Don’t be Silly, We are off to Gilli (Air)!
Trip Start
Jan 20, 2009
1
57
109
Trip End
Jan 19, 2010
Gili Air,
Nusa Tenggara Barat,
Indonesia
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
3 days by the pool and on the beach had left us exhausted so we decided to head to the tiny island of Gilli Air, we went to the travel agent to book our ticket and he told us that if we left at 6 AM we would be there at 2. I asked if there was a later trip and he said there wasn't & it would take 10 hours to get there. When I said that 6AM to 2PM was only 8 hours he smiled and said we would arrive at 5. Welcome to travelling 'Asia time’! We got on the mini bus and hoped for the best! In the end it was quite a journey – 2 hours on a minibus, 2 & ½ hours in a café waiting for the ferry, 4 hours on the ferry, an hour and ½ on a minibus (where our driver stopped at an ATM and the disappeared for 25 minutes), another hour & ½ in a café and a final 30 minute boat trip. 12 hours door to door – I guess the café business is the business to be in Bali & Lombok! When we talked to other passengers the same travel agent had told them they would be there at noon, one and three!
When we arrived we found a hostel, had dinner and a few beers and called it a night! We awoke the next day to see Gilli Air in the daylight & what a sight it was! Our hostel was a bamboo hut on the beach (£5 per night including breakfast!) complete with it’s own unique bathroom! Our first Asian squatting toilets of the trip & a bamboo shower! (Literally a piece of bamboo sticking out of the wall where brownish water occasionally dribbled out when you turned the tap). The island itself was beautiful – palm tree lined, white sand and coral beaches, crystal clear water and several coral reefs to snorkel around. The island was tiny as well, it only took an hour & a half to walk around. Our 2 days here were spent lounging on the beach, snorkelling, watching the sunset and enjoying the delicious sea food cooked on coconut husk powered BBQ’s!
We did spend a lot of time relaxing but we did have time to take 2 photos! Here they are…
Next stop Senggigi, Lombok.
