The Gorgeous Gili Islands

A veritable speck in the tropics, Gili Trawangan is only a couple of miles long and a mile across. However, it’s the largest of Lombok’s three Gili Islands, with a permanent population of about 800. These residents live in tiny mud-hut villages behind the main strip, which is lined with a great variety of restaurants and thatched-roof cabanas. As there are no motorized vehicles, the main means of transportation are bicycle and cidomos, small horse-drawn carriages.

If you were thinking it’s accidental like we did, you’re wrong; the locals have opted for relatively sustainable development, determined to avoid the mistakes that have turned Kuta into a traffic hell. Also making this undisturbed paradise one of highlights of Indonesia are its clear turquoise waters and fine white sands, fringed by coconut palms.

The atmosphere is one of complete and utter relaxation, causing the majority of visitors to stay longer than planned. Gili Meno and Air are even more remote, inhabiting fewer locals and practically zero nightlife. We jumped on an island hopping boat one day and journeyed Meno’s footpath around its empty but pristine beaches. It was blissful to have complete silence except for the tropical wildlife and crashing waves.

Another afternoon we gravitated toward exploring the coral reef that borders Trawangan. The sea is so clear that it’s possible to pick out individual grains of sand. But the marine environment is on the road to recovery after years of over-fishing and the effects of El Niño in 1997/8, when soaring water temperatures bleached the coral. But four years ago, the islands’ six scuba diving schools cut a deal with the local fisherman to cease fishing there so that marine life could re-colonize the coral. The effects are remarkable, not only having the top predators return in numbers but also smaller species including sea horses. Turtle spottings occur often, and vast schools of parrotfish cruise by on full-moon evenings. But we were lucky enough to see angelfish floating gracefully, clownfish darting in and out of the coral and purple-and-yellow sea slugs clinging to the reef. Our favourite sightings were of radiantly rainbow-coloured fish that easily caught our eye, unlike the semi-transparent, long/skinny, needle-nosed swimmers that would float right at the surface. A few times we got so close to them without noticing until the last second, just like the huge schools of fish that we practically swam right through. Making the snorkeling even more exciting were the rusted wreckages that had been sunk for years, the most interesting being a motorcycle on a flatbed. We figured someone had attempted to bring it onto the island but the locals requested its removal, or simply disposed of it themselves. Most other wrecks were broken fishing boats, one even labeled as coming all the way from Malaysia. That style of boats is famous for bringing in loads of freshly caught seafood every evening to be barbequed by the beachside restaurants.

 

As we were sitting at one enjoying lunch one day, a little Indonesian boy got his kite stuck in a tree. He immediately started to climb the trunk like a monkey, which was startlingly impressive! Everybody near was clapping as he easily reached the branches, then balanced across the thin one the kite was attached to. A few people got so nervous for the boy that they positioned themselves underneath him, but since the kite was at the very end of the branch he struggled to reach it. By this time a young man had hopped on another’s shoulders in an attempt to recover the toy, but to everyone’s amusement it ended very sandy. However, the effort was inspiring enough that others began to help out by searching for sticks long enough to reach the kite. There was real hope at this point, until one man’s stick ripped the fabric. The crowd erupted in dismay as they watched disappointment wash across the little boy’s face. As he glided back across the branch and shimmied back down the tree, everyone clapped once again. Kindly, the culprit handed the boy some money to replace his toy and he ran off displaying a big smile. Nearby, a group of guys repairing each other’s dreadlocks giggled at the entertainment. There isn’t much else to do on this hidden gem other than swim, sunbathe, drink Bintang and eat banana pancakes.

The scene is quite raw, unpretentious and hedonistic, unlike other tropical hotspots. We were hesitant to leave after a week, however Vang Vieng in Laos promises yet another unforgettable experience!