Gili Nanggu, Lombok: A Local’s Guide
Gili Nanggu is a 12-hectare island off Lombok’s south-west coast with the healthiest coral we know of in Lombok’s waters, a single resort and a reef you can swim to from the sand. It’s 15 minutes by boat from the Sekotong coast and about an hour and a half by road from Kuta or Senggigi, and most people who come to Lombok never hear of it.
We’ve been out to Nanggu more times than we can count. Every Sunday, straight after the Lombok Loop, we take the group on to our Secret Gilis camping trip: a night on Gili Kedis, then Nanggu first thing on Monday morning. So we’ve got opinions on which harbour to leave from, where to get in the water and when to arrive so the reef’s still quiet. Nanggu is the biggest of the four Secret Gilis and the one with the most to do.
If you’d rather skip the boat bargaining, the camping trip sorts the transfers, island fees and snorkel gear. If you’re riding down yourself, everything below works without a guide.
Gili Nanggu at a Glance
Nanggu’s coral starts a few metres off the beach, so you don’t need a boat to reach a decent reef. That’s why we rate it above Sudak and Kedis if you’ve only got time for one island.
- Location: Off the Sekotong peninsula in West Lombok. The harbour at Tawun is 71 km by road from Kuta and 61 km from Senggigi
- Boat: 15 to 20 minutes from Tawun or Tanjung Kelor in Sekotong, or 30 to 45 minutes from Lembar
- Entrance fee: 5,000 IDR per person, usually included if you’ve booked a boat trip
- Size: About 12 hectares. A lap of the beach takes 20 to 30 minutes on foot
- Facilities: One resort with a restaurant, plus basic toilets. There’s no ATM, so bring cash
- Best for: Snorkelling and a quiet beach. Look elsewhere if you want nightlife
Local Tip: Come in the morning. On our trips we usually have Nanggu mostly to ourselves until lunch, and it fills up after that, Sundays most of all.
Where Is Gili Nanggu?
Nanggu sits off Sekotong, the long peninsula that makes up Lombok’s south-west corner, in West Lombok Regency. It’s on the opposite side of the island from Gili Trawangan, Gili Air and Gili Meno, which sit off the north-west coast near Bangsal.
Its nearest neighbours are Gili Tangkong and Gili Sudak, a few minutes away by boat, and Gili Kedis, about 15 minutes away. Further west along the same coast you’ll find Gili Asahan, Gili Layar and Gili Gede.
We’d pick Nanggu over the northern Gilis if coral and quiet matter more to you than bars and restaurants. Our Lombok vs Gili Islands comparison covers the northern three.
How to Get to Gili Nanggu
You get to the coast by road, then take a boat. There’s no scheduled ferry, so the boat is a shared seat, a charter you agree with a boatman, or part of a tour.
Driving to Tawun or Lembar
Aim for Tawun, in West Sekotong. The crossing from there takes 15 to 20 minutes, against 30 to 45 minutes from Lembar, and the extra 25 minutes on the road is an easy coastal ride.
| From | Road distance to Tawun | Time we allow |
| Kuta | 71 km | About 1.5 hours |
| Senggigi | 61 km | 1.5 to 2 hours, through Mataram |
| Lombok International Airport | 56 km | About 1 hour |
| Mataram | 44 km | About 1 hour |
| Lembar (Bali ferry port) | 24 km | 25 to 35 minutes |
The road’s sealed all the way and fine on a scooter. Watch for cows and dogs on the last coastal stretch, and if you’re coming from Senggigi, Mataram’s traffic is the slow part. Our scooter rental guide covers hiring a bike.
The Boat Across
Boatmen at Tawun run the crossing in perahu, the wooden outrigger boats used all along this coast. You can take a seat across or charter a boat for the morning and hop between the islands on your own schedule. We’d charter if there are three or more of you, because Sudak and Kedis are only minutes from Nanggu and you’ll want to see them too.
Published prices are thin and getting old. In March 2024 detikBali listed 10,000 IDR a person on the shared crossing from Tawun and Tanjung Kelor and 350,000 IDR for a boat from Lembar, and one travel blog paid 230,000 IDR return from West Sekotong through a friend. Agree the price, the islands and the pickup time before anyone starts the engine, and we’d pay at the end.
