If you mention the Gili Islands to anyone, people either only know about the famous three , or simply respond with “where?”.
To most people, the Gili Islands near Bali, Indonesia are either Gili Trawangan, Gili Air or the lesser known Gili Meno, however there are 26 Gili Islands scattered all around the coast of Lombok, Indonesia.
Known as “The Secret Gili Islands” I wanted to know more about them. Some are uninhabited, others are in their infancy with regards to tourism, but are quickly becoming the newest destination for people seeking escape from the crowds. All I know is that I want to see some of the secret Gilis.
So I started with GIli Gede.
To most people, the Gili Islands near Bali, Indonesia are either Gili Trawangan, Gili Air or the lesser known Gili Meno, however there are 26 Gili Islands scattered all around the coast of Lombok, Indonesia.
Known as “The Secret Gili Islands” I wanted to know more about them. Some are uninhabited, others are in their infancy with regards to tourism, but are quickly becoming the newest destination for people seeking escape from the crowds. All I know is that I want to see some of the secret Gilis.
So I started with GIli Gede.
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An introduction to Gili Gede
Gili Gede means “big island”, but at 4km long and 1.6km wide, it isn’t really that big. Tourism hasn’t quite reached Gili Gede but as the island’s only jetty is outside a boutique resort, I think it will only be a matter of time.
When we visited there was no mainland electricity to the island so only gas-powered generators were used. There was no infrastructure, no proper roads or motorised vehicles although we did see the odd motorbike. There are no supermarkets so it’s a two-hour round boat trip to Lembar on mainland Lombok for locals wishing to buy supplies, gas for their generators or fresh water as there is none on the island.
Gili Gede means “big island”, but at 4km long and 1.6km wide, it isn’t really that big. Tourism hasn’t quite reached Gili Gede but as the island’s only jetty is outside a boutique resort, I think it will only be a matter of time.
When we visited there was no mainland electricity to the island so only gas-powered generators were used. There was no infrastructure, no proper roads or motorised vehicles although we did see the odd motorbike. There are no supermarkets so it’s a two-hour round boat trip to Lembar on mainland Lombok for locals wishing to buy supplies, gas for their generators or fresh water as there is none on the island.
This could all change very quickly if this island follows in the footsteps of the northern Gill islands, and I have heard that land has already been purchased by resorts from Gili Trawangan.
When we took a stroll around the island, there were very few visitors and we could really feel this was an undiscovered part of the world …. But for how long?
When we took a stroll around the island, there were very few visitors and we could really feel this was an undiscovered part of the world …. But for how long?
Dotted along the sand shores are small traditional boats which locals use for fishing and pearl farming, their only sources of income. As I am concerned about over-fishing and unsustainable practices, I was happy to see that hand-made weighted nets are used. Buckets of prepared salted fish stood in front of a pot of boiling water ready to be cooked so it appeared that any fish caught is eaten by the families.
The local boats are also used to navigate the waterways from one village to the next or from one island to another, they are the taxis of the waterways.
Mending a local boat, Gili Gede style!
During our island wander, we passed small local villages with many goats, chickens, cows with wooden bells grazing in coconut fields and not a lot of anything else. Locals smiled and said hello, children excitedly waved and held their hands up for a high five, it was all very endearing.
What you looking at? It's my coconut, not yours.
I will confess now that I became obsessed with the goats! I don’t know why, I just loved seeing them and kept taking photos, especially when they were wandering along the beach or sitting in a boat, I found that most amusing. It’s the simple things in life that make me happy.
Hmmmm, which boat should I use today to get my shopping?
A goat in a boat ... of course!
There are five villages on this Muslim Island (so remember to dress appropriately and cover up when walking around). Next to the only mosque is the school, both of which face the sunset side of the island.
When chatting to an ex-pat, I learnt that school is for children aged 6-12 but there is no further education as there simply isn’t enough money to pay for it. Children are taught to speak and write in the local Sasak language as well as Bahasa Indonesian which will open more doors for them in the future.
When chatting to an ex-pat, I learnt that school is for children aged 6-12 but there is no further education as there simply isn’t enough money to pay for it. Children are taught to speak and write in the local Sasak language as well as Bahasa Indonesian which will open more doors for them in the future.
Orong Bukal Village - one of the five different villages on Gili Gede
The island's only mosque is next to the school facing a sunset beach
It was a scorching hot day and we weren’t carrying enough water. Silly us underestimated the distances and we took many wrong turns on our little jaunt. Luckily there were plenty of small stalls selling refreshments, even the cows stopped by to see what the latest offer was.
A local shop with it's first customer of the day ... a curious brown cow
As an example of how under-developed Gili Gede is, we discovered we were unable to walk all the way around and it’s still very rugged. There are broken stone pathways, boggy beaches are lined with mangrove trees and there are many areas which simply don’t have a path, just rocks and ocean.
