Best Snorkeling Spots in the Gili Islands

• Shared Tour — from US$ 12

You get to explore 3-5 snorkeling spots in Gili T and Gili Air with the gear, boat, and guide included for 3-4 hours. There's an additional fee if you want to have lunch included (around US $3).

• Private Tour — from US$ 50

We recommend the private tour for snorkeling for the flexibility and to explore more spots in Gili Air, Gili T, and Gili Meno. The tour lasts 4-8 hours and includes gear, boat, and guide. You can also tie the tour with lunch or a sunset trip as well.

• Gear Rent — from US$ 2

If you want to snorkel on your own, you can rent the full snorkeling gear (masks, snorkel, and fins) for US$ 4. But if you only want to rent the masks, it will cost you US$ 2.

Nothing’s cooler than swimming with the turtles in Turtle Point in Gili T. The shallow waters and sandy bottom mean you can spot two common turtle species found in the Gili Islands: the Hawksbill and green turtles. Beyond seeing turtles munch or resting on the seagrass, you can spot surgeonfish and Moorish idols. Unfortunately, you cannot see any corals here. The shallow depth is perfect if you would like to take your kids and show them the turtles!

The Biorock project aims to regenerate and populate damaged coral reefs around the island. A popular snorkeling spot in Gili T, you can find the scooter structures among 100 Biorock structures. Yep, you can pose with the scooter underwater and splash it on your Insta feed. The dense growth of soft corals, sponges, and tunicates, with different fish species, such as scorpionfish, lionfish, damsels, and triggerfish, shows how successful the project is. Manta Dive, the pioneer of Biorocks, expanded the structure to Gili Air. The snorkeling spot here is less crowded than the one in Gili Trawangan. It also has simpler structures, like fish and domes.

Think of 48 life-size figures underwater, embracing each other (with more lying on the sea floor) and forming a circle. That’s the Nest, a sculpture and man-made reef created by artist and environmentalist Jason deCaires Taylor. The Nest was built to rejuvenate coral reefs population as a way to build Gili Meno’s native ecosystem. Expect to see clown fish, triggerfish, and parrotfish. Around the Nest, you can spot reef sharks, turtles, and moray eels. One of the most popular snorkeling spots in Gili Meno, it’s best to come here early in the morning or late afternoon because the place can get extremely packed!

Hearing an ocean slope may send shivers down your spine. But the Meno Slope is actually a slope (duh!) covered in colorful corals. Meno Slope can contest as the ultimate diving spot in Gili Islands similar to diving spots in Bali. The green and Hawksbill turtles make this spot their comfy home as you often see them lying around. If luck is on your side, you may spot the elusive loggerhead turtles resting on the crevices. Get ready to see tons of scorpionfish, cuttlefish, frogfish, and triggerfish scuttle in and out of the soft and hard corals.

Hans Reef is every snorkeler’s wildest fantasy. The coral bommie alone shows you the diversity of coral reefs, from barrel sponges to staghorn. But it’s the fish and macro creatures that will blow you away. Aside from the scorpion fish and stingrays, you can also spot ribbon eels, parrotfish, and pipe fish. And don’t be alarmed if you encounter blacktip reef sharks as they’re not going to attack you. The sandy slope in Hans Reef makes it ideal if you want snorkeling in Gili Air without a guide. But remember to never snorkel alone.

If you see the snorkeling map of Gili, the Frogfish Point is the next spot to Hans Reef. But only snorkel here if you know how to navigate the occasional currents and your snorkeling falls in the intermediate and advanced level. But the sightings of frogfish, wrasse, and trumpet fish will soon follow. Frogfish Point is also an excellent place to indulge your appetite for macro, mantis shrimp, sea horses, and octopus. The chance to see Hawksbill and green turtles here is higher compared to other snorkeling spots, even to Turtle Point!