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Feet Do Blogging

Scuba Diving the Gili Islands, Indonesia

11/10/2017

23 Comments

 
Scuba Diving the Gili Islands, Indonesia, Manta Dive Gili Trawangan, Gili Air, Oceans 5 Feet Do Travel
The Gili Islands, Indonesia, are known as an idyllic slice of paradise. Located off the North West Coast of Lombok in the heart of the Coral Triangle, are three peanut sized tropical islands boasting white sand beaches, palm trees, a relaxed vibe, and, because there is no motorised transport, the gentle clip-clopping of the islands’ horse and carts provide a peaceful mind for all who visit.
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But what can the Gili Islands offer scuba divers? When approaching the islands by boat from Bali, you will see crystal clear aquamarine waters providing fabulous visibility averaging 20 to 25 metres all year round (sometimes more!). Not only are the waters clear, they are wonderfully warm (up to 31 degrees) and many divers enjoy the freedom of wearing shorts and a rash vest – no wetsuit required!

Divers don’t just want to hear about beautiful diving conditions, they want to see marine life.

And this is definitely where the Gili Islands deliver!

Scuba Diving the Gili Islands, Indonesia, Manta Dive Gili Trawangan, Gili Air, Oceans 5 Feet Do Travel
Indonesian waters are part of the Coral Triangle, the world’s primary marine biodiversity hotspot, which means it is teeming with marine life!

There is something here for every diver whether you like the big stuff or macro. There are drop-offs, slopes, sometimes there’s current for the adventure junkies, and plenty of marine life to see. Keep an eye out for white tip reef sharks, cuttlefish, octopus, moray eels, stingrays, frogfish, seahorses, scorpion fish, there are always turtles and the Gilis are often referred to as the unofficial turtle capital of the world. 

It is here that I am going to address the elephant in the room … the coral, or lack thereof. The reefs around the Gilis were subjected to a completely natural event and stress factor known as El Nino. This refers to rising ocean temperatures across the tropical Pacific, and is part of a recurring climate pattern.

It’s no secret there is a history of intense El Niño fish bombing between 1997-1998 when dynamite used to catch fish killed the majority of coral around the Gilis. In 2000, local fisherman got together with dive shops and established the NGO Gili Eco Trust, and this destructive fishing practice was addressed.

However, there is good news ... when Nicole Helgeson of Reef Divers dived the Gilis in May 2018, she was very excited to find over 70 species of coral at The Bounty dive site. Nicole also discovered 35 different species of coral on one bommie at Halik and, during her dives, she found what she calls her "coral unicorns"; very rare corals only found in this area. This shows all is not lost for the Gili Islands' coral.
Scuba Diving the Gili Islands, Indonesia, Manta Dive Gili Trawangan, Gili Air, Oceans 5 Feet Do Travel
Scuba Diving the Gili Islands, Indonesia, Manta Dive Gili Trawangan, Gili Air, Oceans 5 Feet Do Travel
Scuba Diving the Gili Islands, Indonesia, Manta Dive Gili Trawangan, Gili Air, Oceans 5 Feet Do Travel
There are around 26 dive site, and on some you may not find coral as you will in other parts of the coral triangle, but you will still see fascinating topography, and a plethora of marine life for your log book!

Instead of talking about the dive sites, let me show you.

When choosing a Dive Centre, we always check Trip Advisor to ensure we are diving with an environmentally conscious company, as this is extremely important to us. All our dives were carried out with Manta Dive Gili Air and Oceans 5. If you wish to dive with a small, personal dive centre, the amazing Gili Pilih Fun Divers is run by a personal friend of ours and comes highly recommended.
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All photographs have been taken either by Feet Do Travel or our diver friends. Photo credits have been applied to all photos and we would like to thank Jenni Collier, Simon Bomholt and Simon Greatrex for their contributions.
Scuba Diving the Gili Islands, Indonesia, Manta Dive Gili Trawangan, Gili Air, Oceans 5 Feet Do Travel
Gorgeous Gili Air - outside Manta Dive
Scuba Diving the Gili Islands, Indonesia, Manta Dive Gili Trawangan, Gili Air, Oceans 5 Feet Do Travel
Managua, one of the Manta Dive boats which are traditional for Indonesia
Gili Air Dive Sites

Night dives at the harbour 
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Some people hate night dives and others absolutely love them! Night dives are mainly carried out at the harbour, however they can also be from a boat at one of the other local sites.

