Your Lombok journey is incomplete without a visit to Gili islands. There are three Gili islands situated at the north west part of the Lombok island. The most developed island is Gilli Trawangan. The island is the most crowded among all the islands and it is popular among backpackers. There are also direct ferries to Gili Trawangan from Bali. Motorcycles are not allowed in Gili islands so bicycle and horse cart are the primary mode of transport. Gili Meno is situated in between Gili Trawangan and Gili Air. It is the most underdeveloped Gili island and it is popular among couples. Gili Air is situated closest to Lombok mainland and the island is underdeveloped compared to Trawangan. Gili air is in between other two islands in terms of development.
The transport to each of the Gili island is available from Lombok. The transport include a cab ride to the pier and a 30 minutes boat ride to the island. I visited only Gili Air for a day. I reached Gili Air by 10 am. It was very crowded near the entrance of the island. I rented a bicycle and started exploring the island. The roads within the island are narrow and you will pass other cyclists or horse carts during your tour. It is a small island and it takes 1 hour to cycle around the island. There is only one ATM machine in the island. I would recommend to bring cash if you are visiting this island don’t rely on the ATM. Bicycle rental costs 50000 IDR.
The transport to each of the Gili island is available from Lombok. The transport include a cab ride to the pier and a 30 minutes boat ride to the island. I visited only Gili Air for a day. I reached Gili Air by 10 am. It was very crowded near the entrance of the island. I rented a bicycle and started exploring the island. The roads within the island are narrow and you will pass other cyclists or horse carts during your tour. It is a small island and it takes 1 hour to cycle around the island. There is only one ATM machine in the island. I would recommend to bring cash if you are visiting this island don’t rely on the ATM. Bicycle rental costs 50000 IDR. After getting out from the pier I turned right and started cycling. There are lots of café and hostels situated at both side of the road. The island is also famous for diving. There are lots of diving shop along the way. It was just 10-minute cycle ride to the first beach. This beach was most popular beach and you could see Lombok Mt Rinjani from the island. Northern part of island is very underdeveloped and there are lots of construction going on. The beach situated at the northern part of the island is very secluded. The beach was very good place for relaxation and it was very less crowded. Northern part of the island is far from the pier that’s why the place is not that developed. After 30 minutes ride along the road I finally saw another beach. There are lots of hostels, bars and cafes at both side of the road. This place is very famous among backpackers and I saw lots of sea-facing restaurants situated in the area. After a short ride I reached the pier. There are frequent boats to Gili Trawangan and Gili Meno from Gili Air. I purchased a speed boat ticket at the pier and reached Lombok in 10-minutes.
North side of the island
It was a good place to spend a day. All the 3 islands look similar and you can choose the island which suits you the best. Gili Trawangan is too big and Gili Meno is too small so I choose an island whose size is in between Gili Trawangan and Gili Meno. The island has great vibes and there is also a resort situated at the island. I would recommend people to stay at least a night at the island to enjoy the nightlife. I had a flight to Bali that night so I couldn’t spend the night at the island.
Overall it I enjoyed a lot during my trip to Bali and Lombok. Balinese temples, Mt Rinjani, Lombok beaches were the highlights of my trip. I wanted to go to Nusa Penida, another small island situated near Bali but couldn’t go because I had less time. People travelling longer should check out this place.
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