This is the story "Boney Bruvs and the Three Gili's" : Part 3 this little Gili is just right

Gili Air (31^st March – 5^th April 2015)


Ferry Pier

Can never take his eye of a bit of wood

Splashed out at Sister Bungalow

     Last on the list was the second largest island, Gili Air and from all accounts it offers the best balance of the tranquillity and calm on Meno and the party scene on Trawangan. The honeymooners and families so prominent on Meno were now mixed with a healthy dosage of independent backpackers looking to take advantage of the upcoming full moon party. Air offers a lot more rock bottom budget options for accommodation with a few hostels and bamboo hut guest homes close to the ferry pier. We checked into the sibling themed “Sister Bungalows” and grabbed a twin room for 200,000 IRP per night (£10). It was a bit of a treat for our birthday as the place had its own pool. Not really a necessity when the sea is 800 meters away but a nice touch first thing in the morning and for ten Queen’s heads it’s still a good find on an island where similar location cost in excess of 500,000 IRP a night.



Don't think were going to get 27 candles on this Jono

    A full walk around the island takes no longer than an hour and a half and the views are much like what you can see on the other islands except you tend to get slightly better views of Lombok’s Mount Rinjani. In the heart of Air Jono and I stumbled across a great little furniture factory. The locals running the place specialised in recovering damaged fishing boat parts and up-cycling them into interesting bureaus, tables and wardrobes. Even though we’re brothers I’ve noticed that no matter where Jono and I go. Whether it’s the Mongolian steppe, a tropical island paradise in Indonesia or Amsterdam’s famous red light district he is always at his happiest whilst admiring another cabinet maker at work. You show him a unique artefact and he will be mesmerised by the carvings on the bureau showcasing the item.   

     As with Gili Meno we focussed on taking advantage of the islands close proximity to a surrounding reef and do more snorkelling. We managed to see the same abundant array of sea creatures we witnessed on Meno. The visability on the North East side wasn’t as clear as on Meno due to the stronger current between Air and Lombok but we still managed to see a lone turtle.

Proper Pizza

     We turned 27 on April 2^nd and after spending a day sunbathing, snorkelling and reminiscing about our adventures over the last year we decided to scour the island for some home comfort food. The cabinet maker we met recommended us to try a French themed café called “Le Cirque”. This beachside hangout is a little bit pricey when compared to locally run warungs but with a great selection of cakes and desserts it was as close as getting a birthday cake as we were going to get. Good desserts are hard to find in this part of the world and a daily helping of banana pancake can never compete with a dollop of banoffee or white chocolate & raspberry sponge. For Dinner we stuck to our western cuisine cravings and visited “Classico Italiano” for a classic Italian. The place was a little hard to find (tucked away in a backstreet close to the ferry pier) but there are signs to help. The Italian owners have stuck to their roots here as the place is home to a proper wood burning oven and traditional topping combinations with a slight Asian edge as I found out with the chilli rich diablo pizza. If that wasn’t enough they even sell a dessert pizza topped with Nutella, FANTASTICO. 


bit of coral

     If you want to avoid western dishes then a great place to visit any time of the day is the small warung outside “Bambu Homestay” (close to sister bungalow on the main street inland opposite the ferry pier). So far on our tour of Indonesia the food has been exceptional but sometimes there is only so much nasi goreng and mie goreng (rice and noodles) dishes one can take. The staff at Bambu have the solution in a dish called “Murtabak”. It’s a fried pancake stuffed with meat and vegetables and it top notch backpacker grub and a good way to power the furnace for the rest of the day. If you’re missing pies and pasties look no further.

