Gili Islands or Lombok?

Lombok comes out a little ahead, mainly because it includes the Gilis and then adds more. Around Kuta, wide bays such as Selong Belanak, Mawun and Tanjung Aan sit between green headlands and are often almost empty, and the islets off Sekotong have very clear water. Some southern bays take heavy surf, so choosing the right beach matters more there.

On the Gilis the sea is always a short walk away and turtles feed just offshore. The catch is that much of the shore runs over coral and seagrass that is awkward to wade at low tide, and currents run in the channels between the islands.

There is little between them, and both serve the same chilli-heavy Sasak dishes in small warung. On the Gilis the most enjoyable meal is the fish grilled to order at Trawangan's evening market by the harbour, while the beachfront menus are international and uneven in quality.

On mainland Lombok you eat the food where it comes from: sate rembiga in its home suburb and the night markets of Mataram and Cakranegara. Away from Kuta and the islands, though, alcohol is hard to find.

The Gilis offer almost nothing to visit. You get village lanes with small mosques and a walk up to the old Japanese lookout on Trawangan, and anything more means crossing to Lombok.

That crossing pays off. Around Mataram are the Mayura water palace, Pura Meru, the gardens at Narmada and the shared Hindu and Muslim temple at Lingsar. Further out are the Sasak villages of Sade and Ende and the thatched mosque at Bayan. It is a day of sightseeing rather than a week, but it is real heritage.

The Gilis win here because staying there puts you right next to the party. Trawangan's east coast strip has a rotating party night every evening and you can walk home, while Gili Air keeps things to bonfires and beach bars.

Lombok's own contribution is Kuta's small surfers' bar scene, and the conservative mainland is otherwise quiet after dinner. If you are based on the mainland, a big night means a boat out to Trawangan. On both, things go quiet during Ramadan.

This is Lombok's biggest advantage. Rinjani rises to 3,726m with the lake of Segara Anak in its crater and a trek of several days to its rim. The forest falls of Sendang Gile and Tiu Kelep and the Sembalun valley suit shorter walks, and the surf runs from Desert Point to the gentler bays of Gerupuk and Ekas.

The Gilis keep to the sea. Their dive sites and the many dive schools make them an easy place to learn, and freediving is popular, but on land there is only an hour's loop around each island and a view of Rinjani at dawn.

Neither is a great base for outings, but Lombok gives you more to choose from. From the mainland the Gilis themselves make an easy day out, boats from Sekotong reach islets such as Gili Nanggu and Gili Kedis, and a single inland day can take in Mataram's temples with the weavers of Sukarara and the potters of Banyumulek.

From the Gilis, apart from hopping between the three islands, almost every trip starts with the crossing to Bangsal and a drive, and a village such as Sade becomes a long day.

For families the two come out roughly even, and both point to the same place: Gili Air or Gili Meno, with no traffic, shallow sheltered water and turtles to see while snorkelling. Basing yourself only on the islands saves you the tiring transfers, and Meno has a small turtle hatchery.

Lombok's mainland adds space and some friendly villages, but the south coast surf is too strong for young swimmers and the winding roads wear children out. On either, good medical care means going to Mataram or Bali.

The Gilis are far easier once you arrive. Every island can be covered on foot, by bicycle or by horse cart, though the sandy inland lanes make cycling hard work. The effort comes at the start: the fast boat from Bali, or a two-hour drive from the airport and then a crossing, and only a few boats a day between the islands.

On mainland Lombok there is no public transport a visitor would use, so you depend on hired drivers, scooters or shuttles. The road to Kuta is quick, but Senaru, Sembalun and the far southwest are slow, winding hauls.

Lombok wins easily, because its crafts are sold where they are made: songket and ikat in Sukarara and Pringgasela, terracotta in Banyumulek and Penujak, and cultured pearls from the workshops of Sekarbela in Mataram.

The Gilis have only sarongs, swimwear and souvenirs along Trawangan's main strip and near the harbours. The pearls sold there vary widely in quality.

Both are cheap, but mainland Lombok is cheaper. Food from warung and night markets, simple guesthouses and scooter hire cost very little around Kuta and in the Rinjani villages, though guided treks and dive courses add up.

On the Gilis almost everything comes over by boat, which pushes prices above the mainland's, and the fast boat itself is a real cost. Rooms on Trawangan and Air are at their firmest in July and August.

Neither has a performing arts scene, so this should not decide your trip. On the Gilis it comes down to reggae and cover bands in the beach bars. Lombok at least has Sasak traditions, the big drum ensembles of gendang beleq and the peresean stick fights, seen at village events, in Sade or in Mataram. The Bau Nyale sea-worm festival on the south coast brings music and dance each February or March.

The Gilis are the more restful choice, simply because the quiet surrounds you everywhere outside Trawangan's party strip. Massage is cheap and on every beach, and yoga studios on Air and Trawangan run daily classes and retreats that last a week or longer.

On Lombok the most restful spots are those same islands. The mainland adds proper spas at the resorts on the south coast and around Senggigi, and hot springs inside Rinjani's crater that you only reach on the trek.