The best beaches for watersports in the Gili Islands

Watersports on the Gilis means one thing above all, which is clear warm water full of reef and turtles, and the best of it is astonishingly cheap. There is no surf to speak of and little in the way of jet skis or banana boats, which suits these quiet car free islands. What you get instead is some of the easiest reef snorkelling in Indonesia, straight off the sand for the price of a rented mask, plus a cluster of competitively priced dive shops. For a value traveller, that is the right kind of watersports, big on experience and small on cost.

We have ranked the shores below for genuine in water value, which means reef life, easy access and clear water, not any motorised gimmick. Gili Trawangan Turtle Point leads because you swim with turtles for free off the beach, the island dive strip follows for choice and price, and the quieter turtle reef off Gili Meno gives the same thrill with fewer people. Where a boat tour is worth its fare and where the free shore swim beats it, we say so plainly.

If you take one plan from this page, rent a mask and fins cheaply, walk to Turtle Point at higher tide and snorkel with the turtles for nothing, then book a single shared boat snorkel trip or a fun dive if you want to see more. Compare a few of Trawangan many dive shops, since the competition keeps prices keen, and skip the pricey hotel desk. You get the islands best water for very little, which is exactly what the Gilis do best.

The honest read on watersports here starts with managing expectations, because the Gilis are not an action sports coast. There is no real surf, and motorised watersports are rare and discouraged on these quiet car free islands, which is part of their charm. What the Gilis do brilliantly is reef snorkelling and diving in warm clear calm water, and the single best thing about it is that the headline experience, swimming with turtles, is free off the beach. Anyone expecting jet skis will be disappointed, and anyone wanting reef and turtles will be delighted for very little money.

The overrated spend is booking snorkel trips and dives through a hotel desk or a fast boat package rather than comparing the dive shops on the ground, especially on Gili Trawangan where there are many and the competition keeps prices keen. The free shore snorkel at Turtle Point also beats a surprising number of paid boat tours, so try it before you pay for a trip. Save the boat fare for a shared trip to reefs you cannot reach from the sand, which is where the money is genuinely well spent.

A few honest cautions protect both you and the reef. Currents run in the channels between the islands and can be strong, so shore snorkelling is safest near high tide and within the sheltered flats, and drift snorkelling between islands should only be done with an operator. There are no lifeguards anywhere. The reefs are protected, so never stand on or touch the coral, and water shoes save your feet on the rubble entries. Conditions are typical rather than guaranteed, so check local advice and the tide before every swim.

The Gilis are a coast of dive shops, snorkel operators and simple beach bars rather than grand watersports clubs, so a rented mask, a compared dive shop and the free reef are usually all you need. Where beachfront lounges with daybeds exist they cluster on the northwest of Gili Trawangan and the east of Gili Air, handy for resting between snorkel sessions. We never invent a venue, a price or a minimum spend, so anything we cannot confirm is marked to be confirmed. If a reserved daybed near the reef is part of your plan, browse the directory and send one enquiry so the venue can confirm space and any minimum spend. For most in water days here, the free shore snorkel and a cheap warung lunch are the better value.