Gili Air

Of the three Gilis, this is the island closest to Lombok. Traditionally, Gili Air was seen as the domain of families and couples wanting a quiet, off-the-beaten-path escape, while the rowdier hoardes had their fun on Gili Trawangan. With Trawangan now upscaling so obviously, more and more backpackers seem to be choosing Gili Air as their primary option. This island has more of a rural, established feeling than the other two, and it is no surprise that many of the local Gili Islanders seem to prefer living on Gili Air, and that it has the highest permanent population of about 1,800.

Orientation

Most of the accommodation and other tourism facilities are on the south and east coasts, facing Lombok. The boat landing is in the centre of the south coast. A coastal path leads you around the perimeter of the island, and a leisurely stroll all the way around will take about 90 min. For such a small island, the maze of paths that criss-cross the island can get surprisingly confusing, but these always lead back to the coast path eventually.

By boat

See Gili Island main page for more info.
The sea is calmest in the morning and all transport stops running in the late-afternoon, well before dark. During periods of southerly winds and in July and August especially, the swell can be a bit hairy and you are very likely to get wet on the crossing. It is advisable to place laptops, cameras and handphones in waterproof bags for the crossing. You will need to wade through shallow sea when disembarking, so wear either appropriate footwear, or none at all.

From Bali

Nearly all fast boat operators stop at Gili Air, among which:
Amed Sea Express offers a twice daily high-speed schedule to Gili Air from Amed on the East coast of Bali. Boats depart Amed at 10:00 and 15:30 with arrivals on Gili Air at 11:30 and 17:00. Prices are Rp 600,000 (one-way) and Rp 1,100,000 (return) and tickets can be booked online.
Blue Water Express from Serangan and Padang Bai in Bali to Gili Air daily. Exceptional standards.
Gili Getaway (formerly Island getaway) reputed to be among the best in terms of safety and service standards. Also offers trips to Gili Gede. Operating out of Serangan, Bali.
Gili Gili departing from Padang Bai (east Bali).
Kuda Hitam and Gili Gili fastboats both also stop at Gili Air. Kuda Hitam originates in the north-east of Bali (Amed), which is only appropriate for travellers staying in that area.
Patagonia Xpress, a very large and modern boat, sails to Gili Air, leaving from Benoa (08:30 from Rp 450,000) via Padangbai (10:00 from Rp 300,000). Return from Gili Air at 12:30 (same prices; check all prices online before paying more on the island).
To check live seat availability on a variety of trusted carriers (including many of the above) and book boat tickets online, use the well established Gilibookings website.

From Lombok

Public boats depart from Bangsal between 08:00 and 17:00, but often no later than 16:00 and are fewer in number than go to Gili Trawangan. The voyage takes about 30 min and the official price is Rp 12,000. Sometimes these services only depart when there are enough people, normally a minimum of 15 is enough. If numbers are insufficient you may have to endure a wait at Bangsal. The official maximum is 20 people but sometimes the boat is overloaded by the time it is ready to depart. The best time to be sure of a crossing to Gili Air is 14:00-15:30 in the afternoon however this can vary, especially with weather or passenger loads.
Buy your tickets direct from the official Koperasi Angkutan Laut Karya Bahari office. In Bangsal this is located inside the main building near the door at the eastern corner. The Koperasi operate the Public Boat, the Shuttle boat, the Island Hopping boat and also offer (official) Charter boats.
There is a ticket office on Gili Air to buy your ticket back to Bangsal, it is located adjacent to the arrival and departure point.
Public boat (ferry)

• This is the standard method to reach Gili Air and is used by both local residents and tourists. The maximum number of passengers is fixed at 20 persons but it is often overloaded with goods and or passengers. If it seems clearly unsafe due to either overloading or prevailing weather conditions then it is most likely best not to board it.

• Bangsal to Gili Air 1 way is Rp 8,000
• Gili Air to Bangsal 1 way is Rp 8,000

Shuttle boat

• This service supplements the Public boat (ferry) service.

• Bangsal to Gili Air departs at 17:00, the official price is Rp 26,000.
• Gili Air to Bangsal departs at 08:15, the official price is Rp 26,000. (This is more expensive than the standard Public boat cost officially fixed at Rp 8,000).

Charter boat

• The official charter boat service provided by Koperasi Angkutan laut Karya Bahari is permitted to carry a maximum of 12 persons.

