The Gift of the Gili's

The Gili Islands are inexplicably beautiful. No words or photographs can even begin to do them justice but here's a glimpse!

Gili Trawangan, Gili Meno and Gili Air are tropical islands about an hour and a half boat ride from Bali and just twenty minutes from Lombok. We've spent the majority of our time on Gili T, the biggest of the three but still small enough to cover the whole radius by bike in under an hour (which we did!) The harbour side is buzzing with little restaurants, bars and hostels whilst the other side is almost entirely deserted with the odd hotel dotted along the shore. It transforms from a backpacker's party island to honeymoon heaven in a matter of minutes. 

Wherever you are though the sand is pure white and the water crystal clear. Everywhere you look is like the front of a Sandal's brochure but better! Coral reefs surround the island and attract tropical fish and sea turtles so it's a great place for snorkelling. It's so clear that you hardly need to use a mask but we're doing an organised trip tomorrow to see what we can find. 

What I really love about the island is all its quirky little attributes that give it character. Things like the cats with no tails and the ice cream 'van' which is just a man on a bicycle with a cool bag and a loudspeaker attached. There are no vehicles at all on the Gili's so everyone travels either by foot, bicycle or horse and cart. The horses are all dressed up with colourful tassels and bells creating a faint jingling sound which echoes throughout the island. 

The nightlife is a big attraction for backpackers too. The bars alternate, each staying open late for one night a week so everyone flocks to that one place. Because the island is so small you're continually bumping into people you met on the beach or at dinner or from your hostel. It reminds me of being back at University where you could pretty much go out by yourself but guarantee you'd bump into people you know. We've only been here three nights but already feel like part of the Gili family. 

The final thing I have to mention is the nighttime food market - the most heavenly place on the island after the beach. Every evening after sun down the locals set up their stalls at the square and you can pick and choose an entire meal for less than one pound. The only negative is that it doesn't run all day but it does stay open until the early hours of the morning so you can grab a cheeky satay stick or two for the walk home. I suppose it's like an Indonesian Chickoland but a million times better! 

To appreciate the true beauty of the Gili's you really have to visit yourself. I'd recommend coming sooner rather than later whilst it's still largely undiscovered, not yet ruined by tourism. Who knows how they'll evolve in the years to come but right now, they're just perfect.