Exploring the Gili Islands

As I shared in an Instagram post a few weeks ago, “And to imagine, I almost didn’t go to the Gili’s on my trip to Indonesia! Thanks to a client recommendation I added a few days to explore these three small islands off the coast of Lombok. They were incredible so it’s hard to pick a favorite but just off the shore of the smallest island, Gili Meno, are 48 life-size human sculptures, formed in a circle.” I will share more about the Gilis underwater in a future post but this is about my trip to these gorgeous isalnds off the coast of Bali.

Depending on your mode of transportation the Gilis can take a few hours to nearly a full day to get to from Bali but with no time to waste I went with the fastest option and took the ferry there, booking tickets on the Bluewater Express from Serangan to Gili Trawangan, a ride which two and a half hours. So many things surprised me – I knew there were no cars but I was not expecting the horse and buggies. I also really liked the wild goats that roamed the island.

While on the Gilis – my first stop in Indonesia. I took in as much of the nature and water as I could.  I enjoyed fresh fish, finished a book laying on one of the amazing bean bags on the beach, rode my bike around the island, and booked both snorkling and scuba diving adventures!

I stayed on the far side of Gili Trawangan, strategically picking my hotel because that was the side of the island which faced mainland Bali, had the view of the volcano, and was the direction the sunset in.  I actually planned my whole day to ensure I would be back in time for the sunset (nearly 6pm every day, all year, because of the location on the Equator) and took two turns on the famous swing. 

Do the Gili Islands look like a place you would want to visit?