Where is a good place to stay when arriving at Bali Ngurah Rai Airport at midnight, and how much does it cost?

I recommend Novotel Bali Ngurah Rai Airport, located a 5-minute walk from the airport. You can book it for around ~$64 including breakfast, which is great for saving your energy when arriving late at night.

What are the costs and advantages of using BlueWater Express when traveling from Bali to Gili Trawangan?

You can book it for ~$192, which includes a private pick-up and drop-off service for two people. The advantages are that you can wait in a designated office, and the staff will carry your luggage for you, so you don't have to stand in line under the scorching sun.

How much does it cost to travel by horse-drawn carriage from the Gili Trawangan port to a northern accommodation?

The carriage fare usually ranges between 150,000 and 200,000 Rupiah. You can negotiate it down to 150,000 Rupiah, but depending on the situation, you might pay 200,000 Rupiah.

Why did you choose the Casa Bonita Turtle Point in the north to see turtles in Gili Trawangan?

It is because the northern area has fewer water fleas and jellyfish compared to the south. Another main reason is that many turtles appear even in the late afternoon.

Can I see the sunset while dining at IJO Restaurant in Gili Trawangan?

IJO Restaurant is located inside the resort, so you cannot see the sunset from within the restaurant. Therefore, it is recommended to enjoy the sunset somewhere else first before visiting the restaurant.

Bali 4-Night Adventure 2026: Gili Trawangan Day 1 Itinerary

I just got back from an early summer getaway to Bali!

I was debating between Thailand and Bali...

but ultimately decided on Bali. Thus began this trip, meticulously planned 6 months in advance by a hardcore "J" (planner)!

Being the ultimate planner, I booked the flights 6 months ago as soon as the trip was decided. Done and dusted!

I flew with Korean Air.

My 4-night, 6-day Bali itinerary that surprised everyone!

Ngurah Rai Airport -> Gili -> Ubud -> AYANA (Jimbaran) -> Incheon (Seoul)

Everyone was shocked that I changed hotels every single night,

but my route was entirely dictated by the must-stay dream hotels on my bucket list.

For the hotels, I'll put together a separate post dedicated to Bali accommodations later! haha

[Bali] Indonesia Bali 4 Nights 6 Days Independent Travel - Bali Accommodations Guide

Day 1-2

Ngurah Rai Novotel -> Gili Trawangan

Since it was a 5 PM flight,

I grabbed a quick bite at the Matina Lounge before departure. haha

There are so many credit cards these days that offer discounts or free lounge access,

so if you have plenty of time before your flight,

I highly recommend relaxing in the lounge first!

After the in-flight meal, they even served Cledor ice cream! Yum.

By the way, since the flight is about 7 hours,

I paid an extra fee to reserve an emergency exit row seat,

and it was incredibly comfortable!

I could fully stretch my legs, and above all, getting up to go to the restroom was completely hassle-free.

Next time I fly economy, I'm definitely paying the extra fee

for an exit row seat again! haha

Since we arrived close to midnight local time,

most people usually spend their first night at a budget-friendly hotel,

or book a Mount Batur sunrise trekking tour that picks them up directly from the airport.

(It seems like a very popular itinerary!)

But since our trip had a ton of travel and moving around,

we absolutely needed to conserve our energy.

So for the first night, we booked the Novotel right at the airport, which is easily accessible on foot! haha

Novotel Bali Ngurah Rai Airport

by_2jay

It's literally a 5-minute walk from the terminal! haha

We got cash from the ATM right outside,

quickly bought some bottled water at an airport convenience store,

and then just followed the signs from the exit to find the Novotel.

Super easy! haha

“Superior Room, Twin Room”

Since we were just sleeping there and heading out early the next morning,

we only needed it to be clean, so the room condition didn't matter too much.

We booked it for around ~$70 (including breakfast).

You can change the shower filter here.

This is the color of the filter after just one day... OMG.

The breakfast area.

