Island Hopping around Lombok

The Gili Isles

 

In addition to the majestic beauty of Lombok’s rainforests and coastline, Lombok is surrounded by a number of smaller islands or “Gili’s”, where travellers can feel like they have truly “slipped off the grid”.

Here, we take a look at four of the main island groups that sit just off the coast of Lombok.

 

THE GILI ISLES

Gili is the indigenous Sasak’s word for island and the Gili isles, comprising Gili Trewangan, Gili Meno and Gili Air are probably the best known and most touristed of all the island groups around Lombok. And for good reason. The white sands, azure blue seas and amazing sunsets, not to mention the smiling, friendly locals quickly put the most world weary traveller at ease.

All three islands offer great snorkeling and excellent dive sites. A number of reputable companies also offer PADI Diving Certification much cheaper than can be found elsewhere in Asia.

Roughly an hours boat ride from Bangsal Harbour on Lombok’s west coast (also accessible by ferry from Bali), Gili Trawangan is the largest and most popular of the three islands in this group. Known for its all-night clubs, bars and party atmosphere, Gili Trewangan is a place where young people from around the world come to sun-bake by day before dancing the night away. If you need respite from the non-stop activity, the northern part of the island offers accommodation set away from the main entertainment area.

Dancing the night away on Gili Trawangan

 

In complete contrast to Trawangan, the middle isand, Gili Meno, is the smallest of the three islands and is possibly the closest you could come to being on a desert island without actually being deserted.
Popular with couples and honeymooners due to its idyllic palm lined shores and crystal clear waters, Gili Meno offers coral reefs suitable for snorkelling and diving with an abundance of marine life including turtles and dolphins. Since there are no motor bikes on any of the Gili isles the only way to get around the island is by foot, push bike or traditional horse and cart.

Gili Air is the closest island to the mainland and takes the name Air, meaning water, from the fact that it is the only one of the three islands that has its own fresh water supply. In terms of vibe it finds the perfect middle ground between party central Gili Trewangan and the secluded beachcomber feel of Gili Meno, with a number of chilled beach bars and cafes dotting the shoreline. Snorkelling and diving are popular activities on Gili Air, as is walking around the island which you can do in about 90 minutes.

NUSA PENIDA, NUSA LEMBONGAN & NUSA CENINGAN

While Gili is the Sasak word for island, the Balinese use the term “Nusa” and these three islands sit near the Badung Strait that separates Bali and Lombok. Again all three islands are renowned for their palm fringed beaches, turquoise waters and laid back tropical vibe.

Nusa Penida is the largest island of the group and unlike the Gili isles which are almost flat, Nusa Penida rises to a height of around 500 metres and the coastline features magnificent limestone cliffs.  Crystal Bay is one the best sites for swimming and snorkelling but a trip to Nusa Penida is not complete without visiting the local inhabitants at Manta Point. Also worth visiting is the Princess Cave Temple or Goa Giri Putri. From an opening in a rockface barely large enough to pass you will enter an elaborate cave system said to be large enough to hold upto a thousand worshippers and is adorned with beautiful statues and artifacts.

Nusa Penida

 

Nusa Lembongan is a short 15 minute boat ride from Nusa Penida and is the closest of the three islands to Bali. The trip to or from from Sanur Habour in Bali takes about 25 minutes. Similar to its larger neighbour, Nusa Lembongan features rugged cliff faces and white, sandy beaches. There are many places to eat drink and snorkel here as well as some excellent surfing. Apart from the many different beaches on this island, other popular spots include the blow hole at the Devils Tears and the mangrove forest tours a short distance from Jungut Batu on the islands north east corner. Although there are many beautiful and scenic locations around Nusa Lembongan it is worth keeping in mind that western flank of the island opens directly on to the Badung Strait, a deep sea trench (250m deep!) and one of the major passageways for the movement of water between the Pacific and Indian Oceans and as such the currents and swell can at times be treacherous.

Nusa Lembongan

 

On the protected eastern flank, a yellow bridge wide enough for two motor bikes to cross connects the islands of Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Ceningan. As well as a number of very good bars cafes and accommodation, the water at Nusa Ceningan is said to be possibly the clearest of the three islands.  Also the smallest of the three islands, popular activities include the cliff jump at Blue Lagoon and and the trip to Secret Beach.