The harbour is an easy shore dive and if you love your muck diving, this is the place to come. It’s not just the amazing octopus, shrimps, crabs and pipefish you can see on a night dive, nocturnal activity needs to be observed! Divers have witnessed rare mandarin fish mating dances, hunting, feeding and various behaviour that you don’t usually see during the day.
Scuba Diving the Gili Islands, Indonesia, Manta Dive Gili Trawangan, Gili Air, Oceans 5 Feet Do Travel
Getting ready for the night dive - a gorgeous Gili sunset
Scuba Diving the Gili Islands, Indonesia, Manta Dive Gili Trawangan, Gili Air, Oceans 5 Feet Do Travel
Lionfish
Scuba Diving the Gili Islands, Indonesia, Manta Dive Gili Trawangan, Gili Air, Oceans 5 Feet Do Travel
Pipefish
Scuba Diving the Gili Islands, Indonesia, Manta Dive Gili Trawangan, Gili Air, Oceans 5 Feet Do Travel
The elusive mandarin fish doing a mating dance
If you want to see a short video of the Mandarin's mating dance, check out this amazing footage from Simon Bomholt.
Scuba Diving the Gili Islands, Indonesia, Manta Dive Gili Trawangan, Gili Air, Oceans 5 Feet Do Travel
Pygmy Seahorse
Scuba Diving the Gili Islands, Indonesia, Manta Dive Gili Trawangan, Gili Air, Oceans 5 Feet Do Travel
Scuba Diving the Gili Islands, Indonesia, Manta Dive Gili Trawangan, Gili Air, Oceans 5 Feet Do Travel
Scuba Diving the Gili Islands, Indonesia, Manta Dive Gili Trawangan, Gili Air, Oceans 5 Feet Do Travel
An octopus in a glass!
Scuba Diving the Gili Islands, Indonesia, Manta Dive Gili Trawangan, Gili Air, Oceans 5 Feet Do Travel
A frogfish
Scuba Diving the Gili Islands, Indonesia, Manta Dive Gili Trawangan, Gili Air, Oceans 5 Feet Do Travel
Seahorse - everyone wants to find the seahorse on a night dive!
If you want to watch a video of night diving in Gili Air (which includes a walking frogfish!), take a look at Simon Bomholt's awesome video!
Hans Reef & Secret Garden, sometimes known as Frogfish Point
Depth: 5 – 22 metres

These two dive sites are next to one another and dive guides sometimes combine a bit of both. A gentle sandy slope running parallel to the shore, there are large and small bommies plus a large coral mound. 
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You get to see a bit of everything here, schools of fish, turtles, peacock mantis shrimp, blue spotted stingrays plus the usual brightly coloured angels, butterflies and parrotfish, but it’s also a place for muck diving which means it’s a great all-round site and no one is disappointed.
Scuba Diving the Gili Islands, Indonesia, Manta Dive Gili Trawangan, Gili Air, Oceans 5 Feet Do Travel
Peacock Mantis Shrimp
Scuba Diving the Gili Islands, Indonesia, Manta Dive Gili Trawangan, Gili Air, Oceans 5 Feet Do Travel
Scuba Diving the Gili Islands, Indonesia, Manta Dive Gili Trawangan, Gili Air, Oceans 5 Feet Do Travel
Fimbriated Moray Eel
Scuba Diving the Gili Islands, Indonesia, Manta Dive Gili Trawangan, Gili Air, Oceans 5 Feet Do Travel
Cuttlefish
Scuba Diving the Gili Islands, Indonesia, Manta Dive Gili Trawangan, Gili Air, Oceans 5 Feet Do Travel
Titan Triggerfish
Scuba Diving the Gili Islands, Indonesia, Manta Dive Gili Trawangan, Gili Air, Oceans 5 Feet Do Travel
Toby
Scuba Diving the Gili Islands, Indonesia, Manta Dive Gili Trawangan, Gili Air, Oceans 5 Feet Do Travel
Blue Spotted Stingray
Gili Meno Dive Sites

