AUGUST 2025
OVERVIEW
We are continuing our ‘optimal loop’ through S E Asia.
<<< our next stop is Bali & The Gili Islands, Indonesia >>>
IN SUMMARY
Mid August through Mid October is a difficult time for sun lovers to travel through S E Asia … it is Rainy Season almost everywhere … except Indonesia.
When I am doing my S E Asia ‘loop’ I always plan to spend 2 months in Indonesia at this time of year.
Traditionally, I have targeted the Gili Islands.
… but, read on …
REFERENCES
I have provided a lot of detailed information on the Gili Islands in the past.
I will try not to duplicate that information again in this post. The purpose of this post is to provide an update.
If you want more detail, please look at the following posts:
- Gili Air – Arrival (2014);
- Gili Air – Information (2014);
- Gili Air – Departure (2015);
- Gili Air – GRANDPAcking Costs (2015);
- Gili Trawangan – Getting There (2022);
- Gili Trawangan – Information (2022);
- Gili Trawangan – Living on a GRANDPAcking Budget (2022).
EXCHANGE RATE
The currency in Indonesia is the Rupiah (the ‘IDR’ or ‘r’). At the time of writing, the exchange rates for the major currencies were:
| US$1 | EU€1 | GB£1 | |
| Published Wholesale Rate | 16,293 | 18,955 | 21,900 |
| Actual Exchange Rate (Wise Debit Card) | 16,222 | 18,873 | 21,806 |
| Actual Exchange Rate (Typical Credit Card) | 16,081 | 18,708 | 21,615 |
| Actual Exchange Rate (Good ATM) | 16,178 | 18,821 | 21,746 |
Over time, these exchange rates will change. Please check the current rates.
For simplicity, think of a 100,000r note as being US$6 / EU€5 / GB£5.
ATMs
Generally, ATMs in Indonesia do not charge Foreigners an ATM Transaction Fee. However, your home bank might. Fortunately, my Home Bank does not, so I only have to pay the Bank-Bank Exchange Rate Conversion Fee and (when I use my Visa Debit Card) the Visa Foreign Currency Processing Fee. I only lost about 1.3% on ATM withdrawals from ATMs inside banks in Bali … which is excellent compared to some other countries.
I only lost this 1.3% because I wanted to compare my Visa Debit Card fees vs my Wise Debit Card fees.
PLEASE NOTE: This is not the case on the Gili Islands. On the Gilis, the ATMs charge a fee of 3% to 4%.
SUGGESTION: Top up on cash from ATMs in Bali (use ones that are inside a bank) before you go to the Gilis.
Indonesian ATMs are limited to either (1) dispensing a maximum of 30 notes or (2) a maximum amount.
If (1), an ATM that only dispenses IDR50k notes has an IDR1.5m maximum and one that dispenses IDR100k notes a $3m maximum. So, check what note picture is displayed on the ATM. If (2), you are usually limited to an IDR2.5m maximum.
On the positive side, you can withdraw multiple times until you reach your Home Bank’s daily withdrawal limit (which is not always checked at the Indonesian end … so, you may find that you can withdraw more).
NOTE: Places like Kuta are notorious for ATM fraud. Make sure that you check the ATM for suspicious cameras and non-bank card-slot scanning devices. For safety, always try and use an ATM that is inside a bank.
WISE DEBIT CARD
I keep my costs down by using a Wise Debit Card.
Wise allow me to withdraw up to US$200 per month without any fees. Thereafter, they charge 0.43%.
THE GILI ISLANDS
There are 3 Gili Islands: Gili Air (GiliA), Gili Meno (GiliM), and Gili Trawangan (GiliT).
Most budget travelers go to either GiliA or GiliT. GiliM has a lake that breeds mosquitos and, for that reason, people ‘in the know’ avoid it.
The attraction of the Gili Islands is the laid back atmosphere, the ‘drug scene’, and the weather. They are also known to be one of the cheapest places in the World to learn to SCUBA Dive.
There are no motorised vehicles allowed on the islands. You have 3 basic options: walk, bicycle, or catch a horse-drawn taxicab.
PRICES
According to local expats, property prices on the Gilis are becoming so high that expats have been wondering how businesses are going to make a profit. In the end, the capital gains being made can only be sustained if the operational profits can be made to service them … that means one thing … tourism prices will have to increase. This is happening as we speak.
Prices on GiliT are comparably higher than those on GiliA.
Back in 2015, an expat owner of a waterfront hotel and bar on GiliA told me that the value of his property had doubled year on year in each of the prior 3 years.
