Jewellery Class in Gili Trawangan: Everything you need to know!

Situated between the islands of Bali and Lombok, Gili Trawangan is the biggest of the three Gili Islands. Known for its crystal clear waters and peace and tranquillity, Gili T should be a location on everyone’s bucket list. No matter what you enjoy, there is something for everyone on Gili Trawangan.

Despite the island being just 15km² in area, there are heaps of things to do on Gili T. One thing that should be at the top of everyone’s list is a jewellery making class.

This guide will take you through everything you need to know about taking this silver making class. From how to book, how much it costs and the entire process, this guide has you covered.

Disclaimer: Some of the links included on our website may contain affiliate links. We may receive some commission from purchases made via these but it will NOT affect the price you pay. This is to allow this site to stay online and ensure that readers use, what we believe, are the best products possible whilst travelling.

Where is Gili T? 

Located between the islands of Bali and Lombok in Indonesia, Gili Trawangan is one of the three small Gili islands along with Gili Air and Gili Meno. It is by far the most popular island for backpackers and holidaymakers out of the three. It was also easily our favourite spot out of the whole of South East Asia. We could’ve definitely stayed there for a lot longer, it was just paradise!

How to get to Gili Trawangan 

As you can imagine, because Gili T is such a popular honeymoon and backpacker destination, getting to Gili T is incredibly easy no matter where you are.

From Bali

The main departure locations are Padang Bai Port and Sanur Beach port but you can also depart via Serangan Pier and Amed beach. We absolutely swear by 12go Asia as they provide you with everything you need and we have never had any issues with them.

Numerous companies operate out of both Pandang Bai and Sanur Beach ports so you won’t be short of options. We would highly recommend you look over the reviews of each company as some have a lower star rating than others.

Ferries operate on every single day of the week but this may differ depending on bank holidays. A one-way journey from the main ports costs between £12-£40/$15-$50 per person. These ferries are also morning heavy so they can bring passengers back from Gili T in the afternoon. As such, ferries operate between 0900 and 1330 and most are late anyway. Having said that, we’d highly recommend staying within a short Uber ride from the ports the night before to make your travel day as stress-free as possible.

From Lombok

There are three ways to get to Gili T. You can choose to get a public boat from Bangsal which costs around 10,000 IDR (50p/60¢) and takes two hours. Each boat waits around to fill up so if you’re late you may miss a boat. Most depart in the morning so we’d recommend staying close by to increase your chances.

Alternatively, you can catch a ride to Teluk Koda/Nare which is only 10 minutes away. Here you can get a fast boat straight to Gili T for around 670,000 IDR (£36/$43). Similarly, you can get a fast boat from Sengiggi but this will cost you 841,000 IDR (£45/$54).

If you want to find out more about how to get to Gili T, check out our Things to do in Gili Trawangan guide!

You can also travel directly from Nusa Lembongan (Scoot Lembongan pier) and Nusa Penida (Buyuk Harbour). Having done our research beforehand, we discovered it was a notoriously rocky ride in general. As such, we decided to go back to mainland Bali, staying an extra two nights in Sanur before departing via Padang Bai.

Where to stay on Gili T 

My Gili Paradise 

This was definitely our favourite accommodation option in Gili T and we actually ended up extending for over a week! Their guesthouses met our needs perfectly. It was in a great location, had super fast wifi and a warm shower. To top it off, the owners and cleaners were all really lovely during our stay which only made things better.

Whilst it was slightly more expensive than other options, we enjoyed having more privacy. We were brought breakfast every morning which was included in the price.

Overall, we can’t recommend a better place to stay whilst on Gili T and you absolutely won’t regret it!

My Mates Place 

We didn’t actually stay in this hostel as it was fully booked during our visit. It actually worked out as more expensive for us as we were travelling as a couple. Nonetheless, the location is unbeatable and we’ve met loads of people who wouldn’t stay anywhere else. If you’re in search of new friends and a party, we know there’s no better place!

Tipsea Turtle 

If you’re looking for a mix between a party-style and chilled-out hostel, then look no further than Tipsea Turtle. It still has a great location and we found the atmosphere to be really relaxed. Having said that, there are always activities happening in the evening if you want to socialise. Admittedly, the wifi and shower weren’t necessarily the best so it depends on your priorities. If you’re not working during your stay then we’d highly recommend it!

Jewellery Making Class in Gili Trawangan

From our first-hand experience and research, Yin Silver Jewellery provides the only jewellery making service on Gili T. Before stumbling across the shop, we had no plans to partake but we’re so glad we did!