Turtle Heaven/Turtle City/Turtle Point/Marlin Hill 
Depth: 5 – 30+ metres

If you want to see turtles, this is the dive site to see them, it also happens to be my favourite dive site! It’s super fishy and that’s the reason I absolutely loved diving here. Located off the North East Coast of Meno, Marlin Hill is made up of two sloping coral reefs that turn into a pinnacle. 
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The turtles hang out around 12 metres where a plethora of marine can also be found such as schooling Fusiliers, Anemone Fish (including Nemo) snappers, angelfish, I could go on and on. Sometimes, there are just too many fish for the camera to capture and it does not do this site justice.  
Scuba Diving the Gili Islands, Indonesia, Manta Dive Gili Trawangan, Gili Air, Oceans 5 Feet Do Travel
Scuba Diving the Gili Islands, Indonesia, Manta Dive Gili Trawangan, Gili Air, Oceans 5 Feet Do Travel
Cuttlefish
Scuba Diving the Gili Islands, Indonesia, Manta Dive Gili Trawangan, Gili Air, Oceans 5 Feet Do Travel
Scuba Diving the Gili Islands, Indonesia, Manta Dive Gili Trawangan, Gili Air, Oceans 5 Feet Do Travel
Scuba Diving the Gili Islands, Indonesia, Manta Dive Gili Trawangan, Gili Air, Oceans 5 Feet Do Travel
Yellow Boxfish
Simon's Reef
Depth: 18 – 35 metres

OK so I have changed my mind, THIS is my favourite dive site! There are many different types of schooling fish such as fusiliers, 2-spot snappers, surgeon fish and rainbow runners plus you can find stunning anthias hanging out around the amazing coral they have here – yes I said it, the coral on this dive site is very much alive and thriving! The coral formations are beautiful and are probably the healthiest and most diverse in the Gilis, there is a large pinnacle, gorgonian fans, barrel sponges, table coral it’s absolutely gorgeous. 
Scuba Diving the Gili Islands, Indonesia, Manta Dive Gili Trawangan, Gili Air, Oceans 5 Feet Do Travel
Scuba Diving the Gili Islands, Indonesia, Manta Dive Gili Trawangan, Gili Air, Oceans 5 Feet Do Travel
Scuba Diving the Gili Islands, Indonesia, Manta Dive Gili Trawangan, Gili Air, Oceans 5 Feet Do Travel
Scuba Diving the Gili Islands, Indonesia, Manta Dive Gili Trawangan, Gili Air, Oceans 5 Feet Do Travel
Banana Nudibranch
Scuba Diving the Gili Islands, Indonesia, Manta Dive Gili Trawangan, Gili Air, Oceans 5 Feet Do Travel
Blue Spotted Stingray
Scuba Diving the Gili Islands, Indonesia, Manta Dive Gili Trawangan, Gili Air, Oceans 5 Feet Do Travel
Two Spot Snapper
Scuba Diving the Gili Islands, Indonesia, Manta Dive Gili Trawangan, Gili Air, Oceans 5 Feet Do Travel
Scuba Diving the Gili Islands, Indonesia, Manta Dive Gili Trawangan, Gili Air, Oceans 5 Feet Do Travel
Scuba Diving the Gili Islands, Indonesia, Manta Dive Gili Trawangan, Gili Air, Oceans 5 Feet Do Travel
We saw this little dude on our safety stop making his way up for a breath of air
Meno Wall

