One Week in the Gilis

The Gili islands are famous for their fantastic snorkeling, good food, and local bars. All three are just a swim away from each other and are very small compared to Lombok. We headed to Gili Trawangan (Gili T) first, the most popular island of the trio as the biggest — approximately three kilometers long and two wide — and most developed. It was an easy 15 minute boat ride from Lombok’s main pier, much to my relief.

We’d booked a four-star hotel ahead of time on the northern side of the island that was a 20 minute walk from the dock and the main downtown area. We quickly regretted this choice. A massive downpour began right after we stepped onto land (our first storm of the trip,) so we rented bikes and prayed our backpacks wouldn’t get soaked all the way through as we frantically navigated busy paths. Drenched and grumpy by the time we arrived at our room, I was then dismayed to discover it was open air and all the island creepy crawlers had come inside to seek shelter. As a bug-fearing woman, I tried to remain calm, but once I discovered mosquitos, centipedes, and beetles in our bed covers, I put my foot down.

Luckily, Matt is an expert negotiator and he managed to secure us a refund while I stood by awkwardly apologizing to anyone who would listen. We then found a cheaper room right in the downtown area, which made it much easier to get around the next five days. It was nowhere near as luxurious but I found I was willing to sacrifice anything in order to not sleep with bugs. On the bright side, this ended up being the only major hitch in our time there. It also meant we were only steps away from the main street, which was lined with beach bars, trendy restaurants, oceanside pools, and shops.

One of my favorite aspects of the Gilis is the high quality food. (If you’re sensing a theme here, the answer is yes, I am a foodie.) Similar to Bali, they’re appealing to influencers with their vibrant smoothie bowls, LA-esque avocado toast, and fancy cocktails. I was secretly relieved by the “basic” food — I’d been nervous almost every meal since my episode in Senggigi. I ate avocado daily while Matt averaged about five juices a day. For dinner one night we ordered fish tacos that rivaled tacos we’ve had back in San Diego. Since the fish is caught daily right off the island, it’s as fresh as they come.

Apart from eating and juicing our way through Gili T, we spent a full day snorkeling. Now, I have a love-hate relationship with snorkeling. I get very excited to see the marine life but the snorkel gear is always a major struggle for me. After 26 years, I still can’t figure out how to put on a pair of goggles to ensure no water leaks in. My hair inevitably gets tangled and knotted around the mask and I usually end up inhaling sea water through my snorkel a few times. Matt, meanwhile, effortlessly puts on his gear in one try and has already snorkeled for five minutes by the time I’m ready.

That day we were able to see the underwater statues of Gili Meno, turtles, jellyfish, and many bright fish. I was particularly entranced by the rainbow parrotfish. Sadly, the coral was mostly calcified. It makes me wonder what the reef would have looked like if I’d visited five years ago. We brought Matt’s GoPro with us and I captured some incredible videos of Matt diving up to 20 feet. I instructed him to record similar footage of me, doing my best to swim alongside the parrotfish in the coral. I couldn’t figure out why he was laughing until I later saw every video was of me flailing around at the surface, giving an excellent impression of someone drowning. I was clearly not born to be a GoPro influencer.

Our stay also ended up coinciding with Gili T’s Full Moon Party. We already had plans to attend the original Full Moon Party in Thailand in August, but the dozens of posters piqued our curiosity. We soon discovered that Indonesia’s version is nowhere near as epic as Thailand’s famous parties, but it was still exciting to head to the other side of the island and dance under the moon. Much to my dismay, the only genre of music the DJ seemed to know was House, so it got monotonous real quick. We stayed there until midnight, which was a huge feat for two people who love to sleep.

After five days in Gili T, we decided to spend two days in Gili Air. This island is smaller and there’s not much of a party scene, but it is stunning. The water is Tiffany Blue and you can snorkel right off the shore. I was incredibly excited to stumble upon a floating breakfast option on our first morning there; I’d seen it portrayed so many times on Instagram that I was dying to try it out. Admittedly, it wasn’t as glamorous as influencers depict. It’s actually pretty difficult to eat standing up in a pool and the basket is not a steady surface to eat off of. We ended up flooding the basket at one point. The romantic in me, however, was pleased to check it off the bucket list.

We also got our first full body massages of the trip on Gili Air, which was an interesting experience to say the least. Before this trip, I’d only ever had one full body massage. So, I definitely was not expecting that they would instruct us to remove all clothing. The blanket they used for modesty was quite thin and I’m not confident that I didn’t accidentally flash my masseuse. But for an $8 hour-long massage, it was hard to complain. I walked out of there feeling reborn. I ended up going back three times.

The Gili Islands ended up being my favorite place we visited in Indonesia. Even in the off season, they have a lively downtown filled with fresh food and a bar every few meters. Other than the storm our first day, we were very lucky with the weather. The color of the ocean looks just as Google Images depicts it — I didn’t know such clear, turquoise water existed. A week felt like the perfect amount of time there. If I were to return to Indonesia, I would probably skip Lombok and just do Bali and the Gili Islands.

Rianna and Matt’s must-dos in the Gili Islands:

• Half-day snorkel trip to all three islands
• The underwater statues of Gili Meno
• Sama-Sama Reggae Bar (Considered one of the best bars on the island! They have live music and unique cocktails.)
• Full body massage (There are a bunch of spas on the islands with negotiable prices.)
• Bicycle rental (The island is small enough to cycle round.)
• Diving course (I hate the thought of diving, but Matt loves it. He tried to get me to do it all week. If you love the ocean, it won’t get cheaper than in Indonesia.)
• Full Moon Party

Next up in our island hopping adventure: Nusa Lembongan.