If you’re travelling Indonesia, specifically Bali you’ll most likely head to the beautiful Gili Islands. The largest of the three is Gili Trawangan, home to the best parties, scuba diving and also a great place to chill and relax from the bustling island of Bali. As this island is so popular for backpackers I’ve made a ultimate list of the best hostels in Gili Trawangan for any traveller. There are plenty of options on the islands despite its small size, therefore I’ve made the choice that little bit easier for you and narrowed them down to my top picks!
One of the really great things about Gili Trawangan is the size of the dorm rooms in hostels on the island. Due to the local island council, they’ve technically ‘banned’ hostels, thus you won’t find rooms with more than three beds in! I personally think this is a great thing, as prices are still affordable but you don’t have the crazy number of beds in one dorm like you get elsewhere in Bali and South East Asia.
Gili Trawangan is home to some of the best scuba diving in the world. If you’re wanting to learn to scuba, complete your open water or you’re wanting to do your Dive Master Training or just fun dives I recommend heading to Manta Dive! Read my full review here!
No matter which hostel you end up in, you’ll meet amazing like minded travellers and take my word for it, you won’t want to leave this idyllic island.
So without further ado, here are my favourite and best hostels in Gili Trawangan!
Best Hostels in Gili Trawangan
My Mate’s Place Hostel
With over 1100 reviews and a score of 9.5 on Hostelworld, My Mate’s Place Hostel is THE place to be in Gili T. It boasts a huge, buzzing social area where by day you can chill on one of their cozy beanbags before hitting up their bar by night to socialise with the other guests.
They also organise great pub crawls a few times a week, and the staff are more than helpful with any questions you have about the island, what to do, organising transport and lots more!
With great staff, free wifi, free towel hire, charging ports and free basic breakfast it’s the perfect place to stay on Gili T!
Price: $
Great for: parties, budget, meeting others
Hostelworld Score: 9.4
Get the best deal on My Mate’s Place Hostel here!
M Box Hostel
This is a great hostel for meeting like minded travellers, lively than it’s sister hostel M Gili, it’s a great place to chill and relax during the day and close to all the bars and parties by night. It’s also within very close proximity to the beach, but also far enough from the main strip that it won’t be crazy busy and loud at night.
M Box also has a number of private rooms, with 26 three bed rooms and 15 private rooms.
Facilities include a great size pool, beer pong table equipment, common room, gym and yoga room, restaurant, and a bar with cheap cocktails!
Price: $
Great for: budget, meeting others, private rooms, quiet night sleep, close to parties
Hostelworld Score: 9.3
Get the best deal on M Box Hostel here!
Broken Compass Hostel
Broken Compass Hostel is probably the most beautifully and thoughtfully decorated on the island. Don’t you just love the pool area and how new it looks?! Known for its great decor and art work, chilled atmosphere, amazing food, friendly staff and infamous events such as Beats n Burgers and Pub Quiz. They have a large chill out area, restaurant and bar, swimming pool and a ping pong table .
There are no female only rooms at this hostel, but despite this all beds have their own privacy curtain, reading light and a personal locker with charging point inside so you can charge everything while you’re not there.
Price: $
Great For: relaxing, friendly atmosphere, good location and friendly staff.
Hostelworld Score: 9.4
Get the best deal on Broken Compass Hostel here!
Gili Castle Hostel
One of the funnest and best party hostels on the island, Gili Castle is the place where you can party by the pool, challenge their 6 meter climbing wall then free fall 6 meters in to the pool, enjoy Bintangs and awesome music at their bar during the day and night! It’s a pretty awesome place!
Don’t miss out on thirsty Thursdays for their pool party!
They offer a variety of rooms including a mixed 3 bed dorm with a personal locker and reading light with or without hot water and en-suite. For a bit of extra comfort you can reserve their private double room with king size bed and en-suite bathroom that overlooks the pool. All rooms are air-conditioned, have free WiFi, tea, coffee and a fresh water re-fill station to re-fill your bottle.
Price: $
Great For: party lovers, meeting others, great location and friendly staff
Hostelworld Score: 8.7
Get the best deal on Gili Castle Hostel here!
