Cocana Resort: A Different Way to Experience Gili Trawangan

On the western shore of Gili Trawangan, where the Lombok Strait opens towards the distant silhouette of Bali’s Mount Agung, Cocana Resort is making a case for a more considered kind of island escape. With private-pool villas, adults-only lagoon suites, a new omakase restaurant, a destination beach club, and a growing commitment to marine conservation, the resort brings a broader vision of luxury hospitality to one of Indonesia’s most compelling island destinations.

Some places invite you to slow down, and some places make it remarkably easy to forget why you were in a hurry in the first place. Gili Trawangan belongs to the latter. Set off the northwestern coast of Lombok, the island has a particular cadence: days influenced by the water, afternoons that seem to stretch towards sunset and evenings that gather around the shoreline. There are no motorised cars or traffic-filled roads to interrupt the experience, as the landscape does much of the work.

Cocana Resort - Gili Trawangan. Image credit: Ryan Albert Justin Imanuel.

It is within this setting that Cocana Resort has established itself, bringing an unmistakably contemporary interpretation of luxury to an island better known for its relaxed atmosphere and marine life. Located on Gili Trawangan’s western shore, the five-star resort combines 45 villas and 66 lagoon suites across a 111-key property, with private pools, beachfront dining, wellness facilities and a programme of experiences that reaches beyond the resort itself.

Its proposition is ambitious, but the intrinsic idea is to create a place where guests can experience the island without having to choose between the comforts of a well-appointed resort and the pleasures of being somewhere genuinely different.

That ambition is becoming more apparent as Cocana enters a new phase. The arrival of its adults-only Lagoon Suites, the opening of Sensei Ikan, a ten-seat omakase restaurant, and the refreshed Cocana Sunset Club signal a resort continuing to develop its identity, with food, design and experiences playing as important a role as accommodation.

Cocana’s architecture and interiors take their cues from the tropical surroundings rather than attempting to compete with them. The resort is arranged among lush gardens, with natural materials, locally inspired artwork and open spaces that allow the greenery to remain central. Its design language is contemporary, but avoids the feeling of a property that could have been placed anywhere.

The accommodation is divided between private-pool villas and lagoon suites. The one-, two- and three-bedroom villas are designed around open-plan living, with private gardens and pools providing a sense of separation from the rest of the resort. They offer different configurations for couples, families and groups travelling together, while maintaining the privacy that has become an important part of the luxury island experience.

The newer Lagoon Suites introduce a different arrangement. Comprising 28 adults-only rooms, the collection opens directly onto a lagoon pool, with swim-up terraces allowing guests to move from their private outdoor space into the water. The arrangement gives the suites a more immediate relationship with the resort’s aquatic setting, while creating an excellent atmosphere for guests seeking a quieter, adults-only stay.

Across the property, the interiors are guided by a restrained tropical sensibility. French designer Alexia Dubus, whose professional experience includes work with Chanel and LVMH, oversaw the design of Cocana’s food and beverage spaces, including Pacifica, Cocana Sunset Club and Sensei Ikan. Even the smaller details have received attention, from the resort’s bespoke pillow menu to its use of King Koil mattresses, an exclusivity Cocana says is unique to the island.

Cocana Sunset Club – Cocana Resort. Image credit: Ryan Albert Justin Imanuel.

The result is a design approach that places comfort and privacy alongside a defined sense of location.  For a relatively small island, Gili Trawangan has an increasingly varied dining scene. Cocana is adding to that conversation with the opening of Sensei Ikan, a ten-seat omakase restaurant that introduces a more intimate, chef-led Japanese dining format to the destination.

Omakase, built around the idea of entrusting the meal to the chef, places considerable emphasis on the relationship between the kitchen and the guest. Rather than selecting individual dishes from an extensive menu, diners experience a sequence shaped by the chef. At Sensei Ikan, the eleven-course progression moves between lighter and richer flavours before concluding with something warm and sweet.