• Bangsal to Gili Air 1 way is Rp 155,000, return Rp 290,000
• Gili Air to Bangsal no published price

• Gili Air to Senggigi 1 way is Rp 480,000, return Rp 690,000

Informal and unofficial charters are also available from private operators to travel from Bangsal to Gili Air. If requiring one try to deal only with the boat operator, ignore the touts and 'facilitators' and use your time over a negotiation, any hint of haste or urgency is sure to raise the price.

Perama has a small office on Gili Air next door to Villa Karang, and they offer daily transfers from Senggigi at 09:00 for Rp 90,000. These should not be relied on outside of the peak tourist season though. Perama is unlikely to take you to Gili Air if you are the only passenger.
Departing from Bangsal to either of the three Gili islands is rarely pleasant due to the very persistent touts who infest the place, just try to ignore them and do not listen to their generally fanciful tales that involve you paying them money to solve an imaginary transportation problem. They often provide a chorus of gloomy predictions regarding the alleged unavailability of services, then if successful they just place unknowing passengers upon the normal scheduled service or a private charter at an often seriously inflated prices.
The situation arising from the activities of pestering touts combined with confusing and inadequate formal services at Bangsal is the source of many disappointments and complaints.

From Gili Trawangan and Gili Meno

To move from one island to another the formal procedure is to take the Public boat (ferry) to Bangsal and then a further similar ferry to the required island departing from Bangsal. To return the reverse is required. This can be confusing and co-ordinating the timing with the connecting boat departing from Bangsal may be either difficult or elusive. There is also a limited official inter-island Island Hopping service provided.
Ferry operators may sometimes enter into informal arrangements with passengers to journey inter-island. In this situation a passenger boards a boat that is meant to go directly to Bangsal from one of the three Gili islands but instead it detours and sets down on the beach at another island whilst en-route. The prices are a movable feast but people will normally pay a price of around Rp 25,000. Inter-island access on the public boats in this manner is dependent upon timing, weather, loading, payment and the inclination of the crew to facilitate an inter-island journey and such arrangements are not officially sanctioned. The standard procedure is to travel to Bangsal and make a separate trip to the different island or to use the very limited official service. The price for a single journey Public Boat ferry journey from Gili Trawangan is Rp 10,000 and Gili Meno to Bangsal is Rp 9,000. The price for the subsequent Public boat to Gili Air from Bangsal is Rp 10,000, this assuming the required connection was made at Bangsal.

Island Hopping boat

• A limited formal Island hopping boat service is provided by Koperasi Angkutan Laut Karya Bahari, this is the same local koperasi (maritime transport co-operative) that provides the Public Boat ferry service.

• Gili Air to Gili Trawangan in the morning is an indirect service. Take the Island Hopping boat leaving Gili Air for Gili Meno at 08:30. The same boat then departs Gili Meno for Gili Trawangan at 08:50. The official Gili A to Gili T Island Hopping price is Rp 23,000. Hopefully you will only pay once. The alternative is to go to Bangsal and look for the boat to Gili T but may be best avoided due to the issues at Bangsal.

• Gili Air to Gili Trawangan departs at 15:00 and the official price is Rp 23,000
• Gili Trawangan to Gili Air departs at 16:00 and the official price is Rp 23,000

• Gili Air to Gilli Meno departs at 08:30 and the official price is Rp 20,000
• Gili Meno to Gilli Air departs at 16:20 and the official price is Rp 20,000

Charter boat

• The official charter boat service provided by Koperasi Angkutan laut Karya Bahari is permitted to carry a maximum of 12 persons.

• Gili Meno to Gili Air 1 way is Rp 170,000, return Rp 320,000
• Gili Air to Gili Meno 1 way is Rp 170,000, return Rp 290,000

• Gili Trawangan to Gili Air 1 way is Rp 195,000, return Rp 350,000
• Gili Air to Gili Trawangan 1 way is Rp 195,000, return Rp 350,000

• Gili Air to Senggigi to 1 way is Rp 480,000, return Rp 690,000

Informal private charters are also available. Prices are subject to negotiation, take your time over the process.

Walking is the best option as you can wander around the whole of Gili Air in about 90 minutes.
Bicycles are widely available for rent for Rp 30,000-50,000 per day. Some hotels might give you one as part of your accommodation package.
There are fewer horse carts (cidomos) here than on Gili Trawangan, but they are still not hard to find. If you are planning an early morning departure and have heavy bags, it is wise to ask your hotel the day before to book a cidomo for you. Short trips will cost about Rp 30,000 per person. Alternatively, you can rent a bicycle instead.

