Which Bali island should you visit? We compare Gili Islands vs Nusa Islands for transport, accommodation, food, snorkeling, diving & beaches – find out which comes out on top!
The Gili & Nusa Islands in Indonesia seem very similar at first glance, so which one should you visit?
We’ll compare each characteristic factoring in time, cost, and quality.
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Contents
Why should I visit the Gili Islands?
- The Gili Islands are a popular destination for foreigners, and easily reached from several locations.
- The Gili Islands offer a wide range of accommodation, variety of cuisines, diving/snorkeling, beaches, and a chance to relax with no vehicles besides horse drawn carts.
Why should I visit the Nusa Islands?
- It takes virtually no time to reach Nusa Lembongan from Kuta, and is worlds apart from mainland Bali.
- The Nusa Islands offer a wide range of accommodation, variety of cuisines, diving/snorkeling, beaches, and a chance to explore the entire island on foot or by motorcycle.
Gili Islands vs Nusa Islands: Transport
For travelers with a limited time or budget, Nusa Lembongan wins hands down for both transportation time and cost.
#1 Nusa Islands
From Kuta, it is possible to take a Perama bus (35,000 IDR / $2.48) and public boat (100,000 IDR / $7.07) to arrive on Nusa Lembongan by noon. Alternatively, you can take the Perama fast boat for 165,000 / $11.67 for a slightly earlier arrival.
#2 Gili Islands
Getting to the Gili Islands will either cost 213,500 IDR / $15.50 and take two days by local transport or 710,000 IDR / $50.23 and take up to an entire day by fast boat. You can purchase fast boat transfer tickets between Bali and Gili Trawagan here.
Gili Islands vs Nusa Islands: Accommodation
There’s a wider range of accommodation on the Gili Islands, but you can still find better value for money on the Nusa’s. This gives the Nusa Islands a slight advantage.
#1 Nusa Islands
On Nusa Lembongan 175,000 IDR / $12.42 gets you a large, modern fan room with ensuite and a communal pool.
#2 Gili Islands
On Gili Air, 180,000 IDR / $12.77 gets you a fan bungalow with ensuite. Many places only have salty bore water though.
Gili Islands vs Nusa Islands: Restaurants
Both chains of islands have a plethora of hotels, but the Gili’s are more developed for tourism.
This also leads to more cuisine variety as restaurants have opened to cater to the large influx of foreigners and their taste buds. For this reason, the Gili Islands take the #1 spot for best food.
#1 Gili Restaurants
#2 Nusa Restaurants
Gili Islands vs Nusa Islands: Snorkeling & Diving
#1 Gili Snorkeling
#2 Nusa Snorkeling
Walk-in snorkeling is much better around Nusa Penida, but difficult to get to. Mushroom Bay is your best bet on Nusa Lembongan and comparable to Gili Air, but not as centrally located.
For this reason, the Gili’s are your better snorkeling destination for beginners. You can even snorkel on Gili Trawangan, Air & Meno Islands on an organized day trip.
These pictures were taken with an early edition GoPro with no viewing screen. Since then, we have upgraded to the GoPro HERO8 Black and purchased a GoPro stick among other accessories.
We also always travel with our own snorkel set as an ill-fitting mask can really ruin a snorkel trip, but they are available for rent on both the Gili & Nusa islands if you didn’t bring one.
#1 Nusa Diving
#2 Gili Diving
Diving on the other hand is best at the Nusa’s as you get the rare chance to spot Mola Mola (Oceanic Sunfish) and Manta Rays.
Both locations have good diving and tend to get better at deeper levels, for which it’s recommend to have your own dive computer.
Something to keep in mind is that Nusa Lembongan requires two dives around Nusa Penida (400-500,000 IDR / $30.00-$37.50 each), while the Gili’s tend to do one dive at a time (490,000 IDR / $36.75).
This allows you to sample the diving on the Gili Islands with little investment, but really breaks up your day when doing multiple dives. They will schedule one dive for the morning, and another for the afternoon.
If you want to learn to dive, Nusa Lembongan offers cheaper PADI & SSI Open Water courses even though Sheena did her PADI Open Water on Gili Air.
Gili Islands vs Nusa Islands: Beaches
#1 Nusa Beaches
The beaches are better on Nusa Lembongan since the beachfront resorts are set back from the water. There are also several scattered remote beaches.
#2 Gili Beaches
On Gili Air, restaurants tend to span all the way to the water with the exception of Chillout Café, which has an easily accessed beach.
Gili Islands vs Nusa Islands: Local Life
#1 Nusa Islands
#2 Gili Islands
The main difference between the groups of islands is that the Gili’s are predominantly comprised of tourists, while the Nusa’s are dominated by locals. This creates a different vibe for each island, but also creates other attractions for the Nusa’s.
The biggest draw for Nusa Lembongan is the Seaweed Farms but you can also find mangroves, waterfalls, and desolate roads to cruise nearby on a motorcycle or bike.
Gili Islands vs Nusa Islands: Getting Around
Traffic noise may be slightly more on the Nusa’s since motorcycles/vehicles are allowed. However, Gili Trawangan may have more late night noise from tourists depending on where you are staying.
#1 Gili Islands
Getting around both island chains is straightforward, but you can easily walk the perimeter of Gili Air and Meno within two hours.
#2 Nusa Islands
You can technically walk everywhere on Nusa Lembongan, but a motorcycle makes things handy.
Gili Islands vs Nusa Islands: The Final Verdict
Which Indonesian island chain to visit ultimately rests in your hands, and depends on what you want from your travels.
Hopefully the above comparison gives you a better idea what to expect from each but if you want more information check out Lonely Planet’s Bali & Lombok (2017) travel guide.
For us, the Nusa Islands are the better choice for the range of amenities, attractions, vibe, and overall value.
Let us know what you think…
#1 Nusa Islands
#2 Gili Islands
*** The Final Word: The Nusa Islands are hands down better than the Gili Islands! ***
Do you agree? Or do you think the Gili Islands are better than Nusa?
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links which means that we receive a small commission if you click on a link and purchase something that we’ve recommended, at no extra cost to you.
Visited in October 2015
Updated November 2019
Comments
Were you aware that ‘Nusa’ means ‘island’ in Bahasa Indonesia and ‘Gili’ means ‘island in Bahasa Sasak which is the language of Lombok — of which the so-called ‘Gilis’ belong to?
I was aware, but thanks for informing any readers that didn’t. I think the other one we encountered was ‘Pulau’ while in Indonesia.
I want to know if I can cover Bali by public transport. What all options are there if I don’t want to book day tours
Here are your options for public transport in Bali:
1. Bemos – Horrible idea as they are rarely direct and are usually not time or cost effective since there are better options.
2. Perama – Best bet for larger city to city transport
3. Kura-Kura Bus – Useful for southern Bali
4. Taxi – This is another option that can be a great deal if you get a group together and someone is good at negotiating.
overloaded with affiliate links…no real info ..could do the search from the web..have u even been there ?? terrible design and loading speed …
Thanks for the input. We actually have this on our list of posts to update since it was one of our earliest ones. We have been twice so let us know what you would like to see in the revision.
Nice post, thanks for sharing the info!
No problem, and we are glad you found it helpful. Let us know your opinion after you visit.