Guidebook for our paradise island Gili Air, Lombok

Rose & Andreas
Rose & Andreas
Guidebook for our paradise island Gili Air, Lombok

Food Scene

One of the most comment questions we get asked is: “Where to eat on the Gili Air?”. That’s why we thought it’s a good idea to share our favorite restaurants and warungs with you! Let’s start with telling you that you can literally eat for days in Indonesia and always be trying something new. Try rendang (chicken or beef with chili dressing), sate (barbeque chicken, lamb or beef with peanuts sauce), bakso (beef or fish meatball served like soup with noodles and vegetables), gulai (boiled meat or fish with coconut milk dressing), pepes (steam tofu, meat or fish combine with vegetables wrapped in banana’s leaf), gado-gado (mixed vegetables light boiled served with peanuts sauce. The Gilis a great place for foodporn lovers. From sweet to very spicy, but always fragrant, full of flavor, and with a teaspoon of love. A wealth of choice in fish, meat, vegetables –and not forgetting the vegetarian tahu and tempeh. You can get almost any local dish for under $3 dollar, so make sure you try as much as you can while you’re here!
Ruby's Cafe is owned and operated by Indonesian Chef Ruby. Her mission is to provide fresh homecooked with passion from experience from working overseas inspires her delicious curries using imported ingredients unique to her cafe and her time in top Italian restaurants in Bali comes through in her perfect pasta dishes. Every plate is cooked from scratch, spring rolls,croquettes, curries, only the Rendang is cooked before as it takes 2 hours, no portions pulled from the freezer and buzzed in Micro. Ruby's is a simple open air cafe dedicated to providing tasty fresh food with love.
8 habitants recommandent
Ruby's Cafe
8 habitants recommandent
Ruby's Cafe is owned and operated by Indonesian Chef Ruby. Her mission is to provide fresh homecooked with passion from experience from working overseas inspires her delicious curries using imported ingredients unique to her cafe and her time in top Italian restaurants in Bali comes through in her perfect pasta dishes. Every plate is cooked from scratch, spring rolls,croquettes, curries, only the Rendang is cooked before as it takes 2 hours, no portions pulled from the freezer and buzzed in Micro. Ruby's is a simple open air cafe dedicated to providing tasty fresh food with love.
We’re both big pizza lovers and the pizza's of mama pizza are authentic and amongst the best, we’ve eaten. We would definitely recommend this beautiful place on the beach to anyone looking for a bite to eat on Gili Air.
Mama Pizza
Jalan Pantai
We’re both big pizza lovers and the pizza's of mama pizza are authentic and amongst the best, we’ve eaten. We would definitely recommend this beautiful place on the beach to anyone looking for a bite to eat on Gili Air.
KIOSKO Spanish Tapas and Churros is an exciting discovery in Gili Air! A must go Spanish food restaurant on the island. Foodies: It's not to be missed! Paellas , Tapas, Sangría, Tortillas, Churros.... and much more! Spain in a fork! They also have Vegetarian and Vegan friendly options available in tehir menu. Delectable foods that will transport you to Spain. Located in main road from the harbor, is ideal for your dine in or delivery unique gastronomic experience! If you try, you will repeat!
KIOSKO Café Spanish Tapas and Churros
Jalan Mojo
KIOSKO Spanish Tapas and Churros is an exciting discovery in Gili Air! A must go Spanish food restaurant on the island. Foodies: It's not to be missed! Paellas , Tapas, Sangría, Tortillas, Churros.... and much more! Spain in a fork! They also have Vegetarian and Vegan friendly options available in tehir menu. Delectable foods that will transport you to Spain. Located in main road from the harbor, is ideal for your dine in or delivery unique gastronomic experience! If you try, you will repeat!
Finding a tropical paradise is something extremely special. Finding a tropical paradise and making it your home is what dreams are made of. When Barefoot Blondie placed her toes in the warm sand of magical Gili Air, everything changed. Determined to make her dream last forever, she placed her roots in the ground and started growing! Sharing her love of coffee, sandwiches and the laid-back island life, there’s no better place to chill your salty sun-kissed skin than Barefoot Blondie. Fuelling your day of fun in the sun, with views of tall palm trees and mountain tops, we have the place to rest, or work remotely. Join Barefoot Blondie, cup of coffee in hand, as she celebrate the adventure of life!
Barefoot Blondie
Finding a tropical paradise is something extremely special. Finding a tropical paradise and making it your home is what dreams are made of. When Barefoot Blondie placed her toes in the warm sand of magical Gili Air, everything changed. Determined to make her dream last forever, she placed her roots in the ground and started growing! Sharing her love of coffee, sandwiches and the laid-back island life, there’s no better place to chill your salty sun-kissed skin than Barefoot Blondie. Fuelling your day of fun in the sun, with views of tall palm trees and mountain tops, we have the place to rest, or work remotely. Join Barefoot Blondie, cup of coffee in hand, as she celebrate the adventure of life!
JUJU Zero Waste Store & Vegan Cafe
Alegria is more than just a restaurant; it's an experience that embodies the spirit of Gili Air. Its unique bamboo structure, diverse menu with the influences of the Spanish chef, and commitment to sustainability make it a must-visit destination for anyone traveling to this beautiful island. p.s. this is also a great place to visit when you are in need of a real cup of coffee.
Alegria
Alegria is more than just a restaurant; it's an experience that embodies the spirit of Gili Air. Its unique bamboo structure, diverse menu with the influences of the Spanish chef, and commitment to sustainability make it a must-visit destination for anyone traveling to this beautiful island. p.s. this is also a great place to visit when you are in need of a real cup of coffee.