Best Indo food in town

      On the eve of April 3^rd we headed over to Zipp bar for the full moon party. Now we had heard about the full moon in Thailand but due to poor timing (Xmas & New Year bedlam) and not planning ahead we missed out and were looking to make up for it on Gili Air. The party was ok but considering Gili Air was supposed to be the place to head to it didn’t really seem like the staff had noticed the great glowing disk in the sky. Sure they had put signs up but as far as we could tell the local’s idea of a party seemed to consist of cranking up the tracks on the overused Bob Marley CD to eleven, throwing in a bit of UB40 and hoping for the best. Maybe it was the time of year. I mean it is still low season and perhaps a few hours of house or trance isn’t what most of the honeymooners and family holidaymakers had in mind. They even ran out of large bottles of Bintang at 8pm, I mean what the hell is that all about. I’d understand if it was at around 11:59pm but at 8pm people were still tucking into their overpriced fruits of the sea platter and trying to communicate with the staff by shouting English words louder than necessary.

One last turtle to see us off

     After one final day of snorkelling it was time to move onto Lombok and despite the slight disappointment of the Full Moon Party we both looked back on our stay with great memories. I can totally see why these islands are popular the world over. If you look at the archipelago as a whole there is something for every species of traveller. The death penalty doubters can enhance their addictions on Gili T, the crowd cowering conscious can seek refuge on Gili Meno and of course the hairy hemp huggers can find a “quiet spot on the beach” in Gili Air (but still in front of a bar so people can watch) and view the setting sun over Bali whilst getting cheap sexual thrills by stretching into the shitting giraffe yoga stance.

This is the story "Boney Bruvs and the Three Gili's" : Part 2 this little Gili is too cold

 

Gili Meno (27^th – 31^st March 2015)



Just in case you forget where you are

Nice find at Tunai Cottages

     The next stop on our Gili Tour was the smallest of the three, Gili Meno. It’s incredibly easy to hop along the archipelago and with a bit of haggling you can grab one of the many small ferries for 40,000-60,000 IRP (£2-3). If Gili T is the largest and loudest of the three Gili Meno is small and timid. If the bar and clubs aren’t your thing then Meno maybe for you. Sure the island receives the least amount of visitors but that only adds to the islands appeal. The area around the pier is dotted with a few stores, homestays and the odd hotel with diving school but retains the feel of a tropical landscape.

Rusty's looks good but beware of the bedbugs

Accommodation is cheap although most places stick to solely twin or double bed bungalows but standards in some places may be a little below standard as our experience proved. After jumping off the ferry we checked two or three guesthouses close to the pier and opted for “Rusty Bungalows” (right next to the pier). Rusty’s place looked impressive with an adjacent restaurant, well-kept grounds and sturdy bungalows and even though it was a little more expensive than its neighbours we thought we ought to treat ourselves. After chilling out for an hour I discovered I had around 50 bites on my back. I checked the mattress…..nothing. I checked the pillow case…….nothing. Then I checked the mosquito net which was hanging around the back of the head board and the sight was astonishing. The whole netting was wriggling with hundreds of bed bugs. Luckily we hadn’t yet unpacked or stayed the night (otherwise we may have both looked like the elephant man) and after a little arguing with the staff they moved us to another bungalow (which we checked thoroughly this time) as we didn’t want to lose our fee. Needless to say after one night we were out of there and moved to another homestay down the road. “Tunai Cottages” as its known is around 800 meters inland from the pier and is run by a nice Indonesian couple. We paid 200,000 per night (£10) with breakfast, twin room, A/C and en-suite bathroom & shower which when split between the two of us wasn’t bad at all.

I hate it when the pools overcrowded

     

Nice day to top up the tan
(or as it turned out sunburn)

As with Gili T we started off with a tour around the island. There are a few bikes for hire on Meno although there’s no real point forking out the cash as a walk around the coastal track takes around an hour and if you want to get from one side to the other quickly there are plenty of roads dissecting the islands interior. The islands small turtle sanctuary is located a few hundred metres south of the pier and the project is happy to take small donations from visitors looking to watch the young turtles motoring around one of four paddling pools. Although Meno has the same wildlife on offer as its neighbours it seems that due to the greater expanses of natural habitat visitors have a much better chance of seeing some fauna. The western side of the island is dominated by a large salt water lake which we soon discovered is a great place to see clusters of the giant wood spider (Nephila Maculata). These arachnids are common across Asia and the females reach a size of 20cm in length (the males are much smaller at 6-7mm). Although harmless its still quite unnerving walking around the maze of large webs (up to 2m diameter) which are rumoured to have silk strong enough to catch small birds.

