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

5th of the ISC Tour

The Junior Tour of the ISC is already underway with four events completed at locations in Bali, Lombok, and Sumatra. Now the anticipation begins with Indonesia’s finest pro surfers all getting psyched up for the start of their season.

To briefly recap the 2008 pro tour season, West Java’s Dede Suryana took an early lead with a win at the opening event, the Quiksilver Pro at Keramas Beach in Gianyar in April. He didn’t get another win again until August at the Surf For Bali Kids event at Padma Beach, but finished in epic fashion with a victory at the Rip Curl Surf and Music Festival at Kuta Beach, the final event of the year.

The only other surfer with more than a single contest win during the season was Bali’s Garut Widiarta, who took home a win at the Quiksilver Open Lakeys at Lakey Peak in Sumbawa ( a six star prime event) in July and then won again at his home break of Kuta Beach at the Oakley OROKR Pro in August.

The third place finisher of the 2008 season was the 2007 champion, Lee Wilson. Lee didn’t get a win the entire season and still finished third, a tribute to his consistently high standard of performance. He only missed surfing in one event during the year, and even that was due to sponsor obligations.

In fourth place was young Raditya Rondi, a 20-year-old Kuta Beach native who also claimed the ISC Pro Junior Championship in 2008. He is already a well-travelled and very talented young man, currently in Australia competing in several pro junior events there.

Rounding out the top 5 was Made Awan from Serangan, who had his best ISC year so far: he got his first ever ISC pro win at the Rusty Rumble in da Jungle event at Sanur Beach and continued his run in the rankings with a semi-final finish at the Surf For Bali Kids event at Padma Beach, before ending the year in the quarter-finals at the Rip Curl Surf and Music Festival at Kuta Beach.


So what will it take to win the 2009 championship, and who has it? Lets start with the location lineup for where the tour will go this year.

First stop on the 2009 Coca-Cola ISC tour will be at nearby Sanur Reef in April-May. A 3 week waiting period from April 26 – May 16 will allow enough time to run the estimated 3 days of competition in the best possible conditions for the Rusty Rumble in da Jungle. Fickle, but known as one of the best right-handers in South East Asia for multiple tube rides when it’s on, it takes savvy and guts to take on this wave and exit unscathed and with big points.

The next stop will find the ISC crew and competitors exiting Bali to travel to West Java to surf at the cobblestone right hand point break of Cimaja, the home of current ISC champion Dede Suryana, for the Billabong West Java Pro. A high performance wave that provides ample opportunity for a mix of radical manoeuvres, it is a welcome return to a location that is enjoyed by the crew, the surfers and spectators alike.

Hopping over Bali to land on the island of Sumbawa in June, third stop on the tour is the Rip Curl West Sumbawa Pro, which will fire off with a 10 day waiting period going from June 10 – 20. After the success of the area’s first pro tour event last year, the Scar Reef Pro, this year’s contest has been expanded to include Supersucks and YoYo’s in addition to Scar Reef as contest venue sites.

With two world-class lefthanders and a quality and consistent right-hander, it should be an exciting and challenging event that offers great opportunities for both natural and goofy-foot competitors alike.

Though technically not part of the ISC Tour, the next event on the schedule will be the Rip Curl Cup Padang-Padang, back in Bali. In a new format this year, this specialised invitational event will draw top international surfers to Bali’s most picturesque and notorious left hand barrel to compete for the Rip Curl Cup. Several of the ISC’s top ranked surfers will receive invitations to be included in this event, which will be limited to 32 competitors and will have almost the entire month of August as its 30 day waiting period.

Next up the tour returns to the birthplace of surfing in Indonesia, Kuta Beach, for the Oakley O’ROKR Pro, a fun filled two day event during the height of tourist season and Indonesia’s Independence Day weekend, August 16-17. Many of the pro competitors have surfed this break of Halfways since their childhood, and they give the spectators a real show with super aggressive and crazy manoeuvres with nothing to fear from the sandy bottom beachbreak.

In October, Kuta Beach is again host to another tour event, the Rip Curl Surf and Music Festival on October 25th.