Island ·
A day on Gili Meno: a walk, a lake, 48 statues and a table for sunset
Coming over from Gili Trawangan or Gili Air for the day? Gili Meno takes about ninety minutes to walk around. Here is a simple way to fill the rest.
Gili Meno is the smallest of the three Gili islands and the quietest. There are no cars and no scooters. Boats come in at the harbour on the east side, and from there everything is on foot, by bicycle, or by cidomo, the horse cart. A day here does not need planning so much as a rough shape.
Morning: walk the island
A path runs around the coast, and at an easy pace the full loop takes about an hour and a half. Bicycles exist, but the sand makes them optimistic. Walk it before the middle of the day if you can.
The lake in the middle
Inland, towards the western side, there is a shallow saltwater lake ringed with mangroves. Water levels change with the season; some months it is full, some months it is not. It was once used for making salt. Go early, and take insect repellent, because the mangroves are mosquito country later in the day.
Forty-eight people underwater
Off Gili Meno is Nest, a ring of 48 life-size figures by the sculptor Jason deCaires Taylor, installed in 2017. They were cast from real people and made from pH-neutral concrete so that coral can grow on them. They sit in about four metres of water, shallow enough to snorkel. Ask locally where to swim out from, and check the conditions on the day.
Lunch, and then the west beach
Pomona is on the west side of the island, a short walk from the harbour with the water on your right. We open at 11:00. Lunch with your feet in the sand is ceviche or fish tacos; we have written up the whole menu separately, with prices. Everything from the kitchen is gluten free.
The west coast faces the sunset, which is the best argument for staying late. Happy hour runs from 16:00 to 18:00 every day, and the sun goes down a little after six. Book a table by the water for 17:00, or just walk in.
Walk it in the morning, snorkel at midday, and be on the west beach by five.
Getting back
If you are coming from Gili Trawangan, our reception can organise the boat both ways, collecting you from the beach at Dejavu Hotel on Gili T and dropping you back there; it is about 8 minutes each way. From Gili Air, check the time of the last boat back before you sit down, not after. Crossings depend on the sea. If you are running late for a table with us because of a boat, message us on WhatsApp and we will move it.
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Book a table
Come early, stay late.
Walk-ins are always welcome. Booking ahead is wise, especially on event nights.