Conditions referenceSeason, water and visibilityBest Apr, May, Jun, Sep, Oct, Nov · Mild current · 27–30°C (coldest Jun, warmest Jan)
- Current
- Mild
- Water temperature
- 27–30°C (coldest Jun, warmest Jan)
- Visibility
- 10–30m: Commonly 15-25m; can exceed 25m in the calm dry season, and drops toward 10-15m in the wet season or after storms and heavy boat traffic.
- Experience
- A genuinely beginner-friendly destination.
01 · Marine life
What you may see
Sightings are never guaranteed. The bars show typical likelihood by month.
| Month | Likelihood |
|---|---|
| January | commonly seen |
| February | commonly seen |
| March | commonly seen |
| April | commonly seen |
| May | commonly seen |
| June | commonly seen |
| July | commonly seen |
| August | commonly seen |
| September | commonly seen |
| October | commonly seen |
| November | commonly seen |
| December | commonly seen |
Resident alongside green turtles and encountered year-round; the Gilis are known for reliable turtle sightings rather than big animals.
| Month | Likelihood |
|---|---|
| January | commonly seen |
| February | commonly seen |
| March | commonly seen |
| April | commonly seen |
| May | commonly seen |
| June | commonly seen |
| July | commonly seen |
| August | commonly seen |
| September | commonly seen |
| October | commonly seen |
| November | commonly seen |
| December | commonly seen |
Common on sandy patches and under coral ledges across the sites; a regular sight on most dives.
| Month | Likelihood |
|---|---|
| January | commonly seen |
| February | commonly seen |
| March | commonly seen |
| April | commonly seen |
| May | commonly seen |
| June | commonly seen |
| July | commonly seen |
| August | commonly seen |
| September | commonly seen |
| October | commonly seen |
| November | commonly seen |
| December | commonly seen |
Resident and one of the two main draws; seen on the majority of dives across all three islands year-round, with no meaningful seasonal variation.
| Month | Likelihood |
|---|---|
| January | commonly seen |
| February | commonly seen |
| March | commonly seen |
| April | commonly seen |
| May | commonly seen |
| June | commonly seen |
| July | commonly seen |
| August | commonly seen |
| September | commonly seen |
| October | commonly seen |
| November | commonly seen |
| December | commonly seen |
Reliable for macro fans across the reefs and on night dives at Meno Wall; a range of species present year-round.
02 · Dive sites
Dive sites worth knowing
A starting point, not a ranking. Conditions decide what works on the day.
Deep Turbo
A deeper site off Gili Trawangan with a series of hills and valleys from about 16m down to 32m, home to garden eels and occasional resting sharks.
16–32m · Moderate current
Gili Meno Statues (Nest / BioRock)
A shallow site off Gili Meno with 48 human statues arranged in a ring, growing coral and attracting reef fish and turtles.
3–15m · Mild current
Halik
A drift reef on the northwest side of Gili Trawangan starting shallow with barrel sponges and sea fans and dropping deeper for Advanced divers.
6–30m · Moderate current
See all 6 dive sites
03 · LogisticsGetting there and costsModerate. Fly to LOP. Typical trip $.
Route overview
Moderate
Reachable but with some friction: 1 domestic flight.
Airport options
LOP
Lombok International Airport (Praya)
Nearest airport; roughly a 1.5-2h road transfer north to Bangsal harbour, then a 15-20 minute public boat to the Gilis
DPS
Ngurah Rai International Airport (Bali)
Common entry via Bali, then a fast boat from Padang Bai (~1.5h) or the Sanur/Serangan ports (~2.5h) direct to Gili Trawangan or Gili Air
Typical trip cost
$
under $2,000
Per person, excluding international flights.
- One of the cheapest places to dive or learn in Southeast Asia.
- Fun dives commonly run around IDR 500,000-650,000 (~USD 30-40) each, and the PADI Open Water course typically costs IDR 5,000,000-6,900,000 (~USD 320-400).
- A one-off marine park fee of IDR 100,000 applies.
- A week land-based with accommodation and diving sits comfortably in the $ tier excluding flights.