Asia Hotels, Bali, Best Hostels, Best Hotels, Hotel Reviews, Indonesia, Solo Female Travel, Southeast Asia, Trip Planning
Best Places to Stay – 30 Days in Bali & Gili Islands (Pt. 1)
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My love affair with Indonesia is now 8 years old. I’ve traveled these islands solo, heartbroken, blissed-out, sunburned, broke, bougie, and once—this time—with my best friend and our boyfriends in tow. Whatever it is you need—solitude, sisterhood, a jungle bathtub with views—I found it all for you. And I’m gonna show you in this Bali and Gilis Hotel Guide…
Hello, my lady travelers! In this blog, I’m going to show you the best places to stay in Bali and The Gili Islands.
Hi, I’m Alexa West. And I might not look like a professional, award-winning travel author as I slurp down two happy hour daquiris but I have credentials. I write and own the #1 best-selling travel series for women called The Solo Girls Travel Guide series. Every trip I take—no matter who I’m with—is a research trip to find the best hotels for solo female travelers.
Most of my travels are solo. But this time, I went to the Gilis with with my best friend Emilia Igartua, and… our boyfriends. So, this adventure was very different than my typical Solo Girls Travel Guide research trip!
But before you panic—I have not abandoned the mission of helping women travel. In fact, our boyfriends have officially been inducted into the Solo Girl’s Travel Research Squad™.
Every hotel was still vetted through one sacred lens: Would a solo female traveler love this spa? Would she feel safe at this hotel? Would she swim in that pool alone?
So if you’re traveling Bali and the Gilis — solo or not — this itinerary is still for you.
And if you’re traveling with your boyfriend? Also for you.
Traveling with friends? Stillllll for you.
Plan your dream trip to Bali with The Solo Girl’s Travel Guide: Bali by Alexa West — the #1 best-selling guidebook for Bali travel on a budget, packed with insider tips to check off your Bali bucket list.
My One-Month Hotel Itinerary for
the Gili Islands and Bali
The best hotels, resorts and guesthouses for solo female travelers & couples
My trip went like this:
▸ Gili T: 2 nights
▸ Gili Meno: 2 nights
▸ Gili Air: 4 nights
▸ Nusa Ceningan: 2 nights
▸ Nusa Lembongan: 2 nights
▸ Ubud: 6 nights
▸ Amed: 3 nights
▸ Sarinbuana: 3 nights
▸ Sumberkima: 4 nights
▸ Seminyak: 2 nights
Now let me show you where I stayed.
Where to Stay in the Gilis
First things first—The Gili Islands aren’t technically part of Bali.
They belong to Lombok, a neighboring island with a strong Muslim culture. That means you’ll hear the call to prayer throughout the day—including at sunrise. It’s a beautiful reminder of the island’s traditions… and a good reason to pack earplugs if you’re a light sleeper.
The three Gilis are like sister with very different personalities:
▸Gili Meno is the tiniest (you can walk around the whole island in 90 minutes), it has the most beautiful beaches, the most sea turtles and more mid-to-luxury accommodation.
▸ Gili Air is fun without being wild! Its the medium-size island with spas, restaurants, bean bags in the sand at sunset!
▸Gili Trawangan is the loud, wild, party island…which I hated the first time I visited and hated this time, too. But if you’re looking to party your face off at a hostel, you might like it.
How to get to the Gilis from Bali:
Option 1: Fly to Lombok, drive and then get a boat.
Option 2: The more common and convenient option, take a boat to the Iili islands BUT — these waters can be scary so please take the correct boat!
Here’s why I always choose Eka Jaya for ferry travel between Bali and the Gili Islands:
✅ It’s the biggest and safest — When the sea gets rough (and it does), size matters. Eka Jaya is a large, fast ferry that handles waves better than the tiny budget boats.
✅ More reliable + professional — Organized check-ins, actual staff, shaded seating, and working engines. You’d be surprised how rare that is.
