Giddy in Gili
Sadly, onto the last leg of the trip but my personal favorite as well! The Gili Islands are an archipelago of three small islands — Gili Trawangan, Gili Meno and Gili Air — just off the northwest coast of Lombok, Indonesia. The islands are a popular destination for tourists. Each island has several small resorts, usually consisting of a collection of huts for tourists, a small pool and restaurant. Most local inhabitants live on Trawangan in a township stretching along its east side just inland (which is also where most recent development is taking place). Automobiles and motorized traffic are prohibited on the islands by local ordinance, so the preferred method of transportation is by foot and bicycle or the horse-drawn carriage called a cidomo. Scuba diving and free diving in and around the Gilis is also popular due to the abundance of marine life and attractive coral formations. During my time on the Gili Islands I got to see the famous datu swings/"sunset swings", have dinner on the beach at sunset, go island hopping to all three islands, go snorkeling, enjoy a nice lunch on the Gili Air beach front, go scuba diving for the first time, and do a bike tour of Gili Trawangan.
Day 7: On island time!
It's time to head to the Gili Islands! I had been looking forward to this part of the trip the whole time I was here. Time to check out of Ubud View and leave Ubud. After my group and I checked out of our hotel we headed to the docks to catch our two hour ferry to Gili Trawangan. While on the ferry I got to stay on the roof the of the boat and get a pretty cool view and lots of sun! Once we got to Gili Trawangan we were greeted by cidomo that took our suitcases to the hotel. My group and I stayed at Trawangan Nirvana. Out of all the hotels that I stayed on during the trip this one had to be the most relaxing one. I especially liked this hotel because it had bug nets. Since there are no motorized vehicles on the Gili Islands and the hotel wasn't on the main strip it was very quite and serene. After we got to the hotel we relaxed a bit, got some food, and got settled in. After we were all settled we took a walk to the exile bar and got to take picture with the famous Instagram swing. Then we ended the day with dinner on the beach watching the sunset.
Day 8: Island hopping!
Got to start my day off going shopping at some local stores on the main strip right on the beach. I got a few bracelets for my family and myself. The Gili Islands are little bit more expensive than Bali and most of the stores are fixed price shops so you can't barter but its only about a one or two dollar increase so its not breaking the bank. After shopping around a bit I rejoined my group for island hopping and snorkeling. Snorkeling in Gili Trawagan was really cool and I got to see the beautiful reefs, a bunch of different fish, and even some turtles! I did get stung by a baby jellyfish that I couldn't even see and this was the first time I have ever been stung by a jellyfish and it just felt like a burning sensation on my arm. The initial sting hurt but the pain didn't last too long and it didn't stop me from going back in and enjoying the rest of snorkeling. After snorkeling we got to have lunch on the beach front of Gili Air.
Day 9: Scuba Stef!
I got to spend my last full day on Gili Trawangan scuba diving! This is the first time I've ever been scuba diving and it's probably one of the most amazing things I've ever done in my life. I did my first dive with Manta Dive and they were really great. I started off signing waivers, watching a movie on the risks of scuba diving, and then practicing in the pool. Before I went scuba diving I wasn't aware of a lot of the risks associated with it. There are risks present but as long as you listen to your instructor and remember not to panic you can reduce your risks to none. When we practiced in the pool we learned crucial diving skills that would keep us safe and prepared when we went for our actual dive. Time to suit up and get on the boat. Once we got to our dive site we suited up and dove into the water. The way you go in for a dive is that you sit on the edge of the boat with your back to the water, with your legs crossed, holding your nose, and then finally leaning back into the water. Honestly leaning back into the water was the scariest thing for me which wasn't even that bad. Once I was in the water I was really calm. It was quite, calm, and so beautiful. I got to see the reefs, a bunch of fish, some dolphins, a shark, and more turtles. This was a whole different experience compared to snorkeling. I was about 12-15 meters deep and being able to see all the marine life up close was an amazing experience. When you dive you're on the same planet but a completely different world. The dive was about 41 minutes but you don't feel like you're even down there for that long. After diving we took the boat back to the shore and headed back to the hotel to prepare for our bike ride through Gili Trawangan. We did our bike ride around sunset and rode to the exile bar to enjoy our last sunset on the beach after that when it was dark re rode to Trawangan Oasis. Riding in the dark is a completely different experience. There are no street lights, you're on a dirt path, there are cows/goats roaming everywhere, and you have to avoid other bike riders and the horse drawn carriages. My group and I successfully managed not to fall, or hit anyone or anything while riding in the dark. On our last night my group and I got to enjoy one last meal together before we all went our separate ways.
Day 10: Chilled Check Out
My day stayed off early packing all my stuff to prepare to leave. I had my last breakfast at Trawangan Nirvana and got into a horse drawn carriage that took me to the docks so I could board my three hour ferry ride back to the main land. After the ferry ride I took a cab back to the airport and waited there until my flight arrived. I spent most of the day traveling to get to the airport then waiting at the airport to finally board my flight back to Brisbane, Australia. This was a sad day because I had the best time in Bali, made great memories, and met some really amazing people. I will never forget this trip and I will definitely be returning to Bali some time in future. If I had to take away anything from this trip is that you should take risks, go out of your comfort zone, live life adventurously, and be shameless #shaneless.
