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Located just off the coast of Lombok, Gili Trawangan is the largest of the three Gili Islands and needs to be on your Indonesian itinerary. Unlike Bali, there are no cars or motorised scooters here. Life moves at a slower pace, with most visitors spending their days snorkelling, cycling, swimming and enjoying sunset drinks on the beach.
During our stay, we snorkelled with turtles straight off the beach, kayaked to Gili Meno, discovered some fantastic local restaurants and spent our evenings watching spectacular sunsets. If you’re planning a trip, here are the best things to do in Gili Trawangan.
What are the best things to do on Gili Trawangan?
The best things to do in Gili Trawangan include snorkelling with turtles, kayaking to Gili Meno, visiting the famous underwater statues, cycling around the island, watching sunset on the west coast, shopping at local boutiques, exploring the night market and enjoying the island’s incredible food scene.
Essential Gili Trawangan travel tips
Here’s what you need to know before you go to Gili Trawangan:
1. Stay connected with an eSIM
Having reliable data made travelling around Indonesia so much easier. Whether you’re booking ferries, organising transfers or navigating between islands, an Asia travel eSIM is one of the first things I’d organise before your trip. I used an eSIM on Gili Trawangan and had no issues staying connected across the island.
2. Getting to Gili Trawangan
There are several ways to reach Gili Trawangan from Bali, with fast boats departing from ports including Sanur and Padang Bai. We actually tried two different fast boat transfer options during our trip (Ekajaya Fast Ferry and Gili Getaway), so I’ve put together a complete guide covering ferry companies, transfer options and what I’d recommend.
3. Don’t drink the tap water
Tap water isn’t safe to drink on Gili Trawangan, so stick to bottled or filtered water throughout your stay. Fortunately, our accommodation had filtered water readily available so that we could fill our reusable bottles.
4. There are no cars
One of the things that makes Gili Trawangan so special is the complete absence of cars. Most people get around on foot, by bicycle, by electric scooter or electric bike, or by horse-drawn cart. We walked everywhere during our stay and found it incredibly easy to explore the island without needing any transport.
5. It’s not just a party island
Gili T gets a bad rap for being the party island out of the three Gili Islands. But from my experience, the party side is the west side. If you stick to the northeastern side, it has a much quieter, more pleasant vibe.
Where to stay in Gili Trawangan
Trawangan Dive Centre & Resort
We stayed at Trawangan Dive Centre and absolutely loved it. It deserves its 8.9/10 ranking on Booking.com! Despite the name, you don’t need to be a diver to stay here. The resort welcomes all travellers and offers one of the island’s most convenient locations.
The property has three swimming pools, a swim-up pool bar and beachfront lounges reserved exclusively for guests. It was the perfect place to relax after a morning spent snorkelling or exploring.
The location was another huge advantage. It’s less than ten minutes from the ferry terminal and sits right on the main strip, making it easy to walk to restaurants, shops and activities in either direction. I’d happily stay here again on a future trip.
Things to do on Gili Trawangan
1. Go snorkelling straight off the beach
If there’s one activity you absolutely shouldn’t miss in Gili Trawangan, it’s snorkelling. What surprised me most was how accessible it was. You don’t need to book an expensive tour or travel far from shore. We literally popped on some goggles and swam off the shore from our accommodation, seeing coral in seconds. Local vendors rent snorkels, masks and fins all along the beach, and once you’ve got your gear, you’re ready to explore.
We headed north to Unggul Restaurant to sit on their lounge chairs for lunch and snorkel from the shore to Turtle Point. Keep heading north, and you’ll find crystal-clear water, excellent visibility and plenty of colourful coral and marine life. The highlight was swimming alongside sea turtles!
2. Go shopping
Gili Trawangan has some fantastic little boutiques scattered throughout the island. If you’re anything like me, you’ll probably leave with more than you planned! Some of my favourite stores included Coral Island, where I picked up a beautiful shell necklace, as well as Gili Goods, Gili Merch/Gili Vibes, and Another Day in Paradise.
Whether you’re looking for clothing, jewellery, gifts or souvenirs, there’s plenty to browse.
