The Gili Islands - Overview The three Gili islands are located of thenorthwest coast of Lombok, a little over 37 miles (60km) from Padangbaiharbour in Bali, and  20 miles from the most easterly cape of Bali.They were first discovered by back-packers back in the 1970’s, whenthey became a popular but well-kept secret among an adventurous crowdseeking to escape to an island paradise, far from the madding crowds ofKuta, Bali .The waters are crystal clear and teeming with marine life,and the beaches pure white sand where you can snorkel straight off thebeach. The Gilis are the best place in Indonesia to enjoy a tropicalisland lifestyle.Although the first to develop homestays was Gili Air (the nearestisland to Lombok), it is Gili Trawangan that subsequently became knownas the ‘party island’ – a young, energetic European crowd having waytoo much fun far away from home. Simple bungalows with generatorsupplied electricity soon proliferated catering to a crowd eager to getoff the beaten track.

The Gilis Today. In recent years the scene has changed rapidly on GiliTrawangan, whereas Gili Meno and Gili Air are developing at a farslower pace. Trawangan still maintains its timeless tropical paradisecharm, but now has a wider range of facilities to cater to a broaderspectrum of travellers. There’s still plenty of back-packer roomspriced around US$10 / night, but there are also some very chicbungalows, villas and hotels complete with private swimming pools andall mod cons. All have been constructed in harmony with the islands’local charms – natural materials and simple elegance being the dominanttheme of most developments. No high rise hotels, and definitely no tourbuses or McDonald’s, but plenty of Dive Centres to help you explore theislands’ famous coral reefs.Getting around. Motorised transport is banned from all three islands –you get around on foot, by bicycle or by horse-cart. Bicycles can behired for Rp. 10,000 – 15,000 / hour, or you can get much better dailyrates. Horse-carts, known as ‘Cidomos’, charge according to distance.Agree the price before you leave with a bit of friendly bargaining.

The walk around Trawangan takes anything from 90 minutes to all day, depending on your pace… it’s about 8 km in circumference.To get between the islands, you can either charter a local boat foraround Rp.175,000, or take the twice daily ‘Hopping’ boat which costsjust Rp. 20,000 per person. Ask at your hotel or at the harbour for thelatest schedules.