Gili Trawangan and the nearby mainland of Lombok offer a wide variety of things to do. The tropical heat and coral reefs attract many people to its turquoise waters. The Gili islands are a perfect location for all types of diving, from beginner to the advanced technical diver. The dive sites vary in depth, topography and marine life and are all located very close to the Islands, so there are no long journeys and your non diving friends can also join you on the boat for a spot of snorkeling. Baruna Villa’s is located only 2 minutes away from one of the top snorkeling spots offering sightings of turtles and variety of marine life.
We are able to coordinate your Scuba Dive packages if you wish to learn to dive or if you are an experienced diver wishing to Fun Dive or embark upon a technical course from tri mix to re-breather. This can be done either before you arrive or whilst you enjoy your stay through our PADI certified instructor manager. Surfing on Gili Trawangan is not for the faint hearted but for the more experienced and offers some of the best coral breaks. Wakeboarding is also available for the more active.
As the island has no cars, motorbikes or motorized vehicles there are four ways to get round the island; on foot, bicycle, horse cart or horse back! As the islands circumference is only 6.9km, its easy to explore Trawangan. The best time of day is late afternoon as it becomes cooler. Aim to get to Sunset point for 6.15pm for spectacular views overlooking Balis Mount Agung. For those who prefer to let someone else do the work, why not try the sunset cruise on a luxury sailing boat.
Lombok itself also has many attractions. Golf is extremely popular with its own 18 hole, links golf course. This truly is millionaire golf as most of the time you have the course to yourself. Again for the more active, Lomboks Mount Rinjani and beautiful waterfalls can be explored. Excursions start from 1 to 3 days and can all be organized from Gili Trawangan.
There are many restaurants on the island catering for all tastes, ranging from budget warungs (serving delicious local food), to Western cuisine, Pizzas, Sushi and fish BBS. Prices range from anywhere from Rp 50,000 up to about Rp 500,000 for 2 course dinner. Likewise, the range of bars is similar. Parties are held on a rotation basis ensuring that the disturbance to Islanders and holiday makers alike is kept to a minimum.
Indonesia has a tropical climate which is hot all year round and is split between the wet season and the dry season. The average temperature year round is between 30 – 34C. Officially the wet season is from October through to March. The Gili Islands are open all year with the cooler, drier and windier months of the year being July, August and September and the humid, wetter months in December, January, February and March.
We advise you check with your local Indonesian embassy for up to date visa information. Generally though, visitors to Indonesia require at least 6 months on your passport for entry. The most common visa is a 30 day tourist visa which currently costs US$25 per person and you can get on arrival in Indonesia. 60 day tourist visas and social visas are also available for those wishing to spend more time, but these must be applied for before you arrive.
There are now many ATM machines on Gili Trawangan. There are a number of foreign exchanges, however please be aware that the exchange rate will not be as good as on the mainland. Visa and MasterCard is widely accepted, many places have an additional 3% charge for credit card payments.