The limited seating is central to the format. With just ten lounge seats, the restaurant is designed around a more personal dining experience, one in which the meal unfolds at the pace and discretion of the kitchen. The evening can continue beyond the final course through nomikai, Japan’s tradition of social drinking after work. At Sensei Ikan, it becomes an invitation to remain for drinks after dinner rather than treating the meal as the end of the night.

The restaurant is part of a wider culinary direction overseen by Philip Mowforth, Executive Chef of The Guest Society. Having begun his career as a kitchen porter at the age of 15 in Albania, Mowforth has worked across different countries and culinary traditions. His current role involves developing menus and training kitchen teams across the group’s hotels and restaurants in Bali and Lombok.

His approach brings international influences into conversation with Indonesia’s bold flavours. At Pacifica by Cocana, that translates into a menu exploring global influences, while Pacifica Poolsuite offers a more relaxed setting for dining beside the water. Local brands, including Kura Kura Lager, Santai Hard Seltzer and Brew Me Tea, also feature in the resort’s drinks selection.

Pacifica by Cocana – Cocana Resort. Image credit: Ryan Albert Justin Imanuel.

The addition of Sensei Ikan gives Cocana a more standout dining proposition. It is an interesting development for a destination where the experience of being on the island is often the main attraction. 

On Gili Trawangan, sunset is less an event to schedule than a natural part of the island’s daily routine. The western shoreline provides an uninterrupted setting for watching the light change over the water, with Bali’s volcanic landscape forming part of the distant horizon.

Cocana Sunset Club has been developed around that transition from afternoon into evening. Following a design refresh, the beach club brings a more contemporary, minimalist aesthetic to an island where many venues favour a more rustic approach. Loungers, cabanas and upholstered seating create different spaces for guests to settle in, while the cocktail programme and Mediterranean-influenced menu provide the foundation for a longer evening.

The food moves between familiar Mediterranean dishes and island-inspired flavours, with patatas bravas, whipped feta and skewers cooked over coals among the offerings. The music programme is another part of the experience. Opening with German electronic DJ Vik Tows, the new line-up is intended to carry the atmosphere from relaxed afternoons into more energetic evenings.

A new surround-sound system, fitted with handmade Spanish Lynx speakers, completes the upgrade. It is a considered investment in the role of music within the venue, particularly for a beach club that wants to function as a gathering place for both resort guests and the wider island community.

Wellness has become an increasingly important part of the contemporary luxury travel experience, although the word is sometimes used so broadly that it loses its meaning. At Cocana, the offering is concentrated at SAO Spa, a dedicated wellness centre that the resort positions as one of the most extensive on the Gili Islands.

The spa’s treatment menu draws from traditional Balinese techniques, aromatherapy, hot-stone and bamboo massage, alongside body scrubs, wraps, facials and flower and spice baths. Manicures and pedicures complete the offering. Products and oils are supplied by Republic of Soap, a Bali-based maker producing small-batch body and hair care using plant ingredients and essential oils.

One of the spa’s signature treatments is the Kukui Massage and Papaya Body Wrap. The treatment begins with exfoliation using grated candlenut and its oil, followed by fresh papaya applied to the skin and a banana-leaf wrap. While the body is wrapped, guests receive a head and face massage.

It is a treatment that draws directly from tropical ingredients, making the surrounding landscape part of the wellness experience rather than simply its backdrop. Beyond the spa, guests can maintain a routine through the resort’s gym and yoga classes.

Perhaps the most interesting part of Cocana’s evolving offering is its relationship with the island beyond its own grounds. Gili Trawangan’s appeal is inseparable from its marine environment, and the resort’s newer partnerships place greater emphasis on helping guests understand and engage with it.

