GILI TRAWANGAN | PART 2

The Gili Islands win for my first turtle snorkel spotting. The four of us hired a boat for a day, which took us to nearby waters around Gili Air and Gili Meno. The coral was fantastic and there was plenty of fish (plus a couple turtles) to appease the eyes. While we explored the ocean, my sister and I also explored the land. While most of the excitement is on the coast of the island, my sister and I decided to cut across the island to get to the other side instead of following the shoreline. We had a map that was of little use because the roads mapped out were near impossible to find. Instead, we found the island covered in dirt, unmarked paths. So we got lost. Happily lost. We passed through a small village, beautiful palm tree groves, and eventually found our way to the ocean again. Amazing.

We opted for the speedboat back to Bali which was a smoother ride, though the boarding process looked like this...

Next up? The magic of Bali.

Gili Trawangan | Part 1

After lounging around Lombok, we headed over to Gili Trawangan. We booked a boat from a local agent in Lombok and the transportation was as follows: 1. Van to a restaurant. (Huh?)

2. Horse carriage from the restaurant to the ferry landing.

3. Local boat that was near tipping over. (See below)

Conclusion? Splurge for the speedboat.

Tip: Wear shorts and sandals as you will be likely boarding and disembarking in shallow waters.

There are no cars or motorbikes on the island, only horse carriages, so take this into consideration when booking accommodations. You will either have to walk or hail down a horse. There is a definite backpacker feel around the pier landing which makes it feel a little less authentic but with a backpacker culture usually comes a proper coffee, so in this instance, I was okay with it. However, it seems like there are way more tourists than locals. I was missing the wild, untouched nature of Lombok.

The island is small enough that you only need a few days. We rented bikes and circled the island no problem. There are several restaurants and bars right on the sand and the beaches are pretty decent for snorkeling. Also, if you are into scuba, this is your jam.