Gili Trawangan

Gili Trawangan (Trawangan), or simply Gili T, is the largest and most visited of the three Gili Islands off Lombok. This is the largest of the three Gili Islands with an estimated permanent population of about 800. Gili Trawangan become the main destination for the holiday in Lombok and have the best point to do snorkeling and diving.

Gili Trawangan was the first of the three islands to attract visitors in any number, and it was backpackers who led the way. In the 1990 s the island developed a reputation as a wild party destination with cheap accommodation, no police, plentiful weed and mushrooms, and readily available harder drugs. Whilst that is still partially the case, Trawangan has matured into a destination that has a far wider appeal.

The thriving dive industry of the Gili Islands is centered here (although some operators have outposts on the other two islands), and since about 2005, the island has gone through a massive development boom, and a number of upscale sleeping, eating, and drinking establishments have opened.

Most of the accommodation and other facilities on the island are on the eastern side, sheltered from the winds and rough seas of the Lombok Strait which sometimes batter the opposite side of the island. Boats dock here as well, on the beach just north of the market. This generally means a walk in the shallow water to disembark. There is also a private concrete and wood jetty used by a few companies. A footpath circumvents the whole island and various tracks criss-cross, nearly always leading back to this coastal path. The area set back behind the east coast beachfront establishments is where most of the locals live (and where there is a lot of budget accommodation), and is known simply as “the village”. There is a low-lying hill in the southern center of the island, which is easily reached from the tracks heading southwest from the back of the village.

How To Get Gili Trawangan

The easiest way to reach Gili Trawangan from Bali is by Fast Boat. Some fast boats like Semaya One, Bluewater Express, Ocean Star Express, Gili Cat, and Marina Srikandi offer direct transfers from Bali to Gili Trawangan. We can also use flight and speed boats but spend more time and money. After landing at Selaparang Airport we will drive for about 2 hours to reach the jetty that is close to Gili Trawangan. We need about 15 minutes from Jetty to Gili Trawangan.

Things To Do

Diving, Snorkeling, Surfing, Walking and Sightseeing, Party boats, Glass bottom boats, Fishing, and Nightlife.

ATM

There are several ATMs near the harbor that support Visa and Mastercard. Some accommodations also have ATMs in their place.