Fast boats depart from Bali to the Gilli islands and Lombok throughout the day. Although only a short 1-hour boat ride, the Gilli Islands, without traffic and roads, feel very far from the busy tourist hub of Bali. Another way to reach the Gilli Islands dive sites is to fly to Mataram International airport on Lombok and take a boat across. The airport has connections to other Indonesian destinations, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. To stop price competition, and ensure safe diving practices, Gili island dive centers have a fixed-price agreement. Divers pay the same price with any dive operator on the three islands.
Gili Trawangan is the largest of the three islands, and sees the most action in terms of visitors and nightlife. This island also boasts the most dive centers. An SSI Diamond rated dive center, Manta dive gets excellent reviews and offers dive courses, fun dives and accommodation. 5 star PADI IDC center Lutwala Dive trains divers from beginner to professional levels, and has an excellent café for surface intervals.
The other two islands of Gili Meno and Gili Air are less developed and well suited for the diver looking for even more peace and quiet. There are plenty of dive centers to choose from here, two of which are Gili Air Divers and Oceans 5 -professional dive centers on Gili Air. Blue Marling dive, another well-established dive shop, is located on all three Gilli islands.
Gili Islands dive sites can also be reached from Lombok. Senggigi, a growing resort town on the west coast of Lombok, has beautiful beaches and fast access to all Gili Island and Lombok dive sites. Dream Divers is a well-organized dive center, which has its head office here and organizes daily dive trips to the Gili Islands. Choosing to stay on Lombok, divers can combine their dive trip with tours on the island, like waterfalls and rice terraces.
Read "Part 1: Overview of Scuba Diving in Gili Islands and Lombok, (Indonesia)
Read "Part 2: Dive Sites, Marine Life & Environment in Gili Islands and Lombok, (Indonesia)