Azza Lutfiyaturrohmah

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Tourism and guiding

Gili Gede

Gili gede is arguably the best known of the "Secret Gilis. A sprinkling of islands off
the coast of southwest Lombok far lesser known than the Gilis of the northwest. Gili Gede
lies among a group also comprising Gili Layan, Gili Ringgit and Gili Asahan: about halfway
back to Lembar is a second cluster including Gili Nanggu and Gili Sudak. Of all these, Gili
Gede has the broadest selection of accommodation.

Top places to stay

 Via Vacare
 Yut's Inn Flower Paradise Cottages
 Pelangi Homestay
 Bola Bola Paradis
 Desert Point Lodge
 See all places to stay

Top things to do

 Snorkelling boat trip from Gili Gede

 Mekaki Beach
 See all sights

Keep reading to learn more about Gili Gede!

At mid-December 2014 there was a single midrange resort on Gili Asahan and a long-
running spot on Gili Nanggu. We also saw a new resort midway through its build on Gili
Layan. With plenty of land being snapped up by speculators on Gili Gede, this is a group of
islands that could see a lot of change in the coming years.
Madak belo view

Unlike the better known Gilis to the north, Gili Gede is not a "party" island. The
accommodation is low key and the economic mainstays remain as pearl farming and fishing.
There is almost nothing in the way of free-standing restaurants and there are no bars. You’ll
be most likely eating and drinking where you stay. Gili Gede is home to five villages and
about as many places to stay. The pace is slow. Very slow.

If you’re looking for a place to party and meet hordes of other travellers, Gili Gede is not for
you.

Sunbake to the left please.

 The beaches are pretty at a distance, but up close they’re badly littered and what once
would have been impressive reefs have been smashed to pieces and prematurely deposited on
the beach. Yes, we know white sand beaches come from slowly ground up coral, but the
active words here are slow and ground. Take a boat trip to Gili Ringgit to see the reefs that
may once have ringed the east coast of Gili Gede. Still, the views from a hammock with a
gentle sea breeze are more than comforting.

While Gili Gede’s east and north coast is given over to white sand and smashed coral
beaches, the west coast is lined by a diminishing stretch of mangroves and mudflats. This
really isn’t enticing swimming material, but the views over the mainland, especially in the
late afternoon light, are impressive.

A steadier earner than tourists.

Gili Gede is a working island. The five villages here are actively involved in pearl
farming and fishing: nobody is paying them not to fish or exploit the resources around them,
unlike in the northern Gilis where fishermen are still paid not to fish -- 2015 being the final
year of that scheme. So the beaches in the immediacy of any of the fishing villages are in
pretty bad shape. Need to strip the paint off your old boat in those crystal clear waters? No
problem! The villages themselves are very well kept with not a dog to be seen on the entire
island: you might be surprised at the contrast if you’ve come from Bali with its many dogs.

Foreign tourists remain somewhat of a curiosity, so you should expect plenty of hellos and
curious, but genuine smiles. Don’t be put off by the hordes of kids likely to follow you
around for fun. Likewise, tread carefully. Dress conservatively. Swimwear (for men or
women) is not suitable attire for walking through a village and any boozing should be kept
within the grounds of your accommodation.
Late light on the sunset side.
Gili Gede will appeal to travellers looking for serious downtime. Yogis head to Via
Vacare for their yoga retreats, but beach bums used to head to Madak Belo, but it has
unfortunately closed. Staying on Gede isn’t staying in a tourist bubble and going for a stroll
outside you grounds of your accommodation will be confronting for some. We met one
traveller who left the island earlier than planned, describing a walk through a village as
"depressing and distressing". While this is not an impression we’d agree with, this is real
Indonesia on an island. For now.

Orientation
The five main villages on Gili Gede are interconnected by an on-again, off-again paved trail
easily walked or ridden by motorbike. North of Flower Paradise, past the pontoon bridge,
there is no proper trail, so you can just walk along the beach all the way around the northern
tip of the island. To walk from Flower Paradise all the way south along the east coast to
Secret Island Resort and then back up the west coast (and over the spur) to Via Vacare should
take three to four hours, depending on your pace. Apparently you need to add another two
hours to walk around the top, but we didn’t test that. The trails are clearly marked and easy to
follow, but there are few signposts: bring water and wear sunscreen.

Take a trip, explore Layan and Ringgit.

 Gili Gede has no ATMs The closest in December 2014, where the slow ferries from
Bali and elsewhere arrive, about an hour’s drive to the east of Tembowong, the "port" to Gili
Gede. We got a semi-decent 3G signal via Telkomsel from the east coast of the island, but it
was a lot more patchy on the west. For medical care for anything more serious than a cut or
abrasion, head to Mataram or Senggigi.