Just off the northwest coast of Lombok are three small, low-lying coral islands that have become well-known stops for travelers in Indonesia. Known as "the Gilis", these three small islands, Gili Trawangan, Gili Meno, and Gili Air, are small dots of jungle a handful of kilometers apart and about the same distance off the coast. They are small dots of jungle in a beautiful blue green sea, and each of them are surrounded by reefs. As would be expected, all three have good diving and snorkeling, and have a very laid-back, relaxed atmosphere. Accessible by boat from both Lombok and Bali, the Gilis are well worth a visit for any tourist in the area.
Gili Trawangan
After leaving Senggigi, our next stop was the island of Gili Trawangan, the largest and most popular of the three. "Gili T", as it is commonly called, is also the most vibrant of the three, with the biggest party scene and the most active social atmosphere. The east coast of the small island is covered with small resorts, guest houses, shops, dive centers, and restaurants, while the center of the island is where the locals live. The south, west, and north coasts all have a smaller number of resorts, or open coastline. We had reservations at a place called Pesona Resort, which turned out to be a nice place. We had our own small hut, and enjoyed a few nights there.
Strolling around Gili T is a wonderful time. There is a path that wraps around the entire island, as well as numerous paths that wander into the interior. There are also very few motobikes on the island, as people get around on foot, on bicycles, or on pony-drawn carts. These pony carts are quite interesting, beautifully decorated, and are a common way of getting around on all three Gili islands.
There is an amazing array of restaurants and bars to be found, with plenty of meal options. Most of the food we had was quite tasty. Most the restaurants are beachfront, and have a great view across the water to the other Gilis and Lombok behind. |
The beaches on the Gilis are also very interesting as they are a mix of sand and coral. Since the islands are all fringed by coral reefs, there is prodigious amounts of the stuff washed up. Some sections of the beach were nothing but coral, while other areas were more classic and typical sand. The pieces that have washed up are quite beautiful, much larger than anything we are used to in Vietnam.
As Indonesia is the world's most populous Muslim country, there are also a couple of mosques on each island. Mosques are something that I am interested in, as they all follow a certain architectural pattern, but differ in their own unique ways. The mosques on the island were no different, however the main mosque was under renovation so I was unable to take some photos from inside the grounds, just from outside. In addition to the mosques, the prayers are broadcast via loudspeaker five times a day, a wonderful experience everyone should try to have at some point in their lives.
As Indonesia is the world's most populous Muslim country, there are also a couple of mosques on each island. Mosques are something that I am interested in, as they all follow a certain architectural pattern, but differ in their own unique ways. The mosques on the island were no different, however the main mosque was under renovation so I was unable to take some photos from inside the grounds, just from outside. In addition to the mosques, the prayers are broadcast via loudspeaker five times a day, a wonderful experience everyone should try to have at some point in their lives.
During one of our days on Gili T we signed up for a snorkeling tour off the coast of one of the other Gilis. It was a several hour tour, and included a lunch stop at a restaurant on Gili Air, the island we would head to next, and two spots to snorkel at. The snorkeling was pretty good, with lots of fish to see and coral to gawk at. The snorkeling was at depths of 2 to 6 meters. The more adventurous went a little bit farther, diving to almost 10 meters, but we were quite fine with the shallow stuff.