Well Worth It: Gili Air, Indonesia
Never Try, Never Know
Mainland Bali or neighboring islands…Which would be a better fit?
Before we left Indonesia for Vietnam, we traded the buzz of Bali’s mainland for something quieter—Gili Air, a tiny island where cars are outlawed, horses do the heavy lifting, and sunsets demand your full attention.
We were super excited about our stop at Gili Air. Both of us were eager to slow down and be away from the busyness of Bali. Unfortunately, our time in Gili Air was cut short due to the rearranging of our Elderbrook show in Uluwatu. Not a terrible problem to have! But keep reading to see why we loved this little spot so much.
Sorry not sorry we have 1,000 selfies from this trip - you’ll never regret taking more pictures.
What is Gili Air?
Tucked away in the Lombok Strait between Bali and Lombok, Gili Air is the perfect blend of small-town island charm and laid-back energy. Often overshadowed by its more party-centric neighbor Gili Trawangan, Gili Air offers a quieter, more restful escape, where time seems to slow down. A tiny speck on the map—small enough to walk around in an hour—this island thrives on simplicity: no cars, no motorbikes, just sandy paths lined with warungs, beach bars, and lots of friendly people.
Gili Air tends to draw people in who are seeking balance. It has just enough beach bars and restaurants to keep evenings lively, while also offering serene stretches of coastline, crystal-clear waters for snorkeling, and tucked-away yoga spots and hostels.
The island feels like the sweet spot between adventure and relaxation — a place where you can spend your mornings diving with turtles and your afternoons taking a hammock nap. For us, Gili Air felt like a much-needed invitation to hit pause and reconnect with nature, ourselves, and each other.
It’s hard to exaggerate how tiny this island is. We only had 4 days and 3 nights here but would even that feel like too much for such a tiny place?
And what made Gili Air truly Well Worth It? Let’s dive in and break it all down.
The Criteria
As a reminder: We only recommend things we’d do again, send to our friends, and that had a positive payoff for the time, money, and memories. Our picks prioritize affordability, fun, and overall experience. We love outdoor and active adventures. We pick nature over shopping and luxury and aim for practical yet high-quality experiences. Our food recs lean toward bold flavors, novel concepts, and protein-heavy meals. Healthy choices are very important to us, but trying everything is important, too. We enjoy chaos and calm and seek out hidden gems alongside popular spots.
Check out all the destinations on our trip here.
The Destination: Gili Air, Indonesia
When you pull into the harbor, you're instantly surrounded by crystal-clear water and welcomed by trotting and jingle bells — a sound reminiscent of Christmas.
The trotting noise is the official taxi system of Gili Air — a horse-drawn carriage pulled by specially bred horses. They’re small yet powerful and perfect for the environment.
While in Uluwatu, we could snag a trip on the back of a Grab bike for 10k IDR but these carriages cost 200k IDR to take you to your hotel.
Since we packed light and only had a 15-20 min walk to our hotel, we decided to skip the novelty carriage ride and orient ourselves with the island as we walked to our new stay.
What to expect in Gili Air:
Getting To Gili Air - Don’t Let the Internet Scare You
Before we get too deep into this post we want to make sure we discussed how you get to Gili. If you spend much time on TikTok looking at the surrounding islands of Bali, you're sure to come across the fast ferries. 99% of these videos are these insane and seemingly traumatizing boat rides. Passengers waiting in line for hours hoarded like cattle, stuffed into sweltering boats, thrown around violently and likely vomiting as a result.
Leslie had experienced seasickness in the Philippines so we were nervous about how this would all go. On top of that, we were unsure about the booking processes for each of the steps. To get to Gili Air we needed transportation to the Pandang Bai pier, a ferry ticket to Gili Air, and a boat that wouldn’t make tons of stops along the way. We started in Uluwatu (west Bali), which is 2.5 hours from Padang Pier (east Bali) — with routes to Gili Air. Padang Bai was the farther port from us (Sanur would have only been ~ 1 hour). But we chose it because we’d rather spend an hour in a private car vs. an hour on a public boat.
Here’s a map to help you visualize the journey to Gili Air.
This is a perfect example of a situation where solved for the happiness factor and paid a little extra for convenience. We booked a company that sent a driver to our hotel, drove us 2+ hours to the pier, arranged our tickets, and ensured we were all set for our departure before leaving.
