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Although Gili Air is closest to the Lombok mainland it is the most overlooked of the three Gili islands in terms of development. However, that is all set to change as the market here is geared very much towards the budget traveler and tropical island explorer. A lot of visitors actually prefer the grassroots atmosphere of Gili Air and the feeling of really being part of a close-knit local community.
The circumference of Gili Air island is travelable by foot in around two and a half hours but be sure to pack some supplies as you’re heading well off the beaten track.
As with Gili Meno, the pace of life is slow and endearing to those who really want to escape the hustle and bustle of the outside world.
The latest arrival to show how Gili Air is very slowly catching up with big brother Trawangan is a new ATM machine. It is located on the east side in the middle of what you may call the main strip, basically, the concentration from the harbor to another fairly new operation of bungalows called Bibi’s.
It takes all the usual cards like – Visa, Master Card, even cirrus and Maestro. With the new power cable from the mainland Lombok installed, the time was right. It is a great advantage to visitors as they don’t have to take bundles of cash, and even though there are still some small “Mati Lampu” or power outages for a few hours here and there it means people may stay longer.
More accommodation, cafés, and bars are slowly starting to spring up to complement the three dive centers on the main beach strip.
There are internet facilities at the Ozzy Shop (who also rent bicycles) and in a tiny wartel (phone shop) behind Villa Karang but the connection is far from reliable.
For its size, Gili Air actually has a wide range of accommodation to suit every taste and budget either on the beach or set back in the coconut groves.
There’s a fair cross-section of accommodation options on Gili Air sure to appeal to all budgets. The ‘contemporary villa scene’ has yet to arrive on the fair Air shores so instead expect to find a wealth of rustic and very natural bungalows, huts and rooms set in the charming groves and along the sandy beach strip.
Coconut Cottages is a collection of attractive fan and air-conditioned bungalows set in a huge garden haven set back from the beach. All with hot water and a friendly bank of staff.
Hotel Gili Air has chalet style accommodation for the mid-range visitor. It has a fan and air-conditioned rooms, swimming pool, and restaurant on the beach and is extremely popular with the Italian crowd during the month of August.
Sejuk Cottages is a really cool group of Sasak style lodgings, each with its own design identity. Two of the superior huts have an accessible upstairs chill-out lounge with hammocks. Recommended for families.
Villa Karang has a pool, restaurant and a mix of inland and ocean facing bungalows. There is a really good range of rooms here to appeal to the middle market.
The swimming is shallow along the east coast with the sand giving way to a coral reef table and is perfectly safe provided you don’t adventure into the channel beyond.
Snorkeling gear is available from the local operators and dive centers will point you in the right direction for some marine adventure.
Manta Dive is the new sister operation to the already hugely successful Gili Trawangan dive setup. The center has five Sasak style air-conditioned huts with hot water and funky outside bathrooms with communal swimming pool. PADI and SSI courses from beginner to instructor level are conducted onsite and also cater to the fun diver with a variety of packages to suit all abilities and demands.
The dive center boats take divers out to the two most popular spots -Haan’s Reef and Gili Air Wall. Haan’s boasts some specialist muck diving just off the east coast of Gili Air and is largely frequented by photographers seeking to capture a glimpse of strange creatures like Flying guard, frogfish and many varieties of pipefish. Gili Air Wall (as the name suggests) to the west is a twenty-four-meter vertical drop with plenty of lionfish, Leaf scorpionfish, and the occasional seahorse spotting.
Gili Air doesn’t have the full-on party vibe of big brother Gili Trawangan but it still has enough entertainment to keep the average traveler smiling. In high season expect to stumble across the occasional psychedelic fluoro `Goa style’ beach party with raging techno beats that sometimes don’t stop for the best part of two full days!
Very popular with the older Bali expats, the events are a throwback to the acid house revolution of yesteryear and are no less tame than their late 1980’s counterparts. For those of a less excitable persuasion, there’s plenty of social drinking fun to be had.
Most beachfront bars are no frills and all usually close early around 11 pm.
Corner Bar is the closest to the harbor and is little more than the name suggests, a set of barugas and tables and chairs on the beach.
Legend Bar has the weekend Wednesday party night during the high season months with lots of reggae and house music and is also the location for the infamous Full and Black Moon beach parties.
Star Bar (next to Blue Marlin Dive) is a popular post dive drinking spot for the expatriate dive community and visiting scuba enthusiasts. Imported spirits available.
Zipp’s (next to Manta Dive) serves food and drinks for the Manta Dive operation and is a popular meeting spot for late afternoon beers. There’s a reasonable amount of restaurants on Gili Air offering good value varieties of Indonesian, Western and European food. Mostly located along the main strip of beach on the east coast, each café and restaurant shares the same stunning views across to Mount Rinjani.
Frangipani Garden Restaurant is situated at Coconut Cottages about halfway up the main beach strip and is a setback in the coconut plantations serving appetizing local and Western dishes. The Sasak inspired `Rice Table’ needs to be ordered at least one day in advance and is a perfect feast for small and medium-size groups and couples.
Gili Air Santay is renowned for their Thai dishes although it’s only one example of their wide selection of cuisines from around the world.
Mirage Coffee Bar and Bakery is the place to head to for a full English breakfast. Although situated on the quieter far northern side of the island the trip is well worth the effort for tasty homemade sandwiches and is an ideal spot for a sunset drink.
What Gili Air is less known for is the fickle but sometimes quality surf scene. The right-hand break to the south west of the island is known as `Playgili’ and is far from a playground as the wave jacks up for a speed run over the jagged coral heads and rocks providing solid barreling sections.