Archive for October 31st, 2006
Looking at a map of Gili Trawangan, you will see that most of the accommodation is located on the south eastern side of the island. This is also the location of most everything else, such as bars and restaurants. For people with money, the best place to stay is probably Vila Almarik on the NE side. A good budget option is Pondok Lita, just inland from the Beer Shack on the SE coast. Being close to the ‘action’ in Gili Trawangan, isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as its not an ‘all night rocking party’.
Here are some of the accommodation options.
Budget:
•Pondok Lita - Family owned and operated budget accommodation. Located close to all the action.
•Sirwa Homestay - In a line of 4 rooms, quite new, with porch and bathroom. Located on the NE coast.
•Nusa Tiga - Located on the NE caost. Basic rooms, salt water shower, although a gallon jug of river water can be arranged. Very quiet, but you have to take a horse andd cart to the SE part of the island, or face a 30 minute walk.
Mid range:
Dream Divers - Located on the east side of the island, just north of Big Bubble. There is a choice of mid range or budget rooms, restaurant and dive center in front.
(0370) 634496
•Trawangan Cottages - Located on the SE coast, just south of Dive Indonesia. Okay cottages with cold water and fan. close to the action.
Luxury:
•Vila Alamrik - Located on the NE coast, this Italian owned place has a nice pool, AC, hot water, great rooms.
(0370) 638520
•Vila Ombak - located on the southern side of the island, pretty much at the end of the cute little brick road. Combo of traditional design places and bugalows. Cold water, AC good rooms.
(0370) 642336
source : www.baliblog.com
October 31st, 2006
A German lady friend of mine visited Gili Air a couple of years ago and loved it. She didn’t love the stray cats (in the Gili’s there are no dogs, but many cats), or the local young men, who are like a pack of pole cats, but the island itself is quieter than Gili Trawangan, and closer to the mainland.
A map of Gili Air indicates most of the accommodation is on the west and south coasts. There is also a mosque on the south coast, which may be one of the reasons the local population, of 1,000 Muslims, keep a tight lid on the partying activities. I haven’t been to Gili Air, but have heard late night fun is limited to 3 times a week for bars.
Budget accommodation:
Most of the accommodation in Gili Air is budget. Here are some options.
•Nusa Tiga - Located slightly inland, on the SE coast. Simple bungalows, attached bathroom, cold water.
•Matahari - Located on the north coast, you will have a long trek to get to the main centers of activity, but for people wanting peace and quiet, this could be it. On the beach, decent quality, cold water.
•Legend - on the NE coast, has attacjed warung, simple rooms. The warung has a once a week party.
081 2/3764552
Mid range:
•Coconut Cottages - located on the NE coast, pleasant bungalows, varied room grades. Hot water, interent access.
(0370)635365
•Hotel Gili Indah - located on the south coast, to the west of the ferry launch, has a variety of room grades. AC, hot water available.
(0370)637328
source : www.baliblog.com
October 31st, 2006
There are 3 main ways to get to the Gili’s from Bali (4 if you’re Monte Monfore). The first is taking a bus, car, motorbike to Padangbai. Catching a ferry to Lember in W.Lombok. Ferries run every 90 minutes 24/7 and the journey takes anywhere from 4-7 hours depending on port congestion and weather. From Lember you drive to the port of Bangsal in NW Lombok. This will take you about 2 hours. At Bangsal you can catch a small local ferry to the Gili’s, journey time, up to 45 minutes for the fiurthest island, Gili Trawangan, less for the other 2.
The second way is to fly from Bali to the airport in Mataram. The flight takes 30 minutes and costs around 400,000rp one way. From there you catch an airport taxi to Bangsal, and take a ferry. Airlines that service Lombok from Bali include, Merpati (6 flights a day), Wings Air, GT Air.
The third way is to take a highspeed charter boat from Benoa harbor. This way is the fastest overall, if you left at the same time as the others, but you have a bumpy ride across the Lombok Strait. This cost 690,000rp one way, to the island of your choice.
Which way would I go? Well I’ve taken the Padangbai ferry and the plane. If I was going to explore Lombok with my motorbike, I’d take it on the ferry and park it at Bangsal, before taking the local ferry for the Gili’s. If I wanted an easy comfortable way to go I’d take the plane. If I wanted the quickest way to go I’d take the boat. Maybe I’ll do that next time. For people who think 2 hours in a bumpy speed boat would be hell, even if you take the plane, you still have to do 45 minutes, in a boat to Gili Trawangan.
For people who take the ferry or plane. You will arrive at Bangsal harbor in NW Lombok, the place were the small local ferries leave for the Gili’s. There are 3 types of ferries, local, scheduled, charter. The local ferry goes when it is full, the schedules ferry goes on time, the charter can go at any time. Boat operators will try to push you to the charter boat, whjich is exhorbitantly priced. Stay cool, sit in the shade and wait for the local boat, which will be full within an hour.
source : www.baliblog.com
October 31st, 2006
Sitting here in Seminyak, the sun is blazing and the mercury is rising. Last night I used the AC for a couple of hours, first time in months.
The wet season is taking longer to start than normal, but holiday makers won’t care about that. Streets are dry and appart from the chunk of cloud I saw up in Pupuan on Sunday, there is no rain on the horizon.
Here’s the 10 day weather forecast for Bali.
source : www.baliblog.com
October 31st, 2006
When I’m not working on Baliblog, I spend all my time reading BootsnAll.com, a worldwide travel guide. There are so many travel resources and articles, I could sit in the internet cafe from sunrise, to sunset, and still not read tham all. Here’s an account of 2 people’s trip to Bali which happened before the 2002 bombing.
Andrea & Dale Johnson from the USA, had some learning to do, when the sharp witted Kuta money changers tried to pull one over on them. At the end of their time in Bali they had good memories, and even brought back some souvenirs. I saw photos of their trip to Bali, inside one of those ‘leaf albums’. Read about Andrea & Dale’s trip to Bali.
source : www.baliblog.com
October 31st, 2006