This explosion in prices has, finally, taken it’s toll … read on ...
GETTING THERE
Getting to and from the Gili Islands from Bali is not cheap.
There are a multitude of Travel Agents on the streets selling tickets from Kuta to the Gilis. But, you have to be careful as some leave from different ports, some only take you to the dock in Lombok (where you have to connect with a small boat out to the island), some are faster than others, etc …
You can get to the Gilis on a fast boat from Sanur or from Padang Bai.
PADANG BAI (2014)
You are picked up from your Kuta, Bali hotel at 7am and driven to Padang Bai in a minivan. The trip takes about 1.5 hours.
You board the speedboat in Padang Bai at about 9am and arrive in GiliA at about 11am and GiliT at about 11:30am.
SANUR (2022)
A search online (using Rome2Rio) helps you to identify who to go with. I found Scoot Cruises and went direct to their website: Current Promotions – Scoot Fast Cruises (scootcruise.com). Scoot had a promotion for a ‘direct’ fast boat from Sanur to GiliT.
I tried to book online but the online booking system did not mention the free Hotel Pick Up Service. I emailed them instead. A fast exchange of a couple of emails had me booked on an ‘open’ return ticket on the ‘2.5 hour direct fast boat’ including an 8am pick up from my hotel.
The ‘open return ticket’ price was IDR600k / US$37.
What they fail to tell you is that the boat doesn’t leave Sanur until 9:30am and that there is a lot of ‘mucking around’ on the way. We stopped at Nusa Lembongan Island to drop people off and pick up some more (that took over 30 minutes). In the end, the 9:30am 2.5 hour ‘direct fast boat’ landed at the GiliT Main Dock at about 1:45pm :-).
THE DRUG SCENE
The police leave the Gili Islands alone to rule themselves.
The drug scene on GiliA is much more ‘low key’ than it is on GiliT. Marijuana (in fact all drugs) are illegal in Indonesia … be careful!
Yes, on the very rare occasion, you can sit at a bar a smell marijuana drifting through the air… so what.
Back in 2014, a ‘hit’ of magic mushrooms was about 150k-200k, a ‘joint’ was about 100k and a ‘tinny’ of pot was about 500k.
On GiliT, Magic Mushrooms seem to be widely available (and openly advertised).
THE BEACHES
The beaches are not the best.
GILI AIR
The swimming around the island is disappointing.
The beaches are coral based and sharp underfoot… bring water shoes.
This continues well into the water. The water is shallow for a long way out.
On the northern beaches you may have to wade out in only 15 cms of water for 100 meters before the water starts dropping away to swim-able depths.
The coral sand and shallow waters stretch around the island but you should find that the South side is where the best swimming is.
GILI TRAWANGAN
GiliT is a small island, you can bicycle around it in about 1 hour. Almost all of the coastline has beaches … some better than others. Almost everywhere you can find somewhere to eat, sit, and / or laze on a lounger.
Let’s have a look around the island at these beaches. We look at 3 areas (1) The North Coast (2) The West Coast (3) The East Coast:
The North Coast
The North Coast is quieter than the East Coast. It is ‘rustic’ and less developed than the rest of the island … there is a good reason why:
Generally speaking, the beaches are ‘poor’ with lots of broken coral which continues into the water. Once in the water, this broken coral quickly gets mixed with stones and rocks close to the shoreline.
You can find some decent spots for some beach time (some areas offering some shade under trees) … but, you will not get good wading / swimming unless you wear watershoes … even then, be careful.
The West Coast
The West Coast is busier than the North but is, also, still quieter than the East Coast:
The Western Beaches are better than those in the North. These beach areas are popular because you can see both the sun rise and the sun set.
Some of the beaches are quite wide. Most of the beaches still have a lot of broken coral which continues into the water. The wider the beach, the more likely you are to find a ‘sandy spot’ free from too much broken coral.
However, most Western beaches suffer from the same problem as those in the North: stones and rocks start very close to the shoreline. Again, you will probably not get good wading / swimming unless you wear watershoes.
The East Coast
The East Coast is the ‘busy’ side of the island. The town area is where you find the main ferry / boat dock. South of that dock is known as the ‘party area’. North of that dock is known as the ‘beach area’:
The beaches south of the dock are poor and you, probably, won’t want to beach here nor swim here. The beach area at the Ponte Surf School is OK (with some trees for shade) if you don’t want to swim.
