If you're a Divemaster weighing up where to do your Instructor Development Course, here's a direct, honest comparison — not a sales pitch for one island over the other.
Most of the difference between a Bali IDC and a Gili Trawangan IDC isn't the PADI curriculum itself — that's standardized. What changes is group size, how much direct access you get to your Course Director, and how many distractions sit between you and the training.
At Gili Trawangan, training runs from a single PADI 5 Star IDC Career Development Center, with Holly Macleod personally overseeing every candidate rather than handing groups to assistants. The course follows the standard curriculum set by PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors), the world's largest scuba diver training organization, with the same prerequisites and exam structure regardless of location. For what happens after you qualify, see the dive instructor course Gili Islands career guide. For the credentials backing the claims on this page, see Holly Macleod's full instructor trainer credentials.
All training runs from Blue Marlin Dive on Gili Trawangan, a car-free island in the Gili Islands chain off Lombok, Indonesia.
Gili Trawangan runs smaller, single-centre intakes. Bali programs vary widely, with some operators running larger group sizes across multiple instructors.
At Gili Trawangan, one Course Director — Holly Macleod — oversees every candidate personally throughout the program.
Gili Trawangan is car-free with dive sites close to shore. Bali offers more nightlife and amenities but more day-to-day distraction.
Accommodation and daily costs on Gili Trawangan are generally lower than busier parts of Bali during a 9–10 day course.
Neither is objectively better. Bali offers more program choice; Gili Trawangan offers a smaller, single-centre environment with closer individual feedback from one Course Director.
Pricing varies more by operator than by island. Gili Trawangan programs at Blue Marlin Dive are priced comparably to mid-range Bali operators, with generally lower accommodation costs.
Message Holly Macleod directly on WhatsApp or email to check current intake dates, then confirm your Divemaster certification and logged dive count before booking.
Message Holly directly to confirm the next available intake before it fills.