The area
The Gilis are three low coral islands just off Lombok's north-west tip, in the North Lombok regency. Each has its own feel:
- Gili Trawangan: the largest and busiest, with bars, dive schools, restaurants and the most accommodation
- Gili Meno: the smallest and quietest, popular with couples and snorkellers
- Gili Air: closest to Lombok, with a village feel and a mix of tourists and long-stay residents
There are no cars or motorbikes on any of the islands. People get around on foot, by bicycle or by cidomo, a small horse-drawn cart. Goods and building materials all arrive by boat.
Getting there
From Lombok, public boats leave Bangsal harbour, near Pemenang, once they're full. The crossing to Trawangan takes roughly 20 to 45 minutes. Private speedboats from nearby Teluk Nara are faster. Bangsal is about an hour's drive from Senggigi, and longer from the airport.
From Bali, fast boats run from Padang Bai and other harbours. From Padang Bai, the crossing usually takes about one and a half to two hours, depending on the operator and the sea. Boats can be cancelled in rough weather.
Why buyers are looking
- Rental demand: the Gilis are one of the best-known destinations in the region, and visitors come all year for diving, snorkelling and beaches
- A known name: guests already search for the Gilis by name, which helps with bookings
- Lifestyle: no traffic, clear water and a small community, within reach of both Bali and Lombok
Land on Gili Trawangan
This is the biggest issue for buyers on Trawangan, and it needs explaining plainly.
About 65 hectares of Trawangan is land managed by the West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) provincial government under an HPL, a state land management right. From the 1990s, the province had a contract with a private company, PT Gili Trawangan Indah (GTI), to develop it. GTI never developed most of it. Over the years, local families and businesses built homes, hotels and bars on the land, often under private leases with the people occupying it.
In 2021 the provincial government ended the contract with GTI. It has since asked occupants to sign cooperation agreements with the province, and in 2023 the first recommendations for HGB titles (a right to build) on top of the HPL were issued for occupants who had signed. Many residents want freehold certificates instead, and have protested against the HPL. The province's handling of the land has also been investigated by prosecutors, and that investigation was still being reported as ongoing.
What this means for a buyer: a lease signed with a person on that land may not be recognised by the province, which says it controls it. People have been prosecuted in connection with rent on former GTI land. If you're buying or leasing on Trawangan, you need to know whether the plot is inside the former GTI area. If it is, the person you'd pay may not have the right to lease it to you.
The dispute is about Trawangan. We haven't found reports of the same HPL arrangement on Gili Meno or Gili Air, but title on small islands is still often unclear. Treat every plot on all three islands as needing a full title check. The land titles guide explains the main types.
Water and services
Fresh water is a real constraint. Gili Air gets water by undersea pipe from Lombok. Trawangan and Meno depend largely on desalinated seawater from private operators. When permits were revoked in 2024, supply failed, and businesses had to buy water shipped in at high prices. On Gili Meno, the shortage was still unresolved in mid 2026, and residents were buying water by the gallon.
Electricity comes by undersea cable from Lombok. There's basic medical care on the islands, but anything serious means a boat to Lombok.
The trade-offs
Building is slower and costs more, because every bag of cement and every tile comes by boat and then by cart. Plots are small and land is scarce, so prices per square metre are high for Lombok.
The islands are low-lying and exposed. The 2018 earthquakes damaged many buildings on the Gilis, and thousands of tourists were evacuated by boat. Read the earthquakes and natural hazards guide before you buy, and ask how any building was engineered.
Trawangan is busy and loud in places. Competition between rentals is strong too, so a villa needs good management and marketing. Read how to test rental projections before you rely on one.
Who it suits
- Buyers who want a rental in an established tourist market and accept the title and water risks
- Divers and people who want an island lifestyle without traffic
- Patient buyers who are happy to do extra due diligence, or to wait for the Trawangan land question to settle
What to check
- Whether the plot is inside the former GTI area on Trawangan, and who actually holds the right to it: a certificate holder, the province, or neither
- The title certificate itself, checked at the North Lombok land office (BPN), not just a copy from the seller
- For leases, that the lessor is the registered right holder, and that the lease runs no longer than their right
- Where the water comes from, its cost per cubic metre, and whether there's storage or a backup supply
- Zoning, building permits and any coastal or marine conservation rules that apply near the shore
- How the building was engineered for earthquakes, and how materials will reach the site
- The usual checks from how foreigners can buy and the off-plan checklist
Property on the Gilis
Looking at the Gilis? Tell me what you're after, and I'll let you know what's available through the developers I work with. Meanwhile, compare them with Senggigi on the mainland opposite, and with the south coast around Kuta & Mandalika.