Low price: Funny Homestay 2 – very well located. Where everything happens, with supermarkets, cafes, bars and restaurants on the doorstep. They also have their own bikes for very low prices. The rooms are not fancy, but they are quite spacious and have air conditioning (which is very important on this Island). If you don’t want to be in the middle of the party, this is not the accommodation for you. The main parties are right on the doorstep, so until a certain time, you can hear the music very close by. In high season, 1 night costs €23, while in low season it costs €13;
Low price: Blu d´aMare: located in my favorite part of the island, these bungalows are right in front of the beach. Very simple, they cost €66 per night in high season and €54 in the low one. The advantage is that they are on the quieter side of the Island.
Low price: Funny Homestay 2 – very well located. Where everything happens, with supermarkets, cafes, bars and restaurants on the doorstep. They also have their own bikes for very low prices. The rooms are not fancy, but they are quite spacious and have air conditioning (which is very important on this Island). If you don’t want to be in the middle of the party, this is not the accommodation for you. The main parties are right on the doorstep, so until a certain time, you can hear the music very close by. In high season, 1 night costs €23, while in low season it costs €13;
Low price: Blu d´aMare: located in my favorite part of the island, these bungalows are right in front of the beach. Very simple, they cost €66 per night in high season and €54 in the low one. The advantage is that they are on the quieter side of the Island.
According to several videos on Tik Tok, getting to Gili Trawangan is usually quite dramatic. Maybe I had a calm sea day, but the truth is that the trip went really well. I came from Nusa Penida, from the same port where I arrive from Nusa Leombongan. I had already bought the ticket in advance, for the first boat in the morning (which I highly recommend, only because it fills up quickly and there are only two boats leaving per day (at least when I was there)). I bought it through a local I met, who gave me a cheaper price and sent me the trip confirmation via WhatsApp (here is his number if you want to do the same: +6287850242507). It costs 250,000 rupees per person (15€) and the boat company is Starfish. The boat is huge and you can go on the top deck, if you drink just one beer. That's what I did, and the 2-hour trip flew by as I spent the whole time sunbathing and socializing with people from all over the world. On Gili Trawangan, there are only bicycles and a type of horse-drawn cart, which I strongly advise against, because I've heard of several incidents where horses desperately try to escape and end up hurting people. Bicycles are a great option, I rented mine for 40,000 rupees (€2.40) per day, and easily go around the island in 40 minutes.
Quality-price: Le Pirate (Gili Meno) – the place is beautiful, with several blue and white cabins around a pool. Hammocks everywhere, direct access to the beach, super young atmosphere, I highly recommend it. It has a restaurant and a bar with a pool, which even if you are not a guest you can go to. It is extremely well located, in my favorite part of the island, and you can book all the activities through them. In high season it costs €144 for 2 nights (they do not allow you to stay for just 1 night) and in low season it costs €120.
To get to Gili Meno, I took the public boat from Gili Trawangan. There are private options or fast boats, but the prices are not even comparable.
The boats are small and open, but the journey was smooth because the sea was not rough. The ticket cost 35,000 rupees (€2.08) and the journey took about 25 minutes.
As Gili Trawangan, you can only get around by bike or horse-drawn cart, but since the island is so small, it is perfectly possible to get around on foot.
Gili Trawangan doesn't really have a perfect itinerary. What I did and I strongly recommend you to do (if you want to see everything), is to rent a bike, go around the island and stop whenever you want.
1. For the beach: I recommend the right side of the island (Gili Trawangan Beach – Turtle Point. Use Trawangan Dive Centre as a reference). A completely paradisiacal beach, with crystal clear and warm water (like I never saw before) where you can rent goggles and diving tubes to see the turtles up close. There are several schools for snorkelling, but I highly recommend doing it at Gili Meno.
There is no shortage of beach clubs, restaurants or beach bars in Trawangan, where you can have a drink and simply relax on the chairs or sun loungers for as long as you want.
2. To watch the sunset, have dinner and go to the cinema on the beach: go to the opposite side of the island (it takes 10 minutes by bike). Without a doubt, the best place to watch the sunset is the Exile Bar, and for dinner the Pearl Beach Lounge. If you want a more affordable option for dinner, the Malibu Beach Club has very cheap and good traditional Balinese dishes. In this line of restaurants, there are several hotels that have a cinema on the beach. There is always a weekly film schedule at the door, so you can walk around to choose the place that shows the film you like the most. There is no entrance fee, you just have to drink or eat something, and most of them also sell popcorns. It is really worth it, you are literally lying on a beanbag on the beach, on a paradisic island, listening to the sea and watching a film. Looks like a dream.
