THE GUIDE - The Rough Guide to Bali and Lombok - page 405

group.co.id ) it's a good idea to phone ahead and reserve. Expect to pay Rp100,000 for a taxi
ride to Senggigi, or up to Rp250,000 if you fall under the spell of the touts.
By charter If you're travelling from Bangsal and the quota of thirty passengers for a public
boat isn't met you can club together and pay the extra or charter a boat for up to twelve people
(Rp280,00-375,000/boat). Boats can also be chartered from Teluk Kode, but these are more
expensive.
GETTING AROUND
By boat The “hopping island” boat service between all three Gili Islands does one circuit,
Air-Meno-Trawangan-Meno-Air, in the morning (8.30-10am), and another in the afternoon
(3-4.30pm), which makes day-trips straightforward; the islands are 10-20min apart. The fare
is Rp25,000 and tickets are sold at each harbour. If you missed the morning departure and
don't want to wait for the afternoon hopping boat you'll have to charter a boat, which will
cost around Rp250,000/boat.
INFORMATION
Tourist information The excellent bimonthly Gili Life magazine ( gililife.com ) is widely
available for free on all three Gili Islands as well as at many cafés and hotels on Bali and
Lombok; it has good maps, articles with a focus on nature conservation, interviews with loc-
als, tide tables and practical information. For reliable Gili island information on Bali contact
the Gili Paradise Shop 12 Poppies Lane 1, Kuta (9am-10pm; 0361 753241, gili-para-
dise.com ) . They can also book transport and accommodation and have a hotel booking site,
gili-hotels.com .
Police There are no police on the islands, although Satgas (island security) on Gili Trawangan
has a role in tourist security: it's the job of the kepala desa , the headman who looks after Gili
Air and Gili Meno, and the kepala kampung on Gili Trawangan, to deal with any problems.
Ask at your accommodation, or one of the dive centres. If you need to make a police report
(for insurance purposes, for example), go to the police on the mainland (at Tanjung or Matar-
am).
Gili Trawangan
The largest and most built-up of the islands, with a permanent population of around three
thousand, GILI TRAWANGAN (Gili T) is enjoyably buzzy, and even congested in parts, yet
still very laidback. Once a backpackers' party island, it now appeals to all ages and budgets,
with A-frame huts at the bottom end of the scale and - as ground prices increase rapidly -
an increasing number of private villas and boutique resorts at the top. There are dozens of
beachside restaurants and bars to choose from, and tour agents can organize everything from
kayaking and horseriding to diving and snorkelling. Or you can simply go for the sybarite's
option, lazing on the beach by day, living it large at the party venues by night.