As the name suggests this site is off the coast of Gili Meno and consists of two sections of steep walls extending down to 18 m before gently sloping deeper into the sand. Meno Slope is also nearby in between Meno Slope and The Bounty. It’s often protected from strong currents and waves and you can find turtles, octopus, moray eels, clown fish, Angelfish and Anemone Fish. Depth: 5 – 24 metres. 
Scuba Diving the Gili Islands, Indonesia, Manta Dive Gili Trawangan, Gili Air, Oceans 5 Feet Do Travel
Giant Moray Eel
Scuba Diving the Gili Islands, Indonesia, Manta Dive Gili Trawangan, Gili Air, Oceans 5 Feet Do Travel
Choose your shade of Day Octopus, would you like to see it in black ...
Scuba Diving the Gili Islands, Indonesia, Manta Dive Gili Trawangan, Gili Air, Oceans 5 Feet Do Travel
... or brown, after it has changed colour for you!
Scuba Diving the Gili Islands, Indonesia, Manta Dive Gili Trawangan, Gili Air, Oceans 5 Feet Do Travel
Scuba Diving the Gili Islands, Indonesia, Manta Dive Gili Trawangan, Gili Air, Oceans 5 Feet Do Travel
Nest – Meno Underwater Statues
Scuba Diving the Gili Islands, Indonesia, Manta Dive Gili Trawangan, Gili Air, Oceans 5 Feet Do Travel
Technically, you don’t have to dive to see the 48 life-size figures because, due to their proximity off the beach in front of BASK (a new luxury resort villa which is due to be finished in 2019), they are easily reached. Based on real people, the statues form a circle and were created by Jason deCaires Taylor, a well-known underwater sculptor. I first spotted them on a safety stop diving The Bounty and had to return to look at them properly and up close – some people think they are creepy and underwhelming, however I have high expectations and seeing them met these expectations! Despite the fact they are only a few months old, there is already good marine life around the statues and you can see turtles, Butterflyfish, Moorish idols and little schools of silver fish swimming all around.

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​The long-term plan is for the statues to become an artificial reef encouraging soft corals, sponges and, in time, hard corals which will then form a fully established reef.

Scuba Diving the Gili Islands, Indonesia, Manta Dive Gili Trawangan, Gili Air, Oceans 5 Feet Do Travel
Scuba Diving the Gili Islands, Indonesia, Manta Dive Gili Trawangan, Gili Air, Oceans 5 Feet Do Travel
Scuba Diving the Gili Islands, Indonesia, Manta Dive Gili Trawangan, Gili Air, Oceans 5 Feet Do Travel
Scuba Diving the Gili Islands, Indonesia, Manta Dive Gili Trawangan, Gili Air, Oceans 5 Feet Do Travel
Scuba Diving the Gili Islands, Indonesia, Manta Dive Gili Trawangan, Gili Air, Oceans 5 Feet Do Travel
Scuba Diving the Gili Islands, Indonesia, Manta Dive Gili Trawangan, Gili Air, Oceans 5 Feet Do Travel
Gili Trawangan Dive Sites

Halik and Deep Halik also known as Coral Fan Garden 

This site can be dived either shallow or deep as it has a coral reef here as well as a small cave where a few baby sharks live (at the time of writing anyway, they may have grown up and swam away by the time you read this!). You can also spot schools of rainbow coloured Anthias, Clownfish, Butterflyfish, Red Tooth Triggerfish plus a variety of Fusiliers to name a few. Depth: 10 – 35+ metres.
Scuba Diving the Gili Islands, Indonesia, Manta Dive Gili Trawangan, Gili Air, Oceans 5 Feet Do Travel
White Tip Reef Shark in the small cave
Scuba Diving the Gili Islands, Indonesia, Manta Dive Gili Trawangan, Gili Air, Oceans 5 Feet Do Travel
Scuba Diving the Gili Islands, Indonesia, Manta Dive Gili Trawangan, Gili Air, Oceans 5 Feet Do Travel
Scuba Diving the Gili Islands, Indonesia, Manta Dive Gili Trawangan, Gili Air, Oceans 5 Feet Do Travel
Scorpion Fish
Scuba Diving the Gili Islands, Indonesia, Manta Dive Gili Trawangan, Gili Air, Oceans 5 Feet Do Travel
Scuba Diving the Gili Islands, Indonesia, Manta Dive Gili Trawangan, Gili Air, Oceans 5 Feet Do Travel
Manta Point/Sunset Point /Sunset Reef