Thankfully, the internet seemed to be overblowing the fast boat experience even though we ended up on a fairly budget boat. The very front of the boat wasn't air conditioned but the main portion was nice and chilly. We were allowed to keep our backpacks in the cabin to ensure they stayed dry. We wrapped them in trash bags as a precaution in case they insisted they be put on top.
Pro tip: On ferries, tell them your bag has a laptop inside and they’ll let you keep it in the cabin vs. strapping it to the top of the boat. You’ll probably face resistance but just be persistent.
We left on time, arrived on time, and endured no traumas. It's funny how Instagram and social media at large are major players when researching trips but in reality, it seems to be one of the most inaccurate sources of information. The travel traumas get way more engagement than the easy-peasy trips so be wary when using social media for your perception of a place. Not a bad boat view!
Getting Around Gili Air - Two Feet or Four!
Now you’ve made your journey to the pier of Gili Air and it’s time to navigate the island itself. And there’s good news there. Walking is an easy option.
Again, your two feet are good enough…but there are horses. As mentioned earlier, Gili Air is extremely tiny. The full circumference is only about 5 km or 3.1 miles around. If walking isn’t your thing you can rent bicycles, but the horses are pretty magical — so treat yourself if that’s your thing!
The Food Scene in Gili Punches Above Its Weight Class
You can pull up a Google Maps view of restaurants on the island or simply take a stroll through the streets and you’ll quickly realize the density of great food spots. The variety of food includes local Indonesian, artisan pizzas, smoothie bowls, and fresh grilled seafood.
We originally thought food might be one drawback of such a small island but it turned out to be a bright spot. Honestly having less to choose from was a plus!
Sunsets & Sunrises - The Only Time You Need to Hurry
The beautiful thing about an island that’s only 1 mile wide is that you have quick access to either a sunset or a sunrise regardless of where your hotel is. On our first night, we moved a little slow and missed the sunset but prioritized getting out the door for the remaining sunsets and were not disappointed.
Sunsets tend to get all the love but we also suggest setting an alarm to get a sunrise in. Not only is it just as beautiful, it’s also much more peaceful. Getting up early is probably our favorite life hack. Authentic spirituality and connection with nature were easy to spot in the early morning. Visitors and locals meditated, practiced yoga, and read on the beach during the sunrise.
Sudden Rain Storms Are More Fun On a Tiny Tropical Island
One of the biggest drawbacks of Ubud was the frequent pop-up rain storms. When you’re in a city full of streets that are flooding with dirty water, a rainstorm isn’t much fun. But… When you’re on a gorgeous island and you run home down the sandy beach to jump in your garden pool in the pouring rain, the vibe is very different.
The environment changes everything.
Well Worth It Food & Drink
Warung Emak - The Ultimate, Authentic Value Stop
Leslie found this local gem and was drawn in thanks to their delicious-looking omelets. We came with the intention of maybe just ordering that and some fried noodles but, as we often do, threw in a few more orders for good measure. Never try, never know - keep reading because we’ll explain that life motto we got from Gili, too!
Getting to this restaurant involved taking Google Maps as far as we could, stopping to get a general direction point from a local, walking through a cow pasture, and stumbling upon a woman’s home which was dual-purposed as Warung Emak. This was hands-down the most authentic eating experience we’ve had on our trip so far - and one of the best tasting!
People always ask how we deal with the language barrier when we order. Menus are great for pointing to and trying to pronounce things — even if it’s terrible — are worth it. We love the reciprocal energy and shared love language of food. Thanks and appreciation for food seem to bust through the language barrier.
The value here is crazy too. This sample plate you see first (Nasi Campur) was only $1.20! Everything pictured was only $5.50 combined.
Warung zZz - The place that had it figured out
We were visiting Gili Air during the slow season. So many beautiful restaurants with tons of tables and chairs were oddly empty. Dozens of restaurants with not even a single patron. Then you have Warung zZz - a no-non-sense local spot where we had to wait for a table multiple times. Clearly, they’re doing it right.
You may not get the fancy decor or a waiting experience you’re used to from the United States, but you’ll get amazing food and solid value.
This was likely the best local Indonesian food we got at any point in the country.
Each time we went we ended up ordering four orders. Our waiter was a little surprised (impressed?) at our orders. Especially, when we left without a single crumb on our plates. Step count high means the order count is even higher!
The curry and the satay were our top favorites. But across two visits we ordered chicken curry, balado shrimp, mixed rice with chicken satay, olah-olah, burbur ayam, and mie ayam.
These dishes range from $1.85 to $2.45.
FRESH!
