Gili Trawangan After Dark: Where to Party, Drink & Dance All Night

When we say Gili Trawangan is all about parties, we mean it in the hardcore way. Say goodbye to the party on the weekend because in Gili Trawangan, the party rolls every evening. You’ve got a Lava Bar where you can show off your Lava signature hand sign (learn it before you come, please!). Blue Marlin will get your party mood on Monday because who thinks about Monday in Gili Trawangan?

You cannot skip the Gili T Pub Crawl experience every Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday. Even if you need a chill night, Sama Sama still delivers killer reggae tunes to get your body moving. See? There’s no such thing as a break when it comes to partying in Gili T!

Blue Marlin will drastically change your mood about Monday (and the rest of the week). Unless you come here to dive—because Blue Marlin is first and foremost, a dive center—go straight to the bar. No more post-weekend syndrome because you can still party till drop! The live DJ will pick the perfect setlist to get you dancing, as there’s no such thing as an empty dance floor at Blue Marlin on Monday night.

Need a mood booster? The Two for One Cocktails, from 6 to 8 PM, will get your adrenaline pumping. Their cocktails are strong. It doesn’t matter whether you pick Mint Julep or Pink Cidomo. Better nibble on Beef Ragu or The Roast Chicken beforehand. But beyond the drink and the food, there’s no other place we’d rather pass the time on Monday because we’ll be busy having the best time of our lives at Blue Marlin.

Even if you’re a true partygoer, you need to slow down sometimes, and there’s nowhere else to fill the void than La Cala Beach Club. Drinking your Rosey Spritz and the Lemongrass Daiquiri while nibbling on the La Cala Mix Platter (love the Prawn Schnitzel!) should get you the sunbed because there’s a minimum order of 300K for the sunbed. It’s really nothing compared to all the beach clubs in Bali.

Yes, you don’t get the sickest beat to get you up on the dance floor, or some fun games to get you through the night. But the boho aesthetic and its laid-back atmosphere will recharge your energy. Don’t skip the BBQ for dinner at La Cala. Whether you opt for skewers like veggies/tiger prawn, seafood on the grill, or meat, you’ll be ready for the next party in Gili T.

Tír na nÓg hosts the best midweek party in Gili T, bar none. Ditch your notion about Irish bars because Tír na nÓg has no Irish paraphernalia decorating the walls. But it has live music with the DJ and Bottomless Hour from 11 PM to midnight with all-you-can-drink cocktails. And it’s the only place in Gili T where you can have craft beer on tap, showing you can’t be more Irish than a Guinness tap.

But if you miss the Irish Wednesday Party, you have the famous Gili T Pub Crawl to look forward to. Tír na nÓg is your starting point because you need to register here and enjoy the free bucket before hopping on the next four bars. And they also have a Pub Quiz on Monday and a live DJ on Friday, where you can request any song.

So many parties are happening on Friday night in Gili T, but none come close to what Sand Bar has to offer. Part of the Gill Sands Hotel, the crowds on Friday night give the liveliest energy as your party booster. The DJ starts playing the setlist at 11 PM and gets ready to see the dance floor filled with people. You won’t be partying by the beach, but in an indoor space, a proper bar to have a fun night.

But if you still want to join the fun without all the noise, come for dinner. The live band will serenade you from 7 PM with chill music while you can casually enjoy the Rendang Sasak or the Margarita pizza. And this time, feel free to pick the beanbags or the chair on the beach, and sing along if you know the song.

Sama Sama stands out among the sea of bars in Gili Trawangan because it’s simply the best reggae bar on the island. The place is always packed because of live music from local talents every night. The vocals and the music lend a super tropical and vibrant vibe you can’t stop dancing to.

But it’s the Saturday Party that always draws the biggest crowds. The 50% Happy Hour from 6 – 9 PM should get your party mood started. And the party doesn’t stop until 3 AM! Nothing can compete with the deadly combos of reggae music and beach, right? We suggest you come early for dinner because the tables in the beach area get filled up rather quickly!

For most people, Sunday is a rest day. But in Evolution, Sunday is just another party day. Home of Sunday Party is a big deal in Gili T because you get free entry (a rarity in Bali, if you ask us) and a free shot if you can show the Rabbit Jump Gili sign. The party kicks off around 6 PM, and it has everything you can possibly want from a fun night out. Play beer pong or pool table and enjoy the sick beats by the DJs and live band performances.

What we love about Evolution is that it only doesn’t go hard on Sundays. They have live music every night! So if you need chillout music after dancing all night on Sunday, come the next evening and take a bite of Cheesy Beef Quesadillas or Hawaiian Chicken Salad Wraps while enjoying the ocean breeze and soaking in the sun.

Lava Bar will fire up your stay at Gili Trawangan because they have no break policy when it comes to parties and having fun. Before the sunset, it’s all about the juiciest burgers and chilling out on the beach seating area. But once the night falls, you don’t want to miss the fun events they have all week!

Every Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday, the stage at Lava Bar is yours to butcher a song in a Karaoke Night (but if you have the voice, show it off, obviously!). Take off your shoes on Tuesday because the Latino Loco Night is about moving those hips. Test your music knowledge on Friday when Music Bingo is happening and win fabulous prizes like breakfast and drink vouchers. And when Saturday hits, move to the dance floor and bop your head when the live DJs play R’n’B and HipHop tunes.

Mad Monkey is all about socializing in the most fun way possible. Yes, they have the infinity pool overlooking the ocean, but that’s not where the fun ends. Where do we start? They have drinking games every Saturday at 8 PM. And on Sunday, it’s your turn to show off your vocal chops in the Music Bingo game. Come Wednesday, it’s all about Trivia Night and Music Quiz.

If you have a knack for sport, join the weekly Beer Pong tournaments every Tuesday and Friday starting at 5.30 PM (there’s a US$ 6.20/pax to join). But if sport is not your thing, join the Mad Foam Parties instead! Get soaked every Tuesday and Friday from 3 PM and enjoy the Happy Hour from 3 – 5 PM while the live DJs play killer sets to liven up your party mood. We bet it will be your best sundowner party in Gili T, ever!

Here’s the holy grail of the Gili Islands party: The Gili T Pub Crawl. We’ve seen nothing quite like it anywhere else (even in Bali!), and skipping this event will be the biggest crime if you're a serious partygoer. Moreover, if you’re traveling alone, this is the chance to find some travel buddies or get to know people!

First, you need to register at Tír na nÓg from 7 to 9 PM and pay 275K (US$ 16). The event takes place three times a week: Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday. Once the clock strikes 9 PM, you’ll start the pub crawl to four of Gili Trawangan’s best bars until midnight.

What do you get at the Gili T Pub Crawl?

• One free Vodka Juice bucket at Tír na nÓg

• One t-shirt

• Free shot at each bar when you arrive

• Discounted drinks in every bar you visit during the event

• Lots of games with cool prizes and discount cards!