Will you see Mantas at Manta Point? Possibly not … just saying! As with everything in nature, Mantas follow the food and arrive when there are algae blooms. For a few months, there were two living here but not everyone gets a chance to see them. If there are a lot of divers, the mantas tend to move off the site until it is quieter. So what about the dive site ... it's a gently sloping staghorn coral garden with larger coral bommies at 18-24, you can expect to see Octopus, Peacock Mantis Shrimp, and several species of Puffer and Angelfish and, of course, turtles!  Depth: 5 – 24 Metres.

Update: Since releasing this blog post, in October 2017 groups of Devil Rays were spotted daily, hanging around for at least a couple of weeks! Up to 30 (sometimes more) created an excited buzz across all the Gili Islands. Please read the post I wrote for the Gili Guide, Dancing With the Devil Rays, to hear my story of diving to find them (hint, it wasn't my first attempt!).
Scuba Diving the Gili Islands, Indonesia, Manta Dive Gili Trawangan, Gili Air, Oceans 5 Feet Do Travel
Scuba Diving the Gili Islands, Indonesia, Manta Dive Gili Trawangan, Gili Air, Oceans 5 Feet Do Travel
Scuba Diving the Gili Islands, Indonesia, Manta Dive Gili Trawangan, Gili Air, Oceans 5 Feet Do Travel
Scuba Diving the Gili Islands, Indonesia, Manta Dive Gili Trawangan, Gili Air, Oceans 5 Feet Do Travel
Scuba Diving the Gili Islands, Indonesia, Manta Dive Gili Trawangan, Gili Air, Oceans 5 Feet Do Travel
Scuba Diving the Gili Islands, Indonesia, Manta Dive Gili Trawangan, Gili Air, Oceans 5 Feet Do Travel
Scuba Diving the Gili Islands, Indonesia, Manta Dive Gili Trawangan, Gili Air, Oceans 5 Feet Do Travel
Shark Point 

Can you see sharks at Shark Point? You bet! Some of the best shark activity can be seen here and on one occasion, we were lucky enough to see a pregnant mother which is awesome … it means more sharks! This site is a fringing reef which is sometimes susceptible to current and waves when the weather is not ideal, there is also a small wreck down at 30 metres. You can hopefully spot moray eels, pufferfish, batfish, lobster, crab, scorpion fish, turtles (of course) and all types of aquarium fish live around the bommies. Depth: 10 – 35+ metres.
Scuba Diving the Gili Islands, Indonesia, Manta Dive Gili Trawangan, Gili Air, Oceans 5 Feet Do Travel
Scuba Diving the Gili Islands, Indonesia, Manta Dive Gili Trawangan, Gili Air, Oceans 5 Feet Do Travel
Scuba Diving the Gili Islands, Indonesia, Manta Dive Gili Trawangan, Gili Air, Oceans 5 Feet Do Travel
Scuba Diving the Gili Islands, Indonesia, Manta Dive Gili Trawangan, Gili Air, Oceans 5 Feet Do Travel
Scuba Diving the Gili Islands, Indonesia, Manta Dive Gili Trawangan, Gili Air, Oceans 5 Feet Do Travel
Scuba Diving the Gili Islands, Indonesia, Manta Dive Gili Trawangan, Gili Air, Oceans 5 Feet Do Travel
Scuba Diving the Gili Islands, Indonesia, Manta Dive Gili Trawangan, Gili Air, Oceans 5 Feet Do Travel
Porcelain Crab
Scuba Diving the Gili Islands, Indonesia, Manta Dive Gili Trawangan, Gili Air, Oceans 5 Feet Do Travel
Scuba Diving the Gili Islands, Indonesia, Manta Dive Gili Trawangan, Gili Air, Oceans 5 Feet Do Travel
Scuba Diving the Gili Islands, Indonesia, Manta Dive Gili Trawangan, Gili Air, Oceans 5 Feet Do Travel
Scuba Diving the Gili Islands, Indonesia, Manta Dive Gili Trawangan, Gili Air, Oceans 5 Feet Do Travel
Scuba Diving the Gili Islands, Indonesia, Manta Dive Gili Trawangan, Gili Air, Oceans 5 Feet Do Travel
Scuba Diving the Gili Islands, Indonesia, Manta Dive Gili Trawangan, Gili Air, Oceans 5 Feet Do Travel
Scuba Diving the Gili Islands, Indonesia, Manta Dive Gili Trawangan, Gili Air, Oceans 5 Feet Do Travel
Scuba Diving the Gili Islands, Indonesia, Manta Dive Gili Trawangan, Gili Air, Oceans 5 Feet Do Travel
Scuba Diving the Gili Islands, Indonesia, Manta Dive Gili Trawangan, Gili Air, Oceans 5 Feet Do Travel
A pregnant shark ... which means more sharks yaaay!
Scuba Diving the Gili Islands, Indonesia, Manta Dive Gili Trawangan, Gili Air, Oceans 5 Feet Do Travel
Mentigi Bay/Seahorse Bay – off the coast of Lombok 

