Fuad Agoro
- May 23, 2018
- 4 min read

Gili Trawangan - What To Know Before Going

The Gili Islands are a must see if your planning on spending a week or more in Bali especially if your coming to party a bit and have a good time in Indonesia.

One thing to keep in mind is that the Gili Islands are not actually a part of Bali there are a part of Lombok but it's only a short boat ride away.

Instead of me writing out a full book about this place I made a video highlighting all of the things I learned about the island as well as what I wish I would have known before planning my trip there.

Check out the video here. . . .

How To Get There

The only way I suggested getting to the Gili Islands is by a boat. There are other alternatives but this one is definitely the most convenient and not to bad price wise.

Fast boat booking - https://www.gilibookings.com

If you looking to get to Gili from the Nusa Islands

Use this site here to book - http://www.gili-sea-express.com

Prices might change a bit over time but for the most part you can expect them to be between $50 - $120 for return tickets. I don't remember exactly how much I paid but if you want to get it cheaper you can try and bargain for a better price at the dock your going to leave from.

Where To Stay

Like I explained in the video you want to stay on the main part of the island if you want to be around all of the restaurants and things to do on the island. Obviously if you want to be away from it all you can stay outside of the main area but if that's the case then I suggest that you go to Gili Air instead.

The place I stayed is. . .

Gili Klapa Hostel

If your going to book your hotel on Expedia, Hotels.com, Booking.com, or any other major website get some cash back on your purchase by using Ebates.

www.ebates.com

I don’t book anything without it :)

Transportation

The island of Gili Trawangan is not very big so it is convenient to just walk to most places but highly recommend getting a bicycle.

You will definitely want a bike when you want to explore the Island and see the different swings or just explore some not so busy beach areas.

You can find bike shops all around the main strip on the island. You should be able to get a bike for less than 50K IDR a day which is currently $3.52.

The only other form of transportation I seen was the horse carriages. Like I stated in the video unless you absolutely need this I highly recommend staying away from this just because of how poorly these horses are treated as well as the extortion prices these drivers will charge since they have a monopoly on the island.

The Vibe

Just like you expect on an island the people of Gili T are really calm and relaxed and the vibe is amazing with reggae music playing everywhere and people just enjoying their life in the sun.

The island is also known for its partying so it gets pretty busy at night on the main strip no matter what night of the week your there.

Although most tourist look at Gili T as a “Party Island” it's not a non stop party there like what you expect to see in Cancun or Ibiza.

What To Do & See.

Night Market

So this is where you will most likely be hanging out at night when your on the island. You have everything from ..food, clothes, souvenirs, and whole lot more. It’s also a dope place to meet up with locals and other people traveling to the island.

Boat Party

This was by far my favorite thing I did on this whole trip. Not only is it a party boat but you get to see some dope views as your sailing the waters around the Island. The energy on the boat is electric and it really was the most fun I had for my entire trip to Gili.

Book here - http://jgyboatparty.com/

Snorkeling

Sitting on the beach to get a tan is not really needed for me lol so being in the water is something I try to do a lot when I’m on an Island or by the water. The snorkel trip I did with my cousin Azeez was cool because the boat had a glass floor and they had a break for lunch on a small Island.

There are a few places on the Island where you can book I don’t remember the name of the place that I booked mine with.

Rent A Bike

I highly recommend you renting a bike when your on the island for a few reason.

1. You can get around the whole island in no time with a bike 2. It’s really convenient to get around to the different swings and attractions on the island

3. Its some good exercise :)

The Swings

So there are two main swings that people go to in Gili to get those magical sunset pictures. I’ve been to both and didn't realize they were different ones until I looked it up lol. So if you debating on which one to go to I don't think it really matters.

Exile Swing

Datu Swing

Night Life.

Nightlife in Gili is poppin!! My suggestion for a dope night out would be to start at the night market for dinner and a few drinks and eventually make your way over to the bars.

The vibe of the bars here are really relaxed there’s no dress code or anything like that so don’t worry about getting suited and booted.

Prices

So prices in Gili are really really good as long as you're not getting hustled and getting the straight tourist trap prices.

So these are the average prices that I seen when I was on the island.

Prices in USD

Hostel Dorm - $8 - $15

Private Rooms/ Hotel Rooms - $20-$80

Local Food Per Meal - $2-$8

Western Food Per Meal - $5 - $40

Bike (per day) - $3.50

I hope you guys have a dope trip to Gili and if there's anything that I completely messed up or anything new that I missed please let me know in the comments.

Have fun!!!