Gili Islands, seen as 3 points on maps; It consists of three islands: Gili Trawangan, Gili Meno and Gili Air.. A holiday paradise with its white beaches, turquoise sea, colorful corals, sea turtles and rich underwater life.. It’s a perfect place for scuba diving and snorkeling, but also has a fun and active nightlife.
Security is provided by people chosen by influential families on these islands, which are police-free.. Despite the harsh penalties for drug users in Indonesia, they are sold freely almost everywhere here, and it is even possible to see signs.
This is the purpose of some tourists to come to the island anyway.. The hippie spirit of the 60s is at full throttle here. If you look at the island’s natives, it is as if each of them looks like a Bob Marley; hair, earrings, jewelry, reggae-style music sounds everywhere. This is an interesting place, the Gili Islands.
We met Belgian couple Niko and Eyfi, who we took diving courses together in Amed, on the street in Gili Trawangan yesterday.. We decided to rent a boat together and go snorkeling.. Snorkeling tours are done by boats for 30-40 people (75.000 Rupiah, 14 TL). We wanted to do something different in such activities, which are mostly done with tourists over the limit, as there is a high probability of missing the fish.. I suggested to friends to rent Made’s boat, which we came to Gili Island from Amed.. Made had not yet left the island and had spent the night sleeping on his boat on the beach.
After breakfast we rented a snorkel and jumped on our boat.. constituting the Gili Islands; We took the map showing the locations of the coral reefs worth seeing around Gili Trawangan, Gili Meno and Gili Air.. It was a pleasure to see the incredible beauty of the undersea by throwing ourselves into the crystal clear water, just 15-20 meters away from the island.. Close to 20 meters from the shore, you can see the corals on the seabed and the richness of the underwater life. After that point, the sea suddenly becomes tens of meters deep with the steep undersea cliffs and you can only see a deep blue color.. We were just immersed in watching the fish, when a sea turtle passed right by me.. How sad not to be able to take pictures of these most beautiful actors of underwater life. I followed the turtle, which was too big to hug when you folded your arms, and swam together for a short while, then left it alone.
Then we dived near the island of Gili Meno.. We landed for lunch after diving near Gili Air island. There are many alternative places to eat on Gili Air island and their prices are at Gili T.. Better than the island. Finally, after dinner, we dived in the east of Gili Air island.. There was no other branch in this region except us.. This is where we saw the most extraordinary underwater life. Colorful fish, sea snakes and turtles, corals transforming the underwater floor into a colorful garden were fantastic.. The sea snake with black and white rings was the underwater creature that caught our attention the most.. Sea water is colder and there are currents in places.. We started our snorkeling trip with the boat that started at 10 am at Gili T, where we stayed at 4 pm.. We ended up returning to the island.. Undoubtedly, the Gili Islands are one of the best snorkeling and diving destinations in the world
All 3 islands do not have any motor land vehicles.. Horse carriages called Cidomo are used. The distance of each island from each other does not take 5 minutes by boat.. There are many accommodation options to suit all budgets.. Those who want can stay in luxury hotels in resort style, while those who want can stay in simple bungalows or guest houses.. Gili Trawangan Island, which also has a lively nightlife, is the island where holidaymakers show the most interest.. Gili Meno, whose guests are mostly middle-aged, is ideal for those who want to spend a quiet and calm holiday and are fond of the sand, sun and sea.. Gili Air, on the other hand, is like a mixture of two islands.
Drinking water is brought to the island by boats.. Showers in hotel rooms also use sea water.. Rooms using fresh water are twice as expensive. The most popular bar in Gili T, where nightlife is quite lively, is Irish Pub.. The bar, which is like a restaurant until sunset, turns into a complete open-air disco at night.
Like my snorkeling in Fiji, this was the place where I enjoyed diving the most.. Those who want to have a nice holiday away from civilization with an economical budget in small islands where the places are shabby and the people are warm and friendly should definitely make a note of the Gili Islands on their list.
Day 357, Indonesia:15 Gili Trawangan, Lombok. July 27, 2011