Things to Do

The better question would be: what can you not do in the Gili Islands? The three islands, surrounded by a beautiful blue and turquoise ocean full of coral and marine life, are the perfect place for all kind of water sport. Subwing, Diving, Freediving, Snorkeling, Swimming, Surfing, Stand Up Paddling, Sea Kayaking. Besides spending your day in the ocean feeling like a mermaid you can connect to your mind and spirit by doing yoga, improve your cooking skills by attending a cooking class, feel the wind in your hair while you’re horse riding on the beach or rent a bike and discover the secret hidden places on the island.
Are you looking to feel completely connected to your mind, body and spirit? Take a breather from regular island life and sign yourself up for one of the yoga classes or retreats from Flowers and Fire.
Flowers and Fire Yoga Garden Gili Air
Jalan Mojo
Are you looking to feel completely connected to your mind, body and spirit? Take a breather from regular island life and sign yourself up for one of the yoga classes or retreats from Flowers and Fire.
In our busy, fast-paced lives it’s hard to find time to relax. We all need a little reminder to pencil in that much-needed “me time” into our calendars. Well here is our reminder to you. Villa Nangka SPA is open and ready to spoil you! If you have any special requests, please be sure to tell us so that we can customize your treatment to be just the way you want it. We strive to make your visit an unqiue experience and therefore work with an apppointment-only base. You can easily make an appointment at our reception or by sending us a message.
Villa Nangka
Jalan Putih
In our busy, fast-paced lives it’s hard to find time to relax. We all need a little reminder to pencil in that much-needed “me time” into our calendars. Well here is our reminder to you. Villa Nangka SPA is open and ready to spoil you! If you have any special requests, please be sure to tell us so that we can customize your treatment to be just the way you want it. We strive to make your visit an unqiue experience and therefore work with an apppointment-only base. You can easily make an appointment at our reception or by sending us a message.
Sherri, one of the owners, offers a variety of holistic services such as Reiki, crystal healing, breathwork, and invigorating ice baths. I had the opportunity to participate in a 2.5-hour session with Sherri, and I can genuinely say that I have never felt safer with someone. The Reiki session she conducted was truly one of the best I've ever experienced. What sets Sherri apart is her unique approach; she not only provides healing but also equips you with the tools to incorporate rituals into your own life. After the session, she gives you the space and time to relax and reflect, allowing the experience to settle in fully. This personalized care and attention to each individual's needs demonstrate Sherri's commitment to fostering a genuine sense of well-being and inner peace.
Casa Magick- Holistic Healing Sanctuary
Sherri, one of the owners, offers a variety of holistic services such as Reiki, crystal healing, breathwork, and invigorating ice baths. I had the opportunity to participate in a 2.5-hour session with Sherri, and I can genuinely say that I have never felt safer with someone. The Reiki session she conducted was truly one of the best I've ever experienced. What sets Sherri apart is her unique approach; she not only provides healing but also equips you with the tools to incorporate rituals into your own life. After the session, she gives you the space and time to relax and reflect, allowing the experience to settle in fully. This personalized care and attention to each individual's needs demonstrate Sherri's commitment to fostering a genuine sense of well-being and inner peace.
PADI 5 Star IDC Dive Resort is one of the partners of our Gili Shark Conservation Project. We couldn’t do the work we do every single day without their help. They facilitate in all our diving needs like boats, tanks, and equipment. Furthermore, their awesome instructors are learning our Shark Warriors how to dive or improve their skills. Together we also organize community events and weekly beach clean ups together and taking care of our structures on our coral restoration sites. Blue Marlin offers diving courses for beginners through to Instructor courses and specialises in technical diving. Furthermore they offer several of the Conservation Diver certification courses, and are adding new and innovative projects all the time. Their beautiful dive centre is located right on the beach, just a 10 min ride away from Villa Nangka. We would highly recommend them if you would like to go diving around the Gili Islands.
Blue Marlin Dive Gili Air
PADI 5 Star IDC Dive Resort is one of the partners of our Gili Shark Conservation Project. We couldn’t do the work we do every single day without their help. They facilitate in all our diving needs like boats, tanks, and equipment. Furthermore, their awesome instructors are learning our Shark Warriors how to dive or improve their skills. Together we also organize community events and weekly beach clean ups together and taking care of our structures on our coral restoration sites. Blue Marlin offers diving courses for beginners through to Instructor courses and specialises in technical diving. Furthermore they offer several of the Conservation Diver certification courses, and are adding new and innovative projects all the time. Their beautiful dive centre is located right on the beach, just a 10 min ride away from Villa Nangka. We would highly recommend them if you would like to go diving around the Gili Islands.

