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Read previous Amed or next Sanur
We have seen Hawksbill turtles off the shore almost every day since arriving on Gili Meno. We still get as excited as children every time we spy a turtle under the sea. The poor turtle knows we are there, watching, and stays low on the corals hoping we will go away. We do not. We hover above with our snorkels waiting until the turtle surfaces for air. Only then do we let it go on its way undisturbed.
The fast boat trip from Amed on Sunday 28 February was fun. Even the crew was excited when two very large tuna breached the surface a short distance from the boat. The captain immediately turned the boat arround to try to see them again. One fellow put out a fishing line hoping to catch dinner. We did see them once more but that was all. Thank goodness we were not close enough for the fish to take the bait. I fear the difference in size would have meant the fisherman would have been dinner for the tuns instead.
We were headed for the Gili Islands, three small islands with white sand beaches and undersea corals just off the west coast of Lombok. It took us about one hour to reach the largest island, Gili Trawangan. Just offshore a pod of dolphins leaped and played in the waves. Gili Trawangan has a party boy reputation, but we were not planning to join in. Mama and Papa, that is what we are called here, were headed for the next island, across a 1 km strait. We just stopped at Trawangan to pick up two passengers returning to Amed before heading for the quieter and more sedate Gili Meno.
We have a nice fan-cooled bungalow room with a balcony at Kontiki Hotel, in front of a wide stretch of white sand. Once again we can snorkel right from the beach. Much of the coral reef has been killed by climate change and bad fishing practices but it is coming back. We have been swimming at least twice each day and still are not bored by the undersea. There are colourful fish to see, new corals and even an area with coral regeneration forms. Someone with imagination has constructed iron pipe structures in the form of tagine pots, long houses and even a downed airplane. New corals are sprouting on the frames and fish are sheltering inside.
Right next to our hotel is a Hawksbill Turtle Nursery. Started by a local man, Bulong, and funded by donations, the turtle eggs are protected and young turtles gathered as soon as they are hatched. Four small concrete pools hold young turtles for 8 months when they are finally big enough to be released and fend for themselves. The pools are cleaned every day and the baby turtles are fed bits of fresh fish every two hours. We walked to the other side of the island one day and discovered three more pools from the same project. These babies were almost ready to be released. Bulong seems to have a loyal band of helpers and is doing an excellent job. It must be a labour of love.
We stayed on Gili Meno longer than we expected! There are no ATMs, and VISA withdrawals and money exchange come at exorbitant rates, either in the Gilis or Amed. We quickly adjusted to the leisurely pace of the islands and feel no crying need to return to the more populous area. We withdrew money to last for both Amed and the Gilis while in Kuta and we are OK for another few days, thank goodness.
We have explored more of Gili Meno by foot. There are no motorized vehicles on the island, just a few bicycles and horsecarts to take you and your luggage to the more far reaching hotels. It makes the island much more peaceful than the mainland.
One evening we walked to the other side of Gili Meno to enjoy the sunset and have a good BBQ fish meal at Good Heart, another hotel on the remote west side of the island. Another day we walked to the north end of the island hoping to find a promised snorkeling spot. The tide was too low and the corals were sticking out of the water so we kept on going. After 1 1/2 hours, we were back at our own beach, convinced we had the best beach for swimming, but at least we saw the whole island.
In the center of the island is a small village with an elementary school. Older children must take the ferry to Gili Trawangan to go to senior school or take lodgings on Lombok, the closest big island. In the village is Gili Meno Bird Park, started by an Aussie who now lives in Sanur on Bali. It is an ambitious project with about 200 exotic birds, a crocodile, a baby komodo dragon and two small macaque monkeys. The owner hoped to collect and breed species in danger of extinction. There is a bird nursery on the premises but it looked unused. The birds are let out of their cages every day and allowed to fly freely under the large net covering the entire bird park. It was an interesting visit that not many of the beach oriented visitors make.
Mealtimes find us comfortably seated in a "beruga" by the water's edge. A beruga is a raised platform with a split bamboo floor, a low table and a thatched roof for shade. To accommodate soft western bodies, wooden backrests and soft cushions are provided.The best restaurants all offer this Indonesian seating arrangement. We can sit all day in comfort as there is no big lineup waiting to take our place. It is very civilized.
Rather than move hotels, we decided to take a day excursion to see another island. Everyday groups of people arrive on Gili Meno on the local ferry to enjoy the island for the day. Yesterday we took the ferry to Gili Air for a change of scenery. Gili Meno is just a 15 minutes trip to Gili Air, the closest to the mainland, or the largest island, Gili Trawangan, on the Island Hopping ferry. We had a relaxing day snorkeling and doing lunch. Gili Air was much the same as Gili Meno with perhaps more hotels and restaurants, except we are sure Gili Meno beach is bigger and cleaner. Still it was good to see another of the islands.
Our current schedule has us leaving Gili Meno next Sunday. Most of the fast boats to Bali leave from Gili Trawangan so we will spend our last two nights in the Gilis on Trawangan. We have several recommendations of where to stay and how to avoid the party scene. This won't be the last of our beach time. We will end our Indonesian Odyssey in Sanur, on the East Coast of Bali.
