How Many Nights in Sekotong? 2, 3 or 5 Nights, and How to Plan South Gili Island Hopping

31 October 2026

How long you stay in Sekotong depends on how many days you want for South Gili island hopping. Two nights gives you one day on the islands, three nights adds a day on the mainland beaches and a quiet day, and five nights lets you add the far islands, surfing or diving. Sekotong is about 1 hour 10 minutes by car from Lombok International Airport, so the arrival and departure days each lose roughly half a day to travel.

For this guide we read Indonesian news (detikBali), a travel company blog and travellers’ blogs in October 2026 and rearranged their boat prices, island times, mainland sights and travel times into plans by number of nights. Some prices come from older articles, so their dates are given. Accommodation and food prices could not be confirmed in the sources we opened, so they are not included.

This guide is for anyone adding Sekotong to a Lombok trip who wants to decide how many nights to book and what to do once there.

Information as of October 2026

What this article covers

✓How many nights to spend in Sekotong (2, 3 or 5) and what each day looks like
✓South Gili boat prices and time on each island
✓Mainland beaches (Elak-Elak, Mekaki) and Desert Point
✓Travel time on arrival and departure days
✓What to think about in the rainy season

In short

Two nights gives one island-hopping day; three nights adds a mainland beach day and a spare day; five nights covers the far islands, surfing and diving. Count on losing half a day to travel on arrival and departure, and put the boat trip in the middle of your stay.

Contents

How many nights in Sekotong, and what can you do with each?

For a first visit, three nights is the most comfortable length. South Gili boat trips usually leave in the morning and come back in the early afternoon, covering about three islands in a day. You can do this on a two-night stay, but because the arrival and departure days go on travel, you only really get one day on the water.

With three nights you have two full days in the middle: one for island hopping and one for the mainland beaches or the village. If the weather or sea is poor on one day, you can swap the boat trip to the other, which is the main advantage of three nights. Five nights gives you room for a separate day to Gili Rengit and Gili Layar, about 30 minutes away by boat, a day to watch the waves at Desert Point, and a day of doing nothing.

Figure: Sekotong plans by number of nights

Arrival and departure days: how long does the journey take?

Sekotong is about 1 hour 10 minutes by car from Lombok International Airport, around 60 km by road; the airport transfer site mytransfers gives 59.27 km. If you land before noon, you can spend the afternoon on a Sekotong beach. On a late-afternoon arrival, the first day is just for checking in and resting.

Coming by sea from Bali, the public ferry from Padang Bai to Lembar on Lombok takes about 4 to 6 hours (an average of about 4 hours 30 minutes according to a July 2026 report), and Lembar to Sekotong is about 40 minutes by car. There is also a fast boat from Serangan on Bali to Gili Gede; the operator Gili Getaway’s timetable shows about 2 hours (times change by day and season).

On your last day you will usually leave in the morning, working back from your flight time. Avoid booking island hopping for departure day; do it the day before so the journey to the airport is not rushed.

Take care

Expect to spend roughly half of the arrival and departure days travelling
Do not book island hopping for departure day; a late boat should not put your flight at risk
On a late-afternoon arrival, treat the first day as a rest day

How many South Gili islands can you visit in a day, and what does the boat cost?

Off Sekotong lies a cluster of small islands, including Gili Nanggu, Gili Sudak, Gili Kedis and Gili Gede, known together as the South Gilis (or Secret Gilis). The tiket.com travel blog (February 2021) says Sekotong has 23 islands and that the boat to Gili Nanggu leaves from Tawun pier.

The usual day trip covers the three near islands: Nanggu, Sudak and Kedis. The travel blog homeiswhereyourbagis (updated March 2026) puts a boat for these three from about Rp350,000, and a boat to the farther Gili Layar and Gili Rengit from about Rp600,000, with boats normally taking 6 to 8 people. detikBali (March 2024) gives Rp350,000 for a boat of up to 8 people. Split between a group, the cost per person comes down.

As a guide to time on each island, you can walk round Gili Nanggu in about 30 minutes (travel blog Kathmandu and Beyond), and Gili Kedis is small enough to circle in a few minutes. Two hours of snorkelling at Nanggu, lunch on Sudak and a stop at Kedis brings you back to the harbour between early and mid-afternoon.

The entry fee for Gili Nanggu is Rp5,000 per person (March 2024 report). Snorkelling gear is not always on board; renting it starts at around Rp50,000 (homeiswhereyourbagis). There may be no drinking water on the islands, so take plenty.

← Scroll sideways to see the whole table

Destination	Boat cost guide	Source and date
Nanggu, Sudak and Kedis	Boat from about Rp350,000	homeiswhereyourbagis (updated March 2026), detikBali (March 2024)
Gili Layar and Gili Rengit	Boat from about Rp600,000	homeiswhereyourbagis (updated March 2026)
Shared boat from Tawun and nearby harbours to Nanggu	Rp10,000 per person, about 15 to 20 min	detikBali (March 2024)
Gili Nanggu entry fee	Rp5,000 per person	detikBali (March 2024)

Prices change with group size, bargaining and season.