Justin tried his first smoothie bowl in Uluwatu which got Leslie hooked. One night after sunset, Leslie was craving one - cold fruit is arguably one of the best things. We stumbled across FRESH! in route to a different smoothie bowl place and stopped because of the Choco Bongo - chocolate, peanut butter, dates, banana, and coconut milk. It was also covered in granola, shredded coconut, dragonfruit, and seeds. Clearly, we’re not counting macros right now — and that’s good!
We opted for the extra large size (to share) which was $5.00.
Well Worth It Experiences & Adventures
Three Island Snorkeling Excursion
We’ve received the (fair) feedback from many people that we may have overplanned our trip. Locked ourselves into locations and timelines by booking so many things in advance. This was our first big international trip so the overplanning gave us some comfort but we’re starting to understand the need to leave room for flexibility. Or we like to “Save room for magic!” That’s usually regarding a fun desert we come across - but you get the point.
This excursion was a great execution of that. We decided not to plan any excursions for Gili Air because we wanted to choose based on how we felt and the weather. One day at breakfast at 9 a.m. we decided to go on a 9:30 a.m. island-hopping snorkel trip. We moved quickly!
It turned out to be a great idea because while we were over at Gili Meno and Gili T snorkeling, we completely missed the rain storms that hit Gili Air. We also had a cool experience of getting to swim next to some large sea turtles while they snacked on the seagrass.
Cost: $13.73 per person
“Private” Chill Beach Day
We could have done more island hopping and excursions but we also had a beautiful beach within feet of our hotel. We snagged a daybed and a big section of beach all to ourselves thanks to it being the off-season. Due to the off-season travel we’d been enjoying there’ve been several times where Justin joked as if he’d treated us to a private experience and rented the place out. It makes it hard to imagine visiting some of these places when they’re crowded.
We’d needed a day like this. Just relaxing, reminiscing about the past weeks, and joking together. That statement may seem laughable to some. Aren’t y’all on a sixth-month vacation?! But hear us out: Traveling and being on vacation are very different. It’s not a 6-night all-inclusive resort. Traveling can take a toll on you mentally, physically, and emotionally in ways we didn’t realize until we did it. So literally parking our butts on the beach for a day, making shapes out of the clouds and reconnecting was a special treat. Laying back and listening to the sound of the waves vs. honking horns, kids screaming, or sales pitches felt like bliss.
We mentioned in our Ubud post the volume of knock-off designer items littered across Indonesia. It’s no wonder every person you see is decked out head to toe in brands such as Gucci, Versace, Prada, and Marc Jacobs. We both feel like everything you see that’s an expensive brand should be questioned now. Justin, feeling fancy, thought he should capture his fancy version of "The Tote” which felt a little more authentic to our travels than the fake Marc Jacobs versions sold at the knock-off retailers.
Funny enough this yellow plastic bag became our trusty beach tote for a while. We know plastic bags are terrible - but again, when you can reduce and reuse.
This was also the day when we ran home to escape the rain storm but then decided to embrace it in the pool. More silly inner-child days, please!
Cost: Free
Cheeky Monkey Sunset DJ
This viby beach spot has a weekly free DJ sunset party. This week’s was said to be extra special since it’d be the final one before taking a month-long break for Ramadan. I will say they were playing the best music we’d heard all trip and we even got a fireworks show out of it.
There were supposedly going to be fire dancers at some point but we didn’t catch that. The bean bag chairs right by the water provided a nice and chill nightcap.
Cost: Free
Stays
When looking back on our stay at Villa Tahid, some of the first attributes that come to mind are the day-bed, the indoor/outdoor shower, and the amazing pancakes.
It’s funny how certain amenities start to seem way more important to you than others, and the daybed was one that we didn’t even realize we’d been missing out on.
Having a place outside where you don’t feel like you need to be cooped up in the room or perfectly clean to enjoy, but still feel a little private and covered from the rain.
We really enjoyed the beautiful poolside breakfasts. And who doesn’t love to be welcomed by a novelty swan kissing towel?
Well Worth It Wellness
Radiant Beach Gym
While we didn’t book any gym time on Gili Air, we did stop by a free morning event hosted by Radiant. We just had to check out this gym that was no doubt designed more for Instagram than for true gain seekers.
To their credit, they also offer fitness classes, a cold plunge, a sauna, a beautiful beach lounging section, and the restaurant’s menu looks top-notch.
Cost: $7.40 for a day pass
Just because no official gym sessions were logged, we still got our fitness on via running and body weight exercises. And of course, we had to sneak in a few freebie curls while at Radiant. (The size of the weights makes this look way more impressive than it is.)
