In the print dialog pick “Save as PDF” to keep it on your phone. A5 makes a pocket booklet; A4 suits a desk printer.
Voykit pocket guide · Indonesia
Gili Trawangan
Give Gili Trawangan 3 nights: dive or snorkel with turtles by day, eat grilled fish at night, and leave the party strip if you want sleep.
Gili Trawangan is the largest and busiest of the three Gili Islands off Lombok: no cars, no motorbikes, one footpath around the coast and a dive industry that fills the east side. The east is where boats land, bars run late and most beds sit; the north and west are quieter and better for sleep. Three nights covers diving, a lap of the island and a hop to Gili Air or Gili Meno. Getting here is the hard part: crossings from Bali or Lombok are weather-dependent and the public boat from Bangsal is cheap but slow to fill.
- Country
- Indonesia
- Best months
- Apr–Oct (dry season, calmest seas)
- Avoid
- Jan–Feb (monsoon swell and cancellations); Jul–Aug are busiest and bumpiest
- Stay
- 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 400,000–700,000 excl. bed · Mid Rp 700,000–1,500,000 excl. bed · High Rp 1,500,000+ 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 goreng or mie goreng at a warung | Rp 20,000–40,000 |
| Grilled fish dinner (choose your fish, grilled to order) | Rp 80,000–200,000 |
| Large Bintang beer at a beach bar | Rp 40,000–70,000 |
| Bicycle rental per day | Rp 30,000–50,000 |
| ATM withdrawal fee and cap | Most ATMs cap at Rp 1,500,000 per withdrawal |
| Public boat to Bangsal | Rp 22,500 |
| Fast boat from Bali, one way | About US$50–70 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- LOP · Lombok International (Praya)
- About 1.5–2 h by road to Bangsal or Teluk Nare, then a boat; check current schedules
- DPS · Bali Ngurah Rai
- Fast boats run from Bali harbours (Padang Bai, Serangan, Sanur) to the Gilis; about 2–2.5 h at sea, weather-dependent
Typical fares
- Public boat, Gili Trawangan → Bangsal
- about Rp 22,500, 20–40 min, boats leave when full
- Island-hopping boat, Gili Trawangan → Gili Meno
- about Rp 20,000, departs around 09:30about Rp 20,000, departs around 9:30 AM
- Cidomo, landing → your guesthouse
- about Rp 40,000
Get around
Walk: the coastal path circles the island in about 1.5–2 h, with sandy stretches where you push a bike. Bicycles rent for roughly Rp 30,000–50,000 per day; inland rentals are usually cheaper. Cidomo (horse cart) for bags from the landing, about Rp 40,000 for a short hop. No cars or motorbikes on the island.
See and do
Known for
- Turtle snorkelling and diving
- Car-free island with no motorised traffic
- Sunset swings on the west side
- Beachfront grilled fish and night market
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Gili Meno | Island-hopping boat from Gili Trawangan, about 09:30, or a charterIsland-hopping boat from Gili Trawangan, about 9:30 AM, or a charter | About 15–30 min |
| Gili Air | Island-hopping boat from Gili Trawangan, about 16:00, or a charterIsland-hopping boat from Gili Trawangan, about 4:00 PM, or a charter | About 20–30 min |
| Bangsal, Lombok | Public boat from the beach office north of the jetty; last boat around 15:00Public boat from the beach office north of the jetty; last boat around 3:00 PM | 20–40 min plus waiting |
| Senggigi, Lombok | Public boat to Bangsal, then road transfer | 2–3 h |
Sleep
- East beachfront (near the boat landing)
- Dive shops, bars and restaurants on your doorstep; loudest at night and priciest for what you get.
- The village (inland, behind the east coast)
- Where locals live; cheapest guesthouses and warungs, 5–10 min walk to the beach.
- North and west shores
- Quieter, newer places, sunset side; 20–40 min walk or a short bike ride from the landing.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Thank you | Terima kasihter-ee-ma ka-see |
| How much is it? | Berapa harganya?be-ra-pa har-ga-nya |
| Too expensive | Terlalu mahalter-la-lu ma-hal |
| Where is the boat ticket office? | Di mana kantor tiket kapal?dee ma-na kan-tor tee-ket ka-pal |
| I don't want a guide | Saya tidak perlu pemandusa-ya tee-dak per-lu pe-man-du |
| Help | Tolongto-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
- Boat crossings are weather-dependent: services can be cancelled, especially Jan–Feb, and you may get wet in Jul–Aug swell. Waterproof your electronics.
- You usually wade through shallow water to disembark: wear sandals or go barefoot.
- At Bangsal, touts claim boats and ATMs are unavailable. Buy tickets only from the official Koperasi Angkutan Laut Karya Bahari desk.
- ATMs exist (12+ on the east side) but exchange rates are worse than on Lombok or Bali; bring rupiah.
- Island nightlife includes cheap spirits and, historically, methanol incidents in Indonesia: drink sealed, branded bottles.
- No police station on the island; serious problems mean a boat to Lombok.
The island is small and low-crime; the real risks are the boat crossing, sunburn, coral cuts, scooter-free but uneven sandy paths at night, and cheap spirits. Use reef-safe sunscreen and never snorkel alone.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Gili Trawangan yet. Suggested stay: 3 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Turtle snorkelling and diving
- Car-free island with no motorised traffic
- Sunset swings on the west side
- Beachfront grilled fish and night market
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
- BlueWater Express (fast boat, Bali–Gili): www.bluewater-express.com
- Perama Tour (Lombok–Gili transfers): www.peramatour.com
- Wikivoyage: Gili Trawangan, revision 5245918 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5245918
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Gili Trawangan
Ke alamat ini, tolong
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies on the island; consulates and embassies are in Bali (Denpasar) or Jakarta. Most nationalities get a visa on arrival or e-VOA for Indonesia — see the visa page.
Print or screenshot this card: mobile data on the island can be slow.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/gili-trawangan). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.