Gili Islands diving: getting there and planning

Getting to the Gili Islands

The Gili Islands can only be reached by sea. Wikipedia puts Bali about 35 km west of Gili Trawangan, the most westerly island. Fast boats leave daily from Padang Bai, Serangan and Amed in Bali, and Wikivoyage says to make sure your ticket names the specific vessel you asked for. A public ferry from Padang Bai to Lombok also exists, but Wikivoyage calls it very cheap, very basic and very slow. Fast boats also run from Lombok. Whichever route you pick, fit the dive around the boat: the booking calendar shows which dates are open, and your arrival date decides which ones you can use.

Read next: Trawangan vs Meno vs Air: Which Gili for Diving

Coming from Lombok: airport, Bangsal and the last boat

From Lombok International Airport, Wikipedia describes a taxi to Bangsal harbour, then a local boat to the islands. Wikivoyage describes the same step as a shuttle bus or taxi to Bangsal, then a public boat, which leaves when it is full. Wikivoyage also warns of touts and hawkers at the harbour. Wikivoyage also says the sea is calmest in the morning and that all transport stops running in the late afternoon. So plan to arrive earlier in the day, not on the last boat the night before your dive.

Arriving on Gili Trawangan and finding the dive centre

The booking's meeting point is the Manta Dive centre on Gili Trawangan. When you step off your boat at the main pier, the meeting-point instructions say to turn right onto the main road, with the centre a short walk along on your left. Hotel pickup is not included. There are no cars or motorbikes on the islands, so you get around on foot, by bicycle or by cidomo, a horse-drawn cart. Wikivoyage also warns against swimming between islands, because the currents are fierce. Of the three islands, Gili Air is the nearest to Lombok.

Season and sea conditions

Wikipedia says the dry season generally runs from May to October and the monsoon season from November through April. Wikivoyage adds that the rainy season is roughly November to April, but that it rains much less than on Bali, and that the peak tourist seasons are July to August and December to January. Neither source ties these months to dive conditions, so this guide doesn't either. What matters for a booking is practical: look at the calendar early for the peak months, and leave slack around boats in rough weather.

How long the dive day takes

The programme takes about five hours from start to finish, and the booking calendar shows the start time once you check availability. That includes the briefing, the class, the pool session, the ocean dive and the boat transfer, so the water time is only part of it. The boat to the dive site is part of the booking, so you only need to get yourself to the dive centre. Don't schedule a boat out of the islands on the same afternoon. Weather or a late start can move your day, and the boats stop running late. Keep the day before and after loose.

Flying out after you dive

Don't fly straight after a dive. The Divers Alert Network (DAN) has proposed a simple rule: wait 24 hours after any recreational diving before you fly. DAN notes that its trials used resting volunteers in a dry chamber, so longer may suit divers who were in the water and active. SSI's advice is 12 hours after one dive, 18 after two or more, and 24 if you went over your no-decompression limits or missed a safety stop. Ask your dive centre for the figure that applies to you.

• Any recreational diving: wait 24 hours (DAN)
• Several dives or days: wait at least 18 hours (DAN)
• Went over limits or missed a safety stop: SSI says 24 hours

Children, health, swimming and access

The booking is only suitable for ages 10 and older, and not for pregnant women, non-swimmers, people with a cold or people with pre-existing medical conditions. You complete a medical statement on arrival; contact the dive centre first if you have a pre-existing condition. PADI's FAQ says you fill out a medical questionnaire first, and that if you have a medical condition, or think you might, you will need a doctor's statement. The booking doesn't describe step-free access, and the islands have no motorised transport, so if anyone in your group has limited mobility, ask the dive centre before you book. This guide gives no medical advice.

Language: what the instructors speak

English is always available. The booking lists instructors speaking English, Spanish, Russian, German, French, Bahasa Indonesia, Catalan, Hungarian, Finnish and Swedish, all subject to availability, and says to confirm languages with the dive shop. If you are travelling from a German or French-speaking country, ask for your language in advance rather than assuming it will be on your day. Dutch is not on the list, so Dutch speakers should plan for English unless the dive centre confirms otherwise.

What to bring and what the rules say

Bring swimwear, a towel, biodegradable sunscreen, travel insurance and your medical statement; the booking lists towel, swimwear and insurance as not included. A marine park fee is paid on site. Gili Eco says there are more than 100 safe drinking-water refill stations across the islands, free or for a small fee, so a refillable bottle saves buying plastic ones. The booking's not-allowed list is littering, touching marine life and touching plants. Even so, good habits matter more than the list: keep your hands off the reef and the animals, and follow your instructor's briefing about where to put your fins and where not to.

Which island, and what you may see

Gili Trawangan is the most developed island, Gili Meno the quietest, and Gili Air balances lively and calm, according to Wikipedia. This booking starts on Trawangan, but PADI and SSI licensed operators exist on all three. On the reef, the booking's highlights list turtles, sharks, clownfish, cuttlefish, moray eels and stingrays, though sightings vary and can't be guaranteed. Gili Eco says green and hawksbill turtles nest on the islands, and Wikipedia notes a turtle sanctuary on Gili Meno and turtles along the reef off Gili Air's east coast. Shark Point, Manta Point and Simon's Reef are the best-known dive sites on Wikipedia's list.

Read next: Gili Islands Marine Life: Turtles, Reefs & Dive Sites

Who this isn't for

Skip it if you must catch a flight within hours of the dive, because the dive centre can't shorten the surface interval. It also isn't for you if you can't swim, are under 10, are pregnant or have a cold. Don't book it expecting hotel pickup, which isn't included, or a guaranteed Dutch-speaking instructor. And if you need confirmed wheelchair access or a guaranteed turtle sighting, ask the dive centre first, because the booking promises neither.