3. Spend the day at the beach
Speaking of Unggul Restaurant, there are several beachfront places where you can buy food or drinks and use their lounge chairs. Trawangan Dive Centre, where we stayed, is another option, but go for a stroll and pick your spot!
4. Go scuba diving
Google scuba diving on Gili Trawangan and you’ll find several companies. While I’m not a diver, our accommodation, which was also a dive centre, was always bustling with people learning and heading off on adventures. It’s definitely one of the most popular Gili Trawangan activities.
5. Kayak to Gili Meno
Of all the things to do on Gili Trawangan, this was probably my favourite. We rented a double kayak from Blue Paddle and paddled across to neighbouring Gili Meno. The water was fortunately calm, the views were beautiful, and it felt like a much more adventurous way to explore the islands.
We pulled our kayak up on the beach in Gill Meno, then snorkelled out to the famous underwater statues, spotting a turtle on the way. If the conditions are calm during your visit, I highly recommend giving this a go.
6. Treat yourself to a spa day
After days spent snorkelling, kayaking and walking around the island, a massage feels very well deserved. There are spas everywhere on Gili Trawangan offering massages, facials and other treatments at prices much lower than you’d typically pay in Australia. My go-to is a creambath hair treatment after all that seawater. Your hair will thank you!
7. Walk or bike around the island
Gili Trawangan is surprisingly small (its perimeter is approximately 6.5 to 7 kilometres), which makes it perfect for exploring on foot. I took myself on morning walks in every direction, enjoying going off the beaten path to side streets and having beaches to myself.
But if you’d rather cover more ground, bicycle hire is available all over the island. Cycling makes it easy to reach the quieter northern beaches and western coastline without spending hours walking in the heat. Just be prepared for a few sandy sections where you’ll need to hop off and push your bike.
8. Visit the famous underwater statues
One of the most iconic attractions in the Gili Islands is the underwater sculpture installation known as The Nest (Bask Nest Underwater Sculptures on Google Maps). Located just off the coast of Gili Meno, the sculptures have become one of the area’s most photographed snorkelling spots.
The life-sized figures sit beneath the water and are gradually being reclaimed by nature, with coral and marine growth covering many of the statues. Most snorkelling tours stop here, so prepare for lots of people. But it is cool to see!
9. Watch the sunset on the west side
The sunsets in Gili Trawangan are spectacular, and the island’s west side is the place to experience them. We spent an evening at Lazy Coconut watching the sky turn shades of orange and pink before walking back and heading to Jali Kitchen for dinner.
The atmosphere on this side of the island is noticeably different from the main strip. There are more beach bars and sunset lounges, and a slightly livelier, party vibe as the evening approaches. Even if you only visit once, it’s worth making the trip across the island.
Hot tip: If you don’t stay on the west side, there’s a free beachside gym you can use to get a workout in before a day of adventure! There’s also horse riding on the beach AND the infamous Gili Trawangan swing.
10. Join a snorkelling tour
While snorkelling from the beach was incredible, joining a boat tour gives you access to even more reefs and snorkelling spots. Most tours include stops around Gili Trawangan, Gili Meno and Gili Air, with plenty of opportunities to spot turtles along the way. If you’re short on time, a guided tour is a great way to experience multiple locations in a single day.
- This Gili Islands Snorkelling Tour is the best all-round experience and the highest-rated tour. You snorkel around Gili Trawangan before visiting both Gili Air and Gili Meno. Snorkelling and island hopping? It’s the best of both worlds.
- If you’re short on time, you need this Gili Islands Sunset Boat Tour. It takes you to Bask Nest Underwater Sculptures, Turtle Point, Turtle Beach, and then West Sunset Point for sunset.
- This Private Turtle Snorkelling Tour includes the sculptures, Blue Coral and Coral Garden and free time in Gili Meno for food. The best part is you get a GoPro to capture your snorkelling experience.
11. Take a day trip
Gili Trawangan makes an excellent base for exploring nearby islands. Gili Air offers a laid-back atmosphere with great cafes and beach clubs, while Gili Meno is quieter and perfect for those looking to escape the crowds.
