Viewpoint
Lookout
See the spectacular sights from the only hill in the Gilis. During the August 2018 Lombok earthquake, more than a thousand tourists and locals slept atop this hill fearing an imminent tsunami (which, thankfully, never came).
Getty Images/Flickr Open
Gili Trawangan
Gili Trawangan is a tropical playground of global renown, ranking alongside Bali and Borobudur as one of Indonesia's top destinations. Trawangan's heaving main drag, busy with bikes, cidomos and mobs of swimwear-clad visitors, can surprise those expecting a languid island retreat. Instead, a bustling string of lounge bars, hip guesthouses, ambitious restaurants, convenience stores and dive schools clamors for attention.
And yet behind this glitzy facade, a bohemian character endures, with rickety warungs (cheap eating houses) and reggae joints surviving between the cocktail tables, and quiet retreats dotting the much-less-busy north coast. Even as massive 200-plus-room hotels begin to colonise the gentrifying west coast, you can head just inland to a village laced with sandy lanes roamed by free-range roosters, fussing ibu (mothers) and kids playing hopscotch. Here the call of the muezzin, not happy hour, defines the time of day.
Top attractions
These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Gili Trawangan.
Mosque
Mosque
The largest of the three mosques on Gili T had some lavish details that showed the wealth that tourism had brought to the island before it was badly battered in the 2018 earthquakes. Just one minaret was left standing. Photos of another that fell across an alleyway became a classic news image of the post-earthquake damage here.
Featured videos
The best of Indonesia's Gili Islands
2:16