Making the most of Gili Trawangan
Use these notes to shape a realistic day ashore, then confirm any time-sensitive information for the date of your call.
Arriving at the port
You will be tendered to the island.
Gili Trawangan is the largest of Lombok’s Gili Islands and is the only one to rise significantly above sea level. It is 3km long and 2km wide with a population of about 1000. Of the Gilis, Trawangan has the most tourist facilities; the pub Tîr na Nôg claims that Trawangan is the smallest island in the world with an Irish pub. The most crowded part of Trawangan lies on the eastern side.
The Gili islands are renowned not only for their friendly inhabitants but the total tropical island paradise feeling that they have. The white coral beaches, the warm and inviting waters all invite to snorkeling, sun bathing and of course diving. The diversity of aquatic life is astounding and just off the shores you can find turtles, sting rays, reef sharks, baracudas, and a myriad of small and large fish.
Some of the first inhabitants of Gili Trawangan were from Sulawesi who are fishermen and farmers. Previously Gili Trawangan was covered in forest and deer lived on the island.
Getting around
On Gili Trawangan (as well as the other two Gilis), there are no motorized vehicles. The main means of transportation are bicycles (rented by locals to tourists) and cidomo (a small horsedrawn carriage). For traveling to and from each of the Gilis, locals usually use motorized boats and speedboats.
Nearby places
The coral reef offer safe swimming lagoons, excellent snorkeling and diving, and the white sand beaches are perfect for sunbathing and relaxing on. These islands have somewhat diversified recently in terms of tourism, and neatly spaced out over the islands are things to suit all; from large family villas near fun oriented beaches, to secluded romantic getaways in the islands interior, to the energy packed backpacker area full of night clubs and vices.
Money
ATMs are common in any major cities in Indonesia.
Be careful when using credit cards, as cloning and fraud are a major problem in Indonesia. Visa and Mastercard are widely accepted, but American Express can be problematic. At smaller operations, surcharges of 2-5% over cash are common.
Staying connected
The sole official language is Indonesian, known as Bahasa Indonesia.
Internet: Prices vary considerably, and as usual you tend to get what you pay for, but you'll usually be looking at around Rp 5,000 per hour. In large cities, there are free hotspots in certain shopping malls, McDonald restaurants and Starbucks cafes. Some hotels provide free hotspots in the lobby.
mobile phones emergency number: 112