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Be My Travel Muse

Solo Female Travel

Gili Air or Gili T, Which is Better?

09/05/2017 by Kristin 10 Comments

If it was afternoon and the sun was high in the sky there was just one place where you could be sure to find me on Gili Air.

I was probably floating in an inner tube, playing in the pool, being a kid again, and catching up with a few friends whom I had met on an entirely different continent half a year prior.

There was just one goal: Chill, revisit a part of the world that I’d been missing, and further my mermaid training (basically, just be in the water at all waking times).

gili air or gili T
Chill and swim simultaneously!

If Bali is the kind of place you picture when you imagine an Indonesian vacation, then Gili Air is the place where you go when you want to take the crowds down a notch and just make it all about chilling out.

That’s not to say that you can’t be active there, though. It was in the cards and tons of fun to lounge, but on the days that I did work up a sense of adventure, there was always something cool to do.

Named the water island in Bahasa, Gili Air is awesome for swimming, snorkeling, diving, and free diving.

gili air or gili T
Ya know, in the other body of water.

One day, while eating breakfast, one of the guys in my group wondered how much it would cost to rent a boat and a captain for a day.

Hero is the local guy from the neighboring island of Lombok whose smile made us choose to stay at his bungalows (Unzipp, you should check it out!)

He’s the kind of guy who will take care of anything, help you do anything, and will do so with a smile. Like so many Indonesians I met, being welcoming and having a smile like 1 million bucks just seemed to be innate.

It took about five minutes from idea to plan. The next day, we were on a glass-bottom snorkeling boat, just the five of us plus Hero and a captain, and we spent the whole day snorkeling and sailing for $20 each. Not bad.

gili air or gili T
So that’s what we did.

I was in this part of the world three years ago as well, but that time, I visited Gili Trawangan, or ‘Gili T’ for short.

It’s where my memoir from my first year of travels comes to an end, where I finished up my first ten months of solo gallivanting around Asia and where I made a promise to myself that I would keep going. In short, that place holds a very dear spot in my heart and I was dying to go back.

Then I heard it had become a party island and, though it was that before, it sounded like it had become a lot more popular than the more or less sleepy island I had visited so long ago on a little public boat over from Lombok after climbing Rinjani.

gili air or gili T
Sunset on Gili Air

Coincidentally, I was on both islands during Ramadan, so I feared that things might be too quiet or shut down completely on what are otherwise social islands.

During Ramadan, Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset. Fasting is one of the five pillars of Islam, and Muslims past the age of puberty are required to fast except for the elderly and ill. Muslims also refrain from impure thoughts and behavior and practice self-reflection during this time.

In Indonesia, they observed the fasting but the bars and restaurants remained open for tourists and locals who don’t observe. Though perhaps a bit quieter than they would normally be, both islands were more or less business as usual.

So which should you pick if deciding between Gili Air or Gili Trawangan?

Gili Trawangan VS Gili Air, which one is the better Indonesia island? Find out which one is the best island for partying, chilling, or both | Be My Travel Muse #GiliAir #GiliTrawangan #IndonesiaIslandGuide
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My theory is that Gili Air is today what Gili T was for me three years ago. Things change so quickly in Indonesia that when one spot becomes popular, word spreads quickly and tourism increases rapidly.

If you want to party hard, Gili T could be a better spot. If you want to party and chill, Gili Air might be best, and if all you want to do is chill with no partying at all, check out Gili Meno. Even better, all of these islands, including Lombok, are easy to reach via public ferry within a few minutes and for super cheap (go local rather than tourist transport).

So it seems that you can’t go wrong no matter what you choose.

Have you been to both? Which is your favorite?

READ NEXT: A full guide to Indonesia

Which island in Indonesia is better, Gili Air or Gili Trawangan? After visiting both, here are my thoughts on which to pick for partying, chilling, or both!
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I'm Kristin, and my vision of a better world is one where more women are empowered and living out their dreams. Solo traveling is the best method I've found to become the best, bravest version of me. This site is all about how YOU can have the adventure of a lifetime in an easy, fun, approachable way, so that you can feel empowered, too. Want to learn more about me?

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Comments

  1. Timo says

    09/05/2016 at 12:16 pm

    I have been to both, but seems that my choice is still Gili T haha. Still … both are the places to chill ๐Ÿ˜€

    Reply
  2. Ijana says

    09/05/2016 at 4:35 pm

    I imagine if I made a trip out there I would simply visit both (or maybe Gili Meno too, I’d never heard of that one) and then all problems would be solved!

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      09/07/2016 at 9:53 am

      I definitely advocate that too, but for those short on time, this might help ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
  3. Kristin says

    09/07/2016 at 9:52 am

    I think that Meno is by far the most quiet and relaxed, and sometimes that’s exactly what you need ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply
  4. Liam and Mariana says

    09/27/2016 at 3:04 am

    Hey Kristin,

    Im thinking of finishing off my dive master course in the Gili Islands. Does Air have dive centres as well or is Gili T the best option?

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      09/28/2016 at 2:48 am

      They both do. You can also learn to free dive on Gili Air if you wish.

      Reply
  5. Dave says

    05/06/2017 at 6:57 pm

    The Gili Islands is one of my favorite spots in the world. I stayed on Gili T for over 2 months and picked up a job there, so I still favor Gili T over Air. I do understand that it’s gotten a bit too over developed, and Air still has it’s charm to it. I think in the next 10 years they will all be like that unfortunately, but there’s plenty more islands in Indonesia to explore. ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      05/07/2017 at 8:17 am

      Yep, in SEA the cool spot just keeps on moving

      Reply
  6. Sharon says

    11/19/2017 at 12:25 am

    Thank you for the details of the water island in Bahasa, Gili Air.

    We went there and had a fabulous time, as we are very keen snorkelers.

    Reply
  7. Jhon Lente says

    04/30/2018 at 6:16 am

    We have been on both , and still prefer Gili T. There more to do, and to choose apartments. We like the
    The Market Square also known as the Night market. love it.

    Reply

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