To get to the Gilis we had to cross the churning waters of the deep Lombok Strait, infamous for it’s whirlpools, nauseating swells and fierce underwater currents. But our valiant efforts to get there paid off the moment we arrived. The islands’ remote charm descends and entices one to explore a little further.
Collectively referred to as the Gilis, the trio of islands comprises of Gili Trawangan, Gili Meno and Gili Air. Each of which has it’s own characteristic charm. The smallest, and apparently the most tranquil of the three, is Gili Meno. It’s known for the pure white sand beaches framed against the warm turquoise waters. The middle island has the largest population; a whopping, 1,000 people. While the largest, Gili Trawangan, is well known for it’s party atmosphere… so you can guess which island we stayed on? That’s right, the party island. But really, all 3 islands offer powdery white sand beaches, plenty of snorkeling and unlimited time under the tropical sun.
One important note is that on all the islands, motorized vehicles are banned. Instead, horse-drawn carts (more like donkey-drawn carts) known as "cidomos" add to the laid-back atmosphere, shuttling tourists to and fro on the narrow dirt roads. We were amazed at how they could pack our luggage into the tiny carts and then speed through the turns without losing anything.
We spent plenty of time on the beach lounging and dedicated a day to riding bikes around the whole island. However, one of my favorite excursions, was a daylong trip in a glass bottom boat. We snorkeled some of the deep water coral reef, hovered over a sunken ship from the 90’s, plus we swam with turtles. During this trip we were able to see the other islands up close, and they were nice, but I liked our island the best.
While there were no shortage of activities, our most memorable moments on Trawangan were the superb sunset viewing sessions. Each day at 5:15pm, we would hop on our bikes to find the perfect beach hut to sit back and soak in the big sky filled with shades of purple, pink, orange and yellow… each time was more breath taking than the last.
Here's some photos to summarize our trip in Gili:
Monday was a full day of travel to get to the Gili Islands. Upon arrival we were very pleased to find a private pool at our villa where we relaxed for the rest of the night.
Tuesday; we had a beach day with a sunset on the south coral coast. We stumbled upon a "Movie Night in the Sand" and saw the film, "Into the Wild" projected on a screen while we sat back on beach loungers. We tried dinner at the market and then celebrated Queens Day at a club called Sama Sama with live music.
On Wednesday we rode bikes around the whole island and found ourselves at the best beach bar! It had colorful fat boys to lay on and tons of yummy food and drinks to choose from. Jesse and I cycled to the north coast to watch the sunset later that evening and it was so beautiful!
Later that night, at the house, we taught the crew how to play flip cup and then headed out to a dance party where they played all our requested songs! Woo hoo!! What a fun day!!!
Thursday we booked a snorkel trip to the smaller Gili Islands. First stop was to see the bounty pirate shipwreck, second stop was to try to spot turtles... We were successful as we saw 4 large sea turtles! 3rd stop was to see an area cluttered with the most beautiful fish. They were all colors of neon and came in all shapes and sizes.
After the snorkel trip, Mira and Jesse got an ear cleaning, candle style while the rest of us found some fat boys to relax on in the shade. Later in the evening we went to some raised huts over the sea break on the north side to watch the sun set.
Friday was the day we left Gili and headed to Bali. After 5 days of Gili Island bliss, we boarded a ferry boat for Bali. It was sad to leave, but we didn’t have time to embrace those feelings as were being herded aboard a vessel that must have sold one too many tickets for the journey. I’m serious, it was like a passenger boat leaving Cuba! All the seats inside were filled, so people started climbing up to the roof and there were so many people on the roof, their legs were hanging down to the windows. We embraced this and went up to the roof ourselves where were able to work on our tans for the next 3 hours all while rocking back and forth on the big waves.
Next stop Bali!
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