Internet is readily available on the islands and all three islands have ATM machines so you don’t need to carry a lot of cash. Credit cards are accepted at most dive shops, and larger hotels and restaurants.

Useful Tip: WhatsApp is the most popular messaging service in Indonesia. Download the app to your phone for convenient messaging and phone calls to Gili businesses wherever there is internet available.

Boats and Island Hopping: Gili Air, Meno and Trawangan are grouped together off the northwest coast of Lombok and only a short distance apart, so it is easy to move between the three islands.

You may want to explore each island, staying on each for a couple of days or base yourself on one island and take day trips to the others.

Public boats leave from the harbours on each island with transport to the other islands available roughly every hour, e.g.; Gili Air to Gili Meno, or Gili Air to Gili Trawangan, and vice versa. Prices are reasonable. Purchase tickets at the ticket office located at the harbour on each island.

It is possible to charter perahu (local outrigger boats), speed boats and even glass bottom boats for exploring the islands and their magnificent underwater scenery.

Water is a scarce resource on the islands and is supplied by desalination plants and ground water wells. Your awareness in conserving this finite resource is appreciated; take short showers and opt to reuse bedding and towels.

The tap water on all the islands is not suitable for drinking but bottled water is cheap and readily available.

Weather is generally hotter on the islands than mainland Lombok. Make sure you drink plenty of water to stay hydrated and use sun protection, even on cloudy days.

Transport: There is no motorised transport on any of the islands. Walk, ride a bicycle or catch a cidomo (local horse cart). None of the islands is very large, so walking is an easy option.

Cidomo (pronounced ‘chi doh moh’) are traditional horse drawn carts that were once the main form of transport in Lombok. The covered wooden carriages are pulled by small local ponies and are used for transport on the Gilis, and for carting goods. Tourists are often shocked to see working horses, as they are rare in western countries; however, they have been used for transport in Indonesia for centuries.

Horses work for limited hours every day, are subject to rules that protect their working conditions and are generally well-cared for by their owners. Organisations such as Horses of Gili provide free health and medical care for the horses and training for the owners. If you would like to support their on-going work for the welfare of the horses, visit horsesofgili.com

Use cidomo for short trips, such as getting to restaurants and hotels around the islands. Negotiate the fare with the driver before climbing in. Generally, short distances will cost between Rp 50,000 – 100,000; depending on your bargaining skills.

Bicycles can be hired for around Rp 50,000 per day, depending on the type and condition of the bike. Some hotels provide bikes free of charge for guests.

Dress is casual on the islands and it’s normal to see tourists walking around in sarongs and shorts. Bikinis are fine on the beaches but it’s polite to cover up when walking around the streets or going to restaurants and bars.

Remember that the islands’ residents are Muslim, and nude or topless sunbathing is frowned upon. Please respect island culture.