How to dive the Gili islands

Jan 4
5 min read

This tiny trio of Indonesian islands is renowned for its vivid marine life. Dive enthusiast Toby Dear and family head under the waves at Gili Trawangan

How to dive the Gili islands - the tiny Indonesian islands are one of the world's top dive spots

Thirty-five kilometres east of Bali lie the three Gili Islands, Air, Meno and Trawangan. These secluded isles are only reachable by sea, with boats travelling in each day from Bali and Lombok. Over the last few decades, the islands have grown into tourist hotspots, largely due to the beauty of the local reefs for diving and the quiet contrast they provide to Indonesia’s larger islands.

I travelled to the largest of the three, Gili Trawangan, from Hong Kong earlier this summer on a break with my family. After spending a night in Bali, we caught a ferry the following morning out of Sanur Port. Despite some engine trouble leaving us stranded for two hours on Penida Island, we reached our destination of Gili Trawangan in the afternoon.

Settling in

There are no cars or motorbikes on the Gilis; bikes, electric scooters and horse-drawn carriages are the only modes of transport available to visitors. But the compact size of the islands means that travelling on foot is an easy option, too. With luggage to manage, we took a carriage to our villa, gripping our bags as we bounced along the tight streets.

How to dive the Gili islands - with no motorised transport, visitors rely on horse and cart to get around

The whole island is dotted with resorts and villas, ranging in cost and providing a wide selection for every budget. In typical southeast Asian beach tradition, large swathes of coast are lined by restaurants or resort daybeds; at sunset locals offer horse rides to tourists on the beachfronts. The lack of motor vehicles and large nightclubs means that the island is often quiet; the loudest sounds were the roll of the ocean and the call to prayer from the local masjid.

Diving adventures

We spent our first few days lounging at the beach and exploring the island before we set out to dive. On the first morning, we walked to the nearest beach, a wide white spread on the north shore.

It was a beautiful slice of paradise and I ventured out with a snorkel in an attempt to reach the reef. I would recommend bringing water shoes for any shore snorkelling here; the high tide concealed a shallow stretch of rocks that were painful to navigate. However, I was rewarded for my struggles when I finally reached the reef and spotted a turtle weaving through the coral below.

We spent our first dive day with Trawangan Stingray Divers. Our boat consisted of us, our guides and the crew. The first dive spot we visited was the aptly named Turtle Heaven, just off the north coast of Gili Meno. The water was clear enough to see all the way to the bottom from our speedboat. We donned short-sleeved wetsuits for the warm Indian Ocean water and as we descended, the coral stretching endlessly beneath us, we were greeted by a clipping sound like two rocks being banged together. We soon discovered the source: a hawksbill turtle chewing through coral with its sharp beak. It was the first of five we saw on the dive, including a sleeping green sea turtle in a bed of seagrass with a suckerfish lying on its back.

How to dive the Gili islands - the family was delighted to spot a turtle during a dive

We then headed out to Shallow Turbo, off the northeast coast of Gili Trawangan. The marine life was overwhelming and varied: moray eels, clownfish, pufferfish, butterflyfish and even a barracuda. There seemed to be something to investigate in every direction.

Unlike other Southeast Asian dive spots, the Gili dive locations don’t seem to suffer from the overcrowding that often occurs with large dive boats and too many dive companies. We were able to take our time moving across the reef, observing the colours and activity undisturbed.

One final day diving

Finally, we took the boat back to Gili Trawangan for an hour to fill up on nasi goreng at a local restaurant before heading out again. Our last dive of the day was at Halik Rip, a spot northwest of the island. The current was much stronger there, pulling us as soon as we descended. We drifted after our guide past the coral wall at pace, taking in the underwater world side-on.

All up, we spent 109 minutes underwater that day. The guides were thorough and knowledgeable about both the technical and marine biological aspects of diving. They knew the reef well and it was a comfortable experience throughout.

How to dive the Gili islands - relaxing at sunset on Gili Trawangan

After our dive day we returned to our loafing in the sun. The food on the island was incredible, conjured from ingredients brought in from Lombok daily. Plenty of restaurants, large and small, offered a range of local dishes, along with western food for those wanting a taste of home. There was delicious fresh fish cooked with sambal, nasi campur, mie goreng, beef rendang, satay skewers and, of course, plenty of nasi goreng.

We initially hadn’t intended to dive again during our trip, but our first day had left us hungry for more. Plus, we had missed one of the more popular spots on the Gili reef, Shark Point. We decided to go with Gili Divers for one final dive on our penultimate day, setting out on a large dive boat with several other groups. It was a quick, calm dive. Although we didn’t spot any sharks, there was still plenty of aquatic beauty to be found. It was the perfect send-off.

The next day we packed our bags and loaded them into a horse-drawn carriage which delivered us to the pier. As we stood waiting to pile onto the Bali-bound ferry, swallowing anti-seasickness pills, I already felt nostalgic for my time on the peaceful island. As far as beach getaways and dive holidays go, it doesn’t get much better than Gili Trawangan.

Toby travelled to the Gilis in July, flying from Hong Kong to Bali and catching a ferry from Sanur Port in Bali to Gili Trawangan. He dived with Trawangan Stingray Divers and Gili Divers.