You can head to the main ferry terminal and book a short boat ride. Alternatively, book an organised day tour that includes snorkelling and visiting all three islands.
12. Visit the Night Market
If you’re looking for an affordable dinner option, head to the Gili Trawangan Night Market. Located near the harbour, the market comes alive in the evening with stalls selling grilled seafood, Indonesian dishes, satay skewers and local desserts. Even if you’re not hungry, it’s worth visiting for the atmosphere alone.
I personally don’t have a stomach of steel, so I skipped it, just in case 🫣.
13. Enjoy the food and drink scene
For a relatively small island, Gili Trawangan has plenty of fantastic restaurants, cafes and bars to choose from. A few of my favourites included:
- The Roast House for comfort food. The roast chicken sandwich was fantastic, and the chicken schnitzel burger, at around 85k IDR, was one of the best-value meals we found on the island. The staff were also incredibly friendly.
- Tiki Grove for Taco Tuesday. Great food and a lively atmosphere!
- Jali Kitchen was bustling when we visited. It specialises in Asian fusion: Vietnamese meets Indonesian meets a delicious tempeh burger.
Plus, you can’t go wrong with happy hour cocktails from any beachfront bar or restaurant.
Things to do on Gili Trawangan at night
The best things to do at night centre around food and drink. Head to the Gili Trawangan Night Market, see the fire dancing performances at Malibu Beach Club, watch the sunset from the west side at a beach bar, and eat at one of the aforementioned restaurants.
Gili Trawangan FAQs
I recommend spending at least four nights in Gili Trawangan. This gives you enough time to go snorkelling, explore the island, enjoy a sunset on the west coast and take a day trip to either Gili Air or Gili Meno.
Gili Trawangan is known for its beach party scene, as well as its amazing snorkelling and scuba diving.
Absolutely. Gili Trawangan combines beautiful beaches, crystal clear water, excellent snorkelling and a laid-back atmosphere that’s completely different from Bali.
Yes. Gili Trawangan is small enough to explore on foot, and many visitors choose to walk everywhere during their stay. Walking around the entire island takes roughly two hours, depending on how often you stop along the way.
Compared to Australia, Gili Trawangan is very affordable. Accommodation, meals, activities and massages are generally inexpensive. However, if comparing prices to mainland Bali, Gili Trawangan is slightly more expensive because it’s isolated. Island tax, as we call it on Magnetic Island!
Each island offers a different experience. Gili Trawangan is the liveliest island with the most restaurants, accommodation and activities. Meanwhile, Gili Air has a more relaxed atmosphere while still offering plenty of dining options. Gili Meno is the quietest and best suited to travellers looking for a peaceful escape.
I wouldn’t necessarily say it’s better than Bali; it just offers a different Indonesian island experience.
Gili Trawangan is generally considered very safe for travellers. While I visited with a friend, I wouldn’t hesitate to return alone as a seasoned solo traveller. As with any destination, it’s important to keep an eye on your belongings and take normal precautions, especially at night.
The dry season between May and October is generally considered the best time to visit Gili Trawangan. During these months, you’ll usually experience sunny weather, calmer seas and excellent snorkelling conditions. However, I visited in early March and got lucky with the exact same conditions.
Technically, yes. But you can only reach the island via boat, and there isn’t a lot to do on the island if you’re not swimming, snorkelling, or diving.
Yes, Gili Trawangan has ATMs.
I have previously shared two options for getting from Bali to Gili Trawangan.
Yes! I saw two turtles just off the beach on my Gili Trawangan trip.
Now you’re ready to enjoy all Gili Trawangan has to offer!
Between the incredible snorkelling, crystal-clear water, laid-back atmosphere, and surprisingly good food scene, Gili Trawangan is the kind of place where a few days can easily turn into a week.
Whether you’re swimming with turtles, kayaking to Gili Meno or simply enjoying a sunset cocktail on the beach, there are plenty of top things to do on Gili Trawangan and plenty of reasons to fall in love with this little island.
Thank you to Nomad eSIM for partnering with me on this blog post.
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