Bali’s so big, and there’s so much to do on it, that it’s quite easy to forget you’re on an island at all. No such problem on any of the nearby Gili islands, just 30 miles away off the northwest coast of Bali’s neighbour Lombok. On foot, not one of them takes more than three hours to circumnavigate.

I first visited the Gili Islands eight years ago, when they were a backpackers’ secret and rooms for hire were limited to shacks on the beach. How things change. Though still far from “developed”, the islands now attract a much wider crowd. Perhaps the most obvious demonstration of the influence of westerners is the local acceptance of their home’s recently acquired and slightly fatuous name — “gili” actually just means islands.

A plane hop, taxi ride and boat skip from Denpasar, the three islands — Gili Trawangan, Gili Air and Gili Meno — are becoming increasingly popular among those wanting not just to know, but to feel that they’re on a tropical island.

Coral-fringed, the islands are renowned for their diving; circled by soft white sand, they’re getting known for their beaches, too. On shore and off it, they’re still truly idyllic.

Part of the attraction is that the islands are so laid-back. Not one has a single motorised vehicle — not so much as a 50cc scooter. Tracks (there are no roads) are sandy paths; ice-cream vans are bikes with an icebox strapped to the back and a speaker playing a 12-note melody from the handlebars. To get around, people walk, cycle or take cidomos — carts drawn by ponies apparently styled on Santa’s reindeer, all bright-coloured harnesses and bells.

The Gili locals are also incredibly friendly: by your third day, the ladies who sell and carve fruit on the beach will know not only your name, but your preference for pineapple in the morning and mango after lunch.

The main activity on the islands is diving. Though damaged by dynamite fishing, the coral reef around Gili Trawangan in particular is still in pretty good shape, teeming with red and white snapper, barracudas, squid, lobsters, giant prawns, white-tip sharks and turtles.

Which island to choose depends on what you’re after. Gili Trawangan, at two miles long and a full mile wide, with its own hill, is the largest of the islands, and the liveliest: it has bars approaching clubs, the youngest crowd and the most to do.

There are at least five Padi-accredited dive shops, each with its own pool for instruction. Blue Marlin (00 62-370 632424, www.diveindo.com) is among the most established; it charges £15 a dive and £200 for a course. Reef Seekers (370 636341, www.reefseekers.com) is a world-renowned ecodiving operation that is trying to use tourist revenues to combat some of the environmental damage caused by the recent development on the island. It runs guided-only dives to untouched reefs, and is even starting a turtle farm, to increase numbers of the endangered green turtles.

The island also has riding stables, in the village (no telephone); a two-hour sunset ride around the island costs £12. The highest-spec accommodation on the island is Vila Ombak (370 642336, www.hotelombak.com; from £40), although the comfortable Balikana (370 622386, www.balikana.com; from £8) might be a better bet, with its lovely spot on the quiet north coast. Rumah Saga (no telephone; £5), in the heart of the village and a five-minute walk from the beach, is the best of the budget options. For food, try the Manta Dive Cafe, which does excellent barbecued snapper.

Gili Air — closest to the Lombok mainland — has the best beaches of the lot. It’s a quieter island than Trawangan, its restaurants and few bars spread around rather than concentrated in a strip. It has the largest population of the three, and its port, though little more than a designated bit of beach, is the busiest — especially at dusk, as the fishing boats go out. With a pool, an excellent beach and snorkelling just offshore, the smartest place on the island is the Gili Air Hotel (370 634435, www.hotelgiliair.com; £28). Smart, however, is a relative term, and there’s nothing as flash on Air as there is on Trawangan.

The quietest of the islands is also the smallest — Gili Meno, sandwiched between its two bigger brothers. This is for the escapist: a place to stroll through coconut groves, lie on beaches or admire a perfect sunset without seeing another soul. Villa Nautilus (370 642143, www.villanautilus.com) is the best place to stay on Meno, with lovely bungalows available from £35.

Getting there: you can be lying on a Gili beach within two hours of leaving Bali. Merpati (www.merpati.co.id) runs shuttle flights between Denpasar and Mataram, on Lombok (£14; six times daily, 20 minutes; book with any agent or hotel on Bali). From Mataram airport, take a taxi (£4, one hour) along the stunning road that runs up Lombok’s west coast to the tiny port of Bangsal. Here, join a local boat (£1) or charter your own (£8) to the island of your choice (30min to Air, 45min to Trawangan).

You can also get a boat direct from Bali — there are services from Padangbai, Candi Dasa and Kuta to the Gilis. It’s simply a question of heading to the ports and waiting until a boat is full enough for the captain to set off. The minimum journey time is four hours.