Cliff Jumping at Blue Lagoon

 

 

THE SECRET GILIS

Located on the south western tip of Lombok and accessible by short boat ride from the village of Sekotong lie a group of islands commonly referred to as the Secret Gili’s. Many of the smaller islands are totally uninhabited and a number offer beachside cafes but have no accomodation so it is important to do some research beforehand as it will be necessary on some islands to plan ahead and carry your own supply of water.

Meeting the locals at Gili Layar

 

But where some of these islands may lack facilities, they make up for it with all the best features that tropical paradise has to offer, namely powder white soft sand, crystal clear blue waters and pristine coral reefs with an abundance of marine life. And the beauty of having a large number of closely connected islands to choose from is that you can find one that offers accommodation to use as your base and spend your days island hopping from one tropical paradise to the next.

 

The secret Gilis are spread into two main clusters with a small number of tiny islands scattered in between. The largest island in the group unsurprisingly has the widest choice of accommodation. Gili Gede is a short boat ride from the western end of Sektong Beach and comprises 5 villages spread over 260 hectares of land. From Gili Gede it is a short trip by boat to the islands of Gili Asahan, Gili Layar, Gili Rengit and Gili Anyaran. Accommodation is also available at Gili’s Asahan and Layar.

 

A further group of 4 islands are accessible from the eastern end of Sekotong Beach. The largest, Gili Sudak offers comfortable accommodation and onward travel to the islands of Gili Kedis, (think tiny, Robinson Crusoe style paradise) Gili Tangkong (great beachside cafe) and Gili Nanggu (which also offers accommodation.)

Although the Secret Gili’s are slowly becoming much more well known they are still far enough off the beaten track that accommodation is generally cheaper here than on other islands around Lombok making these islands perfect for budget travellers as well as those looking for a slice of untouched natural beauty far from the tourist hordes.

A number of tour operators also offer day trips to either the eastern or western clusters of this island group if you find yourself on a tight shedule.

 

 

THE EASTERN GILIS

While the Secret Gilis are (for now at least) off the beaten track, the Eastern Gilis are still known to none but a few well informed locals. The Eastern side of Lombok has long been the least touristed, but the entire island has recently had its major road system upgraded so travellers to this side of the island can now reward themselves with reliable access through what is still a pristine and largely unexplored wilderness area.

View to Alas Strait from the mainland

 

The Eastern Gili’s are broken into two clusters with the two largest islands, Gili Lawang and Gili Sulat, sitting off the north eastern corner. Both are covered in mangrove forests and are part of a marine conservation area. The waters around these islands are incredibly clear and surrounded by well preserved fringing reefs and a wide variety of marine life can be found especially in the body of water between the two islands.

Although there is no accomodation on either of these islands there are a number of sandy beaches suitable for a picnic and swimming. Gili Surat also has a boat dock and a raised board walk through the forest making it suitable for bird watching and viewing local monkey populations.

A further four islands lie a short distance south in the Alas Strait that separates Lombok and Sumbawa. Of these, Gili Kondo is the smallest yet most scenic and most popular, especially on weekends, when it can be frequented by varying numbers of locals. The coral reef is part of a marine protection area and alltough there is talk that the government has plans to turn this into a resort island for now there are only basic facilities available including change rooms, a food stall and a camping area.   

 Gili Kondo has basic facilities but no accomodation

 

Perhaps the most fascinating island in this group is less an island than a glorified sandbar which becomes all but submerged during high tide. Gili Kapal, also known as Gili Kosong (empty) is nevertheless note worthy for its stunningly clean blue water as well as the long distances that, at low tide, you can wade, swim and snorkel through the warm shallow waters in any direction.

Gili Kapal is a glorified sandbar but oh, the water

 

Gili Bidara, is the only island in the group that is permanently inhabited though again, there is no accomodation offered here. The island is however surrounded by beautiful coral fringed beaches offering excellent snorkelling.

The largest island in this group, Gili Petagang, is also known as Gili Lampu due to an old lighthouse that was built here during the Japanese occupation. Gili Petagang is covered in mangrove forest which can only be navigated during high tide. The fringing coral reef however, hosts a wide variety of marine life.

Sailing through the mangrove forest at Gili Petagang

Although accomodation on the southern group of Gilis is limited to camping only, the islands are easily reached by boat from the mainland and can easily be seen together as part of a day trip.