Rowdy or Quiet: Gili Trawangan Nightlife is Your Choice
Choose Your Level of Nightlife in Gili Trawangan
Gili Trawangan is well known as the liveliest of the Gili Islands off the northwest coast of Lombok. There is plenty of diving, sunbathing and relaxing to do, but if you feel like a night out here are the spots to head to.
The nightlife in Gili Trawangan is concentrated on the Southeastern coast of the island around the main jetty where the boats come in. Villa Almarik is located just north of this area so is perfect for being close but also distanced enough to get away from the noise. It also has its own restaurant and bar if you feel like a cold beer or cocktail on the beach.
Chilled Out Spots
Pearl Beach Lounge on the southeast tip of the island has excellent cocktails. Grab a seat on the beach and take your time to sip and relax. It’s just the spot for a quieter night, or even to get ready to hit one of the busier bars.
And for a more European feel Gili T’s own Irish Bar Tir Na Nog has some live music, quiz nights, pub food and sports on TV. It can get busy on Wednesday nights but is a very relaxed crowd the rest of the week.
The Party Bars
If you like your bars rowdy and cheap Jiggy has happy hours from 8.30-11.30pm every night. A small Bintang beer is just Rp15,000 and shots at IDR10,000. You can also choose their all-you-can-drink option at Rp150,000 for 3 hours. Jiggy also organizes a weekly boat party.
Sama Sama Reggae Bar is crowded pretty much every night of the week despite looking a bit worse for wear. They don’t always play reggae, as the name would suggest. Most nights are top 40 hits from a live DJ or classic tracks by a live band.
Evolution and Ombak Bar are two of the larger bar/nightclubs on the island. They are probably the loudest and most packed later at night. Ombak has an indoor and an outdoor area with a sound system directly on the beach.
Transport Around Gili Trawangan
You can walk from Villa Almarik to the main strip in about 10-15 minutes. However, to the bars on the south of Gili T it’s more like 25 minutes. After dark, or after a few drinks you might not feel like walking. The best way to get around are cidomo, or horse-drawn carts that stay out until late to ferry tourists from bar to bar or to their hotels. Cidomo are cheap and safe and are a much better idea than getting on a bicycle after a few sunset cocktails.
Rowdy or Quiet: Gili Trawangan Nightlife is Your Choice
Gili T is great whether you want to stay in and read a book or go all out at one of the local bars. The nightlife scene isn’t for everyone, but it’s there if you want to join in. Are you a party animal or would you rather stay quiet and relax on the beach until bedtime? Let us know in the comments below.