WA Road Trip: Coral Bay to Canaervon

Our pal Raphael (image courtesy of our friend Bastiaan Terhorst)

Saturday 6^th June 2015

Leaving the national parks and pristine beaches of Exmouth in our wake it dawned on us that during the excitement we had totally forgotten that it had been an entire year since leaving the lush meadows of home. 365 days of adventure, cultural enlightenment and personal enrichment gained by experiences obtained across 27 countries. They say that time flies when you’re having fun and if that’s true we must have had a cracking good time as it only seemed like the blink of the eye. The celebrations would have to wait until the evening as this band of blokes had a busy day ahead.

The southern reaches of the stunning "Ningaloo Reef"

Around 150km South of Exmouth just off the “Minilya Exmouth Road” is the tiny holiday settlement of Coral Bay. Like Exmouth Coral Bay is famous around Australia for its close proximity to the vast Ningaloo Reef and as such offers is a great place to scuba, fishing and snorkelling. As we only had one day in town we focussed on the latter and grabbed some snorkels and masks from one of the tour provider outlets close to the beach. The beach was relatively busy and judging by the swathe of silver heads on beach towels it turned out the small hamlet is a popular holiday spot for Australians of an older demographic or those with families. A bit like the southern hemisphere equivalent of Skegness or Blackpool (If the malnourished donkeys were swapped for pelicans and the floating sewage replaced by abundant pristine marine life).

Another turtle! I think I will call you Donatello (image courtesy of our friend Dave Fowler).

It helps to act like floating drift wood i you want to get close to these chaps.

Keen to escape the overcrowding in the shallow bay we wandered south around the headland to a snorkelling spot the tourist information desk had suggested. Swimming a few meters out the first thing that’s immediately obvious is that this place definitely lives up to the name. The sections of reef we accessed from beaches in Exmouth were great but Coral Bay blows them out of the water. The sheer scale of the coral blooms is incredible. It almost feels like your swimming through an alien landscape from the movie “Avatar”. The healthy condition of the reef was backed up by the diversity of marine life. Tons of fish of multiple colours and sizes living in a complex habitat alongside a plethora of molluscs, bivalves and crustaceans. Like Exmouth the highlight of the day had to be the turtles which seemed to be all over the place. Dave and I stalked one of these incredible creatures for what seemed like hours. Hypnotised by its effortless motions and carefree demeanour. Coral Bay definitely tops our ever growing list of snorkelling spots and if you’re ever in the area it makes for a brilliant day trip.

If snorkelling or diving doesn’t interest you the talc like beach is a great spot to waste the day away and is pretty well sheltered by small row of dunes at the mouth of the bay. 

good camouflage

With a lack of free accommodation in town we all helped ourselves to a free hot shower in the adjacent holiday park before grabbing a few crates of Emu and a birthday cake from the local corner shop and trundled 100km south to the closest free camp site. The small patch of dusty land ran alongside some bush land making it easy to find enough dry wood for a campfire. The birthday bonanza meant that we finally had an excuse to dust off the “shit shirts” we bought each other in Yangshuo, China all those months ago. We even bought some sparklers to complement the highly flammable polyester and create some awesome shapes in a landscape devoid of artificial light.  

watch the sparks doof you'll go up like a Christmas tree 

Sunday 7^th June 2015

I suppose after a week of activities it was inevitable that we would have a day of boredom and Sunday 7^th June 2015 was such a day.  A day staring at the sun scorched tarmac isn't the most exciting thing in the world but at least it was comforting to know that just over the horizon sat the dolphin hot spot of Monkey Mia.

