The Gili islands are a little slice of heaven just off the north west coast of Lombok, Indonesia. Soft white sands and turquoise waters surround these small vehicle free islands. Relatively late to be discovered and converted for tourism, there is still a hippie vibe and restricted infrastructure. The only ways to get around are by foot, bike or horse drawn carriages which I would discourage you from taking due to the poor care taken of these beautiful animals with regard to overworking. You can travel to the Gili's by fast boats from Sanur, Amed or Sengiggi or slow passenger boats to Bansal. The Gili's were affected by the 2018 Lombok eathquake. Our trip was pre-earthquake, so although I can't comment on the current state, I believe the island has jumped back on it's feet quickly. There are 3 islands in the island chain; Gili Air which is quiet and recommended for families, Gili Meno which is even quieter and well suited to couples, and Gili Trawangan (or Gili T as it is referred to) which is the largest of the 3 and where we chose to stay. Gili T has a 7km walk around the outside and has the most restaurants, nightlife and tourists of the 3 island. There is certainly a party element around the main street in the south east corner of Gili T, and plenty of dive schools scattered around, but mostly just backpackers like us enjoying the laid back vibes. As you walk north, you can find quieter pockets right on the beach with easy access to the excellent restaurants and night food market. We decided to stay about 800m from the centre and this location was perfect for our family with plenty of small cafe's on the beach closeby but without all the noise of the main street. Be aware that Lombok is predominantly Muslim and expect the call to prayer to start your day somewhat earlier than you may have planned. For us, we were sufficiently jet lagged and this was no problem. The snorkelling around Gili T and Gili Meno is fabulous. You can join a group trip to a few different locations, but we decided to take a private tour for just our family so that we could head back once the kids had had enough. We saw many beautiful fish and a sea turtles. It is super easy to hire bikes on Gili T and it is a great way to get around. Many people will hire a bike for their entire stay and choose a peaceful resort on the north or west side of the island. We cycled around Gili T one afternoon and timed it for sunset at 'the sunset bar' on the west coast. Pretty fabulous living our best life drinking cocktails/mocktails on bean bags on the beach! Medical services on Gili T were suprisingly good. We have barely needed Dr's in all of our travels, but for some reason in our 5 days on Gili T, we had 3 visit's to the Dr. Recommendations of where to stay on Gili T: Laguna, Villa Ungal, Samba Villa's and Cassus Hotel. We stayed at Samba Villa's which we loved. There was an impressive buffet breakfast on the beach and a small pool for the children to cool off. The staff were super friendly and kind to the children. Favourite Cafe's:
Balenta and Casa Bonita Pizza
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