The ultimate travel guide to Gili Meno

If you are planning to visit Gili Meno, one of the three Gili islands, this travel guide is for you! Gili Air, Meno and Trawangan are belonging to Lombok, an island near Bali. These dreamy islands are really close to Bali and easily accessible by boat in less than 4 hours. We have visited Gili Meno during our last Bali trip and we were really surprised by the beauty of this island. I swear it was as beautiful as the Maldives but far less expensive! You can also read our ultimate Bali travel guide to plan your complete itinerary.

If you are planning to visit Bali or Lombok soon, you should definitely consider visiting one of the Gili islands. Personally, my favorite one is Gili Meno because it is less touristy and this is the more beautiful and untouched for me. This is also a paradise for diving and snorkeling. Especially if you love turtles and colorful fishes! This small 15m2 island is totally heaven on earth and has nothing to envy to the Maldives! If you are planning to visit one of the Gili islands, read on!

How to get to the Gili islands?

By boat

It’s really easy to get there from Bali. You need to go to Sanur beach or Padang Bai and take a ferry. Sanur beach is located only 30 min from Seminyak. There are many companies, but they are equivalent. You need to book in line in advance because there are only 70 places in the boat and it’s always full. The price is depending on the companies but usually, it’s around 35$ for one way (600 000 IDR). It includes a taxi from your hotel to Sanur beach. You can arrange everything by What’s app with the company.

You will go through Nusa Ceningan, Gili Trawangan, Lombok and finally arrive to Gili Meno after 3h30. When you arrive there, you will see that there is no taxi to get to your hotel. Only little skinny horses pulling huge and heavy carriages. Please don’t ride them. Personally, I preferred to walk to the hotel with my luggage. The island is really small so you can easily walk to your hotel in less than 15 minutes and visit the island by the way.

When is the best time to visit Gili Meno

You should go there between June and September, it’s the best time. The rest of the year is ok but you should avoid the period between November and February, that’s the worst month to get there because it’s raining a lot! The rest of the year the temperature is over 30° and most of the time the weather is amazing.

Where to stay in Gili Meno?

Avia Villa

There are several hotels on the island. We stayed at Villa Avia and we had an amazing stay. It’s a small hotel located on the beach. There are not so many people and the hotel is really calm. There are cute houses and certain have a private pool. The beach location is perfect. You can even have your breakfast or lunch on the beach!

What activities to do in Gili Meno?

Diving and snorkeling

The most amazing activity on the island is diving and snorkeling! I wanted to go there just for diving and I was not disappointed! We dive with the Blue Marin club on the island which is PADI certified. And the staff is just adorable. Gili Meno is an amazing diving spot! One of the most beautiful I have ever seen. We have seen many green turtles and they are so friendly, they came really close to us. Also, the coral reef is absolutely amazing, the corals are so beautiful and there are many colorful fishes. If you have never dived you can do a first dive there! Or if you don’t want to dive you can just snorkel. You can also book an excursion for the day.

Exploring the island by bike

Also, as I said the island is quite small 15m2, you can walk and explore the island. I have made the tour in 1 hour. The beaches are absolutely stunning, the water is so clear and there is a view of the mountains. You should just walk around the island to explore, you will find secret and empty beaches!

Visit the turtle breeding

Also, you should stop by the turtle breeding. You will see a man taking care of baby turtles in a basin. They are taking care and feeding baby turtles for 8 months until they are able to be released in the sea. This beautiful initiative was set up to save the turtles. This is also why you can see so many turtles during your diving/snorkeling sessions.

Stop by restaurants on the beach

You can also walk around and find cute restaurants on the beaches. They serve smoothies, fresh juices, and fruits! You also have traditional Indonesian meals like Mie Goreng and Nasi goreng.

Are you planning to visit Gili Meno soon?

To conclude, Gili Meno is honestly one of my favorite destinations in the world. The landscapes are breathtaking, the beaches are paradisiac, it’s not so touristy and there are amazing diving spots! I think we will definitively go back together next year! If you are going to Bali or Lombok, I highly recommend visiting this island! I hope this post will help you to plan your dream holidays in the Gili islands. Let us know in the comments 😉 We are going to a new destination really soon, so stay tuned on Instagram!