Gili Sudak, Gili Kedis, Gili Tangkong: Features and How to Explore the South Gili Islets

3 October 2026

Search for the “South Gili Islands” and you’ll quickly find Gili Nanggu and Gili Gede, but three smaller islands nearby — Gili Sudak, Gili Kedis, and Gili Tangkong — often stay a mystery right up to departure day: where exactly are they, and what’s actually there? The short answer: all three are small islands reached by boat in about 15 to 45 minutes from Tawun port in Sekotong. Only Gili Sudak has any permanent food stalls or basic accommodation — Gili Kedis and Gili Tangkong are essentially day-trip-only islands.

This article is based on information we could actually verify by checking listings from local tour operators, boat operators, and travel blogs. None of the three islands have much in the way of official tourism statistics or municipal pages, and sources vary in how they describe island size and facilities, so where we could only confirm a range or a claim from one or two sources, we’ve said so honestly (“reportedly,” “sources vary”). Figures are given as approximate ranges, and we haven’t stated anything as fact that we couldn’t confirm.

This is written for readers who have already read our overview guide to the South Gili Islands or our dedicated Gili Nanggu guide and want to know more about the remaining three islands — useful if you’re staying in Sekotong and planning a day of island hopping.

Information as of September 2026

What this article covers

✓Where Gili Sudak, Gili Kedis, and Gili Tangkong sit relative to each other and within the South Gili Islands
✓Each island’s size, beaches, snorkeling, and whether it has any lodging or shops (as far as we could confirm)
✓How to arrange a boat from Tawun port in Sekotong, and roughly what a charter costs
✓A sample island-hopping route, and how to pick a departure time around tides and weather
✓What to bring, and how to be considerate of the coral and local life

In short

As of September 2026, Gili Sudak, Gili Kedis, and Gili Tangkong are all small islands roughly 15 to 45 minutes by boat from Tawun port in Sekotong. Gili Sudak has warungs (food stalls) and basic lodging; Gili Kedis and Gili Tangkong have no permanent restaurants or accommodation, so visits there are day trips only. Rather than making these three islands your sole destination, it’s more realistic to charter a boat that combines them with a better-equipped island such as Gili Nanggu.

TOC

Where the three islands sit: the smallest of the South Gili Islands

Gili Sudak, Gili Kedis, and Gili Tangkong all lie off the coast of Sekotong, in southwest Lombok’s West Lombok Regency. Local guides and tour operators usually group them with Gili Nanggu under the name “South Gili Islands” or “Secret Gilis,” the same framing used in our overview guide to the South Gili Islands. The islands sit a few hundred meters to a few kilometers apart, and a small boat can hop between them in about 10 to 20 minutes.

Most trips start from Tawun port in Sekotong. From Mataram, it’s roughly an hour’s drive to Tawun port; you can also reach the three islands via Lembar port, but several sources note that Tawun port is the shorter route. Because the islands sit close together, the usual way to visit is a day-trip island-hopping tour that takes in all three at once.

Diagram: What each island offers (as far as we could confirm)

Diagram: Permanent facilities are limited on all three islands. Sources vary on food and lodging.

Gili Sudak: warungs and simple lodging — the “lunch island”

Gili Sudak sits off Tawun village in Sekotong Tengah. It’s reportedly about 30 hectares, with fine white sand and water clear enough to see the seabed with the naked eye. Our Gili Nanggu guide notes that some sources rate its coral as slightly less vivid than Gili Nanggu’s, but the shallow water makes it good for beginner snorkelers.

Of the three islands, this is the only one with confirmed permanent food and lodging. Travel-blog reports mention a handful of warungs (food stalls) on the island, and one tour operator’s listing mentions a single basic guesthouse from around Rp400,000 a night (about US$22.50 at roughly US$1 ≈ Rp17,800, as of September 2026). That said, information on this guesthouse comes from limited sources, and it may not be open every day, so if you’re planning to stay overnight, it’s worth checking with a local tour operator beforehand.

