Secret Gilis & Gili Petelu Private Snorkeling, Lombok

A private snorkelling day in south Lombok means one of two boat circuits: Gili Petelu and Pink Beach from Tanjung Luar in East Lombok, or the Secret Gilis (Gili Nanggu, Gili Sudak and Gili Kedis) from Tawun in Sekotong, south-west Lombok. Go in the dry season, start early, use a no-feeding operator and let the crew choose sites by current.

Neither circuit is part of the three main Gili Islands off north-west Lombok; both are day trips from Kuta Lombok, Senggigi or Mataram with a drive before the boat. Juara Holding Group is a concierge desk that connects travellers with licensed local boat operators; we do not own boats.

Where are Gili Petelu and the Secret Gilis, and how do you get there?

Gili Petelu is a small, uninhabited island group off Sekaroh village in Jerowaru district, East Lombok, close to Pink Beach (Pantai Tangsi). East Lombok’s own tourism material and independent guides both name Tanjung Luar harbour as the usual boat base, with about 30–45 minutes on the water to the Pink Beach area. Boats at Tangsi beach also run short hops to Petelu. A typical loop adds the Gili Pasir sandbar, which shows properly only at low tide.

The Secret Gilis are the islands off the Sekotong peninsula in West Lombok. The standard private loop covers Gili Nanggu, Gili Sudak and Gili Kedis from Tawun harbour. Gili Asahan and Gili Gede lie further west and usually make a separate day. Teluk Nare serves the northern Gilis, not Sekotong; a “Teluk Nare pickup” here means a car transfer south.

Leg	Typical time (one way)	Notes
Kuta Lombok to Tanjung Luar harbour	About 1.5–2 hours by car	Easiest way into the Pink Beach and Gili Petelu circuit
Kuta Lombok to Pink Beach (Tangsi) by road	About 2–2.5 hours	The last stretch to Sekaroh is slow and gets muddy in the wet season
Tanjung Luar to Pink Beach area by boat	About 30–45 minutes	Gili Petelu and Gili Pasir are close by, depending on sea and tide
Kuta Lombok or Senggigi to Tawun, Sekotong	About 1.5–2 hours by car	Senggigi traffic goes through Mataram and Lembar, so allow the upper end
Tawun to Gili Nanggu, Sudak, Kedis	Short local boat crossing	Confirm the exact jetty the evening before

Times are estimates from published guides; traffic, rain and sea state change them.

Which spot suits which conditions?

Each site has its own exposure, current and tide. Use this table as a planning guide, not a forecast.

Spot	Area	Current and exposure	Best timing	Good for
Gili Petelu	East Lombok (Sekaroh)	Tidal flow can build around the islets and reef edges. Entry should be from the boat, on the guide’s call	Dry-season morning, before the wind picks up	Coral and reef fish; blacktip reef sharks are sometimes seen but not guaranteed
Pink Beach headlands (Tangsi)	East Lombok	Sheltered bay, with more water movement off the headland tips	Morning; the bay can get choppy later in the day	Mixed groups, beginners near the shore
Gili Pasir	East Lombok	A sandbar that depends on the tide and may be partly under water	Low tide	A swim-and-sand stop, not a reef dive
Gili Nanggu	South-west Lombok (Sekotong)	Usually the easiest of the group, with a reef close to shore	Dry-season morning	First-time and family snorkellers
Gili Sudak	South-west Lombok	Generally calm, small and quiet	Morning to midday	Short reef swims, lunch stop
Gili Kedis	South-west Lombok	Tiny and exposed; more affected by tide and current	Calm, slack-water windows only	A brief stop, confident swimmers

Which season and time of day are calmest?

Local guides agree that the most reliable months are roughly April to October, the dry season, when visibility is usually at its best. The wet season, about November to March, brings rain, runoff and rougher crossings, and the road to Sekaroh can turn to mud. That is a pattern, not a promise: mid-year trade winds can still make exposed reefs choppy.

Morning is usually calmer, because wind tends to build through the day. Indonesia’s meteorological agency, BMKG, publishes daily marine forecasts for the Lombok Strait and the waters south of Lombok. Sample bulletins have shown currents above one knot and waves above two metres in the open strait. Check the forecast for your area on the morning of the trip. Do not judge the strait by how calm the beach looks. For more on timing, see our comparison of morning versus afternoon private charters.

Do crews choose snorkel spots based on currents?

