10 Things To Do in Gili Air, Lombok 10 Things To Do in Gili Air, Lombok

10 Things To Do in Gili Air, Lombok

Gili Air is one of the three Gili Islands just of the coast of Lombok. The tiny island is surrounded by white sand, turquoise water, and great underwater life and a great location to add to your Bali Route. Gili Air is all about laid-back living, whereas Gili Trawangan is better if you prefer a good party every evening. Plan a 2 to 4-night trip and follow our Things to do in Gili Air Guide.

Things To Do in Gili Air

Unique about the Gili Islands is that that are no cars on the island. It is so small that within 30 minutes you can explore the entire island by bicycle. The local transport is a bike, electric bikes or horse taxis. In general, it is not recommended to take a horse taxi since it is commonly known they are not treated well.

things to do gili air island map

1. Local Cooking Class Gili Air

Indonesian cuisine is a vibrant and delicious mix of colors and flavors. Learn about the ingredients and what is served by following a Gili cooking class. Prepare your own meal and sambal at Waroeng Alam Damai; this wonderful man offers his cooking class entirely for free! Pay for your food and give him a tip for being such a wonderful person :). 

Note: Cooking classes are usually given before lunchtime.

2. Snorkel at the sculptures

Explore the underwater world of the Gili Islands. Just of the coast of Gili Meno, are sculptures in the water meant as a diving site and home to countless fish. Once you put your goggles underwater, you will discover an entirely new world. More about the Gili underwater sculptures.

Gili Meno is a short 15-minute boat trip from Gili Air. We highly recommend this as it was our absolute favorite thing to do on Gili Air.

things to do gili air sculptures

3. Live music on the beach

Grab one of the beanbags at Gili Lumbung Beachclub, enjoy live music and see the sun setting into the ocean with the backdrop of the Volcano on Bali.

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things to do gili air spa live music

4. Join a beach cleanup

Unfortunately, we all need to make sure paradise stays paradise. Clean-ups are needed all over the world, and luckily companies like TrashHero organize these weekly! It is a great way to meet people, and cleaning takes only one or two hours in the morning or afternoon. Read on how to reduce plastic and travel plastic-free!

For tickets to Gili Air, contact our good friend Yande below or purchase tickets online.

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10 Things To Do in Gili Air, Lombok

5. Bike around the island

One of the best things to do in Gili Air is to rent a bike and explore the island. Follow the beachside and find all the nice beach clubs, or bike through the center of the island and see a bit of the local life, coconut farms, and the best restaurants.
Bike rentals are located near the boat pier or at your hotel.

things to do gili air bike

6. Swing at the beach

Have a swing at one of the many swings around Gili Air. They are owned by the beach clubs but don’t worry; It is free to swing. This pink swing is located at PinkCoco.

The swings are there for your perfect travel photo on Instagram. Different from Gili Trawangan, these swings have no lines to stand in to get a photo. During sunset, the swings become even more magical!

For tickets to Gili Air, contact our good friend Yande below or purchase tickets online.

Book a local driver or tour Contact our friend Yande with his Bali Friend Tour team. We've done countless incredible trips with him in the last 6 years!
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things to do gili air beach swing

7. Best spa on the Gili Islands

The Slow Spa on Gili Air slows you down even more. The stunning bamboo spa offers a wide selection of treatments and is incredibly popular with tourists and expats who are working on the Gili Islands. Slow Spa is part of Slow Villas but accessible for all visitors.

things to do gili air spa

8. Snorkel with turtles on the Gilis

Gili Air is well-known for its super clear turquoise water to snorkel and dive in. The entire northern part of the island is home to sea turtles. So the chance to spot a turtle is high. Do not swim during low tide, the corals will be too close. You could easily damage the corals or yourself.

9. Sunset on the west side

The best sunsets are on the west side of Gili Air. During a cloudless day, you could even have Mount Agung from Bali in the backdrop.

things to do gili air sunset mount agung

10. Subwing

Maneuver like a Manta Ray through the underwater world while a boat is pulling you through the water. Subwinging’ is an awesome thing to do on Gili Air for all those thrill-seekers.

Restaurants in Gili Air

Although it is such a small island, it owns some delicious restaurants of both local and international kitchens.

  • Warung Sunny (incredible local food)
  • Camila (best sushi)
  • Warung Alam Damai (delicious local food)
  • Gili bliss (smoothie bowls)
  • The Mexican Kitchen (yummy Mexican)
  • Pachamama (best vegan options)
  • Classico Italiano (best coffee)
Find all locations in our Google MapsFind in our Google Maps
things to do gili air restaurant

Fast Boat to the Gili Islands

From Bali, take the fast boat to Gili Islands. Depending on the boat company, boats run from the harbors of Serangan, Sanur, Padang Bai, or Amed. Expect to pay anywhere between 650.000 and 900.000 IDR (40 – 65 USD) for a return boat ticket to Bali. The price depends on the company, the type of boat, and the season you’re traveling in. On top of that comes the transport to the port, which is between 100.000-150.000 IDR (6-10 euros). Purchase online tickets here.

Order boat tickets

Our good friend Yande offers boat tickets to Gili Air for 750,000 IDR per person, including a hotel transfer from Bali.

Book a local driver or tour Contact our friend Yande with his Bali Friend Tour team. We've done countless incredible trips with him in the last 6 years!
Contact on Whatsapp
yande bali friend tour
things to do gili air ferry fast boat

The boat to Gili Air takes 2.5 hours with the fast boat. The drop-off point is the pier in the south part Gili Air (see map).

We have visited the Gili Islands twice, both with quite a rough sea. We recommend you spend a little more money on this trip for comfort.

Additionally, it’s good to know that you don’t have to book a return date if you’re not yet sure about the length of your stay. Confirm your return from Gili Air at their office on the island one day in advance.

things to do gili air drone island

Best time to visit Gili Air

The weather is at its best between July and August and December and January. The rain season is officially between November and April but the showers are nothing compared to those on Bali.

Best
Good
Mixed
Poor
🌧️
29°C
Jan
🌧️
29°C
Feb
🌧️
30°C
Mar
🌦️
30°C
Apr
29°C
May
28°C
Jun
28°C
Jul
🌤
28°C
Aug
🌤
28°C
Sep
29°C
Oct
🌦️
30°C
Nov
🌧️
30°C
Dec
Also see: Best Time to visit Bali


24/02/2024 https://www.saltinourhair.com/bali/gili-air-island-guide/
Blog comments (58)

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  • Lizzie

    Hi! We’re planning our trip for next July/August and I just wondered is the sea rough this time of year when island hopping? Thank you :)

    • Salt in our Hair

      Hey Lizzie, July/August is the dry season, so the sea should be at its calmest. Have a great time! :)

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