Working remotely from Gili Air

The honest version

People ask if Gili Air works for remote work more than almost anything else on this list, usually because they are trying to justify a longer trip to themselves. The honest answer: yes, for the right kind of week, and no, if you need a dedicated desk and a printer down the hall.

The wifi, specifically

Wifi runs throughout the property and holds up for video calls most of the day. Gili Air is an island, so occasional outages happen — we run a backup connection for exactly that reason, and in practice most guests notice it less than they expected to. If a call genuinely cannot drop, build a buffer either side of it rather than scheduling back-to-back meetings on your first day here.

Where to actually work from

There is no dedicated coworking space or business centre, so the workspace is whatever quiet corner you make of your room. The Studio Room's private terrace and indoor sofa is the setup most remote guests gravitate to, and the Superior Room's daybed works the same way with more space around it. Food and drink run from 7:30am to 10:00pm anywhere on the property — poolside, in your room, or on the terrace — so you are not tied to a single spot or a kitchen's opening hours.

A day that has structure

The useful pattern is early and late: mornings before the heat sets in, a long break through the middle of the day for the pool, Soma Vita or a walk to the harbour, then a second working block into the evening. It mirrors how the island itself runs — nothing happens fast here between about noon and four — and fighting that rhythm is harder than working with it.

What this island will not give you

No cars, no traffic and no commute is a genuine advantage, not a compromise — but it also means no printer, no fast courier for anything you forgot, and a supply run that means a short walk or a cidomo rather than driving to a shop. If your work depends on hardware beyond a laptop and a phone, plan around that before you arrive rather than after.

Who this suits, and which room to book

This suits a stretch of at least a week, ideally two — see how many days you actually need before you book, since the settling-in period eats into a short trip disproportionately. For the room, the Studio (our most-booked room for longer stays) or the Superior Room both give you a private outdoor space to work from without paying villa rates; save the Private Villa for when you want to disappear entirely rather than log on.

Frequently asked

Written by the team at The KOHO Air Hotel, a boutique wellness retreat five minutes’ walk from Gili Air harbour. We answer these questions by message most days — just ask.