Gili Air is where rasta beach vibes meets health conscious hippies. Cafes pulled together with driftwood are dotted along the shore, alternating with always busy dive shops.
Sipping on a fruit smoothie or coffee at sunrise seems more common than a cold beer after sunset, and you’d feel part of the crown by pulling on a pair of running shoes to tackle a 5km sandy lap of the island.
If you want the party head to Gili Trawangan, if you want to feel totally disconnected head to Gili Meno, and if you want to feel just right then come to Gili Air.
You could plan to spend 5 nights on Gili Air and end up staying for 5 months, just as we met numerous travellers and digital nomads doing.
Where is Gili Air?
Gili Air is located a few kilometers off the north-west cost of Lombok, about a half hour drive north of Senggigi. It is one of the three well known Gili Islands situated in this stretch between Bali and Lombok.
Map of Gili Air
How to get to Gili Air
Bali to Gili Air (book ferry here): the quickest way to get from Bali to Gili Air is by taking one of the fast ferries departing Padang Bai. There are numerous ferry companies offering services for the 2hr trip across. It’s worth noting that some ferries are larger with air-conditioned cabins, while others are speedboats with only hot outdoor seating.
Lombok to Gili Air (book ferry here): the trip from Lombok’s Bangsal Port to Gili Air is only about 10-15 minutes by either private speedboat or fast ferry. Given the short distance, it’s more convenient to charter a private speedboat across. Private speedboats stop directly in front of your hotel, saving you the added time and cost of getting from Gili Air’s port to your hotel by horse and cart.
Gili Trawangan to Gili Air (book ferry here): ferries run almost every half hour from 8am to 5pm between Gili Trawangan and Gili Air. The trip takes about 30 minutes with tickets costing about $10 per person.
Gili Meno to Gili Air (book ferry here): ferries run almost every half hour from 8am to 5pm between Gili Meno and Gili Air. The trip takes about 15 minutes with tickets costing about $10 per person. If you wanted to make a day trip (there and back) I’d suggest chartering a private boat for about 400K IDR (under $40) instead.
Things to do on Gili Air
Gili Air is an island where you could visit for 3 days and stay 3 weeks. Initially we expected to simply chill on the island, and did not expect to find too many things to do. I was proven very wrong.
Scuba Diving
You’ll find countless diving shops dotted all along the island’s coast, and for good reason. There are some amazing diving spots around the three Gilis, all easily accessible from Gili Air. All dive shops are similarly priced at 550-600k IDR per dive, typically offering a 10% discount for 5 dives. I dove went diving at Hans Reef with Next Level Scuba located on the north-east coat of Gili Air.
Snorkel with Turtles
The Gilis are iconic for their resident turtles. Your best chance of seeing turtles on Gili Air is the north-east end of the island, an area designated as Turtle Point. Snorkel out over the sea grass during high tide and you’ll likely run into at least one turtle within 100 meters. I was fortunate enough to encounter three turtles within 15 minutes on my first day, and another two on my second day. A 100% success rate ain’t bad.
Cycling the Island
As small as Gili Air is, walking about can be time consuming and hot. I suggest renting a bicycle for the duration of your stay. Bicycles typically go for 50k IDR per day and can be rented from hotels or shops along the street. You can easily cycle the interior concrete roads, sandy coastal route, though watch out for the soft dry sand where wheels often get stuck.
Run Around the Entire Island
Every day at sunrise and sunset you’ll see numerous runners tackling a 5km lap of the island. The track is part paved and part soft sand giving your legs a proper burn. The most difficult part of the island to run is the north coast which is mostly soft sand. My best lap time was 30 minutes, let me know if you can beat it!
Zen Out with Yoga & Meditation
If you’re into mindfulness, wellness, and all the above, then H2O garden in the centre of the island is certainly worth a visit. Each day they offer a full program of various types of meditation and yoga activities. Personally, I didn’t join any of the activities here as I just meditate daily on the beach at sunrise, however, I’ve overheard loads of great reviews of this spot.
Kids Playground
When visiting Gili Air our little on was 1.5 years old and filled with energy. A good place to burn some of this off and socialise with other kids and parents is the Play Cafe. Located in the middle of the island, you’ll find a large outdoor play equipment, garden, toys, books, and kid friendly meals (there are also grown-up meals and great smoothies). While play is fun, remember that Gili Air can be very hot, so remember to keep the little one well hydrated to avoid heat stroke!
