Gili Islands Travel Tips

As the most popular way to get to the Gilis is by sea from Bali’s 2 main harbors (Benoa and Padangbai), the dry season (between June and September) provides the most favorable sea conditions for traveling. This also makes for the best visibility around the crystal-clear waters if you’re in for great snorkeling and diving. In terms of crowds, the peak season is usually mid-year, between July and August, and the year-end, December and January.

Expect a surge of visitors and fully booked hotels over the long holidays of Idul Fitri (usually between July and October), Christmas and ultimately over Nyepi (around March). It would be wise to make your bookings, hotel and boat transfers well ahead of your visit.

Usually, backpacker-style is the way to go. Once you jump off the boat at any of the Gilis, you’ll easily find the gorgeous white sand beaches hard to resist. Whether you decide to jump in for a dip in the blue waters, spend some time snorkeling, or decide to circumnavigate a whole Gili along sandy paths, it’s good to protect yourself from the tropical sun.

Bring sunscreen, eyewear, a hat, light and cool clothing, and comfortable footwear (preferably strap-style sandals that you can easily take on and off – virtually everywhere you step is sand). A smartphone with local GSM connection and GPS is optional and fun if you want to track your island hike in real-time. Don’t forget your camera!

If you have a smartphone with you and you’re heading to the Gilis from Bali, you might already have a national GSM provider card installed during your time in Bali. You can use the services on the Gilis. Cellular phone towers are visible throughout the hilly landscapes of the 3 islands – you'll most likely never be out of touch.

Major providers include Indosat, XL, Tri, and Telkomsel. Telkomsel is known to have the widest coverage, and often the strongest 3G signal reception for mobile internet connections. Almost all hotels, restaurants and cafes offer Wi-Fi but their speeds can vary and at times can be unreliable.

Money changers are widespread throughout the Gilis, be it at standalone currency exchange kiosks, information booths or at hotels. Even so, rates vary and are usually higher than in Bali, so it’s usually advisable that you have Indonesian rupiah ready at hand before your Gili trip, or your foreign currency exchanged into rupiah at an authorized and trusted money changer in Bali.

ATMs of CIMB Niaga, a major Southeast Asian bank chain, have popped up around major areas, especially on the main south-eastern beach of Gili Trawangan. Meanwhile, there are no ATMs available on Gili Meno. Visa and Mastercard are accepted at most of the larger hotels and classier restaurants.

Book a boat transfer service that’s reliable and has a good safety record. No matter how laidback and carefree an island escape to the Gilis may seem, you should never let your defenses down. Make use of your hotel room’s safe deposit box and keep doors locked whenever you leave your room or bungalow.

There are no coastguards or lifeguards on patrol – take extra caution when in the waters. Jellyfish are common and full wetsuits are advisable. Choose a licensed dive center and avoid impromptu dive trips offered by persons around the beach. Local security guards patrol the islands irregularly but being a small island, crime levels aren’t high and limited only to petty cases like overcharging and theft.

It is advisable to stick only to cocktails served at the more upmarket restaurant bars on any of the Gili Islands. Or stay with the ice-cold Bintangs available almost everywhere. There have been several incidents of methanol poisoning involving the consumption of poorly brewed local Arak in the past.

Tempting as they may seem, consumption of magic mushrooms that are widely offered by the local warungs (traditional bars) should be avoided. Stay away from drugs – the death penalty still applies in Indonesia.