Gili Islands, Indonesia

  Gili Trawangan, West Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia
Tuesday, October 21, 2008

I didn't think for one second that anything could be worse than the bus - ferry - bus journey from Java to Bali, well the bus - ferry - bus - boat journey from Bali to the Gili Islands did it's best to rival it! We left our hotel in Bali at 6am and were told we'd be on the Gili Islands at 2pm, we got to the ferry port at 7:30am to take the 4 hour ferry to Lombok but conveniently the guy who was running the tour buses also had a restaurant there and also conveniently the ferry wasn't leaving til 12pm so we had to sit around this guys restaurant for 3.5 hours - there was really nothing else to do in the port town. Needless to say everyone was pee'd off big time and we were not happy campers getting on the four hour ferry to Lombok. But as we later found out, this big delay in the port town happens everyday and it's just this guys idea of an easy way to make money coz we all had to eat something!
Anyway we got to Gili Trawangan (Gili T) the largest of the Gili Islands, on a packed little boat just after sunset a bit later than 2pm. We first went to an Irish Bar and Hotel called Tir na nOg that we read good things about. It turned out to be way out of our price range but we struck a good deal with a place called Unique Bungalows where we got a really nice room with TV, DVD, Safe, Fridge, balcony with a hammock and breakfast included for about 5 Euro each per night. The only thing we didn't get was air conditioning which we regretted at times during the week.

Beach on Gili T

Karl Hungover on the Beach

After a quick shower we went on the lash with an Australian couple (Alex & Mandy) who we met on the boat on the way over. We started in the Irish Bar and, out of all the Irish Bars we've been in over the last 8 months, this has to be the best so far. Cheap drinks and food, good staff and even Damien Dempsey on the sound system! After that we made our way to the Blue Marlin nightclub which was absolutely packed and we saw a strange sight - a load of western women getting off with local lads! Just a note about nightlife on Gili T - only 3 bars get a late license but they can only use it on one night a week so its Monday in Blue Marlin, Wednesday in Tir na nOg and Friday in Rudys, all other nights things usually die down around midnight but on those three night they go on til sunset. Had a good laugh that night with Alex and Mandy and went home late, wrecked and drunk. 
Gili T is the biggest of the Gili Islands but its still really small. The water in the bathroom and showers is pumped straight from the sea, electricity is sporadic to say the least, and the only form of transport on the island is horse and cart. Most of our seven days on the island had the same pattern - woke up early by the cockerel outside our room, had breakfast and either lounged by a pool in a nearby resort or sat on the beach and snorkeled, looking for turtles. The snorkeling off the beach was really good and we saw loads of fish, but as there is so much coral around its very easy to cut your feet. In the late afternoons we'd either lie in the hammocks or have a nap if it was a late night the night before and in the evening we'd be drinking in the Irish Pub or Rudys.

Lydia in Garden

Us on the Ferry

One of the days we went out on a snorkeling trip. I was a bit weary going out as we had heard lots of stories about the current, then they handed me a bogey lifejacket that I wasn't at all comfortable in so I just jumped into the water and hung onto the boat for the entire trip!!! It was actually great - saw loads of fish and four big turtles, I heard other people come up saying they only saw two turtles so I was happy! On the snorkeling trip we met up with Gino and Carolina who we met on the ferry on  the way over so it was a good laugh, met them again that night for a drink with the Aussies.
We loved the Gili Islands, it's the longest we've been in any one place since Goa in India over 7 months ago. The laid-back lifestyle, good accommodation, cheap and good food and drinks and just a general good feel to the island made it somewhere we'd recommend to anyone.