Gili Trawangan

Gili Trawangan is the largest of Lombok's Gili Islands and the only one to rise significantly above sea level. Measuring 3 km long and 2 km wide, it has a population of around 700. Trawangan means Terowongan (Tunnel) due to there is a cave tunnel built in Japanese occupation. Of the Gilis, Trawangan has the most tourist facilities; the pub Tîr na Nôg claims that Trawangan is the smallest island in the world with an Irish pub. The most crowded part of Trawangan lies on the eastern side. It was previously administered under Lombok Barat Regency along with Senggigi until 2010 when the Gili islands came under the jurisdiction of the new North Lombok Regency (Kabupaten Lombok Utara)).

On Gili Trawangan (as well as the other two Gilis), there are no motorized vehicles. The main means of transportation are bicycles (rented by locals to tourists) and cidomo (a small horsedrawn carriage). For traveling to and from each of the Gilis, locals usually use motorized boats and speedboats.

Some of the first inhabitants of Gili Trawangan were from Sulawesi who are fishermen and farmers. Previously Gili Trawangan was covered in forest and deer lived on the island. (Source: Inhabitants of Gili Trawangan — no printed source available)

The economy of Gili Trawangan centres on tourism, as the island is too small to support any broad scale agriculture, and too remote to allow economically viable industry or commerce.

Be very careful with locally produced booze, especially arak. It can contain methanol and has caused many cases of serious injury and even death among tourists and locals alike.

• View of Trawangan Pier and a Cidomo, local transport

• View from the top of the hill on Gili Trawangan just after dawn; foreground is Gili Trawangan, Gili Meno is next and then Gili Air — Gunung Rinjani is backlit by the approaching dawn

• View from Gili Trawangan; in the foreground are island hopper boats anchored off Gili Trawangan, Gili Meno is the next island — Ginung Rinjani is in the distance