Coming from Kuala Lumpur, we arrived at Bali International Airport at around 10 PM. Getting through customs was fairly straightforward and when exiting, there were several tour sales reps around. We found an ATM at the airport to get cash out and then we got a Grab1 to our hotel in Kuta. We didn’t have boat tickets yet for the Gili Islands so we asked our driver who gave us a Whatsapp number for a sales rep. There was no more space on the boats departing from the nearby port at Serangan, but the rep said there was a boat leaving from Padang Bai to Gili Trawangan at 10 AM. This harbor was about an hour’s drive away and the sales rep said he could offer us return tickets plus transportation for 1,600,000 IDR2 for both of us. It was quite pricy but it was similar to what we found online for just boat tickets. The car picked us up at around 8.30 AM the following day to take us to Padang Bai. There was a lot of traffic getting out of Kuta but we made it to the harbor in time for the boat. The pier at the harbor was very busy with lots of people waiting to get on their boats. We’re all given stickers to help the staff determine who goes on which boat. As you board the boat, they take your luggage to secure onto the boat. You then head down to sit in the lower deck. The boat travels quite quickly and about 20 minutes in, the captain announces that people can head to the upper deck. Beer is also available to buy on the boat. It’s quite a long journey and we arrived at Gili Trawangan at 12.30 PM.
The Island
We stayed on the largest of the Gili islands, Gili Trawangan, which is also known as Gili T. The main strip on the east side of the island is filled with tour agencies, restaurants, hotels, and bars. There are also lots of certified scuba diving agencies, many of which also offer accommodation. This part of the island is very lively and great to relax in during the day. It has beautiful sandy beaches with crystal clear blue waters. In the evening, you can catch the sunset whilst having a drink or some dinner with a view of the sea. At night, the bars have live music and there are 2 or 3 clubs on the strip. The atmosphere is great with people dancing on the beach outside the club. There is also a night food market that does some great barbecues and fresh seafood. The west side of the island is less busy and has some resort hotels. It’s a great spot to catch the sunset and it’s a short 25-minute walk from the east side. You can also rent bikes if you’d like to explore more of the island.
Snorkeling
We booked this tour for 100,000 IDR each and the boat left the pier at 1.30 PM. The first snorkeling stop is at the shore of Gili Meno. There are some corals here and lots of colorful fishes. The main attraction is some statues on the seabed where lots of fish swim around. The water is clear, calm, and quite shallow which makes it great for snorkeling. We spend about 30 minutes here before heading to Turtle Point. The waters here are much deeper and fewer fishes are swimming around. The highlight here is that you are pretty much guaranteed to spot turtles swimming or resting on the seabed. We made 2 stops at different parts of the Turtle Point and got to see lots of turtles. We stayed in the area for about an hour and 15 minutes before heading to Gili Air for some food. We’re taken to a restaurant inland and then have some time to walk around the island. This is the smallest island and much quieter than Gili T, but it also has similar sandy beaches with crystal clear blue waters. After a short walk, we then headed to the boat and back to Gili T.
