Lombok Islands

GILI AIR AND GILI ASAHAN

Gili Air

Half of March is spent on two islands off the northwest coast of Lombok.

The first is Gili Air, one of three Islands referred to as the Gili Islands, the two others being Gili Trawangan (known as a party place) and Gili Meno (very small and quiet).

We take the fast ferry as recommended from Bangsal north of our home base in Senggigi, Lombok.

The ferry lands  at the island’s one village. No cars here. Horse and buggies available but we walk to our “resort”. Every place is walkable here.

The Pacific is right outside our resort with very good snorkling and turtle spotting.

Restaurants and small shops are plentiful in the village area.

Village and country meld together: there are no defined boundaries.

How do you describe the beautiful waters of the south pacific?

Meandering within the island…

Food options are plentiful, many traditional Indonesian but many more fusions of international cuisine, vegetarian and vegan.

Our hotel set us up one night on the waterfront for a candlelight dinner. Another favourite (vegetarian)spot is Nolla Resort.

We leave Gili Air reluctantly after eight days.

Regrouping at our base on the outskirts of Senggigi at the  Ibludan Hotel,  we follow up on the owner’s suggestion that we try Gili Asahan further down off the southwestern tip of Lomok.

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Gili Asahan

Once referred to as a ‘secret island’, Gili Asahan has established itself as a retreat from the hustle and bustle associated with other inhabited islands.

A bit more upscale in terms of accommodation and fewer tourists. Few distractions other than the gorgeous water and landscape.

No village on this island; five resorts in total, nicely nestling into the natural vegetation.

We love Amahelia and our villa. At first we think we have spotted a large bird on a nearby villa. However zooming in….it is a construction feature!

We take a pre-breakfast walk around the island at low tide (as advised). Five kilometers took us close to 2 hours.

Starting at sea-level, we pass horses that have been rescued from what is described as ‘difficult lives’ in Lombok. One can pay to walk a horse but no riding allowed according to the volunteer care-giver with whom we spoke.

Views back and ahead towards a sequestered resort.

The walk consists of beach, bush, and finally path again, as we pass dilapitated buildings of a defunct a pearl harvesting/processing plant and an old resort. 

We are only on Gili Asahan five days, and we are sorry to leave.