Gili Trawangan

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Photo taken from the top of the hill on Gili Trawangan just after dawn; foreground is Gili Trawangan, Gili Meno is next and then Gili Air — Gunung Rinjani is backlit by the approaching dawn.

Photo taken from the top of the hill on Gili Trawangan just after dawn; foreground is Gili Trawangan, Gili Meno is next and then a bit of Gili Air — Lombok is in the distance to the right.

Photo taken from Gili Trawangan; in the foreground are island hopper boats anchored off Gili Trawangan, Gili Meno is the next island — Ginung Rinjani is in the distance.

Gili Trawangan as seen from Gili Meno.

Cidomo, the horsedrawn carriage native to Lombok.

Gili Trawangan is the largest of Lombok's Gili Islands and is the only one to rise significantly above sea level. It is 3km long and 2km wide with a population of about 800. Of the Gilis, Trawangan has the most tourist facilities; the pub Tîr na Nôg claims that Trawangan is the smallest island in the world with an Irish pub. The most crowded part of Trawangan lies on the eastern side.

Generally, Gili Trawangan can be reached by public boat from Bangsal Harbor (located in the northwest coast of Lombok) for a cost of less than IDR 10,000, taking about 40 to 50 minutes. A typical room (two-bed room with air-conditioner) costs from as little as IDR 80,000 to as much as IDR 700,000 per night, the majority being around IDR 200,000. For those who want to travel cheaply, there are lots of bungalows rented for around IDR 50,000 only, and there are as many cheap eateries and bars around the island as are posh and expensive ones.

Trawangan has more of a "party" atmosphere than Gili Meno and Gili Air, with all-night parties that rotate amongst a group of venues each night. While during the day, the popular activities for visitors are scuba diving (PADI certified), snorkeling (mainly along the northeastern coastline), kayaking and surfing. There are also stalls that offer horseback riding as a pastime activity.

On Gili Trawangan (as well as the other two Gilis), there are no motorized vehicles. The main means of transportation are bicycles (rented by locals to tourists) and cidomo (a small horsedrawn carriage). For traveling to and from each of the Gilis, locals usually use motorized boats and speedboats.

Some of the first inhabitants of Gili Trawangan were from Sulawesi who are fishermen and farmers. Previously Gili Trawangan was covered in forest and deer lived on the island. (Source: Inhabitants of Gili Trawangan - no printed source available)