Monday, February 2, 2026

The Gili Islands



The three Gili Islands are off the East coast of Bali but are part of the Lombok province of Indonesia.  A 1.5 hour fast boat took us to the largest of the three islands - Gili Trawangan for 3 relaxing days.  While Bali is mostly Hindu, theses island are primarily Muslim so there is a large mosque and call to prayer 5 times a day.







Snorkelling, diving, beaches, pools, cycling, walking and just chilling out were on the itinerary.  A snorkelling boat trip took people out to 3 different locations. 



A short walk and you were at Turtle Beach where snorkelling a few feet from shore gave you a front row observation of fish and giant turtles.  I can’t believe I actually got pictures with the rented go pro camera!








And of course we found a favorite beach where the spring rolls were delicious and the cocktails cheap - 3 for under $10. And yes the sand was white and soft and the water turquoise!

Let’s try the special massage oil!






There are limited motorized vehicles on the island but watch out for the electric mini scooters and bikes! And if you manage to avoid them - watch out for the horse drawn carts that serve as taxis and construction vehicles.








The island is under 7 km around and can be walked in a few hours or circled by bike in about an hour.


The main mosque

The horse barns - Intrepud does recommend using the horses due to their treatment

A smaller mosque inland

Tobacco plant






Lots of construction and no fancy equipment

Gili at night - food was delicious!





Two people carried this large wicker basket out loaded with our dinners

Good bye Gilis and on our way back to Bali and Ubud.





The Gili Islands

The three Gili Islands are off the East coast of Bali but are part of the Lombok province of Indonesia.  A 1.5 hour fast boat took us to the...