Gili Trawangan lies furthest from Lombok, about three kilometres long and two wide, with a low hill in the south and a ring of white coral sand all the way round. There are no cars and no motorbikes. People get about on foot, by bicycle, by horse cart and, increasingly, by electric scooter, and the sandy track that circles the island takes under an hour to ride.
The island has two faces. The east coast, where the boats land, is one continuous strip of dive shops, cafés, bars and guesthouses, busy from breakfast until well after midnight. The north and west coasts are quieter: resorts and villas spaced out behind the beach, long empty stretches of sand, and the swings and beanbags of the sunset bars facing Bali’s Mount Agung. Inland, behind the strip, is a real village with mosques, schools and coconut groves — worth remembering when choosing what to wear away from the beach.
Trawangan’s reputation as a party island is deserved but partial. The loud nights rotate between a handful of bars near the harbour; stay five hundred metres north or anywhere on the west side and you will hardly hear them. What the island really does best is the sea: turtles a few fin-kicks from the north-east beach, more than a dozen dive sites within twenty minutes by boat, and some of the best-value scuba and freediving courses in Indonesia.
If you are still deciding between the three islands, our Which Gili island? comparison sets them side by side.
Highlights
- Snorkelling with green and hawksbill turtles straight off the north-east beach
- Sunset from the west coast with Mount Agung on the horizon
- A first dive or a full course with one of the island’s long-established schools
- Cycling the sandy loop around the island before breakfast
- Grilled fish and satay at the night market by the harbour
- Climbing the hill for a view of all three Gilis and Mount Rinjani
In pictures: Gili Trawangan
How long to stay and where to base yourself
Three or four nights is a good length: one day for a snorkelling boat trip, one to cycle and laze, one for diving or a day on Gili Meno. Divers taking an Open Water course should allow at least four full days.
Where you sleep matters more here than on the other islands. The central east strip near the harbour is convenient and noisy. North of the harbour (towards Turtle Point) is the best compromise: ten minutes’ walk from the restaurants, good snorkelling, quiet nights. The west and north-west coast has the sunsets and the larger resorts but is a 20–30 minute walk or a short bike ride from the harbour, and the tide goes out a long way. The village interior has the cheapest rooms. See the travel guide for more on each area and Where to stay for hotels on all three islands.