They should, and it is worth asking before you book. There is no single best tide for every reef; currents depend on the island, the reef shape and the moon phase. A competent crew watches the water, picks a sheltered entry, drops swimmers up-current and picks them up down-current. They also keep the group away from channels that can run faster than a person can swim. When we arrange a trip, we ask the partner operator to confirm three things: the planned order of spots, the backup sites for a rough day, and the cancellation policy for weather.

Can we see blacktip reef sharks without feeding?

Sometimes. Tour listings for the Gili Petelu area do report blacktip reef sharks, but no published survey shows they are reliably there. Treat a sighting as a bonus. Blacktip reef sharks (Carcharhinus melanopterus) are listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, in an assessment published in 2020, with a declining population.

Research on provisioning shows feeding changes behaviour: sharks gather at predictable sites, and hand-feeding is linked to agonistic behaviour and accidental bites. The Shark Trust advises that sharks should not be conditioned to expect food from people.

Ethics block: how to snorkel with reef sharks

No feeding, chumming or bait, and no food carried in the water.
No touching, chasing, surrounding or blocking a shark’s path. Let it choose the distance.
Keep groups small and movements slow. Leave the area if a shark keeps turning away.
Follow the guide’s briefing and any posted local rules.
Ask the operator directly: “Do you bait or feed sharks?” If the answer is vague, choose another boat.

There is local context too. Tanjung Luar, the main departure harbour for Petelu, is also home to a fish market often described as Indonesia’s biggest for sharks. A boat leaving from there is not part of that trade, and some former shark fishers now run reef-tourism trips instead.

How much is a private trip to Gili Petelu and Pink Beach with hotel pickup?

We do not publish a fixed rate here, because the price is set per boat and changes with season, group size and pickup point. Published listings vary widely and often leave out the same extras. Compare quotes line by line:

Private car to the harbour and back, from Kuta Lombok, Senggigi or Mataram
Boat hire for the whole boat, with the hours included
Snorkel masks, fins and life jackets in the right sizes
Guide in the water, not only a boat driver
Lunch and drinking water
Beach entrance or village retribution fees, which may be cash only

A private boat often works out cheaper per person than a shared tour for groups of four or more. Our guide to per-boat versus per-person snorkel pricing explains the maths, and current Gili charter rates are on the private boat charter price page.

Practical checklist before you go

Pick the circuit: east (Tanjung Luar, Pink Beach, Gili Petelu) or south-west (Tawun, Nanggu, Sudak, Kedis).
Book a morning start and agree the hotel pickup time the night before.
Check the BMKG marine forecast that morning and agree a weather-cancellation rule in advance.
Confirm in writing that the operator does not feed sharks.
Ask for life jackets for everyone on open crossings, and tell the crew your swimming level.
Bring reef-safe sun protection, a rash vest, cash for local fees and a bag to carry your rubbish home.

What travellers usually ask us

A couple staying in Kuta Lombok wanted an early, small-group start to avoid the crowded midday boats. The answer was a private boat from Tawun at first light, with Nanggu first.
A family asked whether Gili Petelu suits children. The answer depends on the day: Pink Beach shallows on a calm morning, with Petelu only if the crew judges the current to be mild.
Several guests asked whether sharks are “guaranteed”. No ethical operator can promise a wild animal.
Guests staying on the main Gilis asked about adding the Secret Gilis. It means a crossing to Lombok and a long drive south, so plan it as its own day. For snorkelling around the three northern islands, see our snorkeling boat charter page.

FAQ

Is there a small-group early-morning trip to the Secret Gilis from Kuta Lombok?

Yes. A private boat can be arranged from Tawun after a drive of about 1.5–2 hours, which makes a dawn pickup and an early first swim possible.

Can we see blacktip reef sharks at Gili Petelu without feeding?

Sightings are reported but not guaranteed. Choose a no-feeding operator, keep your distance and treat any shark as a bonus.

Do captains choose snorkel spots based on currents?

A good crew does: it picks sheltered entries, drifts swimmers with the current and swaps sites on a rough day. Ask for the backup plan before booking.

Which time of day is calmest for snorkelling the Secret Gilis and Gili Petelu?

Usually the morning, before the wind builds, and ideally in the April–October dry season. Always check the BMKG marine forecast first.

Where do boats leave from for Gili Petelu and Pink Beach?

Most leave from Tanjung Luar harbour on the east coast. Short boat hops also run from Pantai Tangsi beach.

Are the Secret Gilis the same as the Gili Islands?

No. Gili Trawangan, Meno and Air are off north-west Lombok. The Secret Gilis are off Sekotong in the south-west.

Sources

Plan your private snorkel day: Juara Holding Group concierge desk · WhatsApp +62 811-3941-4563 (wa.me/6281139414563) · [email protected]