Gili Meno

What you gain

• ↑The Underwater Museum (GILI Museum) is Gili Meno's defining experience: snorkellers and divers can explore 48 concrete and iron sculptures at 3–8m depth, heavily colonised by coral and fish after a decade of establishment. The 'Nest of Eggs' and the 'Circle of Children' are the most visually striking. The shallow depth means the entire museum is accessible to confident snorkellers.
• ↑The bird sanctuary at Taman Burung has 340 species in a large screened enclosure: Lombok's native birds including the Wallace's Fairy-wren, Lombok Crossbill, and various hornbill species are visible in conditions that wild birding in the Lombok interior can't guarantee.
• ↑The deserted north and east beaches of Gili Meno deliver the tropical paradise experience that Gili T promises but rarely provides in peak season: white sand, clear water, zero other visitors before 9am, and turtle encounters within 50m of shore.

What you sacrifice

• ↓The trade-off for peace is isolation: there are no ATMs on Gili Meno (bring cash from Lombok or Gili T), restaurants are limited to a handful of simple warungs and one or two mid-range properties, and the nightlife is essentially zero.
• ↓Gili Meno is best visited for 2–3 nights maximum on most itineraries — the island is so small (1.5km × 1km) that the walks and snorkelling sites are fully explored in a day, and the limited dining variety becomes apparent after 48 hours.