The Gili Islands are often seen as the perfect place to learn scuba diving. Warm water, turtles everywhere, easy conditions — paradise for beginners.
And honestly, that reputation is deserved.
But experienced divers who spend a bit of time here usually discover something surprising: the Gilis can also deliver seriously fun advanced diving.
Once you move beyond the shallow turtle reefs and relaxed beginner sites, the islands reveal another personality entirely. Strong currents, deep walls, wrecks, hunting trevallies, reef sharks, and fast drift dives suddenly become part of the experience.
Many experienced divers arrive expecting “easy (yet borning) diving” and leave completely surprised by how dynamic the underwater conditions around the Gilis can actually be.
Here are five of the best dive sites in the Gilis for advanced and experienced divers.
1. Deep Shark Point
Everybody knows Shark Point. But Deep Shark Point is where things start getting interesting.
Located off Gili Trawangan, the deeper sections of this site feel completely different from the shallow turtle-filled reef most divers know.
Once you descend deeper, the reef opens up into darker blue water, stronger current lines, and larger marine life. White tip reef sharks often rest beneath ledges while schools of snapper and giant trevally move through the current above the reef.
And then there is the drift.
Some days the current feels calm and effortless. Other days it feels like the ocean has somewhere important to be. Experienced divers love that unpredictability because every dive feels slightly different.
Deep Shark Point rewards good buoyancy, awareness, and comfort in current. It is one of those dives where you finish the safety stop smiling because your heart rate stayed slightly elevated the entire dive.
2. Glen Nusa
Wreck dives always feel different.
Even before you descend, there is this quiet curiosity about what is waiting below. And Glen Nusa has exactly that atmosphere.
The wreck slowly appears out of the blue water beneath you, covered in coral growth, sponges, and fish life. Lionfish hover around the structure while moray eels hide inside openings in the wreck itself.
What makes Glen Nusa special is that it never feels completely “finished.” Every dive reveals something new. A nudibranch hidden in coral growth, schools of barracuda circling nearby or a shark having a nap behind the wreck.
Because of the depth, it is best suited for experienced divers with good buoyancy and air consumption and a Nitrox tank on their backs.
But for people who enjoy slightly moodier, more atmospheric dives, Glen Nusa becomes an instant favorite.
It is less about adrenaline and more about immersion.
3. Deep Turbo
Deep Turbo has a reputation among local dive guides for a reason.
This site can be wild.
Located between Gili Trawangan and Gili Meno, Deep Turbo is famous for stronger currents, deeper reef sections, and fish life that absolutely explodes when conditions are right.
Some dives here feel like flying underwater.
You drop in, hiding from the current, and suddenly schools of fusiliers, hunting trevallies, reef sharks, and huge clouds of fish appear around the reef edge. Everything feels alive and moving.
But Deep Turbo also demands respect.
Conditions can change quickly. This is definitely not the site to test your buoyancy skills for the first time. Experienced divers love it precisely because it keeps you alert and engaged throughout the entire dive.
When Deep Turbo is good, it is really good.
4. Soraya
Soraya (also calles, Secret Reef, HIdden Reef, Mirko’s) is one of those dive sites that experienced divers quietly recommend to each other after the dive.
It does not always get the same attention as Shark Point or Turbo, but that is part of its charm.
The reef here feels peaceful and untouched, with beautiful coral formations stretching into deeper water. Visibility is often incredible. In addition the combination of current and reef structure attracts large schools of fish moving across the reef.
One moment the dive feels calm and slow, then suddenly a current picks up and the reef becomes full of movement and energy.
That balance is what makes Soraya special. It is exciting without feeling chaotic.
For many experienced divers, Soraya becomes the kind of dive site they remember long after the trip ends.
5. Deep Halik
Deep Halik is probably one of the most underrated advanced dive sites in the Gili Islands.
The shallow sections of Halik are beautiful enough on their own. But the deeper reef reveals a completely different experience. Large sea fans, dramatic coral bommies, and strong fish activity create an underwater landscape that feels much more alive once you descend beyond the beginner zones.
Current often plays a major role here, sometimes turning the dive into a smooth drift. At other times creating fast-moving water that keeps divers fully engaged.
Experienced divers love Deep Halik because it combines healthy reef systems with the possibility of larger marine life encounters. Reef sharks, schools of barracuda, giant trevallies, and huge clouds of fusiliers regularly move through the blue water surrounding the reef.
There is also something incredibly beautiful about the light at Deep Halik. On clear days, the sunlight cuts through the deeper blue water while massive coral formations emerge below, creating one of the most visually stunning dives in the Gilis.