Which Gili island should you visit?

The Gilis are three small coral islands off the northwest coast of Lombok. No cars, no motorbikes, no dogs. You walk, cycle or take a horse cart, and you can circle any of them on foot.

Gili Trawangan

The largest and busiest. A strip of bars, restaurants, dive shops and hotels along the east coast, a night market, and the only real nightlife in the group.

Suits: younger travellers, divers, anyone who wants a social island with things happening.

Size: about 3 by 2 kilometres; an hour and a half to walk round.

The honest version: the east strip is developed and busy, the west and north are quiet and beautiful. The famous party reputation is real but concentrated, and much of the island is calm.

Gili Air

The middle one in every sense: some bars and restaurants, a good spread of accommodation, a local village, and quiet beaches on the north and west.

Suits: most people. Couples, families, divers, and anyone who wants somewhere to eat dinner without a scene.

Size: about 1.5 kilometres across; an hour to walk round.

The honest version: the best balance of the three, and the one I would send most people to.

Gili Meno

The smallest and quietest, with a salt lake in the middle, a turtle hatchery, an underwater sculpture installation offshore, and very little else.

Suits: honeymooners, people who want to read a book for four days, snorkellers.

Size: about 2 by 1 kilometres; 45 minutes to walk round.

The honest version: genuinely quiet, with limited food options and mosquitoes near the salt lake. Bring a book and repellent.

What they all have

Turquoise water and white sand, which is the reason people come and which Bali's main beaches do not have.

Snorkelling with green turtles, which are common and easily seen from the shore, particularly off Gili Air and Meno.

Diving. A cluster of sites around the three islands including Shark Point, Halik and Meno Wall, with turtles, reef sharks and good coral. The islands are a popular and cheap place to certify.

No motor vehicles. Bicycles and cidomo horse carts. The horse welfare question is a real one and has improved in recent years; walking or cycling is the choice if it bothers you.

Sunsets over Bali's Agung from the west coasts, and sunrise over Rinjani from the east.

Getting there

Fast boats from Padang Bai on Bali's east coast, roughly 1.5 to 2.5 hours, and from Sanur and Serangan, longer. Also from Bangsal on Lombok, a 15 to 30-minute local boat, which is what you use if you are coming from Lombok or flying into Lombok airport.

Crossings are weather-dependent, and the open-sea stretch between Bali and the Gilis is exposed. Wet season crossings are rougher and cancellations happen.

Practicalities

Cash. ATMs exist on Trawangan and Air and are unreliable. Bring rupiah.

Water. Fresh water is scarce and largely shipped or desalinated. Showers can be brackish.

Medical care is minimal, with clinics but no hospital. Serious cases go to Lombok or Bali, and a night evacuation is slow and expensive. This matters for divers.

Malaria and dengue. Mosquito precautions are worth taking, particularly on Meno.

Alcohol. Stick to beer and sealed bottles at established venues. Counterfeit spirits have caused deaths in Indonesia and the Gilis have had incidents.

How long

Three nights on one island, or four to five if you want to island-hop, which is easy on the daily shuttle boats.