Gili Trawangan: Indonesian Cooking Class & Lunch

Cook Indonesian Food with Chefs from Lombok & the Gili Islands

You arrive at a set time, cook three to six traditional Indonesian dishes with a local chef, and eat lunch or dinner at the end. Classes run 90 minutes to 2.5 hours depending on which menu you choose. All dietary preferences are accommodated, and you leave with recipes you can actually make at home because the chefs tell you what to substitute. Water is included. No transport needed if you're staying on Gili Trawangan.

Step-by-step itinerary

Learn Indonesian cooking at Gili Trawangan

• Arrive at Gili Cooking Classes
• Join cooking class at 11:30am, 4pm, or 7pm/8pm
• Prepare traditional dishes with chefs
• Cook kelopon, fried tempe, and fried noodles
• Optionally cook yellow chicken curry, chicken taliwang, and gado gado
• Ask chefs about Indonesian culture and ingredients
• Enjoy the cooked Indonesian meal

The experience

The kitchen smells like garlic, turmeric, and coconut before you've even tied your apron. Your chef (someone from Lombok or Gili Trawangan itself) is already prepping the first dish, and you're standing at a counter with a cutting board and a task. The Gili Cooking Classes run three times a day (11:30am, 4pm, and 7pm or 8pm depending on season), and the format is simple: you cook three to six dishes depending on which class you pick, you eat what you make, and somewhere in the middle of chopping and frying, the conversation shifts from technique to what it actually means to live here.

The Intro Course covers kelopon (a sweet dumpling), fried tempe with peanut sauce, and fried noodles in 90 minutes. If you want more, the Four of a Kind adds yellow chicken curry, and the Super Six goes all the way to six dishes (chicken taliwang, gado gado, the works), in two and a half hours. The chefs know how to swap things out too. If you're vegetarian or vegan, they replace the chicken with tofu or tempe and have vegan oyster sauce on hand. They'll also tell you which ingredients you can find at home and which ones you'll need to substitute, so the recipes actually travel with you.

What makes this different from a cooking class anywhere else is the people running it. These chefs grew up here. They know the Sasak culture (the marriage traditions, the social rhythms, the way education works, what daily life actually looks like), and they talk about it while you're standing there with your hands in the food. You can ask them anything. They're not performing. They're just cooking the way they cook, and you're learning as you go. By the time you sit down to eat, you've made something real, and you know a little bit more about where it comes from.

What’s included

• Your class includes instruction from a local chef, all ingredients and cooking equipment, the meal you prepare, and free drinking water.
• Dietary substitutions (vegetarian, vegan, allergies) are available on request.
• Classes are open every day at three set times.

Options for this experience

3 options

The Introductory Course (1.5 hours)Guide in English · 11:30, 16:00, 19:00 and 20:00You cook 3 dishes: Kelopon, fried tempe with peanut sauce, and fried noodles. Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes (1.5 hours)

A set of four (2 hours)Guide in English · 11:30, 16:00 and 19:00You cook 4 dishes: Kelopon, fried tempe with peanut sauce, fried noodles, and yellow chicken curry. Duration: 2 hours

The Super Six (2.5 hours)Guide in English · 11:30, 16:00 and 19:00You cook 6 dishes: Kelopon, fried tempe with peanut sauce, fried noodles, yellow chicken curry, chicken taliwang, and gado gado. Duration: 2 hours 30 minutes

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 11:30, 16:00, 19:00 and 20:00

Book up to1h before

AgesAdult (18 and older) · Child (7 to 17 years) · Infant (5 to 6 years) · Under 5: can't be booked

GroupUp to 10

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Pets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Gili Trawangan Cooking Classes

Is this one for you?Pick this if you want to learn a skill you'll actually use at home, not just taste something once. The chefs teach you what to substitute so the recipes work in your kitchen, and the small-group format means you're cooking, not watching someone else cook.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (7 to 17 years); Infant (5 to 6 years). Children under 5 can't be included in the booking.

What time do the classes start?

Classes run at 11:30am, 4pm, and 7pm (low season) or 8pm (high season), every day.

How long does a cooking class take?

The Intro Course is 1.5 hours (3 dishes). Four of a Kind is 2 hours (4 dishes). The Super Six is 2.5 hours (6 dishes).

Is lunch or dinner included?

Yes. You eat what you cook at the end of the class. The meal is included in the price.

Can I do the class if I'm vegetarian or vegan?

Yes. The chefs replace chicken with tofu or tempe and have vegan oyster sauce available. They can accommodate most dietary preferences.

Do I need to arrange transport to the cooking class?

The class is on Gili Trawangan. If you're staying on the island, you can walk or take local transport. Public transportation options are available nearby.

What dishes will I learn to cook?

The Intro Course covers kelopon, fried tempe with peanut sauce, and fried noodles. Larger classes add yellow chicken curry, chicken taliwang, and gado gado.

Will the chef teach me how to cook these dishes at home?

Yes. The chefs explain which ingredients you can find abroad and which ones you'll need to substitute, so you can prepare the dishes authentically when you get home.

Can I ask the chef questions about Indonesian culture?

Yes. The chefs are from Lombok or the Gili Islands and enjoy sharing knowledge about local Sasak culture, traditions, and daily life.