Sandy Beach Turtle Point & Sunrise

Sandy Beach Turtle Point is a relaxed beach café and bar on the north-east coast of Gili Air, beside one of the island's best-known spots for seeing green turtles from the shore. It has beanbags and shaded tables on the sand, a swing in the water, and looks straight across the strait to Lombok and Mount Rinjani.

The kitchen serves a simple menu of Indonesian dishes such as nasi goreng and mie goreng, plus breakfasts, juices, coconuts and cold drinks, at budget prices. Most people come for the snorkelling: turtles regularly feed on the seagrass just off the beach, and the water is clear enough to see them in a metre or two of water.

It opens daily from 08:00 to 22:00, and early morning is the best time for calm water and the sunrise. Be careful at low tide, when currents can pick up and jellyfish are sometimes reported, and bring your own mask or rent one nearby. It is about a 15-minute walk or a short bike ride north of the harbour.