We stopped for lunch in the town of Carnarvon, which naturally lacks the historic importance of its Welsh counterpart but does share the same humble atmosphere as a safe refuge for leisure craft and those who live off the seas fruits. The town is a popular pit stop thanks to a decent sized supermarket and nice public parks with communal BBQ’s and washing facilities. If you’re stick of sitting in a smelly car, eating pot noodle all day just find such a spot, crack open the burgers and get your fill. It’s a luxury you can’t get in the UK thanks mostly to the damp climate and the fact that if there were public barbeques they would probably be used as disposal points for dog shit.

scenic spot. I just hope the mosquitoes bug off 

The evening campsite was nestled on the banks of the Wooramel River and offered a pretty luxurious base considering it was free. With plenty of dead driftwood to burn, an hours’ worth of Wi-Fi and clean toilets it’s no surprise the spot was extremely popular with the aged campervan and Winnebago dwellers. If anything we were something of an oddity for these retired ramblers and it probably explains that contrary to the last few weeks many of them seemed keen to chat. By far the weirdest and eventually most annoying was a rough bearded Australian who looked like someone you would expect to see on a documentary about Big Foot sightings. He appeared from the gloom whilst we were tucking into our dinner and just stood in front of us starring into the flames of the camp fire. Stunned and scared out of our skins we stared back in silence until Dave asked him what he wanted to which the wiry haired chap said “just wanted a quick talk as we haven’t seen many backpackers about” (not sure why he said we as he was on his own). I think the definition of quick chat is a bit different out here because he continued to stand by the fire a talk for two and a half hours. This wouldn't have bothered us too much if the topic of conversation was interesting but he continued to stick to his guns and talk car mechanics (which none of us gave two shits about); foreign policies, which mostly revolved around how there are too many immigrants (again another strange topic to grace a bunch of foreigners with) and how their prime minister Tony Abbott was in his words “a c**t” (which I happen to agree with. He wants to drill for oil beneath the Great Barrier Reef). Eventually the chap ran out of steam and wondered back through the gloom to his campervan. I don’t mean to sound unapproachable and we have had many occasions where starting a conversation with other travellers is a great way to break the tedium but he was the sort of bloke that left me wondering whether his campervan was full of the belongings of murdered backpackers. We are after all in a country that contains paces like Wolf Creek and people like Ivan Milat (If you don’t know what I’m on about just Google it). 

The Perfect Storm: Deserted at Desert Point

23^rd – 24^th April 2015




Bungs Bunga Bay

I had never heard of Bunga Bunga Bay before, in fact I’m still sure the guys had the name mixed up with a Servio Berlesconi party. Despite the area having a name that a UKIP politician would give to any African nation the scene that greeted the crew at sunrise after a pretty rough first night was pretty special. The bay itself was enclosed by vegetation rich hills on three sides. The shallow natural harbour gave the sea a beautiful opal tint and the sound of small fishing boats motoring on out to the open sea comingled with the sound of the sloshing tide. The spot would have been a nice place to waste a day if it wasn’t for the unsheltered western flank. The decision to lay anchor here was solely to provide rest bite from the swelling tide and sadly the shallow bay was not all that suitable. The Strikly Bizness uncontrollable swaying left Storm no choice but to change his plans and search for a more suitable site of anchorage. After consulting Ben and Josh our colleagues set course for Desert Point on the South Eastern tip of the island.

Anchorage close to Desert Point

It took perhaps an hour to relocate and satisfied the ship was not going to capsize Storm set out the day’s agenda. After a hearty fry up with vegemite (naturally) we lowered the dingy o explore desert point. The area is famous with surfers for some of the largest waves in Lombok and as keen surfers Ben and Josh was keen to get stuck in. Sadly the conditions were not favourable due to changes in the tide but we were able to make use of the snorkels and fins. We had last snorkelled in the Gili Islands where we had a great time exploring reefs overpopulated by tourists. The great thing about Desert Point is that although the reefs are in no way as large as in the Gilis, they are pristine and untouched. Being landlocked in central England for our entire lives certainly made us feel inadequate amongst the lads who thrived on or in the ocean. Storm, Josh and Ben are all used to free diving which enabled them to get up close with the reef life.  After a few hours we returned to the small bay where the Strikly Bizness was waiting and made landfall for the first time since leaving Bali to grab a bite to eat in a small fishing village. The locals were pretty surprised to see tourist which was nice to see. When we visited the island after the Gili’s we were restricted to the tourist traps and never really felt we saw the “Real Lombok”. After a bit of asking around we managed to find a nice elderly lady willing to cook up some fish and rice. As we tucked into a ”nice” meal of un-gutted fish served with rice and banana fritters Josh caused a bit of a stir when he paid with a 100,000 IRP note. Awestruck by the payment the locals offered to put on a cock fight with their prized chickens and even let Josh spend the night in the village with the elderly ladies daughter (which left Josh a little awestruck too). Sadly we were on a mission and therefore a tight schedule and as the evening drew in we all knew it was time to move on.