It’s no secret that Sy is a muck-diving fan, it's the reason we visited Lembeh, and Seahorse Bay is his favourite site for that very reason. 
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A sandy slope dive, it is here that you can search and (hopefully) find the site’s namesake … seahorses! Beautiful, graceful little seahorses that live in the weeds, but there is plenty more to find such as longhorn cowfish, frogfish, nemo, ribbon eels and schools of Moorish idol. Depth: 5 – 20 metres.
Scuba Diving the Gili Islands, Indonesia, Manta Dive Gili Trawangan, Gili Air, Oceans 5 Feet Do Travel
Scuba Diving the Gili Islands, Indonesia, Manta Dive Gili Trawangan, Gili Air, Oceans 5 Feet Do Travel
Scuba Diving the Gili Islands, Indonesia, Manta Dive Gili Trawangan, Gili Air, Oceans 5 Feet Do Travel
Small school of Moorish Idols
Scuba Diving the Gili Islands, Indonesia, Manta Dive Gili Trawangan, Gili Air, Oceans 5 Feet Do Travel
Flying Gurnard
Scuba Diving the Gili Islands, Indonesia, Manta Dive Gili Trawangan, Gili Air, Oceans 5 Feet Do Travel
Scuba Diving the Gili Islands, Indonesia, Manta Dive Gili Trawangan, Gili Air, Oceans 5 Feet Do Travel
Scuba Diving the Gili Islands, Indonesia, Manta Dive Gili Trawangan, Gili Air, Oceans 5 Feet Do Travel
Longhorn Cowfish
Scuba Diving the Gili Islands, Indonesia, Manta Dive Gili Trawangan, Gili Air, Oceans 5 Feet Do Travel
Scuba Diving the Gili Islands, Indonesia, Manta Dive Gili Trawangan, Gili Air, Oceans 5 Feet Do Travel
Scuba Diving the Gili Islands, Indonesia, Manta Dive Gili Trawangan, Gili Air, Oceans 5 Feet Do Travel
​If all these photos aren’t enough for you, then have a look at this awesome "Diving the Gili's" video by Simon Bomholt.
How to get to the Gili Islands

The Gili Islands are a 30 minute fast-boat ride away from Lombok and 2 hours by speedboat from Bali (Padang Bai, Sanur or Amed). We used Eka Jaya but Gili Getaway are also recommended. If you wanted to island hop between Gili Air, Meno & Trawangan, it will take you around 20 minutes to travel between each one using the local “Island Hopper” boat. If you want to read more about the beautiful northern Gili Islands, check out our posts from Gili Air, Gili Meno and Gili Trawangan. You can also easily reach the "secret Gili Islands" in the South, Gili Gede and Gili Asahan.