Since our itinerary had us heading straight to Gili the next morning,

we wanted to have a hearty meal before taking our motion sickness medicine.

After filling up on breakfast, we waited for our private pickup service! haha

It was so convenient wearing my monokini swimsuit underneath, so I was ready to go snorkeling the second we arrived in Gili! haha

“Novotel Bali Ngurah Rai Airport”

Click here to book at the best discount rate!

👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻

Agoda Official Site | Free Cancellation & Special Deals | Over 2 Million Properties

GILI TRAWANGAN

By_2jay

There are so many different fast boat companies heading to Gili,

but we're the type to prioritize comfort, even if it costs a bit more.

So, we booked with the super clean and comfortable "Blue Water Express."

The main reasons people hesitate about Blue Water Express

are usually the price, and some rumors that the boat size makes you more seasick...

But our verdict? We were absolutely thrilled! haha

We booked it for ~$192, which included private hotel pick-up and drop-off for two people.

(If you grab a good discount code, you might get it even cheaper!)

Bali - Gili Trawangan Fast Ferry One-Way/Round-Trip Tickets (Blue Water Express) - Klook

“Book Blue Water Express with a Discount Here”

First of all, since we added the hotel pick-up and drop-off service,

they picked us up right from our lobby and dropped us back off at our hotel on the way back from Gili.

Also, the harbor can be incredibly chaotic,

but with Blue Water Express, you get to wait comfortably in their dedicated office (there's even a cafe nearby!).

The staff takes care of all your heavy luggage, so there's absolutely no need to stand in line under the scorching sun.

You just board directly and set off!

For this reason, we decided to spend a bit more to travel in absolute comfort,

choosing Blue Water Express without hesitation.

And yes, we'd definitely use them again next time!

The interior is clean, and they even hand out motion sickness pills.

Maybe because I took some motion sickness meds I brought from home beforehand,

I fell fast asleep and arrived without feeling even a little bit nauseous! haha

The waves were quite high, but there were no delays

and we arrived so smoothly.

The waves were actually higher than expected, so the boat swayed quite a bit,

but I just slept like a baby thanks to the motion sickness pills and woke up right as we arrived! lol

Tip! The Blue Water Express private pick-up/drop-off service

is available in most areas. So, if you have a long travel itinerary (like on your first day),

a driver will pick you up from your hotel when you head to Gili,

and on the day you leave Gili, since we were moving on to Ubud,

our private driver took us all the way to Ubud. It was so convenient and saved us so much energy!

It’s highly recommended when you're changing accommodations or have a long way to go.

Finally, stepping foot onto Gili!

To be honest, the biggest reason we came to Gili

was to see the S.E.A. T.U.R.T.L.E.S. :)

Gili is a motor-free island with no cars or motorbikes,

so the only ways to get around are bicycles and horse carts.

Since our resort was located in the north, as soon as we got off at the harbor,

we took a horse cart right away.

(They usually quote an average of 150k IDR. At first, they asked for 200k IDR,

so we bargained it down to 150k IDR. But once we arrived at the hotel,

the weather was so hot and I felt so sorry for the horse, so we just ended up giving them 200k IDR anyway ㅠㅠ Our hard bargaining was kind of pointless...)

The view from the horse cart ❤️

For me, Gili felt like the most "authentic Bali-vibe" place of all,

so next time, I want to come back and spend at least 2 whole nights just in Gili! 🥹

Nero North

By_2jay

Our schedule was so tight,

so as soon as we checked in, we just dropped our bags

and headed straight out to see the turtles! haha (We had already worn our swimsuits underneath, lol)

I'll post a detailed review of our accommodation separately later!

Gili Hotel "Nero North"

Click here to book at the best discount rate!

👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻

Agoda Official Site | Free Cancellation & Special Deals | Over 2 Million Properties

Casabonita Restaurant (Turtle Point)

Gili Turtle Point

📍 Casa Bonita Restaurant
Gili Trawangan, Gili Indah, Kec. Pemenang, Kabupaten Lombok Utara, Nusa Tenggara Bar. 83352 Indonesia

*There are several turtle points in Gili Trawangan,

but we chose Casa Bonita since it had pretty good Google reviews.

The reason we chose the north over the south

is that it was close to our hotel, turtles appear frequently in the north even in the late afternoon, and most importantly,

we heard there are more sea lice and jellyfish in the south, so the north was a no-brainer!

We headed out to see the sea turtles around 3:00 PM,

but the waves were so strong and the water was super murky. Total mental breakdown! 😭

I mean, we came all this way just to see the turtles!

To make matters worse, I don't even know how to swim, so seeing those rough waves completely paralyzed me.

As I was standing there looking lost, a staff member from Casa Bonita told us that their friend could guide us to find the turtles! Haha.

They even said, "If you see a turtle, you pay. If you don't, it's free!"

(It was basically a private snorkeling tour, lol.)

So of course, we said yes! We rented life jackets and jumped right in. 🐢

Honestly, we would’ve completely missed them if it weren't for him. ㅠㅠ

We finally found a turtle! 🥹❤️

I was so worried we wouldn't see any, but our amazing local guide tracked one down for us!

Our local guide explained that

the water gets murky in the afternoon but clears up again by evening.

Since we couldn't change our schedule, we were just thrilled we got to see a turtle at all!

(+We paid 180k IDR (about ~$12), and it was worth every single penny. There's no way the two of us could have found them on our own.

Plus, he dove down with my phone to take incredible videos and photos,

and literally pulled me along since I can't swim... haha. Thanks to him, I actually got to see a turtle!

If you're feeling a bit lost out there, I highly recommend doing this!

Just ask the staff at Casa Bonita, and they’ll get you set up. 😊

If you go during perfect weather or peak hours, you might not need a guide.

But if you arrive in the afternoon when the water is murky and feel as lost as we did,

I highly recommend hiring one!)

After turtle-watching, we relaxed on the sunbeds and grabbed a quick bite for lunch.

(The food was just average... haha. But they have a basic shower area, and it's a great spot for seeing turtles,

so I still recommend coming here for the turtle experience!)

Since we had dinner reservations booked for tonight,

we enjoyed a fleeting moment of rest and rode our bikes back to the resort...

The sunsets in Gili are truly out of this world. :)

Ijo restaurant

By_2jay

📍 IJO Restaurant
Dusun Gili Trawangan, Gili Indah Kec. Pemenang, Gili Trawangan, Kabupaten Lombok Utara, Nusa Tenggara Bar. 83352 Indonesia

With just that one photo,

I got this strong feeling of "I want to dine somewhere that feels purely Gili."

So I booked this restaurant right away!

Since I’m a total planner (a hardcore "J" on the MBTI scale!), I prefer booking everything in advance.

I made a reservation ahead of time via WhatsApp before visiting.

It was quite relaxed with no waiting lines, so I think walking in would be totally fine too! haha.

We ordered their most popular items: the steak and the Margherita pizza.

You absolutely HAVE to get steak when you're in Bali.

It's incredibly delicious and so much cheaper than back home! haha.

And the Margherita pizza... it was a real wood-fired pizza, so the crust was incredibly chewy and delicious.

We had actually been working out and dieting hard right before coming to Bali...

So when we finally ate normal food, our stomachs had shrunk, and we couldn't eat much. Such a tragedy... 😭

We ended up leaving some pizza behind,

and the staff seemed so concerned as we left, asking if something was wrong or if the food didn't taste good.

They were so incredibly attentive and sweet! Everyone here is so kind. ㅠㅠ

I highly recommend this place if you want to enjoy a quiet, atmospheric dinner. (Note: You can't see the sunset from here since it's located further inside the resort.)

I suggest heading here after you've fully enjoyed the sunset! 😊