This could be your view after a workout a Radiant. Yes, please.
What we missed:
We never actually visited Gili Trawangan on land. It’s known as the party island and I don’t regret skipping it with the amount of time we had but it would be interesting to see what the buzz is about - at least for a beach day!
What we’d skip:
Fumbling through some of the interior “streets” aka paths without a headlamp. These dirt paths can get a bit muddy and have almost zero lighting. Google Maps International's walking directions are basically - “but did you die?”
What we learned:
Don’t trust all travel internet posts
When Justin was doing his research, there were so many horror stories about the fast ferries to the Gilis. He also kept seeing people say that even three days was probably too long in Gili Air. We could not disagree more. We could see ourselves spending big chunks of time in Gili. The people are laid back, the food is great, and there are several gyms ranging from nice-normal, and Budget-local, to Instagram-bougie.
We actually contemplated what it might look like living months there. The bonus is that you can easily get to Lombok with its massive nature offerings or Bali mainland for a big concert or gear run. This is the first location where we also felt like we could bring our family for a getaway.
Never Try, Never Know
Scattered across Gili Air you’ll see inspirational signs that range from simple to prolific life messages to some subtle (and not-so-subtle) nudges for ~magic~ life experiences.
Listen we’re not here to judge or tell you what to do, but the mentality of “Never Try, Never Know” resonates with us.
We all make and have assumptions about everything. We assume we know what something will be like based on stories, other people’s experiences, or just our own biases. “Never Try, Never Know” reads like a mindset to adopt where you do your research and make your own decisions based on what’s best for you. If there’s something that’s been calling you over and over to try - maybe just do it. Whether that’s learning a new skill, reaching out to someone, traveling, quitting that terrible job, or asking for a promotion - you name it, you should try it! Or you’ll never know!
Please don’t take this out of context. Clearly, there are extremes and dangerous things you probably shouldn’t try - free jumping off a bridge, staying out in the freezing cold, etc., etc. But in general, life is about collecting new experiences and getting out of your comfort zone to grow - even if you end up hating the experience - it can teach you something valuable.
Where in your life could you embrace: Never Try, Never Know?
Mainland Bali vs. Gili Air: Follow the internet or take a different path?
Mainland Bali is vibrant, bustling, and diverse. From the chaotic streets of Canggu and Seminyak filled with scooters, beach clubs, and hip cafes, to the serene temples and rice terraces of Ubud, Bali offers a wide range of experiences. It’s a place where modern digital nomad culture collides with deep-rooted Hindu traditions. Bali's mainland is convenient, full of energy, and packed with options for adventure—surfing, yoga, shopping, nightlife, and day trips to waterfalls or volcanic peaks.
Gili Air, on the other hand, feels like an escape. With no motorized vehicles allowed, the island is all about barefoot simplicity—think horse-drawn carts, bicycles, and sandy paths. Gili Air’s pace is slow, the vibe is more rustic and laid-back, and the main soundtrack is waves on the shore. It’s more about snorkeling with sea turtles, sunset beach bars with bean bags, and starry skies at night. Gili Air has a castaway charm, attracting those who want a break from the crowds and the buzz of Bali.
In short:
Bali = dynamic, varied, culturally rich, and buzzing with activity.
Gili Air = mellow, minimalist, nature-driven, and perfect for disconnecting.
Major cities on the mainland or the less visited Islands? Which would you pick? Read our recaps of mainland Bali hot spots Ubud and Uluwatu before you choose.
What we spent per person in Uluwatu: $107.30
Number of days: 4
Here’s a link to our full spending breakdown by location, if you’re interested.
This includes accommodations, excursions, transportation, dining out, groceries, gym…everything we promise.
Wrapping It Up
We love you Gili, we will be back, and we’re sorry for not giving you more time.
You know a place is good when you start scoping out locations for a retreat you want to host when you haven’t even finished your current trip (and still have months of travel to go).
Have you ever found yourself somewhere so peaceful you considered scrapping your plans entirely? Gili Air was that place for us. As soon as we left we missed it. TTYL Gili.
Questions about our time in Gili Air or have something you’d add? Let us know in the comments.
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Coming up next: Nusa Lembongan, Indonesia
Another fast ferry coming up. Let’s hope Instagram is simply fear-mongering again and it’ll be smooth sailing - stay tuned!
Need to catch up on our past posts?
You can find those here → 6 Month Travel Page