✅ You feel less like you’re going to die — I’m serious. Just ask the Girls in Bali Facebook group. The ocean is no joke.
Where I Stayed in Gili Meno
BASK Gili Meno
✔️ Beachfront with a mellow Beach Club
✔️ Beachview private pool villas
✔️ The best snorkeling in the Gilis
I stayed here for three days in a private pool villa so quiet, you could hear the breeze move through the palms. Mornings were for swimming with sea turtles just offshore, afternoons for sushi served in the sand, and nights for slipping into Rosalee—a surreal underwater speakeasy where sound travels like a secret.
I did manage to leave my privatoe pool villa and spend sometime in the main pool overlooking the oceean for happy hour (3-6pm). There is a swim-up bar which is my favorite for making new friends…and we DID make new friends! They even joined us for kareoke at BASK’s underground speakeasy called Rosalee. I made an Instagram reel of it here.
The resort has 1, 2, and 3-bedroom private villas, making it ideal for a girls getaway. And the beach here? Powder-white, wide open, and possibly the most beautiful in the Gilis.
Best of all: the beach club! Open to non-guests. No minimum spend in low season. Happy Hour: 3–6pm
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Where I stayed in Gili Air
There is much more room for activities on Gili Air (if you’re over 30, you get that joke…). Gili Air is bigger than Gili Meno with different “zones” of the island — which I’ll explain in the upcoming guidebook but for now, I’m just going to tell you my favorite Gili Air Hotels and advise you to stay in these areas for ultimate fun and convenience.
Molah Guest House
✔️ Budget-friendly and includes breakfast
✔️ Lovely pool surrounded by gardens
✔️ Centrally-located near lots of resturants and cafes
If you’re looking for a charming, affordable guesthouse on Gili Air that still gives you island magic and a pool to float in, Molah Guesthouse is the one.
This cozy family-run spot is owned by Zahar and his crew—who will make you feel less like a guest and more like a friend who’s staying the week. You’ll sleep in a private bungalow with your own balcony tucked into a garden of swaying palms and flowering plants. It’s peaceful, it’s breezy, and every morning, your breakfast (with a fresh tropical juice, of course) is served right to your patio.
Check it out in my Instagram Highlight of Gili Air here.
In front of each bungalow? A clean, quiet pool framed with sun loungers, perfect for that post-snorkel siesta. With only a few rooms on the property, Molah feels intimate—like a social introvert’s dream. The kind of place where it’s easy to meet other travelers, but also easy to just be still and quiet.
⭐ The Best Part?
The Location.
Molah is centrally located on Gili Air, which means you can walk to the best restaurants, beach bars, yoga studios, and diving shops within minutes. No bikes needed (though renting one is always fun here). You’re far enough from the main strip to avoid the party noise, but close enough to join in if the mood hits.
🕌 One Note:
The Call to Prayer
You’ll hear it. Gili Air is a Muslim island, and Molah is a few blocks from the mosque. Expect the call to prayer in the early hours. Personally, I sleep with white noise for sleep on YouTube or ear plugs and it’s no big deal. After a night or two, it fades into the rhythm of island life. If anything, it adds to the sense that you’re not in a tourist bubble—you’re really here.
Pelangi Cottages Gili Air
✔️ Beachfront property with a swimming pool
✔️ Next to my favorite Italian restaurant on Gili Air
✔️ In a mellow-social zone of the island in the north
Peace, stars, and the kind of barefoot nights that make you feel like you’re in a travel movie—Palangi Cottages is one of those places where it’s easy to meet people, but also totally okay to drift off and read a book under the trees. Have alone time during the day (go snorkeling) then wander to some laidback beach bars in the evening to talk to strangers or listen to live music.
Located on the north end of Gili Air, this place is far from the mosque, so it’s unlikely that you’ll notice call to prayer in the early hours.You’re also steps from some of the best beaches for swimming, including the ever-popular Turtle Point. Will you see turtles? Maybe. I didn’t. But I did see the biggest turtle of my life near the dock one afternoon, so keep your eyes open. Pro tip: grab snorkel gear from the hotel (small daily fee) and hit the water by 7am before everyone else wakes up. You just might get lucky.
