Lonely Planet Indonesia

by Lonely Planet

  South of Labuhan Lombok

  Selong, the capital of the east Lombok administrative district, has some dusty Dutch colonial buildings. The transport junction for the region is just to the west of Selong at Pancor, where you can catch bemos to most points south.

  Tanjung Luar is one of Lombok's main fishing ports (and home to one of Indonesia's most egregious shark-finning operations) and has lots of Bugis-style houses on stilts. From here, the road swings west to Keruak, where wooden boats are built, and continues past the turn to Sukaraja, a traditional Sasak village where you can buy woodcarvings. Just west of Keruak a road leads south to Jerowaru and the spectacular southeastern peninsula. You'll need your own transport; be warned that it's easy to lose your way around here, but the main roads are good.

  Gili Islands

  %0370

  Picture three miniscule desert islands, fringed by white-sand beaches and coconut palms, sitting in a turquoise sea: the Gilis are a vision of paradise. These islets have exploded in popularity, and are booming like nowhere else in Indonesia – speedboats now zip visitors direct from Bali and a hip new hotel opens practically every month.

  It's not hard to understand the Gilis' unique appeal, for a serenity endures (no motorbikes or dogs!) and a green consciousness is growing. Development has been more tasteful than rapacious and there are few concrete eyesores.

  Each island has its own special character. Trawangan (universally known as Gili T) is by far the most cosmopolitan, its bar and party scene vibrant, its accommodation and restaurants close to definitive tropical chic. Gili Air has the strongest local character, but also a perfect mix of buzz and languor. Gili Meno is simply a desert-island getaway, albeit one with some buzz.

  8Getting There & Away

  From Bali

  Fast boats advertise swift connections (about two hours) between Bali and Gili Trawangan. They leave from several departure points in Bali, including Benoa Harbour, Sanur, Padangbai and Amed. Some go via Nusa Lembongan. Many dock at Teluk Nare/Teluk Kade on Lombok north of Senggigi before continuing on to Air and Trawangan (you’ll have to transfer for Meno).

  The website Gili Bookings (www.gilibookings.com) presents a range of boat operators and prices in response to your booking request. It's useful for getting an idea of the services offered, but it is not comprehensive and you may get a better price by buying direct from the operator.

  Other considerations:

  Fares are not fixed; especially in quiet times, you should be able to get discounts on published fares.

  If you don't need transport to/from the boat, ask for a discount.

  The advertised times are illusionary. Boats are cancelled, unplanned stops are made or they simply run very late.

  Book ahead in July and August.

  The sea between Bali and Lombok can get very rough (particularly during rainy season).

  The fast boats are unregulated, and operating and safety standards vary widely. There have been some major accidents and boats have sunk.

  Amed Sea ExpressBOAT

  (%0878 6306 4799; www.gili-sea-express.com; per person from 600,000Rp)

  Makes 75-minute crossings to Amed on a large speedboat; this makes many interesting itineraries possible. Also serves Sanur.

  Blue Water ExpressBOAT

  (%0361-895 1111; www.bluewater-express.com; one-way from 750,000Rp)

  From Serangan and Padangbai (Bali), to Teluk Kade, Gili T and Gili Air.

  Gili CatBOAT

  ( GOOGLE MAP ; %0361-271680; www.gilicat.com; adult/child 700,000/550,000Rp; hGili T office 9am-9pm)

  Well-established company linking Padangbai, Gili T and Teluk Kade.

  Gili GetawayBOAT

  ( GOOGLE MAP ; %0813 3707 4147; www.giligetaway.com; one-way from 675,000Rp; hGili T office 9am-8pm)

  Very professional; links Serangan on Bali with Gili T and Gili Air.

  PeramaBOAT

  (%0361-750808; www.peramatour.com; per person 225,000Rp; hGili T office 9am-8pm)

  Links Padangbai, the Gilis and Senggigi by a not-so-fast boat.

  ScootBOAT

  ( GOOGLE MAP ; www.scootcruise.com; one-way from 700,000Rp; hGili T office 9am-9pm)

  Boats link Sanur, Padangbai, Nusa Lembongan and the Gilis.

