Welcome to Paradise
Gili Trawangan, or Gili T as it is affectionately known, is a small island located just off the coast of Lombok, Indonesia. It is the largest and most popular of the three Gili Islands, and is known for its stunning beaches, crystal-clear waters, and vibrant nightlife.
Gili T is an amazing spot for divers, whether you have yet to dive for the first time or you’re a seasoned diver. When we visited Gili T in September, we got our open water diver certification from Gili Divers, and it was one of the best experiences of my life.
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Getting Your Open Water Diver Certification on Gili T
The open water certification course took three days and included four ocean dives. Below, I’ve outlined the schedule for our course, but the activities may vary by day depending on scheduling!
Day 1
Our first day involved a short lecture and a couple hours of pool work. We learned about the parts of the scuba diving equipment and how to use all of it in the pool. The work we did on this day was super helpful once we got in the ocean; it really helped get us comfortable breathing underwater and using all of the equipment.
Day 2
Our second day began early with our first ever ocean dive. We headed over to Halik where we had a 31 minute dive. It was incredible to put our skills to use, but certainly a bit chaotic since we were all learning. While diving here, we saw lots of fish, a shark, and a turtle eating a Man of War jellyfish!
When we got back to Gili Divers, we finished up our pool skills and had a couple hours break for lunch.
Our last activity of the day was one more dive, which was a 36 minute dive at Hans Reef. During this dive, we had to perform some of the pool skills we had previously learned. It was certainly a bit more difficult to preform the skills in the ocean, but not too bad at all!
Day 3
Our last day began with my favorite of the four dives: a 33 minute dive at Shark Point. The dive site lived up to the name – we got to see a cave where a bunch of baby sharks were swimming around! It was absolutely unreal. They also offered us a photo package for this dive (which is where all our underwater photos came from).
Between dives, we had a final lecture portion, completed the final exam, and had an hour for lunch.
Our final dive was a 36 minute dive at Turtle Heaven. This was our fun dive – at this point all other parts of the course had been completed, so we just had to survive this dive to pass! Here, we saw lots of turtles and I got to see the head of an octopus peeking out from a small cave.
If you like Gili T, make sure to check out Alex Jarrom’s Guide to Sairee Beach in Koh Tao, one of the most famous places in Southeast Asia for diving!
How Difficult is the Open Water Diver Course?
Honestly, we didn’t find the course too difficult, it was more just about getting over any fear/anxiety we had about breathing underwater and being underwater for that long. We definitely both had moments when we were a bit uncomfortable, but learning how to relax and just enjoy the experience got easier the more dives we did.
How Expensive is the Open Water Diver Certification?
The cost of the course depends on where you are in the world, and may also depend on when in the year you get your certification (during low/wet season in Indonesia it’s usually cheaper).
We paid about $440 each for our hotel room for 4 nights and the diving course and it was 100% worth it. The atmosphere at Gili Divers and the people are incredible, which really helped us feel more comfortable as we were learning how to dive.
I’m Certified, What Now?
Being open water diver certified means that you have the skills and knowledge to dive safely to a depth of 18 meters (60 feet). This certification is recognized worldwide and allows you to dive with a buddy without the need for professional supervision.
If you’ve found that you want more, you can complete your advanced open water diver certification, which will allow you to go to 30 meters.
How To Get to Gili T
There are ferries from a number of locations in Indonesia to Gili T. You can ferry from Bali, Lombok, or Nusa Penida to the Gili Islands.
Where To Stay on Gili T
If You’re Diving
We stayed at Gili Divers Hotel, which was perfect for our early morning dives since we were already on the property. The hotel is stunning and has a great vibe; it’s where all the divers hang out every day!
If you’re looking for a party hostel, look no further than Gili Castle. This hostel is tons of fun and has great events every night.
If you’re looking for a more chill hostel, check out Gili Mansion. This is a great place to stay if you want cheaper accommodations and have early morning dives – it’s much quieter than Gili Castle!
These accommodations are all affiliated with Gili Divers, and they’ll give you a discount on housing if you do a course with them!
If You’re Not Diving
If you’re not planning on diving, there are tons of stunning properties to stay at on Gili T that fit all budgets!
Gili T Accommodations
Other Things to Do on the Gili Islands
Book Flights With Skyscanner
Our Favorite Travel Resources
Accommodations: We use Booking.com for hotels and HostelWorld for hostels. We also use VRBO or TrustedHousesitters for longer stays.
Flights: We recommend using Skyscanner to find the cheapest and best flights.
Ground Transport: We use 12Go and Omio for buses and private transfers, and rentalcars.com and Discover Cars for rental cars.
Activities: GetYourGuide and Viator are the best websites for booking organized tours.
International Medical Insurance: We highly recommend SafetyWing for Digital Nomads and HeyMondo for those not traveling full-time, or who frequently engage in higher-risk adventure activities.
eSIM: We recommend Airalo or Holafly for getting data internationally.
Check out our Travel Resources Page for more of our favorite travel-related products and services!