Locals past us on motorbikes and checked that we were OK and weren’t lost, yet another sign of how few tourists visit here and how friendly the locals are.
Locals past us on motorbikes and checked that we were OK and weren’t lost, yet another sign of how few tourists visit here and how friendly the locals are.
At night, there is no "after dark activities". No bars, no clubs, and although there are a few restaurants, not all can be reached if you are on a certain part of the island. Our entertainment was listening to the sound of cicadas from our balcony, and in the morning, sweet bird song could be heard plus roosters (of course!) in the distance.
With no light pollution, the sky is clear and bright so we lay on our balcony and looked up. We stared at the moon, the stars and we swear we saw a comet or shooting star … perhaps it was an alien spaceship which suddenly disappeared … I don’t know, but we had drunk a couple of Bintangs and our imagination may have been in overdrive.
Finding a gorgeous restaurant
We discovered a wonderful restaurant and homestay called Tanjungan Bukit Lodge owned by a French gentleman and his Indonesian wife. To reach this restaurant from our homestay we had two options, one of which was to walk down the beach past the mangrove trees and through a small inlet that was ankle deep during the day/low tide.
With no light pollution, the sky is clear and bright so we lay on our balcony and looked up. We stared at the moon, the stars and we swear we saw a comet or shooting star … perhaps it was an alien spaceship which suddenly disappeared … I don’t know, but we had drunk a couple of Bintangs and our imagination may have been in overdrive.
Finding a gorgeous restaurant
We discovered a wonderful restaurant and homestay called Tanjungan Bukit Lodge owned by a French gentleman and his Indonesian wife. To reach this restaurant from our homestay we had two options, one of which was to walk down the beach past the mangrove trees and through a small inlet that was ankle deep during the day/low tide.
At low tide, this is the route to Tanjungan Bukit restaurant, at high tide, it's a little more difficult to cross
The second option was to walk inland along a pathway made up of loose earth containing a lot of pot holes. This was the long and we definitely had to watch our footing, especially in the dark; you wouldn’t want to trip and injure yourself here with no access to medical care.
Both options didn't pose a problem in daylight, but returning after dinner in the pitch-black night (thankfully we had the torch on our mobile phones) proved more difficult, resulting in the loss of Sy’s left flip flop!
Walking along the beach was the quickest route, but when the tide was high, it came up to my thighs. With a fast-flowing current, when Sy was crossing he managed to lose his left flip-flop. He spent the next few days trying on various washed up left foots searching for a worthy replacement. NB: Yes he did find one, and it was so comfortable, he continued to wear it for months later forgetting that he had odd flip-flops!
Both options didn't pose a problem in daylight, but returning after dinner in the pitch-black night (thankfully we had the torch on our mobile phones) proved more difficult, resulting in the loss of Sy’s left flip flop!
Walking along the beach was the quickest route, but when the tide was high, it came up to my thighs. With a fast-flowing current, when Sy was crossing he managed to lose his left flip-flop. He spent the next few days trying on various washed up left foots searching for a worthy replacement. NB: Yes he did find one, and it was so comfortable, he continued to wear it for months later forgetting that he had odd flip-flops!
Lovely relaxing dining area at Tanjungan Bukit restaurant
Sitting on a relaxing beanbag on the terrace to drink a cold Bintang is a lovely way to enjoy your afternoon/evening
.... alternatively you can sit on the lower section of the restaurant with this beautiful mood lighting
Clearly that didn’t stop us as we ate here three times and were unperturbed by the journey because the food, atmosphere and service were well worth it!
On the menu was a mixture of local Sasak/Indonesian dishes and currys and, as well as Bintangs (60,000 IDR) they had small bottles of San Miguel (45,000 IDR) which was a lovely change.
The food was delicious, reasonably priced and good sized portion. We tried a number of dishes but the toast plate appetiser was to die for. I told the owner that it was Sy’s birthday and, as a surprise, he arranged for his wife to bake a chocolate cake. How lovely of him, thank you Neil!
On the menu was a mixture of local Sasak/Indonesian dishes and currys and, as well as Bintangs (60,000 IDR) they had small bottles of San Miguel (45,000 IDR) which was a lovely change.
The food was delicious, reasonably priced and good sized portion. We tried a number of dishes but the toast plate appetiser was to die for. I told the owner that it was Sy’s birthday and, as a surprise, he arranged for his wife to bake a chocolate cake. How lovely of him, thank you Neil!
