Numerous advertisements on the Internet and on tourist brochures talk about the paradise island of Bali. And according to the classics, you immediately imagine snow-white beaches, the azure ocean and hundreds of palm trees hanging down to the water itself. But everyone who expects such landscapes from Bali is in for a big disappointment: there is nothing like this in the popular resorts of the island. You come to Kuta beach and see: gray sand, unclear ocean and it’s good if there are two palm trees per square kilometer. Around some crazy amount of people, noise, exhaust gases from numerous bikes, paradise, is that you?
The truth is that Bali is a very different kind of vacation. People come here for the tropical greenery, coolness and magic of Ubud or to learn Zen, meditate overlooking the majestic Agung, to surf and eat two dozen mangoes with dragonfruit. But the Cote d'Azur is next door. On the islands called Gili.
Meno, Eyre, Trawangan
Three micro islands, which until recently were uninhabited, and today have become a favorite vacation spot for many tourists, are just a couple of hours boat trip from Bali. There is snow-white sand, crazy views of the mountains and palm trees of the nearest island of Lombok, boats and yachts moored to the shore, and from every street warung you can hear the sounds of reggae, interrupted by the clatter of hooves.
The largest of the three Gili islands - Trawangan- reminded me a lot of Maafushi in the Maldives. It is noisy, partyy and great for young people who come on vacation to have fun and drink cocktails from Balinese arak on the beach with loud music.
You can get around the island on foot, by bike or horse-drawn carriage. This is generally a feature of Gili: everything from garbage collection to the delivery of food and tourists to hotels takes place in special carts driven by horses. Animals are dressed up in bright capes, the reins are decorated with bells and bells, it looks very elegant! On a bicycle, I rode around the perimeter of Trawangan in about 40 minutes. This is a very picturesque road along the coast, the views are magnificent! Gili Meno - the second largest island, it is quieter and calmer here than on Trawangan. There are underwater sculptures near which tourists love to take photos. Meno also has cafes and bungalows for every budget. The island is less crowded than Trawangan and more suitable for a romantic secluded getaway. Gili Air is considered the best for snorkeling or freediving.
What to do in Gili?
People go to the islands to spend a romantic island on the beach or to go diving and snorkeling. There are stunning coral reefs and underwater statues that tourists love to take pictures with. You can still eat a lot and tasty and go to spas for relaxing massages and beauty treatments.
In the evenings, we went to the beach restaurant to eat seafood and listen to musicians perform. They sing as if they are preparing for the Eurovision performance, very beautiful! And anyone can come up and sing along with them into the microphone.
In principle, this is where the list of entertainment ends. There are no attractions or excursions here, only absolute relaxation and doing nothing. I got bored pretty quickly and wanted to be active.
Once I got to a party dedicated to the Full Moon - it's the day of the full moon. Here it is loved and celebrated every month. There are several beach parties around the island, with fireworks, fireworks and dancing on the sand to loud music.
How to get to Gili?
There are ferries and speed boats from Bali to Gili. They depart from the port of Padang Bai as well as from Sanur, Nusa Dua and Amed. It takes about 2.5 hours to get to Trawangan, and at a price of 400 thousand rupees one way. You can also fly by plane to Lombok(40 minutes) for about $50, get to Bangsal port by taxi (about 1.5 hours ) and from there take a speed boat that will reach Trawangan in about 15 minutes.