Conseils sur la ville

Déplacements

Rent a bike

There are no motorbikes on the Gilis Islands, that’s why the air is so fresh and clean here. So, what’s the form of transport? Bikes! We have bicycles available for rent for 40.000 IDR per day which can be arranged upon check-in.
Coutumes et culture

Don't swim from island to island

We’re only half joking, but still feel like we need to say it! Please don’t try to swim between the islands; Gili Trawangan, Gili Meno and Gili Air. The three islands are easily visible to each other, and one would think you can swim between them, but there are strong currents and you could get swept away. Best to stick to the island hopper, which is only 40,000 IDR one way and it leaves once in the morning and another time in the evening depending on the island you’re coming from; Gili Air, Gili Meno and Gili Trawangan. On each island there is a ticket office at the harbour and there are schedules demonstrating the exact guaranteed times for when they leave.
Ne manquez pas

Ask To Have Your Coconut Cut In Half

Have you ever ordered a whole fresh coconut on the Gilis? You can ask the staff to cut it in half for you! The inside of the coconut is high in fibre, has significant amounts of iron & potassium, cholesterol-free and low in sodium! Almost all the restaurants and cafes on the Gilis have coconuts readily available to order! Treat yourself to one every day since you’re on island time now!
Manières de faire des économises

Use A Personal Hotspot

For all you digital nomads out there we recommend you use your own personal hotspot for internet while working on the Gilis! Although the majority of the restaurants have wifi, you will have faster and better internet through your own personal hotspot. Tip: Telkomsel is the strongest phone provider on the Gilis. You can buy 20-50 GB Internet plans through their app or going to the local electronics store on the island for only 120,000 IDR, which is so cheap! As soon as you run out of your internet, you don’t need to wait for the plan to renew and there is no autopay, you can go back to the shop, tell the manager your phone number and they will top up your account and you can buy your new internet deal automatically through the telkomsel app! Download it on your smartphone, it’ll be more convenient for you!
Que faut-il apporter?

