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Voykit pocket guide · Indonesia
Gili Air
Stay 2–3 nights: walk the island in 90 min, snorkel the east reef for turtles, and sleep on the south or east coast near the boat landing.
Gili Air is the middle Gili: quieter than Gili Trawangan, busier than Gili Meno, and the closest of the three to Lombok. There are no cars or motorbikes, the coastal path circles the island in about 90 minutes, and most beds, warungs and dive shops sit on the south and east coasts facing Lombok. Two nights covers the reef and the sunsets; three lets you slow down or add a snorkel trip to the neighbouring islands.
- Country
- Indonesia
- Best months
- Apr–Oct (dry season)
- Avoid
- Jan–Feb (rain and swell), Jul–Aug (crowds and rougher crossings)
- Stay
- 2–3 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- IDR
- Money
- Rupiah (Rp) in small notes for warungs, parking, offerings and drivers; large cards are common in tourist restaurants but not everywhere.
- Daily spend
- Budget Rp 350,000–600,000 excl. bed · Mid Rp 600,000–1,200,000 excl. bed · High Rp 1,200,000+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Telkomsel, XL and Indosat sell tourist SIMs at airports; foreign phones must be IMEI-registered if staying over 90 days — check.
- Emergency
- General emergency 112 · Police 110 · Ambulance 118
- Plugs
- Types C, F · 230 V · 50 Hz · European round pins.
- Tipping
- Warung: Nothing.; Restaurants: Often 10% service + tax on the bill; nothing more needed.; Drivers and guides: Rp50,000–100,000 a day.; Spa: Rp20,000–50,000.
- Water
- Not drinkable from the tap; refill stations common in Bali.
- Toilets
- Western in hotels and cafés; squat toilets with a water scoop elsewhere; paper in the bin.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Nasi campur or soto ayam at a village warung | Rp 10,000–30,000 |
| Grilled fish at a beachfront restaurant | Rp 60,000–150,000 |
| Beer: large bottle at a bar / can at a shop | Rp 40,000–70,000 / Rp 25,000–35,000 |
| Bicycle rental, per day | Rp 30,000–50,000 |
| Horse cart (cidomo), any trip on the island | Rp 200,000 |
| Snorkel trip to the three Gilis | Rp 150,000–350,000 |
| ATM withdrawal | Up to Rp 2.5 million per transaction at the CIMB Niaga ATM |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- LOP · Lombok International (Praya)
- About 2 h by road to Bangsal, then a 30-min public boat, or a fast boat from Teluk Nare
- DPS · Bali Ngurah Rai
- Fast boats from Padang Bai, Serangan or Benoa take roughly 2–3 h to Gili Air; operators publish their own timetables
Typical fares
- Public boat Gili Air → Bangsal
- Rp 18,000, about 30 min
- Island Hopping Gili Air → Gili Meno
- Rp 20,000, departs 08:30Rp 20,000, departs 8:30 AM
- Island Hopping Gili Air → Gili Trawangan
- Rp 23,000, departs 15:00Rp 23,000, departs 3:00 PM
- Cidomo, any trip on the island
- Rp 200,000, no bargaining
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Walk: the coastal path circles the island in about 90 min. Bicycles rent for roughly Rp 30,000–50,000 a day. Horse carts (cidomo) wait at the harbour at a standard Rp 200,000 per trip as of mid-2025 — no bargaining. No cars or motorbikes on the island.
See and do
Known for
- Turtle snorkelling on the east reef
- Car-free coastal path
- Sunset on the west coast
- Sasak and Indonesian warungs
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Gili Meno | Island Hopping boat from Gili Air at 08:30, or a charter boatIsland Hopping boat from Gili Air at 8:30 AM, or a charter boat | About 15–20 min by boat |
| Gili Trawangan | Island Hopping boat at 15:00, or via Gili Meno in the morningIsland Hopping boat at 3:00 PM, or via Gili Meno in the morning | About 20–30 min by boat |
| Lombok (Bangsal and Senggigi) | Public boat from Gili Air to Bangsal, then road transfer | About 30 min by boat plus road time |
Sleep
- South coast near the boat landing
- Closest to arrivals and the ticket office; handy for a short stay with bags.
- East coast
- Beachfront bungalows and dive shops; the reef and turtle spots are a short swim out.
- West coast
- Sunset-facing bars and beach clubs; quieter, 20–30 min walk from the landing.
- Village centre
- Cheapest warungs and the island's biggest shop; 10–15 min walk to any beach.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Good morning | Selamat pagisuh-LAH-mat PAH-ghee |
| Thank you | Terima kasihtuh-REE-mah KAH-see |
| How much is it? | Berapa harganya?buh-RAH-pah har-GAH-nyah |
| I don't want it | Tidak mauTEE-dak MAH-oo |
| Where is the boat? | Di mana kapalnya?dee MAH-nah kah-PAL-nyah |
| Help | TolongTOH-long |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Light handshake then hand to chest; smile; avoid: Firm grips
- Left hand: Give and receive with the right; avoid: Passing anything with the left
- Temples: Sarong and sash; step around offerings; avoid: Standing higher than priests
- Keeping calm: Patience; indirect requests; avoid: Anger in public
- Pointing: Thumb; avoid: Index finger
Scams and watch-outs
- Bangsal harbour has persistent touts: buy only from the official Koperasi Angkutan Laut Karya Bahari office and ignore anyone offering to 'solve' a transport problem.
- Public boats to Bangsal are capped at 20 passengers but are sometimes overloaded: if it looks unsafe, wait.
- All boat services stop by late afternoon, well before dark — plan arrivals for the morning or early afternoon.
- You wade through shallow water when disembarking: wear sandals or go barefoot, and bag electronics for the crossing.
- Bring enough rupiah: ATMs are few and can run out, and card acceptance is limited outside hotels.
Gili Air is small and low-crime; the real risks are boat overloading at Bangsal, sunburn and coral cuts on the reef, and the lack of a proper hospital on the island.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Gili Air yet. Suggested stay: 2–3 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Turtle snorkelling on the east reef
- Car-free coastal path
- Sunset on the west coast
- Sasak and Indonesian warungs
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Indonesia.travel — official tourism site: www.indonesia.travel/gb/en/home
- Wikivoyage: Gili Air, revision 5321652 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5321652
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Gili Air
Ke alamat ini, tolong
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies on the island; the nearest consulates and embassies are in Bali (Denpasar) and Jakarta — check your country's list.
Cash is king on Gili Air: bring rupiah, and treat the ATM as a backup rather than a plan.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/gili-air). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.