Eat
Ruby's Cafe
At this expanded back-lane eatery, one of the finest places to eat in the Gilis, candles flicker atop wooden tables. The menu is short with daily specials…
©John Laurie/Lonely Planet
Closest of the Gilis to Lombok, Gili Air blends Gili T’s buzz and bustle with Meno's minimalist vibe. The white-sand beaches here are arguably the best of the Gili bunch and there’s just enough nightlife to keep the sociable happy. Snorkeling is good right from the main strip along the east coast – a lovely sandy lane dotted with bamboo bungalows and little restaurants where you can eat virtually on top of a turquoise sea.
Though tourism dominates Gili Air’s economy, coconuts, fishing and manufacturing of the fake distressed fishing-boat wood vital to any stylish Gili guesthouse are important income streams. Buzzy little strips have developed along the beaches in the southeast and the west, although the lanes are still more sandy than paved.
These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Gili Air.
Eat
At this expanded back-lane eatery, one of the finest places to eat in the Gilis, candles flicker atop wooden tables. The menu is short with daily specials…
Eat
This oh-so-hip health-food restaurant brews its own kombucha, crafts exotic smoothies and cold-brew coffee (or cocktails!) and has lots of flavourful veg,…
Eat
More ambitious than your usual beachside bamboo hang-outs, Boogils offers a nightly seafood barbecue and an ever-changing line-up of fresh fare. Good…
Eat
Set on Gili Air’s softest and widest beach, Scallywags offers elegant decor, upscale comfort food, great barbecue, homemade gelato and superb cocktails…
Eat
With a menu full of creative Indonesian and Western fusion fare, an ideal sunset location on the beach and chill EDM tunes after dark, Mowie's is the kind…
Eat
Come for a swim and a sip with stunning views, and stay for dinner at a table on the sand. It puts on a full nightly seafood barbecue and cooks up some…
Eat
A cheap, friendly and artfully decorated option for tasty local food (try the tempe curry!). It's two blocks in from the boat landing.
Eat
On a crossroads in the heart of the main village, this spotless corner cafe (the slightly Westernised adjunct of the more rootsy Warung Muslim,…
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