Gili Air Islands (Indonesia) Tourism > Top Places, Travel Guide

Gili Air Island Tourism

Gili Air, which is among the three Gili Islands in Indonesia, is the island closest to Lombok and offers the best of both worlds - be it peaceful travelling or party hopping. From temples to waterfalls, to beachside shacks, to secluded surf spots, along with cosy cafes and nightlife hubs, the youngest of the Gili islands cater to everyone's needs.

Besides these, you can go fishing, horse-riding, water skiing, wakeboarding, and there is also a surf break to the south of the island for the experienced surfer. For golfers, there is an 18-hole course just 10 minutes away if you choose to travel by the speed boat.

New bars, cafes, and places of accommodation have begun to spring up as Gili Air has started to gain popularity, much like its other two older brothers. If you like snorkelling then the various dive centres can point you in the right direction. Manta Dive is a new sister operation to the already successful Gili Trawangan dive setup.

The centre has five Sasak style air-conditioned huts with hot water and outside bathrooms and a communal swimming pool. PADI and SSI courses from beginner to instructor level are conducted on-site and also cater to the needs of someone who’s diving just for fun with a variety of packages to suit all abilities and demands.

Diving at Gili Air

The dive centre boats take divers out to the two most popular spots -Haan’s Reef and Gili Air Wall. Haan’s Reef boasts some specialist muck diving just off the east coast of Gili Air and is largely frequented by photographers seeking to capture a glimpse of Flying Gunard/ Helmet Gunard, Frogfish, and many varieties of pipefish. On the west side of the island, you have the Gili Air Wall, a twenty-four-meter vertical drop with plenty of lionfish, Leaf scorpionfish, and seahorses.

Nightlife at Gili Air

Gili Air doesn’t have the same party vibe as that of Gili Trawangan but it still has enough entertainment to keep the average traveller amused. In high season, expect to stumble across the occasional psychedelic fluoro `Goa style’ beach party with raging techno beats pounding throughout the night.

The Corner Bar is the closest to the harbour and has a set of tables and chairs on the beach. The Legend Bar has the weekend party night during high season months with lots of reggae and house music. It is also the location for the reputed Full and Black Moon beach parties.

Restaurants and Local Food in Gili Air Island

The food at Gili Air is rich. First up, we have Zipp’s (next to Manta Dive), which serves food and drinks for the Manta Dive operation and is a popular meeting spot for late afternoon beers. There’s a reasonable amount of restaurants on Gili Air offering good value varieties of Indonesian, Western, and European food. Mostly located along the main strip of the beach on the East coast, each café and restaurant shares the same stunning view of Mount Rinjani.
View Top Restaurants in Gili Air Island