Find all the spiders if you can



Bruvs with snorkels

     Feeling a little bit arachnophobic we quickly moved on towards the north-west side of the island, hired a snorkel set for 20,000 IRP (£1) for the day and settled in at “Balenta Restaurant & Bungalows” for some light lunch. This cheap eatery is a great spot to hit the reef from and if you grab some grub the staff will look after your possessions while you snorkel to your heart’s content.   

found my first wild turtle

     This was our first ever time snorkelling and it turned out to be a real highlight of Indonesia. After passing beyond the quiet, lifeless remnants of the bleached reef close to the shore you quickly become immersed in one of the world’s most diverse ecosystems. I’m no expert of tropical fish but I can safely say we saw every character in Finding Nemo, including our first sighting of a turtle in its natural habitat. I’m sure if we had the funds to do our scuba certificates we could have seen sharks and rays but I think for the snorkelers a turtle is the cherry on top. When they come into view from the immense void of the open ocean the feelings magical. We snorkelled on three occasions during our stay on Meno and saw turtles every day. The current is calm and the visibility top notch and if you hire a snorkel you can avoid the large groups of snorkelling day trippers from the neighbouring islands.

    
 If you’re looking for nightlife you may want to try one of the neighbouring Gili’s. Meno is a quiet as the grave in the evenings and few bars & restaurants stay open past 11pm, however as we were planning on spending our birthday on Gili Air we put up with a little bit of boredom with the promise of the looming full moon party.

This is the story "Boney Bruvs and the Three Gili's" : Part 1 the Big Gili thats too hot

Gili Trawangan (25th – 27th March 2015)

     It took the fast boat around an hour and a half to reach the largest of the Gili Islands, Gili T (after stopping by mainland Lombok, Gili Air and Meno). Even during the low season it’s clear from the outset that the islands are the most popular tourist destination in the region and our boat was packed to the point where some people had to stand for the duration. The ferrymen seem to put safety to the back of their minds in favour of a little extra Wonga. After chatting to a few passengers the range of ticket prices was astounding. A German couple sat behind me claimed they paid 500,000 IRP (£25), a middle aged Frenchman next to me settled for 600,000 IRP (£30) but the worst deal had been made by a young Dutch guy who had been utterly rinsed at 1,100,000 IRP (£55). A lot of the tourist on board were clearly not backpackers looking for a good deal and were quite happy to take the first price offered at face value. This is fine if you have more money than sense but as with most countries in Asia, Indonesian’s expect to haggle. Jono and I bought our fast boat tickets direct from the ferry terminal for 200,000 IRP (£10) and if you want to achieve such a saving following these tips.

A great example of outboard overkill

1.      Do not buy a fast boat/shuttle bus combo ticket: These tickets seems like a good idea as it seems relatively stress free and for the lazy tourist it’s a popular option. The downside is that you are likely to spend twice as much (or worse) as the bus companies take a large commission. If you like being crammed into a minibus and herded onto the boat like cattle take this option but it’s just as easy getting a bluebird cab (on the meter) if you’re a group of three or four people.

2.      Don’t believe everything the tourist information desks say: Many travel desk operators will try and spin a lie that the last fast boat leaves at around midday. This is a ploy to make you choose the shuttle bus in a mad panic. After spending a few days in Padang Bai I can safely confirm that boats leave almost every hour during daylight hours.

3.      Spend some time in Padang Bai haggling for the best price: Padang Bai used to be a bustling backpacker pit stop until the bus companies started selling boat tickets. Nowadays so many tourists travel through the town quickly thus causing incomes to fall in town. It’s sad for the locals but it does mean you can haggle and achieve great discounts.