Gili La Boheme Sister Hostel
This is a great option for budget conscious travelers, as it’s one of the cheapest hostels on the island but don’t think that substitutes for anything. This budget hostel in Gili T is a fun place to stay, it’s awesome if you wanna socialise and meet new people. At the same time, it’s got a pretty chilled vibe, and that’s despite being only 5 minute walk away from the main hive of activity on Gili Trawangan.
One thing that is really great about this hostel is…Love Banana Pancakes? I know you do! That’s why they make you the tastiest pancakes on Gili T 24/7 for FREE!!!
This beautiful hostel is constructed entirely from a reclaimed boat! They have an amazing tree house common area along with a bar where you can easily socialise with fellow guests. They have a maximum capacity of 60 people, a perfect number for keeping their homely feel whilst enjoying a fun and vibrant atmosphere.
Price: $
Great For: Budget travellers, friendly staff, close to the main area, meeting others
Hostelworld Score: 8.3
Get the best deal on Gili La Boheme Sister Hostel here!
Gili Mansion Hostel
Are you looking for a place that has an awesome party vibe, a large swimming pool to cool down after a long day tanning and is surrounded by a great social area and bar that brings all travellers together? Then Gili Mansion is the place for you!
Their team will make you feel welcome and make sure you have the best time on Gili T. So feel free to ask them any questions you may have. DON’T MISS THEIR FAMOUS BEATS & BBQ SUNDAY SESSION POOL PARTY! The party is every Sunday from 2-6pm complete with live DJ, free shots, drinking games and more. Be adventurous and take a jump off of their 5 meter platform as well!
They have a variety of rooms that are all air-conditioned from their most basic compact 3-person dorm to deluxe private rooms with en-suite bathroom. All rooms are provided with lockers and reading light. There is free WiFi in the main social area and water refill stations (less plastic!) for you to enjoy.
Price: $
Great For: Party lovers, meeting others, budget travellers and location
Hostelworld Score: 8.3
Get the best deal on Gili Mansion Hostel here!
Gili Beach Bum Hostel
Want a hostel that’s right on the beach? Then this is the hostel for you! Gili Beach Bum Hostel is the only beach front hostel offering the best island vibes with a beach bar, spacious air conditioned rooms, free breakfast and great parties.
Their popular LAVA BAR is considered to be the island’s pre-drinking hot spot for both expats and tourists. LAVA is an open air bar right next to the beach featuring cheap prices, great cocktails, a unique music style and a good atmosphere for both die hard party goers and laid back travellers. LAVA is known to host epic parties and promises to be a perfect spot to get the party started on any night of the week.
If you are looking for a home that is more than the typical hostel on a party island then you have found the right place.
Price: $
Great For: Beachfront location, parties, relaxing, friendly staff
Hostelworld Score: 7.7
Get the best deal on Gili Beach Bum Hostel here!
So there you have it! The best hostels in Gili Trawangan for any type of traveler, this is the 2019 edition and will be updated every year. Have you stayed in any of these hostels? Which is your favourite, I’d love to know!
Don’t forget to sort out your travel insurance! I always travel with World Nomads Insurance, my favourite travel insurance provider as they are specifically suited for long term travellers and backpackers. I wouldn’t travel with anyone else.
Read next:
Best Nightlife in Bali: Where to go on what day of the week
Best Diving School in Gili Trawangan for any diver
Things to Know Before Visiting Indonesia
Top Things To See and Do in Indonesia
When I set off on my very first backpacking trip in Southeast Asia at 18 years old, I was a solo female travellers having never travelled to Asia before. The Lonely Planet book was a lifesaver, which had so many tips and tricks in it that I would never have known if I hadn’t read it before hand. You’d honestly be surprised how helpful these books are while on the road.
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Wow looks like a great list of places. Thanks for sharing.saving it for future
Hi Madhu,
Thanks so much, they’re all great hostels!
Happy Travels,
Emma
Gili T is beautiful and thanks for the list of hostels. Broken Compass looks so good!
Hi Sudeepta,
Gili T is such a beautiful oasis right?! Broken Compass is definitely a cool hostel that’s for sure 🙂
Happy Travels,
Emma
Great tips for Gili T – I haven’t been there yet, but am dying to go. It looks so beautiful!
Hi Emma,
Thanks so much, you definitely must add it to your list! It’s such a beautiful island full of endless activities 🙂
Happy Travels,
Emma