Best Restaurants on Gili Air
Gili Air has no shortage of amazing food options. Whether you’re after authentic home cooked Indonesian meals, crispy wood fired pizza, or vegan so good you won’t miss meat, this list will have you sorted. We ate at quite a few more restaurants than detailed here, and those that didn’t make the cut don’t make an appearance.
Pituq Café
A quick glance at the menu of this beachfront eatery would not give away the fact that everything here is 100% vegan. Now, I ain’t vegan nor veggo, but I certainly do rate their Jackfruit Tacos and Beefless Rendang. If all food tasted this good I could actually go without meat forever.
Pachamama
Organic beef burgers served in a bun, or bowl with a side of veggies, to make you feel that little bit healthier. Pachamama doesn’t just do burgers but offers a great menu of all organic meals. Visit on Friday and Saturday nights and you’ll find a speakeasy underground (literally underground) bar open below the restaurant. Perhaps one of Gili Air’s best kept secrets.
Ruby’s Café
This back alley spot does one hell of a Beef Rendang, dished up with sides and spicy sambal served traditionally over a banana leaf. The Beef Rendang will cost you around 100k IDR, a bit pricier than the local warungs, but certainly worth every rupiah. Their fruit shakes are also a great option for cooling down in the afternoon heat.
Bella Ciao
Stone oven, wood fired, with a thin and crispy crust. Let those words build the image, smell and taste for you. The owner is Italian and knows her way around pizzas. Grab a pizza and a cold beer, then park yourself out on the beachfront tables for an epic sunset view looking west towards Bali.
Sedjiwa
There are loads of seafood restaurants around Gili Air, but the freshness of the fish makes Sedjiwa stand out from the rest. They seem to be one of the only restaurants actually keeping raw fish on ice, and appear to turn over enough that the fish is fresh daily. For 150-300k IDR you’ll get an entire fish or squid grilled over charcoal and access to a buffet of sides and salads.
Where to Stay on Gili Air
Here I’ll break down Gili Air into five main areas, giving you a vibe overview and recommended accommodation for each. We stayed on the north east coast which was amazing. However, not all areas of Gili Air are quiet as nice.
East Coast
The east coast has plenty of mid-range bungalows with laid back beachfront reggae bars. The beach generally gets nicer as you head further north to Turtle Point. This area is best if you want to focus on snorkeling the reef with turtles, and prefer to chill in the evening.
Recommended Hotel: Kaluku Gili Resort
North Coast
The north coast offers a mix of mid-range bungalows and some higher end resorts. The sandy beach is the nicest on the island with less sharp coral to walk on. This area is best for enjoying epic sunset views and prefer slightly busier live music bars.
Recommended Hotel: Bintang Tiga Bungalows
West Coast
The west coast is where you will find most of the higher end resorts along with larger restaurants which spread out onto the beach. The southern part of the west coast is more heavily developed, while the northern part of the west coast has just a couple of hotels in between fields of palm trees.
Recommended Hotel: Pinkcoco Hotel
Centre (Jalan Mojo and Jalan Putin)
This is a surprisingly nice, lively strip of restaurants, cafes and bars. You’ll find budget hostels and mid-range bungalows here. While it’s not beachfront, there is plenty to explore at your doorstep, and a bicycle ride makes the nice beaches only a few minutes away. I’d actually stay a little further north of the port, towards the middle of the island for a local vibe.
Recommended Hotel: B52 Hotel Gili Air
South Coast
The south coast is my least favourite area. Perhaps once quite nice, it feels like it has been left behind to degrade as cooler areas grow in popularity. The port is industrial, adjacent areas are either under construction or storm damaged, and the bars and restaurants feel out of place compared to the current Gili Air vibe. I won’t recommend a place to stay here.
How to Get Around Gili Air
There are no real roads on Gili Air, nor cars or petrol motorbikes. There are some sealed concrete paths through the centre (Jalan Mojo and Jalan Putin), while a sandy track circles the island.
Bicycle: this is the most convenient way to get around Gili Air. Bikes rent at about 50k IDR per day and is certainly better than walking.
Electric Motorbike: if you’ve got cash to splash, or just lazy, then electric motorbikes are available for 200k IDR per day. There are a few shops offering motorbikes around the island, but much less common than bicycles.
Horse and cart: certainly a unique method of transport on Gili Air. You’ll often see horses pulling around tourists with large suitcases going to/from the port or hauling construction materials for locals. A horse and cart trip will cost you 150k+ IDR for a single trip. Not very economical, and I do feel bad for the horses in the heat.