Things to Know
Gili Trawangan is a great place to relax and recharge your batteries from the hustle and bustle of your daily routine. There are a few things that you should know to help you along your way.
The island community works tirelessly to protect the local environment and we welcome any contribution. There are weekly beach cleans that we encourage everyone to get involved with. These are done in different locations each week and last for around an hour. For more information on environmental issues please check out The Gili Eco Trust click here. You will be amazed by the amount of plastic bottles, straws, cigarette butts and microplastics that are collected.
One of the many charms of the island is the lack of motorised transport. Explore Gili
Trawangan by cycling, walking or by local horse and cart (Cidomo). Whilst the welfare
of the horses often causes much concern, please rest assured that there are numerous
on-going and regular horse clinics which are free for islanders to ensure the continued
well-being of the horses.
Other useful info includes:
Call to Prayer: Unlike Bali, Lombok and the Gili Islands are Muslim islands and mosques and prayer rooms are evident throughout the towns and villages. The call to prayer is delivered five times a day, often more frequently during religious festivals and Friday prayers are the most attended. We ask you to kindly respect the local community by covering up whilst walking around the island, particularly in the village and around the mosques.
Wi-Fi. Wi-Fi is available in most restaurants and hotels on the island but it can be slow and weather dependent. It’s best to remember that you are on a small island in the middle of the ocean! You can buy local SIM cards cheaply from most shops if this becomes a problem.
Money. The island has a number of ATM's. Many of the larger restaurants and dive shops do take Visa and Mastercard but expect to pay a surcharge of around 3% for their use.
Electricity. The 3 islands receive electricity from undersea cables that come from Lombok. The island does experience power outages from time to time especially during peak seasons. Bale Sampan, along with many other hotels and restaurants have generators for such times.
Water. The island's fresh water comes from a desalination plant but we do not recommend drinking it. Please consider the fragile environment and use water re-fill stations wherever possible and minimise your single plastic use by re-using water bottles.
Health Care. There are several 24hr clinics on the island. The doctors here can help deal with most minor injuries and medical problems. They are also able to prescribe some prescription drugs. Anything more serious can be dealt with at Siloam hospital in Mataram and can be reached in about 1.5hrs.
