Lombok - Bali and Lombok - page 140

hammocks overlooking a small garden. The
bathrooms are cold water while the restaurant,
open from 7am to 9pm, offers Japanese dishes
such as tempura.
Coconut Cottages ( % 635365; www.coconuts-giliair
.com; r 110,000-180,000Rp) A delightful, welcoming
Indo-Scottish-owned place with a selection of
atmospheric accommodation spread around
a fecund, well-tended garden. Some of the
well-maintained cottages have shell-inlaid
decorative detailing, all have good quality
mattresses, bamboo furniture and bedside
reading lights. There's a fine restaurant here
too, right, and books for sale or rent.
Also worth considering:
Nusa Tiga Bungalows (r 40,000-50,000Rp) Basic
bamboo bungalows set in a coconut grove, inland from
the east coast.
Lucky's ( % 0812 378 2156; 45,000Rp) Run by a friendly
family, these simple bungalows enjoy a quiet location. No
breakfast is included.
Pondok Sandi (s/d 50,000/100,000Rp) Facing the sea,
these are spacious huts with bathrooms.
Pino Cottages ( % 639304; r 60,000-80,000Rp) Situated
back from the beach, Pino has well-maintained, clean
thatched cottages with hammocks.
Gusung Indah ( % 0812 3789 054; r 70,000-100,000Rp)
Facing a good stretch of beach, these simple beach
bungalows with verandas are decent value. You pay more
for a sea view.

Abdi Fantastik ( % 636421; dishes 10,000-25,000Rp)
Come here for some of the best Sasak food
on the island at fair prices; try the kangkung
pelecing (spicy water spinach).
Coconut Cottages ( % 635365; dishes 10,000-28,000Rp)
An inventively prepared menu that combines
Western and Indonesian dishes, you'll dine
well in this pleasant hotel restaurant. Try
the fantastic Sasak buffet, at 40,000Rp per
person, served every Wednesday night in
high season.
Santay ( % 641022; dishes 12,000-20,000Rp) Perch
yourself on a beachside table, soak up the
views of Gunung Rinjani and tuck into a
sandwich, a good pumpkin and coconut
curry, or satay.
Sasak Warung (mains 12,000-28,000Rp) Dine well
here, by the waves, under pretty shell lan-
terns. It's one of the best places to eat fish
and seafood.
Blue Marlin ( % 634387; dishes 15,000-35,000Rp) The
best bet for Western food, the kitchen here
serves up a mean burger as well as pasta,
sandwiches, stick-to-yer-ribs breakfasts, and
some Indonesian dishes.
Hotel Gili Air ( % 634435; dishes 15,000-56,000Rp)
Recommended by resident foreigners as the
best venue for pizza and pasta on the island,
the service is prompt. Also serves Indonesian
dishes and steaks.
Gecko Café ( % 641014; dishes 10,000-25,000Rp;
h 11am-3pm & 6.30-8.30pm) This friendly caff is
good for sandwiches, cake and coffee, or Indo-
nesian snacks. Its Wednesday-night dinners,
from 35,000Rp - such as roast beef followed
by apple crumble - are an island institution
for homesick Divemaster candidates.
Or try one of the following:
Munchies (dishes 7500-26,000Rp; h noon-11pm)
Serves fine curries, fish and overflowing sandwiches.
Gusung Indah ( % 0812 3789 054; dishes 10,000-
30,000Rp; h 8am-10.30pm) Sit under a beachfront
beruga (open-sided pavilion) & feast on local food such as
opor ayam (braised chicken in coconut milk), and sand-
wiches or pasta.

