The Gili Islands
of Lombok

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Don't miss them

Whatever you do in Lombok, visit the three petite Gili Islands (named Air, Meno and Trawangan). They are just off the Lombok mainland. You can reach the nearest Gili Island in 20 minutes on a small outboard outrigger boat from the nearby Bangsal harbor beach. Its sunsets are romantic.

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Snorkeling & diving

The three Gili Islands are praised for snorkeling and scuba diving. Each island is abutted by clear-water reefs teeming with fascinating coral formations and marine life, including giant clams and colorful tropical fish. If you never snorkeled or dived before, local dive shops have qualified instructors to teach you.

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Laid-back

Even if you don't put your toe in the water, do experience the Gili Island's youthful, laid-back tone, typical of relatively undiscovered, not-yet-mainstream travel destinations. Life is slow-paced. No one is in a hurry. There are no cars or motorbikes. You travel the islands' unpaved dirt roads on foot or in minuscule horse-drawn carts.

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Gili Island
accommodations

Virtually all are rather basic, with minimum amenities. If that sleep-over adventure is not on your wish list, no problem. It's easy to make day trips to one or all three islands and return to sleep in your comfy Lombok Island hotel room (though you will miss the Gili Islands' nighttime spirit generated by carefree vacationers, mostly in their 20s to early 30s).

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Redundancy

"Gili" means "island", so "Gili Islands" means "island islands", a classic redundancy. However, the "Gili Islands" term is so widely used in the local tourist trade that is now a valid appellation.

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Click

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for more Lombok pointers

Lombok

Sulawesi

Java

Komodo

Kalimantan

Lombok - Page one

Lombok - Page three

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Top 10 attractions

Bali tip sheet

Bali attraction map

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