Bring A Headlamp With You

It’s surprising to travelers visiting the Gili Islands for the first time that the side streets away from the central road are not lit up at night time. The main road will be lit up by restaurants, cafes and bars, but the majority of the side streets leading into the central village are not. So if you’re staying in a homestay or hotel in these unlit side streets, make sure to expect this! We recommend you pack a headlamp in your suitcase! It can have several uses while traveling; if the electricity goes out or you decide to rent a bike to ensure your bike safely. Take care of yourself, these side streets are safe to walk through, but we just want you to pack smart and ensure you don’t get injured or injure someone else!
Ne manquez pas

Subwing - Best way to explore the beautiful reefs around the Gili Islands

* Do you want to explore the magical beautiful reefs of the Gili Islands in a new and fun way? * Do you like to try new things and are you looking for unique experiences? * Do you like snorkelling but you don’t want to book a standard snorkelling trip and be on a boat full with tourists? Try Subwing and fly underwater along the beautiful reefs of the Gili Islands! Subwing offers you a great and fun way to explore the underwater world around the Gili Islands, Gili Trawangan, Gili Meno and Gili Air. A Subwing trip around the Gili Islands take 3 to 4 hours during which everyone gets pulled twice for 25 minutes on the Subwing board for only IDR 450.000 per person.
Manières de faire des économises

ATM & Money Changer

Gili Air has several ATM machines. ATM withdrawal limits per transaction are usually quite low (IDR 1,500,000 – 3,000,000) due to the fact that the largest note in Indonesia is equivalent of USD$10 and the ATM opening is only so big… But don’t worry, the machines allow you to make multiple withdrawal transactions in 1 visit. There are also several money changers on all Gili Islands, but chances are big that you don’t get the same exchange rate as in Bali or in Lombok. To avoid disappointment, exchange your money before your visit us and change money at official money changers and/or banks.
Phrases utiles

Most useful phrases in bahasa Indonesia

f you’re thinking of picking up some basic Bahasa Indonesia words for your trip, you’d be glad to know that the language is pretty easy to master! Here’s why: The language has no need for past or future tense, which means that verbs only exist in present tense. Also, Bahasa Indonesia makes no distinction for masculine and feminine nouns. To make the language even less complicating, the words have no plural; singular and plural terms are all the same. Here are some basic Indonesian words to help you prepare for your holiday on Gili Air: GREETINGS Selamat Pagi: Good morning Selamat Siang: Good afternoon Selamat sore: Good evening Selamat malam: Good night Apa kabar?: How are you? – Kabar baik: I’m good Terima kasih: Thank you Sama Sama: You are welcome Yes/No: Ia/ Tidak ORDERING FOOD From our personal experience, our Bahasa has improved significantly from ordering food in the Indonesian warungs. Going to the warungs will definitely invite opportunities to mix and converse with the locals. Do bring a pocket dictionary if you want to make your conversations more interesting! Permisi Pak, ada tempat makan di dekat sinin?: Excuse me Sir, is there a restaurant near here? Makan: To eat Pedas: Spicy (if you cant handle spicy, remember to say Tidak pedas!) Saya suka pedas: I like spicy Minyak: Oil Gula: Sugar Minum: Drink Nasi: rice Mie: noodle Sayur saja: if you are vegetarian you might want to ask for “Sayur saja” (Vegetables only) Enak : Delicious! BARGAINING AND NUMBERS Knowing a few words of the language will always help you to get better deals in Indonesia. As an advice, try to bargain around 30% off the initial price offered when you negotiate, especially in touristic areas: 1 – Satu ; 2 – Dua ; 3 – Tiga ; 4 – Empat ; 5 -Lima ; 6 -Enam ; 7 – Tujuh ; 8 – Delapan ; 9 – Sembilan ; 10 – Sepuluh. 11 Seblas 12 Dua belas 13 Tiga belas 14 Empat belas 20 – Dua puluh ; 30 – Tiga puluh, etc … 100 – Seratus ; 200 – Dua ratus etc… 1, 000 : Seribu – 10,000 Sepuluh Ribu 1 million : Satu juta Harga: Price Berapa harganya?: How much does it cost? Harga nya mahal: Price is expensive Lebih murah bisa?: “Cheaper possible?” Saya tidak ada cukup: I don’t have enough Mahal sakali: Very expensive!
Déplacements

What is the best way to get to the Gili Islands from Bali?

We always recommend Eka Jaya fast boats as they have one of the biggest boats and good customer service. The ticket should not be more than IDR 425,000 one way per person including a shuttle from Denpasar, Kuta, Seminyak, Sanur and Ubud to Padangbai, the fast boat harbor. Usually, you get the best price in one of the small travel agencies which are all over Bali, just barter a bit. For more information you can check their website: http://www.baliekajaya.com/ The other option is to fly from Denpasar to Lombok. The flight takes only 30 minutes and is usually very cheap. A private driver from th