Most of us know the popular Indonesian island of Bali, famous for its stunning beaches, lush tropical forests, enchanting rice terraces, mystical temples, awesome sunsets, exciting nightlife and many more.
Lesser known about 100km across the sea from Bali are the triplet Gili islands off the coast of Lombok. These smallish islands have more diving schools, resorts and pubs per square km than anywhere I know.
The largest is Gili Trawangan or GT which is only 3km long and 2km wide. Commonly tagged as the party island, it used to be a backpackers paradise when Bali got too expensive. Today GT offers boutique hotels and luxury villas, as well as basic homestays and dorms.
The smallest is Gili Meno which is the most serene and least developed island half the size of GT. Walking around gives one the impression of being stranded with stretches of white sand, layers of turquoise and prussian blue waters, and no one in sight. Something noteworthy is the underwater sculpture which can be seen when snorkeling.
The island closest to Lombok is Gili Air which has the best of both GT and Meno. “Air” is Indonesian for water because it is the only island with its own subterranean fresh water source with a taste of the sea.
We decided on Gili Air after reading the various trip tips, forums and blogs. Yet friends were skeptical about our trip so soon after the devastating earthquake and 600+ aftershocks that rattle this area just weeks ago. That and Bali’s Mount Agung volcano eruptions early this year have turned the regular tourists away.
Luckily for us, everything seems to get back to normal in Gili Air where the streets are mostly cleared of debris, families resettled in temporary huts but there are still visible signs of destruction and hardship all around the island.
Life in Gili Air is pure and simple. Streets, paved or sandy lead to the beach. People are friendly and helpful in this cozy community where local businesses are somehow related within extended families.
All day long we hear the trotting and bells from horse carts carrying anything from furniture to people; the distinctive salat prayers from the mosque in urgent need of repair; the endearing crowing of free roaming roosters, clucking and cheeping of mother hens and their brood of chicks; the occasional bleating of wandering goats and calves; and the frequent gusts shaking trees and whatever loose or ripe in this dusty tranquil island.
Fruit trees are aplenty – mangoes, jackfruits, jambus, rambutans, cashew, guavas, papayas – all growing freely and if you pass by anyone plucking them, you will be offered some to take away. Fresh pineapple juice is served chilled everywhere at the price of a bottle of water. Fresh coconuts and avocado shakes have become our daily drinks.
Food here is exceptionally good and freshly cooked. No central kitchen convenience city chow or processed stuff. Just good old comfort meals prepared by new friends.
My favourite times of the day are at sunrise and when the sun sets. The afternoons get too hot to do anything except watersports. It’s an island resort after all. Most afternoons I will stay indoors or under the shade on a hammock if I bother to walk to the beach.
First daylight pierces through at about 5am as the sky is filled with splashes of soft dawn colours. Walking to the east side is like having an aroma therapy of fresh dewy earth and fragrant sea scent.
The ten minute walk in half-light cuts through fields opening up to silhouettes of coconut palms swaying sleepily and towards the beach with swinging lanterns, to the sea where boats rock lazily as tides ebb and flow.
The profile of Mount Rinjani is crisp and clear as the morning sun scales effortlessly over its peaks to present another brilliant day.
Gili’s sunsets are equally amazing and last longer. As a pre-dinner routine, we walk the entire west stretch where the water swings and traditional fishing boats are placed like little decorative objects in the vast coral sea.
Sometimes we sit on the sand to soak in the final lights of the day as if watching the credits at the end of a movie.
For me, the highlight of every sunset is the appearance of Mount Agung far away. Arrogant, magnificent and almost threatening to erupt again, the dominating volcano disappears at nightfall and all through the day until the setting sun lights it up from behind like a giant shadow play.
I love our eleven days in Gili Air. It’s like going back in time, vaguely remembering how Singapore was when I was a toddler visiting the countryside and from photos. This is a playback of sorts and feels sentimental and surreal – me looking at the local kids looking at me observing with the same curiosity when I was a kid looking at a foreign visitor to my country. Always wanted to tell my son what it was like when I was a child. Gili did that all for me.
Will I go back again? Certainly!
Now that I know Hadi who practises Ed Sheeran songs on his guitar behind the reception counter, chatty Judy from the yoga centre, long-haired Em the unlikely cook who fixes the most delicious meals in minutes, Arlee who worked as a maid in Hong Kong and now running a busy noodle store, the effervescent Tarzan who claims his bbq seafood is the freshest and cheapest on Air, and many others who made our stay in Gili so memorable.
Goodbye Gili … for now. Hope to be back soon.
Joan
WHAT BOOMERS WANT 
Wonderfully written. I feel I’ve been there already 🙂
Thanks Jane.
I’m sure you will have a wonderful time when you visit Gili next year.