Here we go...got up early the first day to catch the fast boat to the Gili islands...bumpy ride, but glad we took the fast boat at 2.5 hours vs. the slow way at 12 hours. Got into Gili Trawangan and found a cool place at Coral Beach 2, massive room just steps away from the beach for less than $25. So more about the Gilis...The Gilis are a set of 3 islands east of Bali near the surf capital of Lombok. Backpacker havens for their laid back vibes and beach paradise feel. I finally understood why it came so highly recommended once I arrived because its probably the nicest beach I've ever been to in my whole life! Landscape was amazing and water crystal clear. Most of the week we spent our days right on the beach which had amazing snorkeling just meters from the beach. Currents were strong so we would just walk to the north side of the island and drift down in a matter of 20 minutes staring at the world underneath.
Checked out some of the dive shops to do some diving and ran into Luke, a guy from Canada who stayed at my hostel in KL. Since he was getting his divemaster at Buddha Dive and said all the instructors were good, we decided to go with them. Ended up completing my advanced course in Gili so now I am an advanced diver with the ability to go to 30 meters! Dive sites were really nice, but unfortunately a lot of the coral was dead since dynamite fishing used to be a big problem in the area.
Now the nightlife...where to begin. I think what makes this place so special is the nightlife! The 3 main party bars are set up on far end of the island and all of your accomodation options are on the opposite side. So basically, if you want to party, you walk down to the bars/restaurants and spend your time here before going home...if you don't you have quiet time on the other side near your bungalow...cant ask for much more. The 3 main party nights are Monday, Wednesday and Friday as the party rotates each of the nights to a different spot. EVERYONE from the island comes out on these nights and by about 1am the bar is happening and you are hanging with your Gili family. You end up running into everyone the next day on the beach and since you have a day off between parties you're well rested before the next big night! Oh yeah, it doesn't hurt that double anything (rum/vodka/gin/whiskey + mixer) is only 13,000 rupiah ($1.30 USD) all across the island....The local arak is tastier and stronger than tequila which helps set the tone for many nights out....
Movies: We also spent a lot of time at the movie cafe which ahd really comfortable lounge chairs and screened two movies everynight at 7pm and 9pm. All you had to do was order a drink or food and you could watch the movie for free!
Tolerance: Sooo how to explain...with no police on the island, the Gilis are a fairly tolerant place. All of the bars have signs offering magic mushrooms to "send you to the moon...no transport needed!" Pretty interesting and when police did come, they just erased their boards and put up drink specials....fascinating concept! I think this has a lot to do with why people get stuck here for so long....and for the record, we didn't indulge.
That wraps up about a week of time in the Gili's. When we arrived we anticipated staying about 4 days but that changed once we fell in love with the beach and made lots of new friends...
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