Gita Gili ( h 11-1am) A friendly bar where you
can request a DVD to watch while you sink
a cold one.
Hallelujah Bar ( h 8am-11pm) Offers a beach-
side location and a well-stocked bar including
plenty of spirits.
Legend Pub ( h 10am-11.30pm Thu-Tue, happy hour
5-7pm, party 10pm-2am Wed) Wednesday night is
the big one here, especially in high season,
with speakers bumpin' to (mainly) reggae
bass lines.
GILI MENO
Gili Meno is the quietest of the three islands,
and has the best beaches. With a permanent
population of just 300, it's not hard to play
Robinson Crusoe along Meno's isolated shores
should you so desire. Most of the accommoda-
tion is strung out along the eastern coast, near
the widest and most picturesque beach. In-
land you'll find scattered homesteads, coconut
plantations and a shallow lake that produces
salt in the dry season.
Information
There are a couple of minimarkets by the boat
landing, so you will be able to locate most
basic supplies. Internet access (per min 500Rp) and
a wartel are available near the boat landing.
Money can be exchanged at the Gazebo Meno
and Kontiki Meno hotels, as well as at others,
at poor rates. For tours and shuttle bus/boat
tickets, the travel agent Perama ( % 632824) is
based at Kontiki Meno bungalows. The medi-
cal clinic near the bird park is attended by a
resident nurse. Doctors are also on call in
Mataram.

GILI ISLANDS CURRENTS: WARNING
Currents between the Gili Islands are very
strong. Take care when snorkelling offshore
and do not attempt to swim between is-
lands - this goes double after a night on
the ale.

good snorkelling off the northeast coast near
Amber House huts, on the west coast near
Good Heart and also around the former jetty
of the (abandoned) Bounty resort - gear is
available for 20,000Rp per day from several
places on the eastern strip. Always ask about
the state of the currents. For more on snorkel-
ling and diving, see the boxed text p306.
Blue Marlin Dive Centre ( % 639979; www.diveindo
.com) offers fun dives and courses from Dis-
cover Scuba to Divemaster.
Sleeping
The basic places are generally more expensive
than equivalent lodgings on the other Gilis,
and don't usually include breakfast. Prices
quoted are high-season rates - reductions of
up to 25% are possible the rest of the year.

BUDGET
Biru Meno ( % 0813 3657 322; r 80,000-100,000Rp) A
very welcoming place, located in a tranquil
spot south of the main strip with a selection
of spacious sea-facing bungalows - the most
expensive have big windows and coral walls.
There's also a simple restaurant.
Tao Kombo ( % 0812 3722 174; [e-mail];
platforms/bungalows 25,000/90,000Rp) About 200m
inland, this mellow place has attractive, in-
dividually decorated bungalows scattered
around a large garden, and some bamboo
sleeping platforms (with mattresses, mosquito
nets and safety boxes). There's 24-hour power,
a chillout lounge and a bar-restaurant.
Kontiki Meno ( % 632824; r with fan/air-con 90,000/
150,000Rp; a ) Clean, breeze-block bungalows,
some with elaborately carved doorways. Book
No 1 or 2 for a direct sea view.
Malia's Child ( % 622007; www.gilimeno-mallias.com;
r 150,000Rp) Facing the sea, these attractive, or-
derly bamboo-and-thatch bungalows with
fans, nets and Western toilets sit pretty on a

MIDRANGE
Gili Indah Hotel ( % 637328; [e-mail]
antara.net.id; bungalows 200,000-350,000Rp; a ) Con-
veniently close to the jetty, this well-run hotel
has a variety of good, well-constructed bunga-
lows, all with hot-water bathrooms. The best
also have air-con and huge front decks with
expansive sea views.
Hotel Gili Air ( % 634435; www.hotelgiliair.com; r
US$17, with hot water US$33, with hot water & T V US$43-63;
as ) Setting itself up as the island's 'proper'
hotel, this place offers four classes of digs -
from rustic-but-comfy huts to international
hotel-chain-style rooms with marble bath-
rooms, attractive wood furniture and laminate
floors. The pool is small and the gardens look
neglected however.
Eating
Dining out in Gili Air is a treat, with an array

Sights & Activities
TAMAN BURUNG
About 300m inland from the boat landing, this
bird park ( % 642321; admission 30,000Rp; h 9am-5pm)
has an impressive and well-cared-for collec-
tion of 300 or so exotic species from Asia and
Australasia, as well as three kangaroos and a
baby Komodo dragon. The birds are let out
of their cages for three hours a day, when they
fly around a large expanse covered by a net.
Interactive feeding times are also held. There's
also a bar and accommodation (p304).

Drinking
Except for the odd party, Gili Air is generally
pretty quiet at night.
Star Bar ( h 3pm-late Thu-Tue) Next to the Blue
Marlin, this little bar's trump card is Azam,