For 150-200 metres south and north of the dock, boats anchor and the beaches are ‘poor’ … if you want beach time you, probably, want to avoid these areas completely.
The best beach area on the island is found in the 200-300 metres stretch between Mango Dive & Bungalow and the Turtle Beach Bar.
You get the best of all worlds:
- Lots of restaurants and bars with lots of seating choices;
- Sandy beaches (some areas with trees for shade);
- Less broken coral underfoot; and
- Rocks the furthest away from the shoreline.
For the best experience, I still advise you to bring watershoes.
Conclusion
All beaches suffer from broken coral which continues underfoot into the water. The difference between beaches is (1) width and (2) how soon it gets rocky close to the shoreline. When I talk about it getting ‘rocky close to the shoreline’, this is what I mean … this is what is hidden underwater (and, exposed at low tide):
…
Compare this to low tide in the ‘sweet spot’ between Mango Dive & Bungalow and the Turtle Beach Bar:
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The broken coral is said to be the result of past poor fishing practices … where dynamite was used by local fishermen … they got lots of fish, but also blew up lots of coral reef.
WATER POLLUTION
Water pollution is also a big problem. Many hotels flush sewerage directly out into sea.
On GiliA, the local doctor (that I saw to get some antiseptic cream for my infected sandflea bites – see, below) told me that he would never swim in the waters around the islands because of the pollution.
SANDFLEAS
Sandfleas were a big problem for me on GiliA. I found myself nursing about 10 new sandflea bites each day. Sandfleas mainly attack the feet and legs.
Sandflea bites can be very nasty if your body is not used to them.
The sandflea bite head can be easily knocked off leaving an open wound. If you go swimming in polluted water, they can easily become infected. A bad infection can result in visible red poison lines stretching inches from the sandflea bite.
It took me several days to nurse away each sandflea bite. The result was that, at any one time, I was nursing about 50 sandflea bites at different stages of repair. I still have the scars on my legs to prove it.
If you get bitten, don’t delay; quickly clean and disinfect any bite sites to avoid infection.
Some up-market beach resorts rake their sand several times each day. This constantly disrupts the sandflea’s ability to establish a home.
It seems to work. So, look out for any resorts who are doing this and hang around there.
Please note that I did not have a sandflea problem on GiliT.
ACCOMMODATION THEN
Most affordable accommodation is fairly ‘rustic’.
Electricity is served from Lombok Island and it is notoriously unreliable (so is the internet signal). Electricity is relatively expensive (for Indonesia) and you pay a premium (of about 100,000r – 200,000r per night) to get a room with aircon.
GILI AIR (2014)
On GiliA, you walk everywhere.
Outside of Bali (which is predominantly Hindu), Indonesia is predominantly Muslim. That means that there are Mosques and that there are loud speakers from the top of those Mosques calling the faithful to prayer several times each day. One of those calls to prayer is at 04:30 in the morning. A voice on a microphone from the top of a Mosque can carry a long way!
Gili Air is small… you can walk around the island in 1.5 hours and across the middle of it coast-to-coast in about 20 minutes.
As a general rule, accommodation in the village is the best value. For equivalent accommodation on the waterfront expect to pay 150% to 200% of village prices.
But my advice is that (unless you are Muslim), if you are going to stay in the village, find out where the mosque is first… and look on the other side of the village.
I paid 200,000r / US$12 per night for a fan bungalow at Gita Gili Bungalows on the beachfront (this price included breakfast).
I could have gotten the same with Aircon for 300,000r / US$18 but, to be honest, I didn’t need it. They, now, advertise the same bungalow for 640,000r / US$40 per night.
… which offered a beautiful view at sunrise.
Back then, I could have gotten equivalent (fan only) accommodation inland for 150,000r / US$9 per night.
GILI TRAWANGAN (2022)
Many inland hotels on GiliT provide a bicycle for free. Otherwise, they rent for about 35k-50k per day.
Back in 2022, GRANDPAckers could easily find accommodation for less than IDR150k / US$9 per night.
BOOKING.COM:
All of the, above, are listed for under US$10 per night. Examples include:
I booked myself into a budget hotel for 3 nights: Wisma Bunda. I got a Delux Double with Private (cold water) bathroom, wifi, mini bar, TV, and Breakfast included for IDR150k / US$9 per night.
I booked 3 nights to give me time to look around and to find my Long Term Accommodation. I was very happy with the Wisma Bunda … they were lovely hosts … and the room was fine. They rented bicycles for IDR35k per day, I needed that bicycle to find my long term accommodation.
