Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
GILI ISLANDS
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0370
Just off the northwest coast of Lombok is
a vision of tropical paradise - a trio of tiny
coral-fringed islands, each with white sandy
beaches and pellucid water teeming with a
kaleidoscopic array of reef fish. For years
the islands of Gili Air, Gili Meno and Gili
Trawangan were a budget-priced stopover
for travellers on the Asian trail, but recently,
accommodation options have diversified and
now there are luxury villas and rustic chic bun-
galows dotted between the simple bamboo-
and-thatch huts for rent.
Delightfully free of cars and motorcycles,
the only traffic on the Gilis is the tinkling
cidomo
(pony cart) and the odd bicycle. All
three islands have professional scuba diving
centres, and the snorkelling is excellent too.
Each Gili has its own character and charm:
Trawangan has a big party scene and Meno is
very mellow, with Gili Air falling somewhere
between the two in terms of atmosphere.
Qunci restaurant
(
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693800; www.quncivil
las.com; mains 46,000-64,000Rp)
Abutting the beach
in Mangsit, this terrific, hip hotel-restaurant
(p297) has a modern menu with both Asian
and European - think tuna balsamico and
seafood risotto - dishes. The well-trained staff
will guide you through the menu and make
suggestions, while low-key electronica music
adds atmosphere to the dining experience.
Arrive before sunset and get the party started
properly with two-for-one cocktails during
happy hour (4pm to 7pm).
Drinking & Entertainment
Senggigi's after-dark action is pretty middle-
of-the-road by nature, revolving around a
handful of bars and a disco or two. All bars
are on Jl Raya Senggigi except one, and may
close early if it's very quiet.
Happy Café
(
%
693984;
h
8am-2am)
This
slightly staid but always popular bar has a
resident cover band playing reggae or pop
tunes every night.
Papaya Café
(
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693616;
h
8am-1am)
It's hardly
cutting edge, but the Papaya also has live
music of the Muzak variety and is fine for
a relaxed drink. Happy hour is from 4pm
to 8pm.
Office
(
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693162;
h
9am-2am)
Beachside bar
with fine sunset views, a pool table and live
sports events on the TV. It's popular with
middle-aged expats and there are regular pool
competitions on Tuesday.
Sugar Café
(
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0812 3962 206; Plaza Senggigi)
Tiny,
hip place with electronica and lounge music
and a mixed gay and straight clientele. Also
serves fine food (p297).
Tropicana
(
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693432; www.tropicanalombok.com;
admission 25,000Rp;
h
11pm-3am)
Old skool-style
disco with slightly cheesy DJs spinning West-
ern pop, rock and a few Indo hits plus live acts
and bands. Expect 'Mr & Miss Tropicana'
contests and the like.
Shopping
Senggigi's shopping malls are woefully under-
occupied. The
Pasar Seni
(Art Market; Jl Raya Senggigi)
has some handicraft stalls and you'll find
As-
mara Collection
(
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693619; Jl Raya Senggigi;
h
9am-
9.30pm)
,
in front of the restaurant of the same
name, has some fine weavings, tribal art and
are dire. Credit card cash advances are avail-
able through many dive operators, although
a 7% commission is charged. It's better to
change money in Mataram or Senggigi or use
the ATMs there. Try to bring as many small-
denomination notes as possible, as there's
often a problem changing the bigger notes.
Dangers & Annoyances
There are no police on any of the Gilis, so
report any theft
to the island
kepala desa
(vil-
lage head) - if you need help locating them, or
need someone to help you translate, the dive
schools are a good point of contact. If you are
on Gili Trawangan, notify Satgas, the com-
munity organisation that runs island affairs,
via your hotel or dive centre. Satgas uses its
community contacts to resolve problems or
track down stolen property with a minimum
of fuss.
Touts often meet boats as they land, and
they can be quick to take your luggage, plus
you, to the place of
their
choice. If you want
to stay in a particular place, don't let a tout
convince you that it's full, expensive, closed,
or doesn't exist.
Incidents are rare, but several foreign
women have experienced sexual harassment
and even assault while on the Gilis - it's best
to walk home in pairs to the quieter parts of
the islands. Each island has a gaggle of local
Kuta cowboy-style gigolos who compete to
impress and seduce visiting Western women,
and can get very territorial with other males
that they see as competition.
DETOUR
North of Senggigi is a succession of won-
derful, near-deserted sandy coves where
you can pretty much guarantee to have a
beach to yourself, bar the odd fishermen
and his net. Just west of the Bulan Baru
hotel, about 7km from central Senggigi,
there are some beautiful beaches, Pantai
Setangi being just one fine example. The
coastal road from Mangsit to Pemenang is a
spectacular drive in itself, slaloming around
the coastal contours, serving up sweeping
views of the waves below.
Getting There & Away
BOAT
Perama
(
%
693007; Jl Raya Senggigi)
operates a
daily boat service from Padangbai in Bali
to Senggigi (p224; 200,000Rp, four hours).
There's also a daily Perama boat from Seng-
gigi to the Gili Islands (70,000Rp, 30 to 60
minutes) at 9am, which means you avoid
having to deal with Bangsal. The dive schools
(p294) also operate speed-boat shuttles (from
120,000Rp per person) to the Gilis most days -
contact them in advance.
Information
INTERNET & TELEPHONE
All the islands have wartel and internet cafés,
but surfing (around 400Rp per minute) is
woefully slow in most places.
BUS
Regular bemo travel to Senggigi from the
Kebon Roek terminal in Ampenan (3000Rp),
some continuing north as far as Pemenang
or Bayan. Overcharging tourists is common
on this route.
The Perama company has a few tourist shut-
tle bus/boat services daily between Senggigi and
Bali; Kuta (Bali) and Bali airport (160,000Rp),
Ubud (160,000Rp); and other places on Lom-
bok including Kuta (80,000Rp).
Getting Around
A prepaid taxi from the airport to Senggigi
costs 48,000Rp. The very efficient and prompt
Bluebird taxis
(
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627000)
will whisk you around
the Senggigi area and beyond. Remember that
many restaurants offer free lifts for diners - call
for a ride.
Cars and motorbikes are readily available for
hire in Senggigi; ask at any hotel or travel agent.
Kotasi
(
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693804; Jl Raya Senggigi)
has bikes from
MONEY
There are no banks on the Gilis and money-
changer exchange rates at the shops and hotels
SURVIVING BANGSAL
Bangsal, a squalid little port, is the gateway for public boats to the Gilis. Frankly, it's a hole
and has become so overrun with persistent small-time hustlers and would-be scammers that
it's best to completely ignore anything that you're told here about boats being cancelled, or
other tall tales.
Public bemo to Bangsal actually stop in Pemenang on the main road, 1km or so from the port.
Hiring a
cidomo
(pony cart; around 3000Rp) to the port is money well spent as it'll save you an
ear-bending from the hustlers on your way to the terminal.
Keep calm, and head straight for the ramshackle Koperasi harbour office on the left, as you
approach the sea. Here you can buy inexpensive, fixed-price, public boat tickets (as well as
shuttle and charter tickets) to the three Gili islands - there are printed price lists available. The
harbour office has a scruffy waiting area where they'll announce when the public boats have
enough passengers to depart.
