Gili Islands

After spending one week in Rapture I decided to go to the Gili Islands. Before heading there, I spent one night in Kuta. I didn’t see that much of Kuta, but my impression was that it is super touristy. So I think I didn’t miss much there. The next day I took a speed boat from Padang Bay to Gili Trawangan. My Airbnb host in Kuta helped me to organize the trip there. A pickup was included in the ticket as well and it cost me around € 40.

The boat ride itself took around two hours to Gili T and then I walked to my Airbnb accommodation, called Casa Tropical. The hosts were so friendly. If you are ever on Gili T, I can totally recommend them to you!

More to Gili, those three islands actually belong to Lombok and they consist of Gili Trawangan (biggest one), Gili Air and Gili Meno. Also check out this link for more information.

Gili T

I stayed on Gili T for three nights and I had a really good time there. It is totally laid back and chill on the island since there are no scooters or cars. People go around mostly by bike, walk or go with horses (which I would not recommend, because they did not seem to be treated nicely). There are also no real roads, and often the paths are not paved and only consist of sand. During those three days I explored the island by bike, saw the sunsets, went snorkeling and just chilled at the beach. The snorkeling trip was definitely my highlight since I saw so many fish!

My favorite spot for seeing the sunset was the Exile. I was there two times in a row because I liked it so much. There is also a swing where you can take very nice pics! I also enjoyed Café Kayu a lot, since I was there three times. For the best vegan food, you should definitely check out Pituq Waroeng. One of the best restaurants I’ve ever visited in my life!

On Gili T you should be aware that there are sooo many mosquitos. I think I got bitten almost 50 times. Make sure to bring some vape against them. Another negative aspect about Gili T is the poverty of the local people. It is no surprise that islands such as the Gilis are kind of behind. But I was still a little bit shocked when I actually faced the local living conditions.

Not so perfect..

It is a weird feeling to see on the one hand the resorts and nice accommodation and on the other hand the shelters of the locals. They seem to be totally poor people. I mentioned that fact also to some others travelling around and they said to me it is due to the recent earthquake that it seems messier. Whatever, in my personal view, I had an awkward feeling living the best life next to obvious poverty.

Taking everything into consideration, I had a really good time on Gili. Especially because of snorkeling, exploring the island and trying out the restaurants there. I’m not sure if I would ever come back. But you’ll never know and I can still recommend going there!

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