Dive shops

There are several dive operators with offices on Gili Air. Most of them are independently run outposts of Gili Trawangan based shops. All dive shops offer a full menu of PADI or SSI dive courses and fun dives.
If you intend to learn to dive or advance existing qualifications and wish to avoid all the temptations of partying whilst doing so, then Gili Air is the ideal base.

• Blue Marlin

  phone: +62 811 391 636
  At this PADI 5-star dive resort you get taught by a small multilingual team in German, French, Spanish, Dutch, English or Finnish. All courses from beginner to professional diving are taught. Fundives available day or night.

• Dream Divers

  phone: +62 370 634547

• Gili Air Divers

  phone: +62 878 6536 7551
  all PADI & SSI dive courses are available in French, English, German, Spanish and Turkish. Guided fun dives, night dives, muck dives. Located at Sun Rise resort. Also offers SSI Freediving courses.

• Manta Dive

  phone: +62 813 3778 9047
  Padi and SSI Dive courses, fun dives, night dives, experienced and professionally run. Traditionally styled bungalows are available behind the dive centre. Don't miss Saturday quiz night!

• Oceans 5 Dive Gili Air

  phone: +62 813 3877 7144
  address: Gili Air harbour
  Free wifi for divers and they shop also make provision for people with disabilities.

Snorkelling

Any of the dive shops will also be able to organise snorkelling trips for you, including hire of gear. Alternatively, there are some good spots where you can snorkel from the beach. Try almost anywhere along the east coast where at least small parts of the reef are fairly healthy and close offshore. Be careful walking in the shallow waters though as there are a lot of very spiny sea urchins in amongst the sea-grass. Equipment can be hired from almost any cafe or shack close to the beach for about Rp 30,000, or your hotel will be able to help you.

• Subwing GiliSubwing is a new water toy which allows you to swim like a dolphin or to fly underwater along the reef.

Surfing

Gili Air hardly registers a blip on the global surf scene, which is somewhat surprising. There is a poorly known, barreling right hander off the south coast called Playgili. This is by no means a straightforward wave, breaks over some very sharp coral and is best left to experienced, skilled surfers. It does not always roll, but when it does this is a good wave. Best first stop for any surfer is Ozzy's Surf Shop, where the local crew will be keen to rent you a board and chat about the conditions.

Walk

The circular walk around Gili Air is very pleasant indeed. The highlight for many would be the awe-inspiring views of massive Mount Rinjani towering over Lombok.

There are different ATM outlets on Gili Air. CIMB Niaga bank ATM is 5 min east of the ferry arrival area. There are 2 terminals inside, the one which dispenses Rp 100,000 notes allows up to Rp 2.5 million per transaction from any Visa/MC (no extra charges).
The best bet for changing money is Oseana shop in the Harbour. Oseana shop will change a lot of different currencies. Ideally, make sure you bring enough cash with you that is already converted to Rupiah.
Siti Shop (in the village center, on the main north-south road of the island) is the biggest supermarket on Gili Air and has a good choice of food and nonfood items for a reasonable price.
There are a few shops selling basic necessities close to the boat landing and on the eastern coast for inflated prices. In the same area as well as along the west coast there are lots of vendors with a reasonable collection of Lombok handicrafts for sale.

Starting at the jetty and working your way north on the east side of the island up to Hotel Gili Air, there are lots of decent places to eat. Since there is no fresh water on the island, purified shipped water is the norm, which does not mean that salads are 100% safe, but the food is generally not problematic. Many restaurants propose delicious grilled fish, freshly caught from the ocean. Choose the fish from their display stand and discuss the price. Local cooking style normally tends to overcook the fish, so it is a good idea to specify your cooking taste.
For budget travellers, there are several warungs in the village, just go inland from the harbor. Nasi campur spesial (with chicken) is Rp 10,000, as well as soto ayam. There's also a place selling bakso and (sometimes) martabak a bit further inland, almost in the middle of island. Rp 10,000 for bakso, opens in the late afternoon.

• Ali BabaA slightly eccentric looking place in a quiet spot, but do not be too put off. Local menu and wood-fired pizzas. Right on the beach.