A few more suggestions for cafés/restaurants:
3. Kayu Café: great for breakfast. It is right in front of the port, has several options and it is not expensive;
4. Coco Café & Ice Cream: also very good for breakfast, lunch or a snack, because has many options. It is also in front of the port and the space is very cute;
5. Best fresh juices, smoothies or fresh fruit ever: between the Abdi Hotel and Coco café, you will see a stand full of fruit. Do yourself a favor and go there. It is very cheap and I swear I have never eaten such good fruit.
Enjoy the day to relax at this beautiful island.
This is a party island, so if you are in a party mood, this is definitely the best between de 3 (Trawangan, Meno or Air). These parties have a young crowd, cheap drinks and commercial music. If you prefer a more relaxed atmosphere, an older crowd, beach parties instead of bars and clubs... definitely Gili Meno or Air are the best for you.
Take advantage of the day taking a stroll around the island. Right next to the port, there are lots of restaurants and really cute little shops to explore. On the way to Le Pirate, you can find a turtle sanctuary, the cutest thing you'll ever see.
If you're lucky (it depends on their age) you might see them being released into the sea. There's an abandoned part at the path, but as soon as you get to the resort area, you'll start to see the beach, which is absolutely heavenly: full of palm trees, white sand, super clear and warm water.
Relax at Le Pirate, even if you're not staying there, you can go to the restaurant area and enjoy the pool, sun loungers and hammocks on the beach. Have one of the smoothies, they're wonderful, especially the mango one.
I went snorkeling through a contact from Le Pirate, and I highly recommend it. It was just us and him, so it wasn't a group experience, and that made all the difference, as the attention is completely different. We went to the Nest Sculpture (underwater statues), the turtle area, the coral area and he even took us to watch the sunset in the middle of the sea.
I recommend that you choose a time of the day where the sea is calm, as for those who don't have experience, the Nest Sculpture area (especially) is very challenging and much more difficult to explore with wind and waves. I have paid 900,000 rupees (€53.70) for two people, with GoPro videos and photos included and no time limit.
Spend the day at Gili Air. Be aware that the boats back to Gili Meno have a maximum departure time. The day I was there, the last one was at 2:30 pm, but the schedules are constantly changing. So make sure you catch the first boat in the morning to make the most of the day. The ticket cost 35,000 rupees (€2.08) and the journey takes about 20 minutes. As soon as you arrive at Gili Air port, ask at what time is the last boat and make sure you are there a few minutes beforehand to buy your ticket. There are no pre-bookings or tickets that need to be purchased in advance.
I recommend that you return to Gili Meno, only because of the logistics involved in staying in Gili Air. Accommodation prices are much more expensive in Gili Air, having to carry your luggage back and forth again, checking in and checking out early again, it takes away a bit from the purpose of Gili Meno and Gili Air: relaxing.
However, if you prefer to stay in Gili Air for the last night, it's not a bad idea, as there are just as many things to do as in Gili Meno.
This is a very chilled island, not very crowded, few hotels, and there are no big parties or sunsets.
As soon as you arrive at the port, you'll immediately notice the beauty of this island.
If you continue straight ahead, towards the small town centre, you'll be delighted by the small shops, restaurants and cafés. A stroll around the town centre is definitely a must.
If you continue along the left side of the island, always along the sea, towards Pink Coco (probably the best-known resort/beach club) you'll see several stalls selling bracelets, necklaces, clothes, cowries, and more. There's a small wooden house with several cowries on display, which is a must-see. The owner, a very nice older gentleman, after stopping for a while to chat with him, insisted to stay for a bit and learn his art of making bracelets. We made our own feet bracelets while listening to his stories, which was a memorable experience.
In the end, he didn't even want to let us pay for the bracelets, and after we insisted, he got very emotional. Indonesian, being Indonesian.
Following the beach line, you just literally have to choose the spot on the long stretch of sand that you prefer. There are several beach clubs, where you can stay if you eat something. My favorites are without a doubt Papaya and Radiant. They are right next to each other, but Papaya is more like a beach club. Radiant combines healthy food with a wooden beach gym, sauna and ice bath. It's spectacular, well worth a visit.
Tapas del Mar, a little further ahead, is a really cheap Mexican restaurant, known for its taco combinations.
Enjoy the day to relax at this dream island. Just walk on the opposite side from the previous day and stop whatever you want.