  Semaya OneBOAT

  (%0361-877 8166; www.semayacruise.com; adult/child 650,000/550,000Rp)

  Network of services linking Sanur, Nusa Penida, Padangbai, Teluk Kade, Gili Air and Gili T.

  DON'T MISS

  BEST OF THE GILI ISLANDS

  ASnorkelling with hawksbill and green turtles off Gili Meno (Click here).

  ADancing all night at one of Trawangan's (in)famous parties (Click here).

  AFinding serenity on Gili Meno's west coast (Click here).

  ALearning to freedive on Gili T.

  ASpending a day walking around Gili Air, pausing endlessly for swims and refreshments (Click here).

  ADiving with reef sharks at Shark Point (Click here).

  From Lombok

  Coming from Lombok, you can travel on one of the fast boats from Teluk Nare/Teluk Kade north of Senggigi. However most people use the public boats that leave from Bangsal Harbour.

  Boat tickets at Bangsal Harbour are sold at the port’s large ticket office which has posted prices, and which is where you can also charter a boat. Buy a ticket elsewhere and you’re getting played.

  Public boats run to all three islands before 11am, after that you may only find one to Gili T or Gili Air. Public boats in both directions leave when the boat is full – about 30 people. When no public boat is running to your Gili, you may have to charter a boat (400,000Rp to 500,000Rp, carries up to 25 people).

  One-way fares are 10,000Rp to Gili Air, 12,000Rp to Gili Meno and 15,000Rp to Gili Trawangan. Boats often pull up on the beaches; be prepared to wade ashore. Public fast boats also link Gili T, Gili Air and Bangsal; they run several times a day and cost 100,000Rp.

  Although it had a bad reputation for years, Bangsal Harbour hassles are much reduced. Still, avoid touts and note that anyone who helps you with bags deserves a tip (10,000Rp per bag is appropriate). There are ATMs.

  Coming by public transport via Mataram and Senggigi, catch a bus or bemo to Pemenang, from where it’s a 1.2km walk (5000Rp by ojek) to Bangsal Harbour. A metered taxi to the port will take you to the harbour. From Senggigi, Perama offers a bus and boat connection to the Gilis for a reasonable 150,000Rp (two hours).

  Arriving in Bangsal, you'll be offered rides in shared vehicles at the port. To Senggigi, 100,000Rp is a fair price. Otherwise, walk 500m down the access road past the huge new tsunami shelter to the Blue Bird Lombok Taksi stand (always the best taxi choice) for metered rides to Senggigi (90,000Rp), the airport (200,000Rp) and Kuta (300,000Rp).

  HOTEL TRANSPORT

  Most hotels and many guesthouses will be happy to help you sort out your transportation options to and from the Gilis as part of your reservation. If you use an online booking website, contact the hotel directly afterwards. Some high-end resorts have their own boats for transporting guests.

  8Getting Around

  There's no motorised transport on the Gilis. In fact, the only motorbike in Gili T is on the Biorock reef, 5m deep in front of Cafe Gili. Happily, it's all very walkable.

  Cidomo

  Cidomo (horse carts) operate as taxis; prices have soared in recent years. Even a short ride can cost 50,000Rp. For an hour-long clip-clop around an island expect to pay at least 100,000Rp. We cannot recommend using cidomo due to the significant questions about the treatment of the horses.

  Island-Hopping

  There's a twice-daily island-hopping boat service that loops between all three islands (35,000Rp to 40,000Rp), so you can sample another Gili's pleasures for the day – although you can't hit all three in one day by public boat. Check the latest timetable at the islands' docks. You can also always charter boats between the islands (400,000Rp to 450,000Rp).

  DANGERS & ANNOYANCES ON THE GILIS

  AAlthoug
h it's rare, some foreign women have experienced sexual harassment and even assault while on the Gilis – it's best not to walk home alone to the quieter parts of the islands.

  AAs tranquil as these seas appear, currents are strong in the channels between the islands. Do not try to swim between Gili islands as it can be deadly.

  AThe drug trade remains endemic in Trawangan. You'll get offers of mushrooms, meth and other drugs. But remember, Indonesia has a strong antidrugs policy; those found in possession of or taking drugs risk jail or worse.