​Have you been diving in the Gili Islands? What were your thoughts? If you hadn’t considered it before, will you now? Tell us in the comments section below, we love to know what you are thinking.​

​Disclaimer: This post contains some affiliate links. If you click through and make a purchase, it won't cost you any extra, the small commission we may earn will help support the FeetDoTravel community.
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The Gili Islands are a popular dive destination in Indonesia. Gili Air & Gili Trawangan are in the heart of the Coral triangle, offering beauty above and below water. A year round destination and 26+ dive sites, Feed Do Travel show you Scuba Diving the Gili Islands. #scuba #scubadiving #diving #indonesia #divetrip #gili #indotravellers #incredibleIndonesia #wonderfulindonesia #exploreindonesia #visitindonesia #baliguide #southeastasia #giliIslands #giliair #gilitrawangan #travel
The Gili Islands are a popular dive destination in Indonesia. Gili Air & Gili Trawangan are in the heart of the Coral triangle, offering beauty above and below water. A year round destination and 26+ dive sites, Feed Do Travel show you Scuba Diving the Gili Islands. #scuba #scubadiving #diving #indonesia #divetrip #gili #indotravellers #incredibleIndonesia #wonderfulindonesia #exploreindonesia #visitindonesia #baliguide #southeastasia #giliIslands #giliair #gilitrawangan #travel
​Scuba Diving Indonesia? Check out these related posts!

Manta Madness
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Lembeh - A Magical Muck Diving Experience
Nusa Penida: Diving with Mola Mola, the Ocean Sunfish
USS Liberty in Bali - Highly Wreck-Ommended

World Oceans Day: Conservation Success on Gili Air​ ​

​​​​Travelling around Indonesia? Hope these links help!

15 Things to do in Canggu, Bali
​Searching for Street Art in Canggu, Bali

Lembongan - Bali, but Better!
​Gili Air - The Perfect Island?
Gili Trawangan - Not Just A Party Island
Gili Meno - The Island of Love
​10 Must Try Indonesian Dishes
​
Gili Gede - The Secret Gili Islands
​Gili Asahan - The Secret Gili Islands
Gili Sudak and Gili Kedis - The Secret Gili Islands
Kuta Lombok - The New Kuta Bali?
Is Pink Beach Lombok Worth Visiting?
Wonderful Waterfalls of Lombok
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?


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23 Comments
Mark
19/10/2017 09:55:05 pm

Excellent, informative and as always a pleasure to read. Cannot wait for my visit to the Gili Islands! A 20 minute boat hop between islands, Interesting...

Reply
FeetDoTravel
20/10/2017 07:01:31 am

I'm glad this post has whetted your appetite for diving in the Gilis! Looking forward to showing you some of the amazing underwater world here ... and yes, just a 20 minute boat hop between islands so you can check out the other Gili's ... maybe you should book more days :D

Reply
Tracy link
27/10/2017 08:31:07 am

Mandarin fish!!! Omg how absolutely stunning are they!!

As you know i have a phobia of fish so looking at your beautiful photos is as close as I want to get but wow what an amazing experience diving and seeing that beautiful underwater world! Keep sharing - maybe one day I will try a snorkel (dive a bit too ambitious!)

Reply
FeetDoTravel
17/11/2017 05:08:51 am

Yes you should definitely try snorkelling! You currently live in the perfect place to give it a go, especially with the Great Barrier Reef on your doorstep. You can see some really cool things snorkelling.

Reply
Michael - The Boys Abroad link
27/10/2017 09:11:09 am

Wow! What an extensive post on the Gili islands, I've seen lots where people touch on bits and pieces but this is by far the best one I've come across. It's clear you're experts! I'm definitely pinning this for the bucket list trip we've got planned :)

Reply
FeetDoTravel
17/11/2017 05:10:06 am

Yes we have done lots of diving in the Gilis and it's a great place to see what the underwater world has to offer. So glad you enjoyed it.