Several sources put the boat ride from Lembar port at 35 to 45 minutes, and from Tawun port at around 15 minutes. Some listings mention snorkeling gear rental on the island, but supplies are limited, so bring your own if you want to be sure you’ll have gear.

Gili Kedis: a sandbar you can walk across, nicknamed “Honeymoon Island”

Gili Kedis is the smallest of the three. Multiple sources describe it as roughly the size of a soccer pitch — a tiny sandbar you can cross end to end in about 15 seconds, and walk all the way around in about 5 minutes. That small scale and quiet setting have earned it the local nickname “Honeymoon Island.”

There’s no permanent restaurant or shop — it’s close to uninhabited. Some listings mention a small snack stand, a basic toilet, or hammocks, but we couldn’t confirm whether these are open or even still in place, so it’s safer to assume you’ll need to bring your own water and sun protection. Some sources say camping is possible, and the island is also noted as a good spot to watch the sunset.

Because it’s a sandbar, some sources note that it shrinks further at high tide — worth keeping in mind, since the view can change quite a bit depending on when you visit.

Gili Tangkong: an uninhabited island with no facilities, for coral and fish

Gili Tangkong feels the most like a true uninhabited island of the three. Multiple sources describe it explicitly as uninhabited, with no lodging or shops of any kind. Its white-sand beach, clear water, and largely undisturbed coral reef are said to attract colorful reef fish, including clownfish, according to several listings.

You reach it by boat from either Lembar or Tawun port. Prices and travel times vary between sources, but it’s generally about as far as Gili Sudak or Gili Kedis, and it’s almost always described as a stop within a wider route rather than a standalone destination. Since there are no facilities at all, plan to bring all your own food, water, and snorkeling gear.

Getting there from Sekotong and arranging a boat

Arranging a boat to these three islands works much the same as what’s described in our Sekotong boat charter guide. The usual options are asking your accommodation to introduce you to a boatman, negotiating directly at Tawun port, or booking a tour online. If you’re new to the area and don’t know typical prices, going through your accommodation usually means less haggling and more peace of mind.

Diagram: Rough travel times from Tawun port to the three islands

Diagram: Island to island by small boat takes about 10 to 20 minutes. Going via Lembar port takes longer than this.

Many listings put a half-day multi-island charter at around Rp350,000-600,000 per boat (about US$19.70-33.70), regardless of how many islands you visit. The more people you split it with, the less it costs per person. Separately, Gili Nanggu and Gili Kedis reportedly charge an entrance fee of around Rp5,000 per person (about US$0.30) each. It’s worth confirming what’s included in the boat fare and what’s extra before you board, to avoid surprises on the day.

Few tours treat these three islands as the only destination — the usual pattern is to base the trip around the better-equipped Gili Nanggu, add Gili Sudak and Gili Kedis, and include Gili Tangkong too if there’s time. Some local reports describe covering all four islands in a single day, but once you factor in snorkeling and lunch stops on each island, expect anywhere from half a day to a full day.

Good to know

Seas get rougher in the afternoon: winds tend to pick up around Sekotong in the afternoon, so an early-morning departure is generally recommended.
Boats may be cancelled in the rainy season: Lombok’s rainy season (November-March) brings rougher seas on some days, and boats can be cancelled. Build some flexibility into your schedule.

What to bring and what to watch for

Since Gili Kedis and Gili Tangkong have no permanent shops, and Gili Sudak’s warungs are limited in number, bring more water and snacks than you think you’ll need. Some islands have almost no shade, so sun protection — a hat, sunscreen, a rash guard — is essential too. Assume cards and QRIS won’t work anywhere, and carry small cash for entrance fees and drinks.

When snorkeling, the basic etiquette is: don’t step on or grab coral, and don’t try to touch the fish. These waters overlap with local fishing grounds, so always take your trash with you, and keep clear of fishing gear and moored boats.