  ATourists have been injured and killed by adulterated arak (colourless, distilled palm wine) on the Gilis; skip it.

  ABike riders (almost entirely tourists) regularly plough into and injure people on Gili T's main drag. Cidomo hauling construction goods are almost as bad.

  AThere are seldom police on any of the Gilis (though this is changing). Report thefts to the island kepala desa (village head) immediately, who will deal with the issue; staff at the dive schools will direct you to him.

  AFor trouble on Gili Trawangan, contact Satgas, the community organisation that runs island affairs, via your hotel or dive centre. Satgas tries to resolve problems and track down stolen property.

  Gili Trawangan

  Gili Trawangan is a paradise of global repute, ranking alongside Bali and Borobudur as one of Indonesia's top destinations. Trawangan's heaving main drag, busy with bikes, horse carts and mobs of scantily clad visitors, can surprise those expecting some languid tropical retreat. Instead, a wall-to-wall roster of lounge bars, hip guesthouses, ambitious restaurants, minimarts and dive schools clamour for attention.

  And yet behind this glitzy facade, a bohemian character endures, with rickety warungs and reggae joints surviving between the cocktail tables, and quiet retreats dotting the much-less-busy north coast. Even as massive 200-room-plus hotels begin to colonise the still mostly wild and ragged west coast, you can head just inland to a village laced with sandy lanes roamed by free-range roosters, kibbutzing ibu (mothers) and wild-haired kids playing hopscotch. Here the call of the muezzin, not happy hour, defines the time of day.

  Settled just over 50 years ago (by Bugis fishers from Sulawesi), Gili T was discovered by travellers in the 1980s, seduced by the white-sand beaches and coral reefs. By the 1990s Trawangan had mutated into a kind of tropical Ibiza, a stoney idyll where you could rave away from the eyes of the Indonesian police. And then the island began to grow up – resident Western hedonists morphed into entrepreneurs, diving rivalled partying in the economy, and outside money poured in to build resorts.

  Gili Trawangan

  2Activities, Courses & Tours

  1Lutwala DiveB1

  4Sleeping

  2Alam GiliC1

  3Eden CottagesB1

  4Gili Eco VillasB1

  5Indigo BungalowsC1

  6KokomoC4

  7Pondok SantiB4

  8Wilson's RetreatB1

  9WoodstockC1

  5Eating

  10Pearl Beach LoungeC4

  6Drinking & Nightlife

  11ExileA4

  12Vintage Sunset BeachA3

  rBeaches

  Gili T is ringed by the sort of powdery white sand people expect to find on Bali but don't. It can be crowded along the bar-lined main part of the strip, but walk just a bit north or south and east and you'll find some of Gili T's nicest beaches for swimming and snorkelling. You can find even more solitude along the west and north coasts, where it will be you and your towel on the sand – although water- and Bintang-vendors are never far away.

  Note that at low tide large portions of the west and north coasts have rocks and coral near the surface, which makes trying to get off the shore deeply unpleasant. And the beach has eroded to oblivion on the northeast corner.

  Many people simply enjoy the sensational views of Lombok and Gunung Rinjani, and of Bali and Gunung Agung.

  Gili Trawangan East

  2Activities, Courses & Tours

  1Big BubbleA3

  2Blue Marlin Dive CentreB5

  3Freedive GiliB4

  4Gili Cooking ClassesB5

  5Gili YogaB4

  6Manta DiveB5

  7SilaB6

  8Trawangan DiveA3

  9Xqisit SpaB6

  4Sleeping

  10Alexyane ParadiseA6

  11Balé SampanA2

  12Blu da MareA2

  13Danima ResortA2

  14Gili HostelB4

  15Gili JogloA2

  16Le Petit GiliB5

  17Oceane ParadiseA6

  18Pondok Gili GeckoA4

  19Sama Sama BungalowsB5

  20SoundwavesA3

  21Villa NeroA4

  5Eating

  22Beach HouseA6

  23Cafe GiliA3

  24Kayu CaféB5

  La Dolce VitaB5

  25Pasar MalamB5

  26ReginaB4

  27Thai GardenA3

  28Warung Kiki NoviB5

  6Drinking & Nightlife

  Blue MarlinB5

  29La MoombaA1

  Sama SamaB5

  30Tir na NogA6

  7Shopping

  Casa VintageA4

  2Activities

  Almost everything to do on Gili T will involve the water at some point.