Getting ready to snorkel at Desert Point

Consistent with the prior evening he heavens opened as we left Desert Point which once again left us with a shite night passage. The only consolation was that the trip around the South Eastern tip of Lombok to Blongas Bay would only take a few hours tops. Confident I would avoid the call up for watch I set about making the most of a slightly calmer sleep in my cabin. The cockroaches were final starting to recede now that the bombs were doing the job and I had final found a way to wedge myself in the bunk with some spare clothes. stale, warm air remained pungent and uncomfortable and there was no way of removing it as the bad weather meant all hatches had to remain closed but despite this I managed a few hours of uninterrupted rest. That was until I realised I was time for my watch and we hadn’t laid anchor.

The short trip had meant the agreed watch schedule had changed and after giving me the desired bearings Storm left me at helm with Ben. Neither of us were keen to be up. The precipitation was the kind that was neither heavy nor cold but retained an undying energy that crushed all prayers for even the slightest break in weather. We gritted our teeth and bared the misery for a whole hour and half before the rain began to die. The unpopulated coastline in this part of Lombok made the night feel much darker than during my first shift but even with the vale of shadow it was still possible to make out the silvery reflection of moonlight on the cliffs and headlands. As we turned towards the mouth of Blongas Bay our vision was helped by the electric lights on the wooden pontoons laid out by the local seaweed and lobster farmers. Satisfied we had a clear path Ben picked out a path towards safe anchorage and pressed our vessel forward while I set about sticking to course using the light between the sails to hold the line without looking at the compass. No sooner had the ship reached parallel with the two headlands Ben and I suddenly spotted an object floating amongst the gloom on the Portside. “What the hell is that?” Ben said. It kind of looked like a box or a chunk of floating Styrofoam at first but slowly grew into a much larger structure. Suddenly aware of what it was Ben suddenly turned to me and screamed “pontoon portside, hard turn to starboard”. As he hastily moved to my side I turned the helm as quick as possible away from the obstacle whilst Ben slowed the engine down to allow the ship to idle along. By this time the others had quickly woken from their unsettled sleep and assumed positions at the front of the yacht to relay information to Storm. It took over an hour to creep into Blongas and by the time we found safe anchorage away from any pontoons I was well and truly knackered. If we had hit just one floating platform it may have had devastating consequences to our voyage and even resulted in injuries to the rest of the crew but taking the risk to attempt such ventures and overcoming challenges is all part of taking the step away from convenient, tedious travel.

Leaving Desert Point

As with Bunga Bunga Bay, Blongas retained that same Lombok feel. The early morning mist burns away quickly here as the intense beams of sunshine highlight the beautiful turquoise bowl. The pontoons that caused so much stress to us the night before were now occupied by the local seaweed farmers. Storm and the gang were still keen to find a decent surf spot on Lombok’s south coast and despite the hype Blongas didn’t really cut the mustard with this group of beach bums. The harvesting of the seas fruits meant that many of the breakers were either obstructed or not large enough for decent surfing. Once again this meant another short stay as our sights turned to a bay that we were familiar with Gerupuk, East of Kuta. Exiting Blongas in daytime was a hell of a lot easier and by 3pm we had passed Kuta and arrived in Gerupuk bay. Jono and I had visited Gerupuk briefly a few weeks before when we explored the region on scooter. We knew the area was exceptionally good for surfing but had also informed Storm that like Blongas the bay would not be the easiest to find safe anchorage due to an even greater mass of pontoons. Thankfully we had a secret weapon as a good friend of Ben’s was in Gerupuk and knew the region like the back of his hand and after an hour or so of dodging buoys, pontoons, shallow sand bars and small boats we finally made landfall outside a bar with Ben’s mate Dane waiting with the booze.

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.