Gili's the truth island

Just off the north-west coast of mainland Lombok are three island dots that barely register on the map. No motorbikes, no crowds, no worries. Welcome to the real island vacation.

"One hundred thousand boss", pitched the guy at the pony transport office, "sixty", I replied, fully prepared to meet him at seventy to stifle any protracted haggling for an hour's ride around Meno island. "Forty", he countered quickly without blinking. Negotiating services in the backwaters of Indonesia were clearly going to be less of a headache than previously anticipated as here we find ourselves on the pristine and desolate shoreline of Gili Meno, a fifteen-minute boat ride from neighbouring big brother Trawangan but several centuries removed from the modern world. It's the real Indonesia, what visitors travelling to Bali expect to find but can no longer access thanks to a hundred bulldozer blockades and a thousand 'proyek' signs on luxury villa complexes. Here in the lesser-frequented Gilis of Meno and Air development is, as yet, almost entirely unheard of.

The point of entry to this island paradise is still the party central Trawangan, where the daily fast boats dock at the tiny jetty from Bali delivering hundreds of backpacking travellers and an ever increasing flock of affluent jet set types to a different kind of tropical island experience. Many never make it any further than the beach bars and restaurants where raucous all night parties give way to stunning sunrises over Mount Rinjani as boatloads of early morning divers gear up for the first descent of the day.

Trawangan has, over the course of the last year, emerged as a luxury destination in its own right (thanks largely to the vast number of top end villas that have been springing up), signalling the arrival of big money to what was not so long ago a haven for dreadlocked European types on a gap year 'experience'. It's still hard to resist the seductively slow and relaxed pace of life on the largest of the three islands where cars and motorbikes are outlawed and the preferred method of transport is the humble mountain bike or local 'cidomo' (pony trap, often helmed by a ten year old pilot). Villa Baruna is our elected home base for the first couple of nights, a modern 'home from home' perfect for families or large groups and a bargain compared to the room rates of other such comparable properties on the island. Situated around a hundred metres back from the south beach area you can still navigate your way to the heart of the bar and restaurant scene in a little less than ten minutes by bike but be warned - the journey back home after a stop at Rudy's Bar can take up to four hours for reasons one can discover for oneself. Villa Baruna is a quiet alternative to living on 'the strip' and boasts its own crew of helpers and houseboys who'll run errands and tend to the preparation of meals and other such duties while you make the most of poolside sun worshipping.

If you are short on family members or travelling in a smaller group but still looking for quality accommodation then it's worth checking out Manta Dive with average rates of IDR 450,000 –650,000 depending on high and low season occupancy. With probably the best mid range accommodation choice Manta Dive has eight beautiful Lombok style rice barn bungalows with funky outside bathrooms. Dive and accommodation packages are also available. Karma Kayak are a slightly more affordable option in the region of IDR 350,000 – 550,000 a night, offering large bungalows decorated in their own individual style: Caribbean, African, Oriental and Sasak (indeginous Lombok). Situated right at the end of the beach away from the bars and restaurants Karma Kayak is a perfect choice for utter serenity. The Karma girls offer kayaking adventures over the straits to Meno and Air and the trip is an experience worth the effort! If you prefer to be in the heart of the action then Tir Na Nog (or The Irish as it's commonly referred to on the island) have a number of rooms out back of the restaurant and bar area in the region of IDR 350,000 – 500,000. The central location of the villas and rooms is a perfect choice for the party crowd; clean, spacious and secure the restaurant has several private cushioned gazebos with DVD players and televisions and a thousand movies to choose from – the perfect way to kill a lazy afternoon if the heavens should open. Pondok Lita is set back from the strip towards the village area of Trawangan but remains a backpacker's favourite recommended by the Rough Guide to Bali and Lombok. Eight quiet fan or air-conditioned rooms with western standard bathrooms surround a small secluded garden in a family atmosphere, and are priced from IDR 130,000 – 200,000.


Dinner is a major event on Trawangan with the entire population of visitors gravitating to the north beach area to any number of restaurants and cafés lining the paved strip. Blue Marlin Café offers a varied international menu during the day and reputedly the best grilled sea fish on the island in the evenings - try the salads or grilled trevally in garlic with one of their fresh juices. Breakfast and lunch is an easy choice with Coco coffee shop being, by far, the best option for Illy coffees, delicious home made cakes and freshly filled and oven baked baguettes that are even better than you can find on mainland Bali. Horizontal is a funky top end bar, restaurant and sometimes club with the best western food on the island if the owner or his wife are in the kitchen. Try the strawberry margaritas or mint mojitos and lounge on the oversized beach cushions during the day. Scallywags serves up cuisine from northern Spain's Basque region made with fresh organic locally sourced ingredients. The pan seared coral trout with manchego salad and the tempura sardines drizzled with apple sauce are both worth checking out. Tir Na Nog remains very popular with just about everyone. The Irish 'Shipwrecked Bar' and restaurant is the hub of the strip. Full on BBQ, beef and Guinness pies with mash and gravy and the best pizza on Trawangan - all at sensible prices.