4.      Avoid the open return ticket: I fail to understand why people take this option. Most of the ticket providers will pressure you into buying an “open return” and will claim it’s the best way to reach the islands as you can return whenever you want for no added cost. What they fail to tell you is that an open ticket costs three times as much (cheapest we saw was 600,000 IRP) and if you can get a one way ticket for 200,000 IRP in Padang Bai you can do the same on the Gili’s.

     Even with half a glimpse from a portside window it’s clear to see what makes these islands so popular. Each member of this archipelago breaks through the turquoise surf like pimples of tropical flora, flanked by soft white sand beaches and enveloped by bordering reef. Where the islands differ is in their size and persona. 

     In the case of Gili T it’s larger and louder than its smaller siblings. The main strip close to the pier is populated by a plethora of bars and clubs specializing in almost solely reggae during the day and moving onto house and trance in the evening. The presence of “Tir Na Nog” Irish bar confirms that this island is dilute of any Indonesian culture unless you count the sporadic spacing of the locally owned warung cafés serving great Indo cuisine.

Oh that's where flip flops come from

     We checked into “Andy Homestay” which sat quite nicely at the extreme budget end of the accommodation spectrum (80,000 IRP for a double room). The fairly standard dingy, mosquito ridden room with little natural light and a fan with the strength of a butterfly flapping it wings wasn’t great for a good night sleep but on Gili T that’s the least of your concerns. Your main thought is exploring land and sea by whichever means you can afford. For Jono and I this meant grabbing a bike. There are so many touts offering bikes, snorkels and fins it never takes long to find a good deal. We paid 40,000 IRP (£2) to hire a bicycle for the day and luckily for us Gili T is large enough to have a decent track around its coastal perimeter. Using bikes is definitely the best way to get around Gili T and a full tour of the island will take around an hour even at a casual pace. We were a little bit dumb and forgot to hire a snorkel during our time on the island (although we did get our act together on Gili Meno & Air) and as we discovered later in our Gili tour there is nothing better than finding a quiet stretch of beach and swimming out over the reef. On this occasion we had to settle with swimming and sun bathing (it’s a hard life).

Nice view of Lombok

      The ride around the island was extremely pleasant and allowed for great views of the volcanic peaks on Bali. The disappointing thing for me though was seeing the impact of tourism on the natural environment (especially on the North and South of the island). Out of all the islands Gili T is the most developed and the entire seafront is dominated by relatively new luxury bungalow resorts. This would be fine if the island had the natural resources to match but it doesn’t. Drinking water has to be imported as the islands water supply dwindles due to the presence of hundreds of swimming pools and power cuts are a regular occurrence due to an elevated demand for electricity to run A/C systems. Judging by the amount of construction work it will not be long until all available space is consumed by unnecessary accommodation.

Just swim out to that buoy

     Despite this there are still isolated spots of beach free from hassle from restaurants and resorts. The beach on the South East side of the island is a popular spot for surfing and it’s easy enough to rent a board. The waves are breaking on the edge of the reef so you have to take some care but if your surf skills are limited like mine then you can always grab a lesson or some decent advice before heading out. The south coast is a great place to end the day as it offers the best views at sunset looking out across the Lombok Sea towards Bali with the occasional sighting of turtles coming to the surface to breath.

   When it comes to food Gili T offers every Indonesian and western dish available but our favourite bargain option can be found at the food market once evening descends and the fishing boats return with the days catch. Prices vary on the size of the cut but a typical sized helping can be bought for 40,000 IRP and the seafood was the freshest you could ever wish for. I tried some grilled Mahi-Mahi (as I wanted something you can’t find in the UK) and it was top notch.  

    
 We both had a great time on Gili T but the island does sit on the overly touristic side of the spectrum, almost to the extent where if it wasn't for the reefs you wouldn't know you were in Indonesia. You could be on a Greek Island. This is fine in small doses but its not long before we both felt like moving on to try something different. Hence the slightly obscure Goldilocks reference.