✓Water and snacks: don’t rely on Gili Sudak’s warungs — bring extra
✓Cash: small notes and coins for entrance fees and drinks
✓Sun protection: hat, sunscreen, and a rash guard
✓Snorkeling gear: don’t rely on rentals — bring your own
✓Boat fare breakdown: check whether entrance fees and gear rental are extra

A note from Sekotong

Rather than booking a boat to only Gili Sudak, Gili Kedis, and Gili Tangkong, combining them with a better-equipped island like Gili Nanggu makes for an easier route for the boatman too. Before you book, it helps to settle three things: which islands you’ll visit, whether the price is per boat or per person, and whether entrance fees and gear rental are included. It’s also worth knowing in advance that the tide can change how Gili Kedis looks quite dramatically.

Beyond the small islands, there’s a place to stay in Sekotong

To be honest, Gili Sudak, Gili Kedis, and Gili Tangkong aren’t for travelers who want convenience. There’s almost nowhere to eat or sleep, visits are day trips only, and how much you enjoy them depends on the weather and tide. Boat arrangements also vary by port and by boatman, and writing this article, we noticed real inconsistency in prices and facility information across different listings.

Even so, a fair number of people do make the trip out to these three islands and the wider South Gili Islands, because they offer quiet beaches and coral very different from the more developed Gili Trawangan. Basing yourself in Sekotong lets you add this kind of small-island hopping as one option for a day trip.

If you value quiet over crowds, and untouched sea over well-equipped facilities, this trio of islands is a good fit. If you’d rather stay somewhere with air conditioning, and toilets and shops close at hand, it’s probably not the way you want to spend your day.

Frequently asked questions

Q. Can I visit Gili Sudak, Gili Kedis, and Gili Tangkong all in one day?

The islands are close together, so travel time between them is short, but once you add snorkeling and lunch on each island, expect it to take half a day to a full day. Some local reports mention covering these three plus Gili Nanggu — four islands — in a single day, but that tends to feel rushed, so give yourself some margin.

Q. Can I stay overnight on any of these islands?

As far as we could confirm, only Gili Sudak has any basic accommodation — Gili Kedis and Gili Tangkong have no permanent lodging. Some sources say camping is possible on Gili Kedis, but facilities are minimal, so if you’re planning to stay overnight, it’s more realistic to base yourself on the Sekotong mainland or a better-equipped island.

Q. Can I buy food or drinks on the islands?

Some sources mention a handful of warungs (food stalls) on Gili Sudak, but whether they’re open can vary day to day. Gili Kedis and Gili Tangkong have no permanent shops, so it’s a good idea to stock up on water and snacks in Sekotong before you set out.

Q. Can I visit during the rainy season?

Many sources say the dry season (April-October) has calmer seas and is the easier time to visit. During the rainy season (November-March), rougher seas can lead to boat cancellations, so if you’re planning a rainy-season trip, build extra time into your schedule.

Q. How is this different from Gili Nanggu?

Gili Nanggu is larger than the rest of the South Gili Islands and has a resort, so it feels more reassuring in terms of facilities. Gili Sudak, Gili Kedis, and Gili Tangkong are smaller and simpler, with fewer permanent facilities — a better fit for travelers after a quieter, more untouched feel.

In summary

Gili Sudak, Gili Kedis, and Gili Tangkong are all small islands reachable in a short boat ride from Tawun port in Sekotong. Gili Sudak has confirmed warungs and basic lodging; Gili Kedis is a sandbar small enough to walk across; Gili Tangkong is an uninhabited island with no facilities at all. Since permanent facilities are limited on all three, bring your own water, snacks, cash, and sun protection, and combine them with a better-equipped island like Gili Nanggu for a realistic route.

Sources vary in how they describe island size and facilities, and some details can’t be backed up by official statistics. Before you go, it’s worth checking sea conditions and opening status with your accommodation or a tour operator.