Gili Trawangan

Taking Ketut's advise, we took a 3 day detour to Gili Trawangan, the largest of the 3 Gili islands with a local population of 800. It was quite the adventure... after a 90 min 'fast boat' ride we disembarked not alongside a pier, but in the shallow waters of the harbor - best to be barefoot - I quickly whiped off my sandals, however, my capris were quite soaked. We retrieved our luggage from the beach before taking a horse drawn cart ride (which is the main transportation) along the bechside road to our hotel. We were quite delighted with our ride, hanging on to the sides as the cart navigated the many potholes. A storm 24 hr previously had disrupted electricity causing the a/c and lighting to be off, thankfully, connection was resumed several hours later.
Having a 4 hr wait before checking into our room, we set off to explore the town, comprised of muliple eating options (all on the beach front with the hotels on the opposite side of the road). Eating our chicken kebabs, overlooking the Indian Ocean and listening to the 'calls to prayer' from the mosque immediately behind us, we were more than content to be in this tranquil setting.




Later we enjoyed lounging by the hotel pool. That first evening out we had not thought to pick up an umbrella from the lobby and had the fun of walking back to our hotel in what we came to know as one of the many unpredictable rain showers, making shoes obsolete, we were ankle deep in muddy water!




Considering absolutely everything has to be transported by boat - water, propane, food, etc... we were very impressed with the meals we ate here and they were reasonably priced too. The main attraction for escaping to this small paradise island is the snorkling and thriving diving idustry
Though walking is the prefered method of getting around, the following day we rented bicycles for the day and took the 90-120 min ride around the perimeter of the island, though many times it was more like taking the bike for a walk as it was too difficuilt to ride the sandy footpath. The interior of the island is where most of the locals live in shack style homes, it's also where the cows and chickens reside.




In the 90's Gili Trawangan was very much ' the party' island for the young backpackers who at that time slept mainly on the beaches. But since 2005 there was a massive development boom producing upscale hotels and restaurants. However, there are still regular party nights to be found, if that's your desire, but there are warnings to be careful not to drink the locally produced spirits as they contain methanol, causing serious injury and even death among tourists and locals alike.... sticking to beer is advised.
Gili is Muslim, like most of Indonesia, (while Bali is mainly Hindu), however, we have found ALL people to be genuinely kind, treating tourists and each other as family. Life is simple and non-stressful, a lifestyle that the Western world should try to incorporate.