How to Book 

Whilst it is possible to book through the phone (+62 818-0370-0275), it is best to pop into the silver shop and ask what availability they have. The shop is located on the beachfront on the East side of the island and just along from Fat Cats Bar.

It is quite recognisable with an endless amount of jewellery displayed in the window. If you only have a short amount of time on the island, we’d recommend booking in advance as much as possible as they only have a limited amount of spots per day.

We were rather fortunate as we were staying for a while and the island wasn’t particularly busy thanks to Covid. This meant we were quite relaxed in terms of timings and ended up booking for the next day.

How much does a jewellery making class in Gili T cost? 

The jewellery making classes start at 400,000 IDR (around £19/$23) for the class and your silver. They only give you a certain amount of silver and any extra you might need is available at an added cost.

We were quite worried about this as we thought it might be a classic tourist scam and that we would end up buying more and more silver. Thankfully, they give you a good amount to start with and will let you know if your design needs more silver before you start making it.

We were also quite fortunate in that Leah’s ring was slightly underweight whilst my design was a bit over. As we were paying together they kindly allowed us to use each others and didn’t charge us any extra.

What to expect 

To say we were shocked by how much of the jewellery-making we actually did ourselves was an understatement! It was very hands-on and you pretty much do the whole process by yourself with guidance from the teacher. 

You firstly meet at the shop before you’re escorted down the alley to the workshop in the back. The local craftsman taking the class was super friendly and spoke perfect English which was a great help. We were then asked to draw up designs of what we wanted and ran them past him to check if it was viable.

There was a menu-like sheet with some previous suggestions that was very handy. After some slight alternations, we were given the go-ahead and got to work. Leah cleverly chose an easy wave design whilst I went for a starfish concept.

We ended up being in the workshop with another couple who were great to get to know and talk about where they’d been.

The Process

We then went about heating up our bit of silver with a blowtorch so we could then stretch it in a rolling machine. Don’t worry, we were given a brief health and safety lesson before using the blowtorch.

This process had to be done quite a few times to get the ring the right length. Once it was the right length we then bent it around so it could join up to the other end. Our teacher then took over to join the two bits together using the soldering iron.

The next step was creating an additional part of the ring so it could then be attached once completed. Leah had a much easier time as her design was incorporated into the ring band so didn’t need any additional pieces.

Once I’d got the rough outline of my design, I got filing to smooth out the edges and make it somewhat resemble a starfish. It felt like ages before I even got anywhere so ended up getting some assistance from the local craftsman. After we (the craftsman) finally finished off the design, he soldered it onto the ring band and we were nearly finished.

The very last step was to effectively sand the inside of the ring down to make it smooth and wearable. They had a specialised machine for this in the corner that was quite satisfying to use. Obviously, the local craftsman and another employee helped us both out to make sure our rings were as smooth as possible.

And that was it. After a very enjoyable few hours, we weighed our rings to determine the price and strolled on out of there.

Overall

We found the jewellery class really enjoyable and would highly recommend it to everyone who visits Gili T. In particular, if you’re travelling as a couple this is a PERFECT idea for a date or afternoon activity out of the sun. It is something completely unique and you’ll make something you get to keep something forever. In addition, if you’re travelling as a group then the same applies and you’ll have so great laughs in the process.

Regarding the experience itself, all the staff were super friendly and extremely helpful. They were also always willing to help show us what to do and put the emphasis on us actually making the product. Similarly, if we were struggling there were always on hand to give us some direction or take over.

Is it too expensive?

Whilst the 350,000 IDR (£19/$23) could be considered slightly on the expensive side for those on a backpacker’s budget, we thought it was well worth the price. This was mainly because of the memory that you create and the uniqueness of the activity.

The only thing that Alex picked up on was the fact the class did take a good few hours, but that was mainly because he doesn’t have any patience. Whilst this shouldn’t be an issue as I’m sure you will be allowed to take breaks and grab an ice cream. As long as you go in prepared you’re there for a good amount of time.

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There you have it. Our guide to taking a jewellery class on Gili Trawangan outlines how to book, how much it costs and what to expect BEFORE you take part. That way you go in knowing everything you need to know and allowing you to enjoy the experience that much more.

Please let us know how you found the jewellery class in Gili Trawangan in the comments below!

If you are planning on exploring some more of Indonesia, check out some of our other guides!

Disclaimer: Some of the links included on our website may contain affiliate links. We may receive some commission from purchases made via these but it will NOT affect the price you pay. This is to allow this site to stay online and ensure that readers use, what we believe, are the best products possible whilst travelling.