As a Rule Of Thumb, if you book 1 month you should pay 50% of the published rack rate.
I chose the Kulemba Cottages (alas, they are now closed):
The Kulemba had only 5 separate cottages around a private pool. It was a simple bungalow including free WiFi, A/C, Hot Water Private Bathroom, Patio, and Bicycle.
I agreed a ‘discounted’ price of IDR3m / US$185 per month (just over US$6 per night).
Free Coffee / Tea was available all day. To include Breakfast was an additional 750k / US$46 per month … but we agreed that I could have Breakfast whenever I wanted for 25k (the same price that it was going to cost me to get it included in the rent anyway).
SUGGESTION: I strongly advise you to choose Long Term accommodation that has (clean and well maintained) dipping pool … you are going to use it.
ACCOMMODATION NOW
I landed in Bali mid August 2025 with the intention of staying in GiliT from mid August through to mid September.
However, accommodation prices in the Gilis have exploded over the past 3 years.
As an example, the same room at the Wisma Bunda (above) now costs 2,115,000r / US$131 per night (discounted down to 890,000r / US$55)!.
As a rule of thumb, GRANDPAckers should target no more than 1/3rd of their daily budget on accommodation: at today’s rates, this would be a maximum of US$23.
This is what you can find on Agoda in that price range that may meet GRANDPAcking Standards:
There is one on GiliT (a Double Room at the Tiga Dara Homestay) which has its last room discounted down from 692,000r / US$43 to 371,000r / US$23 per night … so, let’s have a look at it in more detail:
THE PRICE
THE LOCATION
THE ROOM
THE PRIVATE BATHROOM
THE BALCONY
THE CONCLUSION
The location is OK but, as for the Double Room? … I wouldn’t book it.
To get something decent, GRANDPAckers will have to spend over 560,000r / US$35 per night. This is, currently, 50% of a GRANDPAcker’s Budget.
FOOD & DRINK
You are a ‘captured market’ so food and drink on the Gilis is more expensive than on the bigger islands.
If you eat on the waterfront (especially around town center), you will pay a ‘premium’.
The prices, below, are from 2022. Given the increase in accommodation prices, expect food and drink prices to have increased as well (perhaps by as much as 20% to 30%?).
For example, I know that a large 620ml bottle of Bintang Beer in a minimart that used to cost 40,000r / US$2.50 in 2022 has gone up by 20% to 50,000k / US$3.10 in 2025.
FOOD
Back Street Cheap Eats (Warungs)
For ‘cheap eats’, hit the back streets where you find many Warungs selling local food. If they have a display cabinet keeping the food warm, there could be a selection of 15 different dishes (Nasi Campur). Choose what main meat dish you want and they will top up your plate with whatever else you want such as veg and tofu. The whole meal used to cost about IDR20k / US$1.35.
Strangely, it is hard to find a Warung that serves whole fish but I did find one opposite the Lighthouse Bar that used to do a Fried Fish meal for IDR35k / US$2.35.
You don’t have to eat in a Warung to get a ‘cheap eat’. There are many restobars and hotels that used to serve you something like a Nasi Goreng or Mi Goreng for IDR35k. Here are some example menus:
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At 7pm a night market opens next to the boat dock. This targets the backpacker ‘cheap eats’ market. Prices can vary, so haggle (especially if you are buying whole fish to be cooked). Quality can vary too.
Please note: to get a reasonable Breakfast with tea / coffee for under IDR35k you will, probably, be eating in a local Warung.
Waterfront
For IDR50k-70k you used to find lots of options on the waterfront ranging from pizza to (very small … I’m talking 3x2x0.5 inch) fillets of snapper. Here are some examples:
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Inland you get better value for money at that price.
DRINK
Indonesia is an Islamic country and alcohol is subject to a ‘sin tax’. This makes alcohol expensive compared to other S. E. Asian countries.
The usual cost of a Bintang Beer used to be IDR30k (small 330ml) and IDR50k (large 620ml).
However, you used to be able to get large Bintangs for as little as IDR40k off-the-beaten-path and in some ‘earthern’ tiki bars. Cocktails used to average IDR100k (IDR50k in Happy Hour).
In the back streets, if you were lucky, you used to be able to find 3 Cocktails for IDR100k.
CONCLUSION
… taking inflation into account …
Expect to get a local ‘cheap eat’ almost anywhere for upto IDR50k.
Expect to get a good meal in a nice atmosphere for IDR50k to IDR80k.