• Hikmah's

  phone: +62 818 05784565
  Sandwiches and baguettes, using homemade bread.

• SasakCheaper beach restaurant. Sasak (Lombok-style) food and fish dishes, such as fish curry and grilled fish. Try their pelecing kankung (water spinach with coconut and spicy dressing) and parapek (pieces of meat or fish cooked in a tasty and spicy gravy).

• Scallywags Organic Beach Club

  phone: +62 370 648792
  Organic seafood, probably the most expensive restaurant in the islands but you can still get a meal for under Rp 100,000. Sea views, all-you-can-eat salad buffet and range of desserts. Same ownership as Scallywags on Gili Trawangan.

• Tami'sTraditional Sasak cuisine from Lombok, they do an especially good ayam taliwang.

• Juliantosbythe sea

  phone: +62 370 622179
  Great range of Sasak, Indonesian and other eats at very reasonable prices. Specials are the ikan masak kuning(fish), satay, and good range of vegetarian dishes. Good gado gado. Very friendly, helpful staff

Gili Air usually has one party a week rotating at different bars during the peak season only. Locals and restaurant owners will usually mention them to you, and sometimes flyers are posted around. The party scene on Gili Air is much more low-key, and not nearly as rowdy as the wild all-nighters on Gili Trawangan.

• LegendWhat would a tropical island do without a reggae bar. Every Wednesday holds a party.

• Star BarThe preferred Gili Air hang out for expat dive instructors and their students. Good quality drinks, lunch and evening meals, and lots of dive talk.

• Zipp

  phone: +62 819 15935205
  Usually the most happening bar on Gili Air (although that is a very relative statement). Nicely appointed and in a lovely beachfront location. Gili Air's impromptu late parties are often centred here.

• Mirage Bar - SunsetOut on the northern tip of the island. Enjoy drinking one of the great cocktails and listen to nice chillout music. On Friday evening is the chance very high to jump into a party with live music including blues and rock n roll. The sunset views across to Gili Meno, Trawangan and Bali are tremendous.

If you prefer an undisturbed sleep you might wish to check how close the islands only and centrally located mosque is to your accommodation.

• Central Mosque

Budget

For those who want really cheap accommodation (Rp 50,000-100,000), the good option is to walk by the road going inland from the harbor/boat ticket office to the village. There are several homestay-type accommodation options there. In low season, the price can often be bargained down.
Gili Air budget hotels tend to bear a striking resemblance to one another and most are on the east side of the island. There is not a wide range in quality or appeal, although a few stand out.

• Abdi Fantastic

  phone: +62 370 636421
  These old-style thatched roof bungalows have been around for a long while and it shows. However, the prices reflect that and the location is great.

• Chill Out Bungalows

  phone: +62 819 99364607
  address: southeast & east coast
  Chill Out Bungalows are in two separate areas on Gili Air, one set away from the beach offering 2 fan only bungalows and 2 A/C bungalows all with western bathrooms the second area set next to Chill Out Bar has 5 traditional style lumbungs but with all modern services including A/C & fan, fresh hot & cold water showers, satTV, safe-boxes, comfortable verandahs and breakfast. Chill Out Bar (at the south east coast location) has a chilled relaxed atmosphere and serves imported spirits, beers, wines and cocktails. Food provides some interpretations of Sasak cooking including homemade curries and satays, also Western food including pizzas and burgers and seafood BBQs. Expect to pay about Rp 25,000-50,000 for a main dish. Open late and sometimes evolves into the main bar on the island. Happy Hour, 16:00-18:30 A large bintang beer is Rp 30,000 with a bowl of snack popcorn and kerupuk for free.

• Coconut Cottages

  phone: +62 370 635365
  Lovely gardens planted with colourful hibiscus. Restaurant, private villa, spacious verandas on each cottage. Several other restaurants are within a 5 min walk. Ozzy's Surf shop, which arranges day trips and transportation, is about 100 m from the entrance to the cottages. Cheaper cottages are fan-cooled, A/C is extra.

• Gili Air Santay

  phone: +62 818 03758695
  10 bungalows with budget fan cooled rooms and a family option. Set back a little off the main track in a cool, shady coconut grove. Western style bathrooms and thatched roofs. Restaurant is on the beach in front of the bungalows.

• Kira KiraSmall cottages with hammock and balcony, friendly staff. About a 10-min walk from the harbour or Rp 50,000 in a cidomo.