What to do on the other days: mainland beaches and sights

With three nights or more you can spend a day on the mainland. Elak-Elak is a white-sand beach where, according to the travel blog We Seek Travel (updated July 2025), you can walk out to a small island at low tide. Mekaki has bigger waves and suits surfing more than swimming (tiket.com).

Desert Point (Bangko-Bangko), at the southwestern tip of Sekotong, is a surf break known for long left-hand barrels, best in the dry season from May to October (We Seek Travel). The same blog describes the road there as badly damaged and hard going on a motorbike. If you do not surf, plan it as a half day to watch the waves.

For a quiet day there are mangroves and hills. According to the tiket.com blog (February 2021), the Bagek Kembar mangroves offer tree planting and walks through the forest, open 08.00 to 18.00, and Buwun Mas hill looks over grassland and sea. Both articles are older, so check that they are open before you go.

If you want to explore on your own, you can rent a motorbike. We Seek Travel gives Rp100,000 to 150,000 a day and notes that renting can be a little harder to organise than in Kuta Lombok. Check before you travel whether your own licence lets you ride in Indonesia.

What changes with five nights: far islands, surfing and diving

With five nights you can visit the far islands on a separate day. Gili Layar and Gili Rengit are just under 30 minutes by boat from the starting point and cost more (homeiswhereyourbagis). Gili Gede is the largest of the South Gilis; the tiket.com blog says around 1,000 people live there in five villages, so you can also spend a day walking its villages.

For diving, We Seek Travel says Sekotong has several dive centres, most of them near Pelangan. As with surfing, the more nights you have, the easier it is to pick days when the sea is right.

The Semelar Beach Village stay programme is also built around 3 nights/4 days to 5 nights/6 days. It costs Rp4,800,000 per person and includes airport transfers, local transport, a guide, a welcome dinner and a massage; flights and accommodation are separate. Where you can stay is on our Stay page, what you can do in the village on Things to Do, the beach cafe on SAKURA CAFE, and the route from the airport on Getting Here.

Planning nights around the rainy season and rough seas

Lombok’s rainy season runs from November to March and the dry season from April to October. The ferry booking site Ferryhopper notes that the sea between Bali and Lombok can be rough in the rainy season (November to March). South Gili boats may also stay in on windy or rough days.

In the rainy season, staying three nights or more gives you two candidate days for island hopping, so you still get a sea day if one is lost. Even in the dry season, it helps to book the boat trip for the day after you arrive and keep a spare day after it, so you can swap with the weather.

✓Do you have two possible days for island hopping (especially in the rainy season)?
✓Is any boat trip booked for departure day?
✓Is the boat price per boat or per person, and are entry fees and gear extra?
✓Are you taking snorkel gear and drinking water?
✓If renting a motorbike, can you ride legally on your licence?

A note from Sekotong

Sekotong still has few tourist facilities compared with other parts of Lombok, and We Seek Travel also says you need to arrange your own transport. Sorting out the island boat, airport transfers and where to eat in advance saves time once you arrive.

Downsides, and who a longer Sekotong stay suits

First, the downsides. Sekotong is about 1 hour 10 minutes from the airport and has fewer shops and transport options than Kuta Lombok or Senggigi, so you need to arrange cars and boats. If you want to see many places on a short trip, the travel time will weigh on you.

Even so, Sekotong’s strength is that the South Gili islands are 15 to 30 minutes from the harbour and the beaches are quiet. If you want your trip built around island hopping and days by the sea, and would rather stay in one place than move around, three nights or more will suit you.

Frequently asked questions

Q. Can I visit Sekotong as a day trip?

Yes, it is about 1 hour 10 minutes by car from the airport. But with island hopping it becomes a long day leaving early and returning in the evening. Two nights or more is better if you want a full island day.

Q. Should I stay two nights or three?

Three nights is better for a first visit. Two nights gives you effectively one sea day, which you lose if the weather turns. Three nights lets you split island and mainland days and keep a spare.

Q. How much is a South Gili island-hopping boat?

A boat for the three near islands (Nanggu, Sudak, Kedis) starts at about Rp350,000, and for the farther Gili Layar and Gili Rengit at about Rp600,000 (sources from 2024 to 2026).

Q. Can I go island hopping in the rainy season?

On many days, yes, but boats may not go out when the wind or waves are strong. Staying three nights or more gives you two possible days.

Q. How long is the Semelar Beach Village stay programme?

From 3 nights/4 days to 5 nights/6 days, at Rp4,800,000 per person, including airport transfers, local transport, a guide, a welcome dinner and a massage. Flights and accommodation are separate.

Summary

For Sekotong, two nights gives one island-hopping day, three nights adds a mainland beach day and a spare day, and five nights covers the far islands, surfing or diving. Expect to spend about half of the arrival and departure days travelling.

Boats cost from about Rp350,000 per boat for the near three islands and about Rp600,000 for the far two. In the rainy season, choose a stay with two possible boat days, and keep boat trips off your departure day (as of October 2026).