From Lembar the crossing takes 30 to 45 minutes. We’d only leave from there if you’ve just come off the Bali ferry and want to go straight to the islands.
Note: Ask to see the life jackets before you leave the harbour, and keep your phone in a dry bag.
From Gili Trawangan or Gili Air
Nanggu is on the far side of Lombok from the northern Gilis, so it’s a long day from Gili T or Gili Air and we’d make it an overnight. Take the public boat back to Bangsal (our Bangsal guide has the fares and the touts to walk past), then it’s 77 km by road to Tawun through Senggigi and Mataram. Allow 2 to 2.5 hours for the drive.
We don’t know of a scheduled boat from the northern Gilis round to Sekotong, so plan on the road. The easier way is our camping trip, which picks up from Bangsal: you’re on Gili Kedis by the afternoon and snorkelling Nanggu the next morning.
Snorkelling at Gili Nanggu: Where We Get In
Nanggu has the healthiest coral we’ve seen around Lombok, and you can reach it from the beach. That’s rare here: most of the island’s good reefs need a boat.
Our first pick is the southern tip. The coral’s in good shape and the fish move in schools, with angelfish, clownfish and the occasional turtle. For more variety in the coral itself, swim the north-east corner.
The beach by the boat landing is the easy way in for beginners. It’s also where most day-trippers get in, so it’s the busiest water on the island by late morning.
Go at high tide if you can. There’s more water over the reef, so you’re less likely to kick the coral or scrape a knee. Don’t stand on the coral or feed the fish.
Bring your own mask if you’ve got one. Our camping trip includes gear, the resort on Nanggu hires it out, and if you’ve chartered a boat, ask whether the boatman’s carrying any before you leave Tawun. Our guide to snorkelling in Lombok compares Nanggu with Gili Meno, Tanjung Aan and the rest of the island’s spots.
What It Costs
| Item | Cost | Notes |
| Entrance fee | 5,000 IDR per person | Reported March 2024. Usually included in boat trips and tours |
| Shared boat from Tawun or Tanjung Kelor | 10,000 IDR per person | Reported March 2024. Check on the day |
| Boat charter | 230,000 to 350,000 IDR a boat in published reports | Agree the islands and the return time first |
| A room on Gili Nanggu | From 400,000 IDR a night | The resort’s own rates in October 2026. Bungalows from 550,000 IDR |
| Lunch on the islands | From about 35,000 IDR | Seafood, fried rice or noodles at a warung |
| Secret Gilis camping trip | US$99 per person | Pickup, boats, island fees, snorkel gear, tent, dinner and breakfast on Gili Kedis |
Bring cash in small notes and take it out before you leave Kuta or Senggigi, because there’s no ATM on the islands. Prices drift, so treat these as a guide.
Nanggu, Sudak, Tangkong and Kedis in One Morning
Do Nanggu first. It’s the island that gets busiest, so you want its reef while it’s quiet. On our camping trip the morning runs Nanggu for snorkelling, then Gili Sudak, then Gili Tangkong, with lunch at a warung before the boat heads back to the mainland at 2pm. Each hop is 10 to 20 minutes.
Gili Sudak: Calm, shallow water and thinner coral than Nanggu’s. A small warung grills fish under the trees, and it’s where we’d eat lunch.
Gili Tangkong: One family, a coconut plantation and no tourist facilities. Bring water, and you’ll likely have the beach to yourself.
Gili Kedis: A sandbar you can walk across in about 15 seconds, and where we camp. Our Gili Kedis guide covers the rest.
Staying the Night on Gili Nanggu
The only accommodation on the island is Gili Nanggu Cottages and Bungalows: 17 rooms on the beach, plus the island’s one restaurant. On the resort’s own site in October 2026, cottages started at 400,000 IDR a night and bungalows at 550,000 IDR. Reviews are mixed (3.6 from 78 on TripAdvisor) and we haven’t stayed, so read the recent ones before you book and sort the boat transfer with the resort when you do.
Our camping trip sleeps on Gili Kedis instead: dinner on the sand, a campfire, tents with mats and sleeping bags, then Nanggu first thing the next morning while it’s still quiet. It leaves every Sunday after the Lombok Loop and costs US$99, with pickup from Kuta, Senggigi or Bangsal, and you can join it without doing the Loop. We think it’s the best way to see Nanggu, because you’re on the water before anyone else gets there.