Delicious toast plate
Our accommodation
We visited Gili Gede on a budget and were grateful to have found Thamarind Gili Gede through booking.com. The accommodation is built on a meadow about 15 minutes walk from the Ko Ko Mo Resort where the jetty is located, but this meant clambering over rocky boulders which became slippy and precarious when wet. During high tide, it’s not possible to walk this route which does isolate various hotels so we are happy we chose to stay at Thamarind, otherwise we wouldn’t have found Tanjung Bukit restaurant!
We visited Gili Gede on a budget and were grateful to have found Thamarind Gili Gede through booking.com. The accommodation is built on a meadow about 15 minutes walk from the Ko Ko Mo Resort where the jetty is located, but this meant clambering over rocky boulders which became slippy and precarious when wet. During high tide, it’s not possible to walk this route which does isolate various hotels so we are happy we chose to stay at Thamarind, otherwise we wouldn’t have found Tanjung Bukit restaurant!
The beach next to Thamarind
Our first two nights were in a small but pleasant Pondok which had a mosquito net, fan and small balcony which we could lie on and look up at the stars – what more could you ask for?
A simple but comfortable Pondok
We visited Gili Gede and nearby Gili Asahan for Sy’s birthday and so for a special treat on his special day, we upgraded to a sea-view bungalow, this was definitely worth it! We opened all the doors and windows and fell asleep listening to the ocean lapping against the shore.
A sea-view bungalow
As we had a gorgeous view, we decided to get up for sunrise and I am so glad we did, it was beautiful. But don’t just listen to me, judge for yourself and look at our photos.
On our last day, the heavens opened so we sat on our balcony watching the rain. What did the locals do when it rained? They played football barefoot. #islandlife
Another reason we loved staying at Thamarind Resort was because of the 15 minute walk to Kokomo Resort where Sy wanted to have breakfast on his birthday, because there is the option for bacon! If you know Sy, you know how much he loves his bacon. We ended up eating here twice and it was delicious, plentiful and the relaxing view was second to none. It was definitely worth splashing out and filled us up way past lunchtime.
Another reason we loved staying at Thamarind Resort was because of the 15 minute walk to Kokomo Resort where Sy wanted to have breakfast on his birthday, because there is the option for bacon! If you know Sy, you know how much he loves his bacon. We ended up eating here twice and it was delicious, plentiful and the relaxing view was second to none. It was definitely worth splashing out and filled us up way past lunchtime.
Delicious breakfast ... happy birthday Sy!
Gili Gede’s beaches and its litter issue
Gili Gede has some soft white sand beaches and others which are made up of crushed coral. We strolled along the shore feeling the soft sand between our toes picking up the pretty shells. As I am a lover of conservation, we didn’t take any shells away with us. To enjoy them, I simply took a photograph. If you want to find out why I don't collect shells for the protection of our beaches, read this article.
Take only photographs, leave only footprints!
Take only photographs, leave only footprints!
Pretty shells - nice to look at, but they live on the beach not in a house. When visiting the beach, Take only photos, leave only footprints
Sadly the majority of the soft sand beaches on the west coast were littered with rubbish washed in with the currents from around the world. In a 10 metre stretch I counted 8 nappies, a couple of handbags, cigarette packets, clothes and countless shoes and flip flops.
This is a shocking reminder of how humans are ruining our planet and how littering has a devastating effect on our oceans and beaches. As there is very little tourism here, there is no proper waste management infrastructure, and locals aren’t yet fully educated as to the problem with litter (although some are trying).
As a visiting to Indonesia, you can do your bit.
Refuse single use plastic bags, straws etc and carry your own tote bag and bamboo/alumininum straw.
Reuse any plastics you are given, by refilling your water bottle and keeping the carrier bag with you for the future.
For further information on what you can do, please read our blog post for tips on living and travelling with less plastic.
This is a shocking reminder of how humans are ruining our planet and how littering has a devastating effect on our oceans and beaches. As there is very little tourism here, there is no proper waste management infrastructure, and locals aren’t yet fully educated as to the problem with litter (although some are trying).
As a visiting to Indonesia, you can do your bit.
Refuse single use plastic bags, straws etc and carry your own tote bag and bamboo/alumininum straw.
Reuse any plastics you are given, by refilling your water bottle and keeping the carrier bag with you for the future.
For further information on what you can do, please read our blog post for tips on living and travelling with less plastic.
Take only photographs, leave only footprints!
We enjoyed our visit to Gili Gede with its rugged charm and friendly, welcoming locals. With the new jetty making it an easily accessible destination and plans to introduce electricity on the island, I can see that this secret Gili island won’t be a secret for too much longer
We enjoyed our visit to Gili Gede with its rugged charm and friendly, welcoming locals. With the new jetty making it an easily accessible destination and plans to introduce electricity on the island, I can see that this secret Gili island won’t be a secret for too much longer
Wondering what to pack for your next trip? Let us help you with the essentials in our Ultimate Packing List for Worldwide Travel (tried and tested!)
