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Gili Trawangan - Not Your Gilligan Island November, 2007 |
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Hopping off the boat with a
collection of natives, a few baskets of chickens, piles of bananas, and
other restocking material, we headed up the single dusty main street in
search of accommodations. This settlement has everything from two-dollar
backpacker dives to high-end three hundred dollar a night resorts. We
settled in at the Pesona Guesthouse, recently remodeled with a welcoming
swimming pool fronting the main thoroughfare, a delightful Indian
restaurant and cozy outdoor bar, and a friendly owner in Kade. White sand beaches lapped by turquoise water provide snorkeling and diving opportunities, with a number of dive shops in town offering trips to the surrounding coral reefs. We contented ourselves with long walks around the island, relaxing in the warm sand, and swimming in the warm water. It takes about two hours to walk around the island, although bikes are available for hire. There are no cars or motor bikes allowed on the island, which adds to its considerable charm and tranquility. Pony buggies called Chidomo can be rented which will circle you round the island for a few dollars. Much of the island remains undeveloped, although we saw a lot of new construction going on, as it continues to attract tourists. In the past, colorful coral reefs surrounded the island, but over the years, the locals blew them up using dynamite for use in construction projects.Now, along the shore, fragments of these long gone reefs litter the shoreline, a sad reminder to these shortsighted actions. At night, this island comes alive with activity, as the nightly party rotates among the most popular bars. Loud music, cheap booze, balmy evenings, tropical freedom, it’s an exotic combination certain to stimulate your island fever. By day, hangovers are relieved by long sessions on the beach. Swimming through the waters one lazy morning, I was surprised to see two large turtles feeding along the bottom in the crystal clear waters, while another time, I was spooked by a three foot barracuda that sliced through the water.
We even managed to stay out past midnight a few nights with the younger group. One night they had a full moon party up the beach, with a live band playing well into the night. The whole island turned out to participate and the party extended well into the evening and probably to dawn, although by then we were safely in bed. The food was excellent and amazingly cheap, with fresh fish and salads and a great selection of food. Best of all, large glasses of gin and tonic were ninety cents. Many cafes played movies in outdoor cabanas, where people congregated under the stars to watch the fractured English dubbing that in itself was humorous. Our time on Gili Trawangan was the most fun we had on our entire trip. The days we spent here were magical, and I would run back here with the first opportunity. Tropical, festive, cheap, and peaceful, we have come to realize it is cheaper to live on the road than it is to live in California!
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If
you wanted to run away to a tropical island and disappear for a few
months, the Gili Islands might just be your ticket. Gili Trawangan
is the largest and most developed of three small islands off the
north coast of Lombok. During World War II, the Japanese occupied this
island and dug three caves, probably as storage for munitions. Hence the
name Gili Trawangan – in Indonesian, the island of three caves. Reached
by local boat from the small port of Bangsal on the coast of Lombok, it
is a fun place to visit, and was our home for ten days.
This
is a popular destination for the younger crowd, and we met some
interesting people on this island. A middle-aged group of men from
Belgium who had climbed one of the interior mountains, and now spent
their days at the massage parlors trying to relieve the aches and pains
in their bodies. Tori and Hannah, friends from their university days in
England, who were going to Sydney to find an apartment and some work.
Mike, the stockbroker from Canada, who is headed home in December to
restart his career. Rob and Curtis, two more Canadians who are traveling
for another six months. Curtis is very concerned about leaving his mark
in each country he visits, and wants to help in some way. Here he made
signs for the "save the turtles" sanctuary to help solicit donations. He
also helped one of the local merchants to create a refill your water
bottle recycling program. Then there was Will, a construction worker
from England, who took us under his wing and introduced us to many of
this group.