• Mawar

  phone: +62 813 62253995
  Traditional style bungalows are a little bit tired but offer good value to the budget-minded. Free breakfast, coffee/tea all day. Hospitable family. 4 bungalows set back from the beach in a shady coconut grove. Each has a little verandah with a hammock.

• Nusa TigaBasic, but cheap bungalows not so far from the sea.

• Resota

  phone: +62 818 05715769
  Virtually next door to Mawar and little bit more upmarket. The verandahs all equipped with the obligatory hammock.

• Sasak homestay3 clean homestay-type rooms with small veranda each, nearby to main village shop and several warungs. 5 min walk to either harbor or east coast.

• Si Pitung VillageA picturesque mini-hotel nestled among the swaying palms, nice pool with bale, 2 bedroom villas, 1 bedroom bungalows & 1 bedroom budget rooms

Mid-range

• The WaterfrontFour contemporary styled bungalows set amidst a tropical garden, overlooking the turquoise sea

• Corner Bungalows

  phone: +62 819 17229543
  Newish and well designed bungalows with wooden features and hammocks on the terrace.

• Hotel Gili Air

  phone: +62 370 643580
  A bit out of the way on the north end of the west side of the island. Tranquil grounds, restaurant, modern bungalows. They have four levels of rooms ranging from standard to luxury.

• Manta Bungalows

  phone: +62 813 53050462
  5 traditional style bungalows and 6 garden rooms/ 3 family rooms, all with A/C, hot water and outdoor bathrooms. Breakfast is included. Swimming pool, central to the main beach and restaurants. Has a generator which is advantageous as electricity is a problem throughout the islands. The coffee shop serves Illy coffees, teas and juices. Friendly staff.

• Matahari BungalowsThis is just about as far away from the main strip as you can get. Newer, mid-range lumbung-style bungalows and some older options at budget prices.

• Scallywags Mango Retreat

  phone: +62 370 645301
  Six rooms with private garden and outdoor shower, flat screen TVs with satellite service, mini bar, Wi-Fi. Also has a restaurant on the beach.

• Sejuk Cottages

  phone: +62 370 636461
  Well designed and maintained, thatched roof, split level lumbung-style cottages. The living areas are upstairs and all have ocean views. The downstairs bedrooms have outdoor bathrooms attached. Swimming pool and the Blue Marlin dive operator is nearby.

• Sunrise Resort

  phone: +62 370 642370
  Two-storey bungalows in the main strip of the island with an open room downstairs and an upstairs bedroom. Four room categories, the majority of which have a direct sea view. Mature garden, Gili Air Divers operates from the resort.

• Villa Karang

  phone: +62 370 637328
  Good quality bungalows. The grounds are not that nice though, and the south side of the island is more prone to rough water and can be quite windy. The name is misleading as they are not offering villas.

• Villa NangkaSmall boutique hotel in the center of the island (next to H2O Yoga). 1 two bedroom villa, 1 Lumbung (bungalow), 1 double room. Private, quiet and relaxed atmosphere. WiFi, hot freshwater shower, AC.

Splurge

• Villa Casa Mio

  phone: +62 370 646160
  Quiet beach, 4 beach houses/cottage, each with different theme and design. All have cold/hot running water from Lombok, open air bathroom (some with massage shower) and friendly service. Free wifi in all rooms. The Casa Mio Siesta Beach Restaurant has sea views and natural style decoration. International and Indonesian food. Breakfast, fresh ground coffee. Beachside seafood BBQ, fresh made curry. Internet is also available for dining guests. The cafe has a 2Mbps internet connection, speed may vary though due to local conditions.

The island has mobile telephone coverage by the major Indonesian networks (Telkomsel, XL, Indosat, Axis, poor coverage by 3), and there are a couple of public telephone offices.
The internet has improved a little on Gili Air in recent years, but is still usually painfully slow and very expensive at around Rp 24,000-30,000/hr. Mobile internet is a much better option, if you have your own laptop or a smartphone. GPRS/EDGE access seems to be quite slow on Gili Air, however, depending upon the operator used it may help to go to the eastern or western beach to try for a better connection.

• Gecko CafeThe best of a bunch of pretty poor internet options.

• Hop over to Gili Meno for further seclusion and a real desert island experience.
• Back to Lombok and Mount Rinjani for one of the best climbs anywhere in Indonesia.
• Bali per Fastboat depending upon the weather conditions.