Sailing to the Gili's

  Gili Trawangan, West Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia
Friday, May 15, 2009

One of the best ferry journeys brought us across the Lombok Straits, on a boat with a beach deck at the rear - a sandy platform - with both a wicked sunset and a view of literally hundreds of common dolphins, as we sail through a huge pod.

Arriving at Gili T, one of three Gili Islands, after sunset we haul ass up the beach to Easy Bungalows run by Di-Di and his wonderful family.

Cath at sunset

Gili T is labelled the party island of the three, whilst Gili Air is the more family orientated one. Gili Meno is 'a place to play Robinson Crusoe' (LPlanet 04).

We stay out of the main strip to avoid bass beats all night and frankly for cheaper accommodation. Every type is here on this island from $5 to $500 a night.

There are no motor vehicles and no police on any of the islands and consequently all sales pitches on Gili T are as follows:

'Transport?'
'No thanks'
'Drink?'
'No thanks'
'Something to eat?'
'No thanks'
'Snorkelling?'
'No thanks'
'Weed?'
'Pardon?'
'Mushrooms?'
'No thanks'

Every 5 minutes from just about everyone. Although mushies are advertised on menus so not really discreet.

The police pop in now and again but a lame effort really.

Nice enough place but the main area is a bit like Phuket. We hung out for a couple of days nonetheless and enjoyed one sunset at the top of the island with sangria and tapas. How we rough it I hear you say.

We had some sweet accommodation there but there's quite a limit on fresh water so 99% of the places to stay only have salt water on the Gili's. Not a major problem for me but it makes the boss look like Worzel Gummage (sp?) with washing her hair in it.

Sunset Sangrias

Now the plan was to hang out here for a few days and make our way across to the east for Komodo and their dragons. As this is Indonesia we can pay a good whack with Perama or overland it. Working this out we were looking at 8 days round trip (flight back out from Bali) for half a day there. As we intend to come back later this year we can offer more time to Flores and the East. Far too far to rush for the sake of an afternoon.

Sunset

Enjoyed a good book here called Three Came Home written by Agnes Keith. She was a Borneo resident before WWII and kept diaries when taken POW. Excellent if you've visited the island (Malaysian Borneo) and just as good if not. Written in 1946 post-war it's a gripping read for multiple reasons. Avid fans of danstravelworld (joke) will recall us visiting her house in Sandakan in 2005.

On our last night here we wander out and Di-Di has the family over. He invites us to join him and absolutely EVERY other night I would. Except tonight is Saturday and Mancs Arsenal game. So feeling like a git we head out for dinner, thank him and find the (obvious) Irish bar on the island.  To be fair we hadn't eaten anyway and they had. My excuse so stick it.

Following morning we jump on the island hopping boat and meet a lovely chap on the boat with a chicken tied to his foot.....