With the attractive, white sand fringed island of Gili Air within sight, I was drawn to take a day trip over to check out what the second of the three Gili Islands had to offer, though I was secretly hoping that it wouldn't be as good as Gili Meno, thus justifying my decision to spend the vast majority of my time there. There was one public 'ferry' in the morning, just a small boat that could carry 20-30 people across the short distance between the two islands. Wading through the clear water at the end of the ride, I stepped onto the very narrow strip of white sand between the dirt road encircling the island and the crystal blue water. This place was said to be the island in between the quiet Gili Meno and the party island of Gili Trawagan, and that's pretty much how it seemed. Like Gili Meno, the best beach was along the Southeast shore, though the narrow strip of beach was lined with tourists and lounge chairs, unlike my favorite little island to the West. Walking under the hot sun, I passed by a series of small bungalows and waterside cafes, pleasant enough, but even a little too developed for my tastes. Eventually, the beach gave way to a few groves of trees and rocks, basically leading straight into the ocean, leaving no place to relax along the side, where you'd expect to see sand at the meeting of the land and sea. Along the North and West coasts were a similar story, with intermittent tiny beaches and long stretches filled with washed-up coral and shells. As always, the views back to the other idyllic islands and the mountainous mainland were impressive, though I didn't find too many places that would have been as relaxing or as nice as my local hangout back on Meno.
After two hours, I had made my way back to the bottom of the island, having passed by palm trees, dry grass patches and lots of types of "beach." I still had another hour or two before the boat would take me back to my island, so I took my pick of the few local cafes, and I apparently made an incredible choice. The location and setup was picturesque, though not necessarily unique in the area, and the menu seemed fairly standard, but I was in for quite a surprise. I ordered a simple dish that would basically translate into chicken and rice, so you never really know what you're getting, as there are hundreds of different ways to prepare something like that in Indonesia. Fortunately, the flash-fried (though not really breaded) boneless chicken breast was dipped in a wonderful red chili sauce with a bit of tang, perhaps some citrus juice, and when mixing with the rice, the spicy, tropical dish was one of the best of my entire trip thus far. I really wasn't expecting much, so this actually made my day, savoring every bite of the incredible meal as I watched the tiny waves of the clear water splash up onto the beach just about 15 feet away from my tiny table in the sand, shaded by one of the large trees from the interior of the island.
Sad to leave my incredible chili chicken dish, I finally headed back to Gili Meno in the late afternoon, full of great food and ready to enjoy my last few hours in my own wonderful island. Thanks to the scenery, seclusion and friendly locals, I was happy with my choice to spend my few days in Gili Meno, though I was also ready to move on, as a few things in Lombok, the main island just across the bay, were looming, particularly Gunung Rinjani, the huge, active volcano whose peak is visible in the morning and towers over the entire island but becomes obscured by the late morning clouds for the rest of the day. The Aussies that took me in for my first night in Bali had climbed it, and my surfer friend described the experience over and over as one of the best of his life, so along with some tantalizing stories from my guidebook, that was high on my agenda of things to do in the area.
After two hours, I had made my way back to the bottom of the island, having passed by palm trees, dry grass patches and lots of types of "beach." I still had another hour or two before the boat would take me back to my island, so I took my pick of the few local cafes, and I apparently made an incredible choice. The location and setup was picturesque, though not necessarily unique in the area, and the menu seemed fairly standard, but I was in for quite a surprise. I ordered a simple dish that would basically translate into chicken and rice, so you never really know what you're getting, as there are hundreds of different ways to prepare something like that in Indonesia. Fortunately, the flash-fried (though not really breaded) boneless chicken breast was dipped in a wonderful red chili sauce with a bit of tang, perhaps some citrus juice, and when mixing with the rice, the spicy, tropical dish was one of the best of my entire trip thus far. I really wasn't expecting much, so this actually made my day, savoring every bite of the incredible meal as I watched the tiny waves of the clear water splash up onto the beach just about 15 feet away from my tiny table in the sand, shaded by one of the large trees from the interior of the island.
Sad to leave my incredible chili chicken dish, I finally headed back to Gili Meno in the late afternoon, full of great food and ready to enjoy my last few hours in my own wonderful island. Thanks to the scenery, seclusion and friendly locals, I was happy with my choice to spend my few days in Gili Meno, though I was also ready to move on, as a few things in Lombok, the main island just across the bay, were looming, particularly Gunung Rinjani, the huge, active volcano whose peak is visible in the morning and towers over the entire island but becomes obscured by the late morning clouds for the rest of the day. The Aussies that took me in for my first night in Bali had climbed it, and my surfer friend described the experience over and over as one of the best of his life, so along with some tantalizing stories from my guidebook, that was high on my agenda of things to do in the area.
(One of the untouched parts of Gili Air, looking back to Lombok.)
(Along the main road of Gili Air, the East coast of the island is dotted with lots of little cafes and bungalows, though the beach almost disappears completely for much of the coast once you get away from the Southern end.)
(Moving around to the West side, I found it pretty deserted, though the beach there is full of shells and coral, so it's not ideal for laying out.)
(Circling back to the South side and port, it took about two hours to make it around the small island. Overall, I enjoyed the place, though I'm still really glad that I chose Gili Meno as my island base for my time in the area.)
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