If you’d rather have walls and a bed, Gili Asahan and Gili Layar, further along the Sekotong coast, have small eco resorts.
The Turtle Conservation Programme
The resort runs the Gili Nanggu Sea Turtle Conservation Program, which it says has been going since 1995 and has hatched about 4,500 eggs over the past 11 years. Its website doesn’t say whether day visitors can see the hatchery or what that costs, so ask at reception when you land.
In the water, turtles are an occasional bonus at Nanggu. If seeing one is the point of your trip, Gili Meno is the better bet, and our snorkelling guide explains why.
When to Go
April to October is the dry season, and it’s when we’d go. The sea’s calmer and the water’s clearer for snorkelling. Our month-by-month guide covers the rest of the year.
Wind matters as much as rain out here. A still morning in the wet season can be clearer than a windy day in August, so check the forecast the night before and leave early.
Weekends are busier than weekdays, and Sundays are the busiest of all. We’d pick a weekday morning every time.
Gili Nanggu FAQs
Where is Gili Nanggu?
Off the Sekotong peninsula in West Lombok, 15 to 20 minutes by boat from Tawun harbour. It’s on the opposite side of Lombok from Gili Trawangan, Gili Air and Gili Meno, which sit off the north-west coast.
How do you get to Gili Nanggu?
Ride or drive to Tawun in Sekotong, about 1.5 hours from Kuta or Senggigi, then take a local boat for 15 to 20 minutes. From Lembar, the Bali ferry port, the boat takes 30 to 45 minutes.
How much is the Gili Nanggu entrance fee?
5,000 IDR per person, as reported in March 2024. Most boat trips and tours include it, and our Secret Gilis camping trip covers all the island fees.
Is Gili Nanggu good for snorkelling?
Yes. It’s got the healthiest coral we know of around Lombok, and you can reach it from the beach. We like the southern tip best, and the north-east corner has more variety in the coral.
Can you stay overnight on Gili Nanggu?
Yes. The only accommodation on the island is Gili Nanggu Cottages and Bungalows, with rooms from 400,000 IDR a night on its own site in October 2026. The other option is camping on nearby Gili Kedis with us, then snorkelling Nanggu the next morning.
How do you get from Gili Trawangan to Gili Nanggu?
Take the public boat back to Bangsal, then drive 77 km south to Tawun in Sekotong (2 to 2.5 hours), and take a local boat across for 15 to 20 minutes. It’s a long day, so we’d stay a night in Sekotong or join our camping trip, which picks up from Bangsal.
Are there turtles at Gili Nanggu?
Sometimes. You’ll occasionally see one while snorkelling, and the resort runs a sea turtle conservation programme that it says has hatched about 4,500 eggs in 11 years. Gili Meno is the better bet if turtles are the main reason you’re going.
Which islands are near Gili Nanggu?
Gili Sudak and Gili Tangkong are a few minutes away by boat, and Gili Kedis is about 15 minutes away. Together they’re often called the Secret Gilis. Gili Gede, Gili Asahan and Gili Layar sit further west along the Sekotong coast.
Gili Nanggu or Gili Trawangan?
Pick Gili Nanggu if you want coral and a quiet beach, and Gili Trawangan if you want bars, restaurants and nightlife. They leave from opposite sides of Lombok: Nanggu from Sekotong, Trawangan from Bangsal.
When is the best time to visit Gili Nanggu?
April to October, in the dry season, when the sea is calmer and clearer. Go in the morning, and avoid Sundays if you can, because that’s the busiest day.
Seeing Gili Nanggu with Lombok Loop
Our Secret Gilis camping trip handles the parts that take effort on your own: the drive to Sekotong, the boat, the island fees and the snorkel gear. You camp on Gili Kedis, snorkel Nanggu the next morning, and you’re back on the mainland by mid-afternoon.
Every Sunday we run it straight after the Lombok Loop, our four-day ride around the island, and you can also join it on its own from Kuta, Senggigi or Bangsal. If you’re riding down yourself instead, leave early, charter from Tawun and do Nanggu first.
