan and Lombok. The ferry stops at each of the Gili Islands. You can find and reserve your ticket here.

The ferry from Bali departs from Padang Bai and the journey takes 3 hours.

You can reach Gili Islands also from Nusa Lembongan or Nusa Penida. The ferry departs 3 times a day and takes 1.5 hours to reach Gili T.

The departure port of Lombok is Teluk Nare Harbour and it’s definitely the easiest ride: Gili Air is located just 15 min ferry ride away.

Where to eat

Scallywags Beach Club is the ideal spot for relaxing lunch.

Chill out serves freshly caught fish and seafood every night. The dinner tables set right on the sand make it a perfectly romantic spot.

Movie’s a must location to view the sunset from while sipping a delicious cocktail. Come early as places can get hard to get.

Where to stay

Hotels are being built on Gili Air as we speak, so there is a lot of choices for such a small island.

↬ Find all the hotels on Gili Air on booking.com

We recommend: The Koho Air Hotel – Gili Air Lagoon Resort