The main attraction on Trawangan, apart from the parties and bar shenanigans (and the sole reason the island even exists on the tourist maps), is the sheer number of high quality dive sites scattered around this particular part of Northwest Lombok. The three Gilis are recognised as one of Indonesia's top areas for scuba diving with a reputation for being the 'turtle capital of the world'. Year round water temperatures average about 28 degrees celsius often with infinite visibility and are well suited to beginners and experienced divers alike. There are about 18 dive sites around the three islands, with a variety of topography (slopes, walls, ridges and canyons) and an enormous amount of diverse marine life including white tip reef sharks, lots of turtles (hawksbill and olive ridley), lionfish, scorpion fish, cuttle fish and octopus, moray eels, sea snakes, different types of rays (blue – spotted, eagle and from December to March - manta rays) not to mention schools of bump head parrot fish every full moon and the occasional whale shark. Han's Reef on Gili Air is fast becoming renowned for excellent 'muck diving' where divers can see rare critters like frogfish, pink - leafed scorpion fish, flying gunard, mantis shrimp, nudibranches, pygmy seahorses, robust ghost pipefish, blue ringed octopus and ringed pipefish; the opportunities are literally endless.

There are several dive outfits located on Trawangan that boat divers out to the offshore walls and deeper trenches. All are PADI certified with the most popular being Manta Dive, Blue Marlin and Big Bubble. Both Manta and Blue Marlin have now set up operations on Gilis Air and Meno meaning that access to some of the lesser-frequented dive sites is even more convenient for visitors staying on either island. It isn't until you actually set foot on Meno and Air that you realise just how frantic life on Trawangan is by comparison.

Bali starts to form in your imagination as a distant nightmare for on these islands you really are living a castaway life. Don't expect any electricity during the day, there's no gourmet dining anywhere to be found on either island and a cold beer can easily assume the form of a luxury item given how isolated your surroundings are.

There's a choice of small time villa and hut operations that stretch from the jetty on the south side and past Sunset Gecko - charming and well-situated traditional two-storey bamboo and wood beach houses. Continue around the shoreline and you'll find one of the best accommodation options there is on Gili Meno – Shack 58. This is something entirely unique to the islands with an array of rooms either air-conditioned or au natural in the outside barugas. Here you can sleep with the ocean literally at the end of your bed. A short island hop to Gili Air and the accommodation options are more plentiful, as is the backpacker 'feel' that you would have found on Gili Trawangan ten years ago. Pick of the bunch is the new Sejuk Cottages. Each cottage is independently styled using traditional Lombok wood and alan alang thatched roofing. The upstairs chill out area above the bedrooms of two of the cottages boast hammocks and a cushioned space in which to soak up the breeze and be that bit closer to nature. The Gili Air Hotel is a favourite amongst Italian visitors during August and is the nearest you will find to resort style living whilst on the island.

Just across the channel separating Gili Air from mainland Lombok a rather unusual project has taken shape on Sire beach adjacent to the golf course. A testament to the heritage, culture and artistic legacy of the people of Lombok, the Tugu Group has recently completed work on their latest property that features antiquities and artwork originating from the period of history surrounding the past several hundreds of years of Lombok: from the ancient Hinduism period of Lombok; the time of the influences from the Arabic merchants and the Chinese immigrants; the period when the Sasaks were colonized by the Dutch occupation in 1674 to the revolt that signaled their departure in 1894. Anybody already familiar with Tugu Bali or Tugu Malang will know what to expect from Tugu Lombok- a blend of deep research of culture in beautiful landscape and magical atmosphere. The project is a spellbinding trip into a forgotten chapter of Indonesian history with every aspect of the traditional lifestyles of the native Lombok people being transposed into the 21st century.

What Tugu continues to achieve is a commitment to preserving the national identity of Indonesia. The Anhar family behind all the properties stand defiantly against the 'dumbing down' of the Republic's posthaste charge into blithe western modernism. Visiting any Tugu Hotel is comparable to staying in a luxurious museum where every artifact has been granted new life to breathe forgotten tales of intrigue and mystery into the guest's subconscious. Service here is incomparable to any of the five star resorts in Bali or anywhere else in the world for that matter, Tugu simply sets the standard in hospitality excellence. The property at Sire Beach is both miles behind and ahead of its time but contradictions are the very lifeblood of the underlying concept that has themed Tugu Lombok. One can almost visualize a thousand travel agents across the Asian region shaking their heads in disbelief, but when Tugu Lombok throws open its gates later this month any critics remaining in the audience will be silenced in a flash.

What will happen to Lombok in the next few years is anyone's guess. The massive investment from the Middle East will see an Asian super resort take shape where The Novotel currently resides in the Kuta area. Leaked plans show a vast percentage of the south starting to resemble a grander version of Nusa Dua with manicured golf courses, a rumored Armani hotel and giant seaport amongst other 'attractions' for the super wealthy.

It's a case of now or never for visitors to Bali's less frequented cousin. Guide reports of the Sasak people being aggressive, untrustworthy and dangerous are wildly inaccurate. The environment is pristine compared to that of Bali and the spirit of adventure in this very special part of the archipelago remains strong. Step off the beaten track for a few days and discover a far-flung side to Indonesia, it's right on your doorstep.

All Gili accommodation, activities and transport is easily booked online at gili-paradise Email:info@gili-pardise.com or locally in Bali at Island Promotions:

The Gili Paradise Shop
Poppies Lane One, Kuta
0361 753 241

For more information on Tugu Lombok contact:
Hotel Tugu Lombok
Sire Beach
0370 620 111