Bali Gili island
Feb 1, 2016, 4:08 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: NJ, USA
Posts: 2,837
Bali Gili island
Daughter and I are going to Bali for 2 weeks to visit her son and his girlfriend. He wants to spend a few days on Gili island. Go there by boat (I love boats!) and the island has no cars. I dont worry about luxury, other villas we are renting in Ubud etc seem to be beautiful
Has anyone been to this island? comments please
Has anyone been to this island? comments please
Feb 1, 2016, 6:57 pm
#2
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Virginia City Highlands
Programs: Nothing anymore after 20 years
Posts: 6,900
Be very careful with selecting speedboats going there - there were reports that they are overloaded and not enough vests.
Check at Bali TripAdvisor forums, there are a lot of people going that route.
Check at Bali TripAdvisor forums, there are a lot of people going that route.
Feb 17, 2016, 10:44 am
#3
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Nairobi, Kenya
Programs: Sindbad Gold, Etihad Guest Silver, Qatar Privilege Gold.
Posts: 174
There are actually three Gilli islands. Gilli means little island.
They are all tiny and lovely. You can walk around them easily in an hour or so. Great diving, snorkelling. You sometimes have to wait for others to fill up a boat in order to cross over.
The three are slightly different from each other. Gili Trawangan, Gili Meno and Gili Air. Trawangan is more of a party island for the youngsters. Meno is really tiny and very quiet. Air is a bit of a mixture.
FYI 'Air' is pronounced a bit more like 'eye-ear'. Air means water in bahasa Indonesia, but not sure if that's correct in this case, because I don't think Gilli Air or any of them have any water source.
Because they are so tiny there are no resident police officers (and only very small local populations) so there is a bit of a turn the other cheek attitude towards those who want to buy/sell/indulge in recreational and herbal substances. Trawangan can get a bit more Full Moon Party than Air. Good if that's what you are looking for. Trawangan does have more touristy stuff.
If you go to one and change your mind, you could go to another one!
They are all tiny and lovely. You can walk around them easily in an hour or so. Great diving, snorkelling. You sometimes have to wait for others to fill up a boat in order to cross over.
The three are slightly different from each other. Gili Trawangan, Gili Meno and Gili Air. Trawangan is more of a party island for the youngsters. Meno is really tiny and very quiet. Air is a bit of a mixture.
FYI 'Air' is pronounced a bit more like 'eye-ear'. Air means water in bahasa Indonesia, but not sure if that's correct in this case, because I don't think Gilli Air or any of them have any water source.
Because they are so tiny there are no resident police officers (and only very small local populations) so there is a bit of a turn the other cheek attitude towards those who want to buy/sell/indulge in recreational and herbal substances. Trawangan can get a bit more Full Moon Party than Air. Good if that's what you are looking for. Trawangan does have more touristy stuff.
If you go to one and change your mind, you could go to another one!
Last edited by aphro; Feb 17, 2016 at 10:51 am
Feb 19, 2016, 12:24 pm
#4
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: London
Programs: Many. Too many. I came here to cut them down. I failed.
Posts: 2,999
I've been to all 3 islands, and would no longer consider taking the speedboat from Bali as the seas between Bali & Lombok can get very rough (even during dry season). I hated my trip, and there have been numerous sinkings.
Instead, I fly to Lombok (Garuda, very cheap, 30 minutes, sit on the left and admire the volcanoes) followed by a slowish road and 10 minute speedboat.
The islands and all beautiful, but Trawangan is a bit too partyesque for me. Last time I stayed at Mahamaya on Gili Meno and loved it. Fantastic food, lovely staff, perfectly fine rooms (I think they've added some more). Lots of posh villas on Trawangan, but honestly, bleugh.
Instead, I fly to Lombok (Garuda, very cheap, 30 minutes, sit on the left and admire the volcanoes) followed by a slowish road and 10 minute speedboat.
The islands and all beautiful, but Trawangan is a bit too partyesque for me. Last time I stayed at Mahamaya on Gili Meno and loved it. Fantastic food, lovely staff, perfectly fine rooms (I think they've added some more). Lots of posh villas on Trawangan, but honestly, bleugh.
Feb 20, 2016, 5:34 pm
#5
Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 3,737
We looked at the Giili Islands and saw a lot of positive and negative comments. Most of the negative comments talk about how the islands have changed in the past few years.
We ended up doing 3 nights on Nusa Lembongan since it was 30-45 mins by speedboat and we could rent a scooter to get around the island.
We ended up doing 3 nights on Nusa Lembongan since it was 30-45 mins by speedboat and we could rent a scooter to get around the island.
Mar 23, 2016, 2:32 am
#6
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: SFO/OAK ex DCA ex ALB
Posts: 625
My wife and I spent a few days on Gili T and Gili Air on our honeymoon a couple of years back. We enjoyed both for different reasons. Gili T was definitely much livelier. We appreciated the variety of restaurants and the night market, but we were kept awake on our first night. We thought we had dodged the full moon parties since there was no full moon, but the bar next to our hotel (Pondok Santi estates -- which we loved otherwise) threw a "No Moon Party" because the next full moon would have fallen during Ramadan. It took us hours to fall asleep -- and we are used to outside noise! -- but we did eventually get some rest.
Gili Air was sleepier in all regards, but we spent a couple of relaxing days on the beach and snorkeling in the water and were quite happy with our hotel (Beach Club). I'd happily go back to either, although knowing myself I'd opt for the variety of Gili T if I were going for more than a couple of nights.
One other word on the speedboats from Bali -- we had one perfectly fine experience and one very hairy one. On the way to the Gilis we left from Padang Bai and had a pleasant, though a bit choppy, crossing. On the way back, we were headed from Gili Air to Sanur and thus chose Scoot since they had the best routing. The crossing to Sanur is longer and often rougher, and was particularly rough the day we went. The captain didn't seem to give much heed to the conditions and we nearly capsized twice. I certainly wouldn't travel with Scoot again, though I'd probably be OK taking another company (especially to or from Padang Bai).
Gili Air was sleepier in all regards, but we spent a couple of relaxing days on the beach and snorkeling in the water and were quite happy with our hotel (Beach Club). I'd happily go back to either, although knowing myself I'd opt for the variety of Gili T if I were going for more than a couple of nights.
One other word on the speedboats from Bali -- we had one perfectly fine experience and one very hairy one. On the way to the Gilis we left from Padang Bai and had a pleasant, though a bit choppy, crossing. On the way back, we were headed from Gili Air to Sanur and thus chose Scoot since they had the best routing. The crossing to Sanur is longer and often rougher, and was particularly rough the day we went. The captain didn't seem to give much heed to the conditions and we nearly capsized twice. I certainly wouldn't travel with Scoot again, though I'd probably be OK taking another company (especially to or from Padang Bai).