Expect to pay more if you want to spoil yourself with a special atmosphere, special location, and / or eat in a waterfront beach restobar.
Expect to pay IDR60k to IDR70k for a large Bintang in ‘happy hour’.
GRANDPAcking COSTS
Read About – GRANDPAcking Costs if you don’t know how to interpret my figures.
Costs are broken down into Cost Of Existence (COE) and Cost Of Living (COL):
- COE: Is the basic costs of just being there;
- COL: Is the additional costs that make being there fun.
YOUR GRANDPAcking COSTS
This would be your budget:
To view the above spreadsheet in more detail, {right click} on it and choose an option.
ORANGE COLUMNS / LEFT HAND SIDE
The left of the spreadsheet (orange columns) shows the costs for a GRANDPAcking Couple living to GRANDPAcking Standard using a Standard (Home) Bank Credit / Debit Card where possible and withdrawing cash from ATMs where cash is required.
These costs are for a 30 day stay in Shoulder Season (avoiding peak times such as Easter, Xmas and New Year).
COST OF EXISTENCE (COE)
ACCOMMODATION
Expect to pay 560,000r / US$35 per night excluding breakfast.
FOOD & BEVERAGES
Expect to pay just over 620,000r / US$38 per day eating cheaply in local restaurants.
SIM CARD / MOBILE DATA
Expect to pay about 250,000r / US$16 for a Telkomsel SIM Card with a 30 day package.
VISA
Two eVisas 1,039,000r / US$65.
TRAVEL INSURANCE
A typical Backpacker Level Travel Insurance policy has been pro rata’d.
NECESSARY TRANSPORT & SIGHTSEEING
Two bicycle rentals each week 280,000r / US$17.
Two return ‘fast boat’ tickets from Sanur, Bali totaling 2,800,000r / US$173.
SUMMARY
Your COE is about 1,389,000r / US$86 per day. This is 127% of your daily budget.
You will find that the Gili Islands are ‘Unaffordable‘.
RIGHT HAND SIDE / PURPLE COLUMNS
The right of the spreadsheet (purple columns) shows the costs for a GRANDPAcking Couple living to GRANDPAcking Standard using a Wise Debit Card where possible and withdrawing cash from ATMs where cash is required.
To keep Hotel costs down, you will book a cheap hotel for the first 2 nights, rent a couple of bicycles, and go door knocking hotels to get a better price including breakfast and free bicycles (you will probably find such accommodation away from town centre).
Due to the fact that the following major costs are likely to be paid in cash:
- Your long term accommodation; and
- Food & Beverages.
The Wise Debit Card makes no significant difference.
COST OF EXISTENCE (COE)
ACCOMMODATION
2 nights in cheap short term accommodation excluding breakfast at 400,000r / US$25 per night.
26 nights in long term accommodation at 500,000r / US$31 per night including breakfast for 2 and free bicycles.
FOOD & BEVERAGES
Using your free bicycles your costs reduce to 430,000r / US$27 per day.
SIM CARD / MOBILE DATA
No change.
VISA
No change.
TRAVEL INSURANCE
No change.
NECESSARY TRANSPORT & SIGHTSEEING
No change.
SUMMARY
Your COE is about 1,126,000r / US$70 per day. This is 103% of your daily budget.
You will still find that the Gili Islands are ‘Unaffordable‘.
GRANDPAcking SUMMARY
In 2014, the COE of GiliA was a Low Priced 51%.
In 2022, the COE of GiliT was a Low Priced 48%.
Alas, in 2025, prices have DOUBLED and a GRANDPAcking couple can no longer afford to holiday on the Gili Islands.
CONCLUSION
Could you afford to retire here on a GRANDPAcking budget? NO.
This is not just a problem for the Gili Islands.
Hotel prices have sky-rocketed in Bali Island and other nearby islands such as Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Penida.
The surrounding islands have become unaffordable for GRANDPAckers.
The Gili Islands have never been that great anyway … the accommodation is average and the beaches are below par. The main attraction was that the weather was good when everywhere else was raining and that it was affordable.
… that tide is now out …
This leaves sun-seeking GRANDPAckers with a S E Asia holiday location problem between the middle of August and the middle of October.
I have abandoned the Gili Islands, Nusa Lembongan, and Nusa Penida.
I plan to spend the next month looking around Bali Island to see if I can find suitable alternatives.
I, also, plan to leave Indonesia early to have a look at locations in Laos … to see if Laos can become a suitable alternative to Indonesia.
I will keep you informed.
TTFN
