Getting to the Gili Islands from Bali There are two different ways to get to the Gili Islands: 1) By Plane 2) By Boat Let me just start by saying that neither option is easy and both require a good amount of time AND money. By Plane: We left our hotel in Kuta around 9:30 a.m. for our 11:00 a.m. flight. The taxi ride was quick, only about 10 minutes, which left us with more time than we expected. Once we arrived at the airport, it took about 20 minutes total to check in, go through security, and make our way to the terminal. The airline we flew with is called 'Wings Air,' and they basically only operate locally using small planes. The flight itself was literally a hop, skip, and a jump from Bali - 30 minutes from take off to touchdown to be exact. Once we landed in Lombok, we had to locate a driver, which can get tricky if you don't do your research. Thankfully I had done extensive searches on travel blogs and travel forums and found that the taxi should cost between 250.000K - 300.000K from Lombok airport to the Harbor. All types of drivers will instantly bombard you the minute you step foot out of the airport and it can become overwhelming if you don't know what to expect. We walked a little bit further out from the airport before finding a private taxi that was willing to drive us to the harbor for 250,000K. Apparently there are two different ways to get to the harbor from the airport, which I wasn't aware of. One way is called the scenic route and drives along the ocean for the entire two hour journey. The other way is called the zig-zag route, which like the name, takes you on endless twisty roads throughout the entire 1.5-2 hour journey. Unfortunately, this is the way our driver took us. Fortunately, it was a bit shorter, which was nice. Once you arrive at the harbor, it becomes very confusing. The driver entered into the parking lot and dropped us off at a tiny little building labeled 'Gili Air' which once again, thankfully I did my research, because it was not the correct building for purchasing fast boat tickets. The buildings are not correctly marked, and I walked back and forth for about 10 minutes before finally finding the correct building to purchase tickets. A one-way ticket on the fast boat costs 70,000 IDR per person. The time to the Gili Islands varies upon which Island you are going to, as well as which boat option you choose. Gili Air is the closest, and takes about 15 minutes to reach. Gili T is the furthest, and takes about 30 minutes to reach by fast boat. The slower boats are available but they are inconvenient to take when you are pressed for time. In order to take a slow boat, you must wait until 40+ people have purchased tickets before you can board. Although it is the cheaper option, the wait times can become very lengthy and unpredictable. Needless to say, we paid the extra Rupiah to secure a proper time slot on a fast boat. Within 15 minutes, we had arrived on Gili Air Island! By Boat: Okay, so you've decided to go to the Gili Islands by boat so get ready for an adventure! Depending on where you are coming from in Bali, in my case it was Kuta Beach, you will need to get a taxi or some form of transportation to and from Padang Bai, which is on the OTHER side of the island. This trip can take awhile so always allow enough time for any unforeseen circumstances. They can happen people, trust me! The time varies anywhere from 30 minutes to 1.5 hours from Kuta to Padang Bai harbor, and vice versa. I can't speak for everyone taking the boat both ways, because I only took it back from Gili Island, but I can't imagine it being much different. We purchased the tickets for the boat while we were on Gili Air, and I can assure you that it wasn't cheap. For a one way ticket on a fast boat, including shuttle service to hotel from Padang Bai, cost 350,000 IDR per person. We booked with Oceans 5 booking counter near our hotel. Before heading to the boat departure, you must take your receipt to the Ocean 5 booth (near the docking boats) and trade it in for an actual ticket. This must be done at least 15 minutes prior to departure. The boat was scheduled to leave at 2:00 p.m., but naturally it didn't come until around 2:30 p.m. The boat is first come, first serve, and there are spaces below deck and some seating on the top deck. It is very hot on the bottom deck although they provide a small fan in the aisle to help with the heat. The "fast" boat was supposed to take around 1.5 hours but ended up taking a little over 2 hours. Not really surprised though. Once you arrive at the Padang Bai harbor, hopefully sooner rather than later, you will be greeted (or bombarded) by TONS of taxi and shuttle drivers, while trying to retrieve your baggage. It is literally the definition of a shit show. Once you have left the boating area, there are guides wearing the t-shirt of the company that you must look for in order to find the correct shuttle service. This particular part was a complete nightmare. First, you are taken to a small area with TONS of shuttle drivers, taxi drivers, and private car drivers, all of which look the same. After we found the correct shuttle driver, he refused to take us directly to our hotel, stating that it was out of the way. Since we paid the full amount for this type of service, we were expecting this exact type of service and I wasn't willing to settle for anything less. Therefore, I did not get out of the car until we were promised to be taken directly to our hotel. We were...but not until we had to endure a 1.5 hour ride, without AC might I add, to Kuta Beach. Talk about torture. ACCOMMODATION in gili airMOWIE'S ON THE BEACH Location: Gili Indah, Pemenang, Kabupaten Lombok Utara, Nusa Tenggara Bar. 83352, Indonesia Cost: 1 bedroom villa - $40.00 per night (booking.com) Hours: 8:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. Monday - Sunday Website: http://www.mowiesbargiliair.com/index.php/about/ top places to eat on gili airI was surprised to learn how healthy the food choices are on the Gili Islands. Most, if not all of the restaurants seem to offer vegan, organic, and natural juice and smoothie options. It was a great variety added to the already amazing food in Bali. Because Gili Air only holds about 1,000 people in terms of population, it doesn't allow for taxis, motorbikes, or any other types of motor vehicles. Instead, there are bicycles available as well as horse carriages. Because this island is so small, there aren't extensive choices when it comes to restaurants or eateries. But that doesn't take away from the quality of places I did happen to stumble upon during my 24 hour visit. TOP things to do & see on gili air islandGoing to a beautiful island for the night should constitute as an activity as is....however, as amazing as it sounds to just sit and lounge around all day on the beach, there are endless things to do on Gili Air. You wouldn't think so considering the island itself is so small, but the Gili Islands are actually known for many water activities including: snorkeling, diving, boating, etc. Below I will provide some recommendations for nightlife, day-time explorations & activities, and of course shopping! DIVE ZONE GILI AIR
MOVIE NIGHT @ OMBAK
GILI AIR NIGHT MARKET
SLOW SPA GILI AIR
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AuthorWest Coast blogger with a love for traveling and adventure seeking. Archives
July 2018
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