Nusa Lembongan, the Gili Islands or Lombok — Which Should You Add to Your Bali Trip?
Here’s my honest take — not a generic “top 10 islands” list, but advice matched to how you actually like to travel.
If you’ve started researching what’s beyond Bali’s beaches, you’ve probably hit the same wall most of our clients do: every blog has a different “must-visit” island, every list contradicts the last, and nobody tells you which one actually suits the kind of trip you’re planning.
Nusa Lembongan, the Gili Islands and Lombok are genuinely different experiences, not interchangeable “pick any one” options, and getting the choice wrong usually means either an uncomfortable day of rough transfers and crowds, or missing the one that would have been perfect for you.
Here’s our opinion, built around what actually matters for a comfort-focused trip: how far it is, what it’s really like once you’re there, and who it suits.
Looking for Bali itself? See our Bali page. Exploring more of Indonesia? See our Indonesia page.
Your Three Options
Nusa Lembongan & Nusa Penida
These two sit close together, a 30–45 minute fast boat from Sanur, and are the closest of the three options. They’re the easiest to add to a Bali trip.
Nusa Lembongan, Nusa Ceningan and the larger Nusa Penida make a cluster of three islands across the deep Badung Strait. Nusa Lembongan is small, about 8 km in total, and traditionally a seaweed farming island. Its impressive reef breaks attracted the surfers, and not long afterwards the hotels, resorts and villas arrived. Outside the accommodation and restaurants, facilities are basic and fairly rural. It really does feel like a village, and the pace of life is slow and relaxed.
Nusa Lembongan is the more developed island of the two, with a walkway pretty much running the length of the main beaches: Jungutbatu, Tamarind Beach and Mushroom Bay. Jungutbatu is the main beach, with restaurants and a bit of nightlife. The inland roads are incredibly windy, so the walkway comes in handy.
Best for: a relaxed two or three night add-on for couples of all ages, surfers, or groups who want a relaxed pace, beautiful bays and ocean views.
If you’re interested in snorkelling, staying on Nusa Lembongan has a massive advantage over a day trip from Bali: you’ll be snorkelling well before the crowds arrive. You can rent a car with a driver for the day to visit attractions beyond walking distance, like the Devil’s Tear blowhole.
There are several surf breaks for the more experienced surfer, like Shipwrecks, Lacerations and Razors. Playgrounds is a more forgiving break for beginners and intermediate surfers.
A resort or private villa overlooking one of the bays and the Badung Strait means you can watch the waves roll in over the reef during the day and enjoy glorious sunsets in the evening.
Mushroom Bay has some rustic options right on the beach. It’s the main bay for day trippers, so it’s busy during the day and quiet from about 3pm.
Nusa Penida is the one behind the famous photos: Kelingking Beach’s dramatic cliff, Broken Beach and Angel’s Billabong. Manta Point is a boat trip, where you can sometimes snorkel or dive near the manta rays.
The Gili Islands
No cars, no motorbikes — just bicycles, e-scooters and horse-drawn carts, and all three islands are easy to walk or cycle around. Along with Nusa Lembongan, it’s one of the few genuinely quiet places left near Bali, but which of the three islands you pick matters more than people realise:
Gili Trawangan (“Gili T”, or the party island) is the largest and most developed, with a local population of around 1,500. It’s the busiest, with beachfront bars, cafés, restaurants, dive schools and a nightlife scene. It has a beautiful stretch of white sand beach part way around the island, while the other half is muddier when the tide is out.
Gili Air is the balanced middle ground: still easy, good food, enough going on, with beach bars, cafés and dive shops, and a choice of places to stay from budget to casual luxury. It’s noticeably calmer than Trawangan, without the party scene.
Gili Meno is the smallest and quietest, and the most romantic of the three — the pick for an anniversary trip or a genuine slow-down.
Diving and snorkelling. There are plenty of reputable dive schools if you’d like to learn to dive. The marine life is diverse, and it’s quite normal to see turtles.
Getting there. Fast boats connect Bali with the Gili Islands in around two to two-and-a-half hours, which is often more practical than flying into Lombok and travelling up the coast. Alternatively, fly to Lombok, transfer up the coast, then take a 10–20 minute speedboat across.
Best for: travellers wanting a proper away-from-it-all stay, not just a day trip.
LOMBOK
Lombok is the option for something genuinely different from Bali. It’s an island east of Bali and one of the more popular side-trips from Bali, with more space, far less built-up, and often described as what Bali felt like twenty years ago. Many people still live in traditional Sasak villages outside the main centres.
Best for: anyone wanting a multi-day stay with quiet beaches and a different culture to Bali.
Lombok also features on our Indonesia page.
The Gili Islands make a great day trip from Senggigi, although we recommend staying on the Gilis.
Mt Rinjani is a popular multi-day hiking destination — at 3,726 metres, the round trip takes a few days and it’s best to arrange a tour. It sometimes erupts, and it’s the second highest volcano in Indonesia.
The south coast, known as Mandalika, has unspoilt white sand beaches and great surf, particularly around Kuta (yes, Lombok has a Kuta beach too!). The Mandalika Circuit, also on the south coast, hosts MotoGP and motorbike racing.
Around the Senggigi beach area there’s plenty of choice of 3–4 star hotels and resorts, plus an increasing choice of high-end beachfront boutique hotels and villas.
Near the Gili Islands you’ll find secluded, luxurious hotels: Tugu Lombok, The Sira and Oberoi Lombok.
Nearer the airport, the south coast is slowly developing. The Novotel Lombok Resort and Pullman Lombok Mandalika offer international-standard choices. Note that they’re next to the Mandalika Circuit, where racing noise can interfere with a quiet time on the beach.
The south coast is also known for luxurious, secluded beachfront resorts, and for some great surf, particularly around Kuta. There are several surf resorts dotted along the coast.
So Which One Is Right for You?
Short on time and don’t want to travel too far: Nusa Lembongan. Want total relaxation with nothing to plan and that Fiji small island experience: the Gili Islands. Want quiet beaches and secluded resorts: Lombok.
Genuinely not sure, or want to combine more than one? That’s exactly what the form below is for — we’ll match it to your trip, not hand you a generic list.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, there are day trips. It’s important to know the quality of the tour and make sure it includes what you’d like to see and do.
Depends on what you want: Gili Air for a balanced, relaxed stay, Gili Meno for something quieter and more romantic, Gili Trawangan if a busier island and nightlife is what you’re after. We’ll be honest about which one suits your trip, not just book you the most popular one.
Enough to get past the transfer and actually enjoy it. We typically suggest at least three to four nights to make the extra distance worthwhile.
Yes. With the right routing it’s easy to get from Nusa Lembongan to the Gili Islands and Lombok, and vice versa. It’s a question of how much time you have, not whether it’s possible.
No. This first conversation is completely free and no-obligation. There’s a separate $200 planning and quotation fee later on if you’d like us to build a full custom itinerary, fully credited back to you if you book.
inspired? unsure? ask your questions or talk to us about planning your holiday to Bali’s outer islands
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