  Diving & Snorkelling

  Trawangan is a diving polestar, with over a dozen professional scuba schools and one of Asia's only freediving schools. Most dive schools and shops have good accommodation for clients who want to book a package.

  There's fun snorkelling off the beach north of the boat landing – the coral isn't in the best shape here, but there are tons of fish. The reef is in much better shape off the northwest coast, but at low tide you'll have to scramble over some sharp, dead coral (bring rubber booties) to access it. Snorkel gear rental averages 50,000Rp per day.

  Big BubbleDIVING

  ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0370-612 5020; www.bigbubblediving.com; fun dives day/night 490,000/600,000Rp)S

  The original engine behind the Gili Eco Trust, and a long-running dive school. It's a GIDA member.

  Blue Marlin Dive CentreDIVING

  ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0370-613 2424; www.bluemarlindive.com; 10-dive nitrox package 5,100,000Rp)S

  Gili T's original dive shop, and one of the best tech diving schools in the world. It's a GIDA member and home to one Gili T's classic bars.

  oLutwala DiveDIVING

  ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0877 65492615; www.lutwala.com; divemaster courses 14,000,000Rp)S

  A nitrox and five-star PADI centre owned by Fern Perry, who held the women's world-record for deepest open-circuit dive (190m). A GIDA member, it also rents top-quality snorkelling gear.

  Manta DiveDIVING

  ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0370-614 3649; www.manta-dive.com; open-water courses 5,500,000Rp)S

  The biggest and still one of the best dive schools on the island. It has a large compound that spans the main road and a pool. It is a GIDA member and has special kids programs.

  Trawangan DiveDIVING

  ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0370-614 9220; www.trawangandive.com; 5 guided nitrox boat dives from 2,700,000Rp)S

  A top, long-running dive shop and GIDA member with a fun (very large) pool-party vibe. Ask how you can join its regular beach clean-ups.

  FREEDIVING THE GILIS

  Freedive GiliDIVING

  ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0370-614 0503; www.freedivegili.com; beginner/advanced courses US$275/375)

  Freediving is an advanced breath-hold technique that allows you to explore much deeper depths than snorkelling (to 30m and beyond). Trawangan's professional school is owned by an expert diver who has touched 90m on a single breath, and offers two-day beginner and three-day advanced courses. After a two-day course many students are able to get down to 20m on a single breath of air.

  Surfing

  Trawangan has a fast right reef break that can be surfed year-round (though it is temperamental) and at times swells overhead. Shop the backstreets for rentals as the much-hyped Surf Bar has outlandish prices f
or battered boards.

  Walking & Cycling

  Trawangan is perfect for exploring on foot or by bike. You can walk around the whole island in a couple of hours – if you finish at the hill on the southwestern corner (which has the remains of an old Japanese gun placement c WWII), you'll have terrific sunset views of Bali's Gunung Agung.

  Bikes (per day from 50,000Rp) are a great way to get around. You'll find loads of rental outlets on the main strip. Beware of the bike-unfriendly north coast; paths across the interior of the island are usually in good shape for cycling.

  SilaBICYCLE RENTAL

  ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0878 6562 3015; bike rentals per day from 50,000Rp)

  Has a huge range of bikes for rent, including two-seaters. Also does boat trips.

  Yoga & Wellness

  Gili YogaYOGA

  ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0370-614 0503; www.giliyoga.com; per person from 100,000Rp)

  Runs daily vinyasa classes, and is part of Freedive Gili.

  Xqisit SpaSPA

  ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0370-612 9405; www.exqisit.com; 1hr massages from 180,000Rp; h10am-10pm)

  A day spa on the waterfront with curtained-off treatment rooms for massage, and leather seats for mani-pedi or reflexology. Also has a coffee bar. The long list of services includes shiatsu and an 'extreme hangover recovery' massage treatment (700,000Rp) – talk about tapping into market demand.