If you plan to spend your holiday on an island, don’t forget to put Gili Islands on your list. With their exotic white-sand beaches, the clear blue water, and fresh air, also the beautiful underwater scenery, Gili Islands are no doubt would be the best place to spend your relaxing time. Located in the northwest of Lombok, Gili Islands consist of three small islands—Gili Trawangan, Gili Meno and Gili Air which have its own characteristic of beauty.
It’s easy to get to Gili Islands as many transportations either through air, land, or water are available. There are direct flights from Jakarta, Bali, Surabaya, Singapore, and Kuala Lumpur, and several other cities all around the world to Lombok International Airport. It only needs 25-30 minutes by plane from Bali to Lombok, and 2 hours from Jakarta.
From the airport, you need to continue the trip by car or shuttle bus to reach beach departure point at Bangsal Ferry Terminal. It will take approximately 2 hours to reach the ferry terminal from Lombok.There is also public airport bus provided by DAMRI to transport you to Bangsal Harbor, Senggigi, and Teluk Nare. The cost is around Rp 25.000.
Traveling by public boats from Bangsal Harbour
From Bangsal Harbour you can take public boats to one of the islands. Buy the boat tickets at the port, so you won’t be tricked by ticket brokers who usually sell tickets with a higher price for public boats to get to Gili Islands. One-way fare from Bangsal Harbour to Gili Air in only Rp 10.000, to Gili Meno, is Rp 12.000, and to Gili Trawangan is Rp 13.000.
The public boats run only before 11 am. After 11 am, you can only find public boats to Gili Trawangan or Gili Air. The boat will leave the harbor when it is full, which is around 30 people. Be prepared to wade ashore when you arrive in Gili Islands as sometimes the boats pull up on the beaches.
Traveling by a more sophisticated boat from Bangsal Harbour
There are also public fast boats to Gili Trawangan which run several times a day and cost Rp75.000 for a one-way trip. And if you want to ride the boats in private (for around 20 people), you can charter a boat for around Rp280.000–375.0000.
Ride a speedboat from Teluk Nare and Teluk Kodek
If you prefer to visit Senggigi beach from Lombok first and go right through to Gili Islands, you can take a speedboat charter from Teluk Nare and Teluk Kodek. It is on the west coast of Lombok, just slightly south of Bangsal.
So, already have an option how to get to Gili Islands? Pack your bag and be ready to go.