By : Chha
I've been planning for this Lombok + Rinjani trip for about a year now and it is now finally over, haha ! It is now time to write down my experience and share it with the world .. ! There are so many things that you can do when visiting Lombok. You can go scuba diving, snorkeling, island hopping or even to hike the famous Mount Rinjani. Well for me, i choose the tough road out, which is to hike Mount Rinjani but of course before the adventure begin, i take some time to enjoy and relax at the 3 famous Gili Islands which is located near to Lombok.
I don't have much time to spend relaxing myself at all the Gili Islands because my main aim of visiting Lombok is to hike Mount Rinjani, therefore i have to choose just one Gili Island to visit. The moment we touch down at Lombok International Airport we were already busy looking for food and getting transportation to get to Gili Island.
Food :
Location : Lombok International Airport
Getting To Gili Island :
Method 1 : (Source 2014)
- Take car from Lombok International Airport to Bangsal Ferry Terminal
- Take shuttle boat to any Gili Island
- Public shuttle boats from Bangsal operate twice a day, at 8.15am and 4.30pm.
- A ticket to the islands should cost less than IDR25,000, depending on which island you’re hopping off at.
Method 2 : (We use this method)
- Hire a car with drive from Lombok International Airport
- Take private speed boat from the same operator as the one we hire the driver and car to Gili Air
- Total cost : IDR 120,000 / person
You can get transport easily at Lombok International Airport. Once you exit the arrival hall, turn right and walk till the end, you will see transport counter on your left. There is where we get our car with driver and private speed boat to Gili Air.
So you might be wondering which Gili Island to go to ? Well for us, we choose Gili Air.
Gili Trawangan: The Party Island (Source)
The largest, most developed and most lively of the three Gili Islands, Gili Trawangan is also one of the world’s cheapest and safest places to learn to dive. With plenty of reputable dive schools to choose from. You can walk the sandy circumference of the island in around two hours or run it in just under an hour.
Gili Meno: The Romantic Escape (Source)
The smallest and quietest of the three Gilis, Gili Meno arguably has the best beaches of the lot swathes of white sand scattered with squat trees, fringed with crystal clear water. There's a definite honeymoon atmosphere that you can sense as soon as you step off the boat and see couples canoodling on the beach and thatched-roof huts for two lining the shoreline beyond them.
Gili Air: The Chill-Out Spot (Source)
Gili Air is the perfect blend of the other two Gilis. While it has similar facilities as Gili Trawangan with a number of the same restaurant and diving school franchises it is almost as peaceful as Gili Meno. There is a slight hippy feel to the island, think guitar strumming and Bob Marley tunes. It is also the only Gili where you can gaze across the sea for uninterrupted views of Lombok’s mountainous northern coast.
The moment i reach Gili Air, i can already see that there are a lot of people in the island, mostly tourist. The beach is clean and the sea is clear .. a beautiful island.
Horse carriage here is like their public transport, haha ! They are everywhere and you can hire them to either help transport your luggage or to transport yourself. Gili Air is a small island with most of the main restaurant, cafe and hotel are focused at one side of the island.
The eastern side of the island is lined with plenty of beach bars and restaurants. In terms of nightlife, there's more of a laid back, chill-out-over-a-Bintang-style bar culture and though there are places you can go to dance, clubbing is not a priority for Gili Air-goers. Having said that, full moon parties do take place here each month. (Source)
There are a couple of dive centres on Gili Air, and lots of places to hire bikes but we would not recommend riding a bikes because it can be hard going on the sandy roads (Source).
I am so in love with the white sandy beach here. The view here is simply amazing !
Especially during sunset, i can just sit here by the beach and enjoy the great view of the sea and mountains.
Hotel :
Other than having a lot of restaurant and bars, there are a lot of hotels here too. This makes finding a stay at Gili Air not a problem. Most of the hotel here are comfortable bungalows or dorm which are special and unique for tourist. The one i stay in is Captain Coconuts Gili Air.
Arriving at Lombok in the morning does not give me a lot of time to visit around Gili Air or even Lombok itself. The first day of my Lombok trip is basically searching for transport, searching for hotel and searching for food, haha ! By the time we check into hotel, it is already in the evening and i can only manage to have a brief walk in Gili Air before we head for dinner at Warung Bambu Gili Air then back to our hotel to rest. If you are interested in cooking class to learn how to cook Gili Air local dish, there is Gili Air Cooking Class available too.
Visited : July 2017
Click Here : Complete Travel List
Click Here : Complete Indonesia Travel List
Posted Date : 21 August 2017
Posted Time : 1.22 pm
Comments
Post a Comment