Island information
- There is no electricity on the island so generators are used.
- Roads are made up of sand tracks, concrete pathways and rubble. Some parts of the island cannot be reached at high tide on foot so you will need to use a local boat.
- No ATM’s on the island so bring plenty of cash, Cash is King. There are credit card machines but a 2% charge is added.
- There are a few restaurants on the island but not all are accessible from all accommodation.
- Water is brackish as there is no fresh water supply to the island.
- Dry season – May until November; wet season is December until April.
How do I get to Gili Gede?
Flights: There are international airports at Lombok and Bali. Your accommodation should be able to help you with a transfer from the airport to the harbour and a boat to Gili Gede, alternatively you can do this yourself.
By boat from Bali: Gili Getaway have fast boats from Bali (about 2.5 hours) and the Northern Gilis (about 1.5 hours)
By boat from Lombok: At the harbour, there are many companies you can use to take you to Gili Gede, the journey takes about 30 minutes.
We suggest checking ferry/bus schedules ahead of time, and booking in advance online with Bookaway. It will save time and hassle, and help you plan your travel itinerary.
Where to stay
Luxury: Kokomo Resort or Vista Villa
Mid-Range:
Tanjungan Bukit Lodge
Secret Island Resort (south)
Via Vaccare (northwest)
Yut Inn Flower Paradise Inn (east)
Budget: Thamarind Gili Gede or Pelangi Homestay
Have you heard of Gili Gede and the “secret Gili Islands”? Is this a place you would want to visit or is it too remote and rugged? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
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Want to know more about the Gili Islands, Lombok & Bali?
Gili Asahan - The Secret Gili Islands
Gili Sudak and Gili Kedis - The Secret Gili Islands
Kuta Lombok - The New Kuta Bali?
25 Best Things to Do in Gili Air
Gil Air - The Perfect Island?
Gili Trawangan - Not Just A Party Island
Gili Meno - The Island of Love
Is Pink Beach Lombok Worth Visiting?
Wonderful Waterfalls of Lombok
Best Sunset Spots on Gili Air
World Oceans Day: Conservation Success on Gili Air
Volunteering at Gili Air Cat Clinic
10 Must Try Indonesian Dishes
Bali - Is Sanur Worth Visiting? You May Be Surprised
Searching for Street Art in Canggu, Bali
15 Things to Do in Canggu, Bali
Travelling around Indonesia? Hope these links help!
Awesome Things to Do in Nusa Penida - Bali's Best Kept Secret
Lembongan - Bali, but Better!
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Komodo Dragon Hike in Rinca
Komodo, Flores, More Than Just Dragons
Jewels of Java - Borobudur & Prambanan
Indonesian Orangutan Adventure
Derawan & Sangalaki - Borneo's Hidden Gem?
Raja Ampat on a Budget
Are you a Scuba Diver? Check out these related links:
Scuba Diving the Gili Islands
Manta Madness
Diving Raja Ampat
Lembeh - A Magical Muck Diving Experience
USS Liberty in Bali - Highly Wreck-Ommended
Nusa Penida: Diving with Mola Mola, the Ocean Sunfish
Gili Asahan - The Secret Gili Islands
Gili Sudak and Gili Kedis - The Secret Gili Islands
Kuta Lombok - The New Kuta Bali?
25 Best Things to Do in Gili Air
Gil Air - The Perfect Island?
Gili Trawangan - Not Just A Party Island
Gili Meno - The Island of Love
Is Pink Beach Lombok Worth Visiting?
Wonderful Waterfalls of Lombok
Best Sunset Spots on Gili Air
World Oceans Day: Conservation Success on Gili Air
Volunteering at Gili Air Cat Clinic
10 Must Try Indonesian Dishes
Bali - Is Sanur Worth Visiting? You May Be Surprised
Searching for Street Art in Canggu, Bali
15 Things to Do in Canggu, Bali
Travelling around Indonesia? Hope these links help!
Awesome Things to Do in Nusa Penida - Bali's Best Kept Secret
Lembongan - Bali, but Better!
Tarsiers and a Monkey Selfie
Komodo Dragon Hike in Rinca
Komodo, Flores, More Than Just Dragons
Jewels of Java - Borobudur & Prambanan
Indonesian Orangutan Adventure
Derawan & Sangalaki - Borneo's Hidden Gem?
Raja Ampat on a Budget
Are you a Scuba Diver? Check out these related links:
Scuba Diving the Gili Islands
Manta Madness
Diving Raja Ampat
Lembeh - A Magical Muck Diving Experience
USS Liberty in Bali - Highly Wreck-Ommended
Nusa Penida: Diving with Mola Mola, the Ocean Sunfish