Reply
California Globetrotter link
27/10/2017 07:20:53 pm

Whoooa even though a lot of the coral reef was destroyed and thankfully addressed, there is still a ton of amazing coral and beautiful ecosystems!! Makes me wish I snorkeled!! #feetdotravel

Reply
FeetDoTravel
17/11/2017 05:11:08 am

The Gilis definitely show that there is hope even when coral has been destroyed, and I love that! So much marine life still to be seen, it's awesome!

Reply
Ruth link
27/10/2017 07:59:13 pm

I am stunned by these photos! What a blessing to be able to dive in these fantastic sites. So many turtles and colorful fish. It is like some guys down there have a specific attitude (like the octopus). Plus, having statues and a wreck make it more interesting. Enjoyed this post a lot! #feetdotravel

Reply
FeetDoTravel
17/11/2017 05:12:10 am

It is indeed a blessing to dive in the beautiful waters of the Gilis and seeing turtles is always a crowd pleaser, it doesn't matter how many O see, they still make me happy!

Reply
Stephanie (1AdventureTraveler) link
28/10/2017 12:29:11 pm

Wow this is amazing! Stunning photos plus great info on dive locations. What a great place for scuba divers to visit. Gili Island I bet is also great for those that snorkel or just enjoy resting on the beach.
Like how the fisherman have an agreement not to fish bomb, so that this will give the ocean reef a chance to rebuild. Thanks for sharing! #feetdotravel

Reply
FeetDoTravel
17/11/2017 05:13:20 am

Snorkelling, diving, yes the Gilis suit everyone and it's a wonderful place to hang out when you aren't diving! I hope you get to dive here and see what we have seen, I know you love your diving :D

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Paul and Carole link
29/10/2017 08:49:07 pm

As we are sat in Gloucester reading your post we are thinking you have so made the right choice. The Gili Islands look like the perfect place to now call home!
The underwater world is fascinating loved watching the videos and great photography too! #feetdotravel

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Jenn | By Land and Sea
30/10/2017 01:57:07 am

Love the underwater sculpture park! Great photos guys!

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FeetDoTravel
17/11/2017 05:15:29 am

I too love the underwater statues! As soon as I found out about them I made it my mission to see them for myself, and I was not disappointed!

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Carmen Baguio link
1/11/2017 07:49:42 pm

Oh my! You're right about there being an abundance of wildlife. The sea turtles are my favorite!

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FeetDoTravel
17/11/2017 05:16:52 am

I love seeing lots of fish when I dive so yes, the abundance of marine life here keeps me happy ... oh and seeing the turtles as well, love them!

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David link
3/11/2017 05:53:27 am

I told you and Simon in September how much I love your underwater photos and I'm still in awe of them! So wish I had given diving in Gili a go while I was there but doubt I would have been in a suitable state that last day haha. Definitely the place I would go to to start learning when I get a chance.

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FeetDoTravel
17/11/2017 05:18:14 am

Awww thanks David, so glad you like the photos and when you return to the Gili to hang out for a bit, that can be your time to try Scuba Diving (you are right, none of us were in a fit state when you were here last time celebrating our quiz win haha).

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Sandy N Vyjay link
4/11/2017 03:29:40 pm

You took me on a fascinating journey deep into the sea. What a lovely experience. The water at 31 degrees must be a great experience. The statues beneath the sea are really intriguing and unique. Absolutely lovely post.

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FeetDoTravel
17/11/2017 05:19:03 am

The underwater world is fascinating isn't it, just so much we don't know a out it and so much to see. So glad to hear you enjoyed this post.

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Kreete Tokman link
12/11/2017 06:04:38 am

There are so many beautiful dive spots around Gilis, I mean how can you even choose! I wish I had more time and money, I would have definitely done a lot more diving! The photos look stunning, as always! And I had no idea about the statues, they are indeed a bit creepy, but I'd love to have a look anyway! Guess I definitely have to come back to go diving with you guys hehe!

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FeetDoTravel
17/11/2017 05:20:40 am

Well Kreete, now you know what can be seen at the Dive sites, when you return to the Gilis (which is hopefully soon!) you can plan where you want to dive :D It would be so cool to go diving with you!

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