Through a partnership with local dive operator Scuba Froggy, guests can access introductory scuba experiences, PADI training and guided education on reef health. The programme builds on Gili Trawangan’s recognition by Lonely Planet as one of the world’s leading destinations for learning to scuba dive. Snorkelling, paddleboarding and catamaran sailing offer further ways to explore the water, while horse riding, cycling and jet ski excursions provide alternatives on land and sea.

Cocana Resort - Gili Trawangan. Image credit: Ryan Albert Justin Imanuel.

The marine environment also informs Cocana’s conservation work. The Gili Islands are home to one of the world’s largest Biorock reef restoration sites, and the resort works with local organisation Gili Eco Reef Conservation on monthly beach clean-ups through its Debris Free Friday initiative.

Guests can participate on selected clean-up dates, with equipment provided and educational talks delivered by the conservation partners. The collected material is sorted for reuse and recycling: plastics and metals are sent for recycling, while glass bottles are crushed into sand for use in construction bricks. The initiative cleared more than five tonnes of debris in 2025, with a reported recycling rate of 70%.

Cocana also partners with Turtle Trackers, an initiative run by the non-profit organisation Proyek Penyu, which works to protect and conserve sea turtles on Gili Trawangan.

These activities add another dimension to the resort’s relationship with its location. The experience of an island is not limited to its beaches or the view from a private pool. It is also shaped by the condition of its reefs, the health of its marine habitats and the communities working to protect them. For a hospitality business operating in such an environment, those relationships matter.

For guests interested in exploring further, the resort can arrange full-day excursions into Lombok, including visits to waterfalls and jungle trails. Golfers can also make the journey to Sire Beach Golf Club for nine or eighteen holes.

Cocana’s development also reflects the changing expectations of luxury travel. Guests increasingly want a property that can accommodate different kinds of occasions without losing the character that made them choose the destination in the first place.

Since summer 2026, the resort has opened its facilities to destination weddings, ranging from intimate ceremonies for two beside the water to celebrations for up to 200 guests through a full resort buyout. Private events and group retreats can also be arranged, bringing accommodation, dining and beachfront settings together within one property.

There are smaller lifestyle additions too. This November, Cocana’s island shop is set to partner with AANOUKIS Swimwear, a Bali-based luxury swimwear and resortwear label founded by French designer Alexandra Adamiak. Combining French design sensibilities with Balinese craftsmanship, the brand works with crochet, macramé, and braided details, with pieces produced locally in Bali. Its model also supports craftswomen through the provision of sewing machines, allowing them to work independently from home.

The partnership extends Cocana’s interest in bringing Indonesian creative businesses into the guest experience, while giving visitors access to products connected to the wider region.

The resort is part of The Guest Society, an Indonesian hospitality company developing and operating a portfolio of hotels, restaurants, lifestyle venues, wellness spaces and serviced residences across Bali, Lombok and the Gili Islands. Its wider approach centres on creating distinct hospitality brands curated by their locations, rather than applying a single formula across every property.

For Cocana, that means continuing to build on the particular appeal of Gili Trawangan while introducing facilities and experiences that give guests more reasons to return. The resort received Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice recognition in 2025 and 2026, placing it among the platform’s top 10 per cent of listings worldwide.

There is, of course, a difference between offering everything a guest might need and giving them a reason to remember where they have been. Cocana’s challenge, and its opportunity, is to balance the two. Its villas and lagoon suites provide the privacy and comfort expected of a luxury resort; Sensei Ikan gives the island a new dining experience; the Sunset Club makes the most of its western-facing location; and its conservation partnerships connect the guest experience to the environment beyond the property.

Sensei Ikan – Cocana Resort. Image credit: Ryan Albert Justin Imanuel.

Gili Trawangan does not need much embellishment. Its appeal lies in the water, the light, the absence of traffic and the particular freedom of an island where the day can be organised around very little. What Cocana is attempting is to give that freedom a more considered setting, with enough to discover without making the destination feel like somewhere guests never need to leave.

Reservations can be made on the Cocana Resorts website.