Ps. Here’s me loving this hotel even in rainy season…
There’s a pool, beach swings in the water (I waded waist-deep in the water to the swings one night in a dress after dinner and laughed like a teenager – I recommend it), and breakfast is served right on the beach with a glass of fresh tropical juice. Mornings are slow, salt-sprinkled, and beautiful.
Which Room to Book?
You might be tempted by the beachfront rooms, but trust me—go for a garden room. It’s quieter, more private, and still just steps from the sand — AND CHEAPER.
SLOW Private pool VILLAs
✔️ Beachfront property with a swimming pool
✔️ Next to my favorite Italian restaurant on Gili Air
✔️ In a mellow-social zone of the island in the north
If you’re craving calm, comfort, and a place to actually exhale, Slow Gili Air is your sanctuary. Tucked among palm trees on the quiet side of the island, this boutique resort offers private pool villas with either sunrise or sunset views—pick your mood.
I came here hoping for rest, but what I got was actual healing. The on-site Slow Spa is hands-down the best on the island. I’ve had a stiff shoulder for months (thanks, laptop life), and Kristin was the first therapist who didn’t just rub oil around, she found the tension and worked through it like a body-reading magician. And because I’d fried myself in the sun (whoops), I got the aloe massage, using aloe grown in their garden. Skin saved.
You’re also steps from Gili Coffee Roasters—my favorite coffee shop on the island and where I may or may not have eaten three meals in two days.
Where I Stayed in Gili Trawangan (and why I left early)
So here’s what happened: I went back to Gili Trawangan knowing it wasn’t the island for me. I’d been before. I knew the vibe—and I still gave it a shot. But truthfully? It’s just not my scene.
The island is big, and getting around often means using horse-drawn carts, which I hate for the whole animal rights issue. It’s loud, very party-centric, and the trash situation has gotten worse since my last visit. After a day, we packed up and left early.
But I’ll still tell you where to stay—because if you are going to do Gili T, do it right.
Here are my hotel recommendations for Gili T….
✨ If you want quiet, nature, and a chance to snorkel with turtles:
Wilson’s Retreat on the northern tip of the island is your best bet. It’s calm, clean, and you can walk to a local warung for roasted chicken before grabbing your free snorkel gear and heading straight into the sea. Yes, there are turtles. Yes, there are lots of tourists—not all of them respectful—so please be mindful if you go in.
🎉 If you’re here to party your face off:
Mad Monkey Gili T is on the southern “party strip.” Expect loud music, drinking games, and an international backpacker crowd looking for a good time, cheap dorms, and no judgment.
🤫 If you want a secret, social little escape:
Lost Paradise Gili is a hidden bungalow-style stay tucked into the center of the island. Think: jungle vibes, a killer pool, hammocks, and a low-key speakeasy bar at night. It’s a great place to lounge all day and meet other travelers without the madness of the main strip.
Final Thoughts:
Which Gili Island is Right For You?
Gili T is for you if…
▸You’re in your 20s
▸You love a wild night out
▸You don’t mind noise, crowds, and skipping sleep for one more Bintang
Gili Meno is for you if…
▸ You want peace, romance, or solo turtle time
▸ You’re here for snorkeling and slow mornings
▸ You want a beach that feels like a secret
Gili Air is for you if…
▸ You want a balance of chill + social
▸ You love live music, beachfront cafés, and making friends without trying
▸ You like to party… but still want to sleep
This is the end of part 1
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I'm a bestselling author, hotel reviewer and pickleball player. I teach women how to travel the world solo without going broke or getting kidnapped.
In 2011, I left Seattle with just $200 in my pocket to travel the world solo. Today, I'm the founder and creator of The Solo Girl’s Travel Guide, the #1 travel guide book series for women - and the author of The One-Way Ticket Plan.
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