Gili Air, north inland
★ 4.7(980 reviews)
The Chill House is a boutique yoga-leaning guesthouse on the inland north of Gili Air, with daily yoga classes, a small saltwater pool, a plant-based cafe, and a calm wellness atmosphere. Expect 850,000–1,950,000 IDR/night. The default pick on Gili Air for travellers prioritising yoga, healthy food and quiet — and a strong mid-budget alternative to the boutique beachfront resorts.
# The Chill House Gili Air: The Yoga and Wellness Default
The Chill House opened in 2018 on the inland north of Gili Air and quickly built a reputation as the yoga-and-wellness boutique on the island. In 2026 it remains the strongest pick for travellers who came to Gili Air for daily yoga, plant-based food, and a calm atmosphere — and a useful mid-budget alternative for travellers who can't quite stretch to the beachfront boutiques but don't want backpacker-budget compromises.
12 boutique bungalows arranged around a small saltwater pool, a yoga shala, and an open-air cafe. The aesthetic is contemporary tropical-minimalist — natural bamboo, white walls, raw linens, mosquito nets, generous outdoor terraces. The property is owned by a French-Indonesian couple with backgrounds in yoga teaching and hospitality, and the operation reflects that DNA: yoga is real, the cafe food is genuinely good rather than hotel-cafe filler, and the atmosphere is calm without being precious.
Three categories. Garden Bungalows are the entry option — single-level, garden-facing, ground-floor. Pool Bungalows are similar size but face the pool deck and are slightly more recently refurbished. Family Bungalows accommodate up to four with a separate twin bed nook and a larger terrace.
Best bungalow to book: a Pool Bungalow — the small premium over Garden category gets you the more recently refreshed interior and easier pool access. Family Bungalows are well-priced for groups of four or families with one or two children.
Gili Air is the smallest and most relaxed of the three Gilis, with no cars or motorbikes — transport is on foot, by bicycle, or by cidomo. The Chill House is on the inland north of the island, an 8-minute walk to the closest beach (north coast) and a 10-minute walk to the main public boat jetty on the east coast where ferries from Bangsal and fast boats from Bali arrive. A bicycle gets you to either in about 4 minutes.
The closest restaurant cluster is a 5-minute walk along the north coast path. The east coast main strip with most of Gili Air's restaurants and dive shops is a 10-minute walk or a 5-minute cidomo ride.
For day trips: snorkel boats can pick up from any of Gili Air's beach jetties. The full island bicycle loop takes about 45 minutes and is one of the small unexpected highlights of staying on the island.
What works: the yoga and the food. Daily classes (sunrise vinyasa around 7am, midday restorative around 11am) are included for guests and the shala is genuinely well-designed — bamboo structure, ocean breeze, qualified teachers who give proper alignment cues rather than generic flow scripts. The cafe is the second standout: a plant-based menu (with seafood available for non-vegan guests) that draws non-staying travellers from across the island for breakfast and lunch. Smoothie bowls, fresh juices, big salads, and dishes that are seasoned properly rather than blanded out.
The atmosphere strikes the right tone for a yoga-leaning property — calm and welcoming without being lecturing or excluding non-yogis. Couples, solo travellers, and small friends groups all fit. Service is warm and small-property attentive.
What doesn't: it isn't beachfront. For travellers who specifically want to roll out of bed onto sand, this isn't the property — Gili Air's beachfront boutiques (4-5 million IDR/night range) are the alternative. The 8-minute walk to the beach is fine for most, but worth knowing. Generator power on Gili Air means occasional brief outages — The Chill House has backup but you'll occasionally hear the generator hum. WiFi is slow, which is true island-wide; fine for messaging, frustrating for video calls.
Bungalow walls are bamboo-and-frame construction, which means neighbour noise carries. Late conversations on neighbouring terraces can disturb early-sleep guests. Ask reception about likely neighbours when checking in if this is a concern.
Book The Chill House if you came to Gili Air for yoga and wellness, if you want plant-based or seafood-leaning food daily without having to find restaurants, if you prefer calm boutique scale over resort or party-hostel options, or if you want a strong mid-budget Gili Air base that still feels considered and well-designed.
Skip The Chill House if you specifically want beachfront, if you want a party atmosphere or buzzing pool scene, if dining at one place daily would feel restrictive, or if you're a light sleeper who'd struggle with neighbour-bungalow noise.