Lonely Planet Indonesia
Page 64
oCasa VintageCLOTHING
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; h9am-9pm)
The best boutique on Gili T is tucked on a backstreet near Il Pirata. It's a treasure trove of vintage fashion sourced internationally, and displayed with grace. Browse chunky earrings, superb leather hand- and shoulder bags, baby-doll dresses, and John Lennon shades.
8Information
Emergency
There's a few very basic health clinics around, including Vila Ombak Medical Clinic ( GOOGLE MAP ; h24hr). For security issues contact Satgas, a community organisation, via your hotel or dive shop.
Internet & Telephone
Wi-fi is common. There is 3G data service.
Money
Gili T has abundant ATMs on the main strip and even on the west coast.
8Getting There & Away
You can buy tickets and catch public and island-hopping boats at the boat landing ( GOOGLE MAP ). While you wait for your ship to sail, note the amazing amount of Bintang bottles arriving full and leaving empty. Several of the fast-boat companies have offices on Gili T (Click here).
Gili Meno
Gili Meno is the smallest of the three islands and a good setting for your desert-island fantasy. Meno has a certain Robinson Crusoe charm, although new resorts under construction will mean Crusoe will want to don some Ray-Bans.
Most accommodation is strung out along the east coast, near the most picturesque beach. Inland you'll find scattered homesteads, coconut plantations and a salty lake. The once lonely west coast is seeing some high-profile development, including an enormous beachside condo project called Bask (www.baskgilimeno.com) that is slated to have over 130 rooms when it opens in 2017. It's got some powerful Australian backers and a high-profile pitchman, ex-Baywatch star David Hasselhoff (aka 'The Hoff'). The effect of this huge resort on little Gili Meno is likely to be profound.
rBeaches
Ringed by sand, Gili Meno has one of the best strips of beach in the Gilis at its southeast corner. The sand is wide and powdery white, while the swimming is excellent. The west coast is rockier with crushed coral, and a lot of rocks and coral near the surface at low tide. Meno's northeast also has nice sand, although erosion is a problem in parts. It takes around two hours to circumnavigate Meno on foot.
Gili Meno
1Sights
1Turtle SanctuaryC3
2Activities, Courses & Tours
2Blue Marlin Dive CentreC2
3Divine DiversB1
4Gili Meno DiversC3
5Mao MenoC3
4Sleeping
6Ana BungalowC1
7Gili Meno Eco HostelC1
8Jepun BungalowsC2
9Kebun Kupu KupuB2
10Mallias BungalowsC3
11Seri ResortC1
12Tao KomboC3
5Eating
13Sasak CafeB2
14Webe CaféB1
15Ya Ya WarungC2
6Drinking & Nightlife
16Diana CaféB2
7Shopping
17Art Shop BotolC3
1Sights
Unique to Gili Meno, the large inland salt lake is home to imposing white egrets, which make it an intriguing natural attraction.
Turtle SanctuaryTURTLE HATCHERY
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.gilimenoturtles.com; donations accepted; hoffice 9am-6pm)
Meno's turtle sanctuary consists of an assortment of little pools and bathtubs on the beach, bubbling with filters and teeming with baby green and loggerhead turtles. They're nurtured here until they're around eight months old, and then released. The impact of the hatchery on turtle populations has been considerable. With a simple snorkel you're all but guaranteed a sighting. Try to attend one of the regular releases.
2Activities
Like the other Gilis, most of the fun here involves getting wet. Walking around the island is scenic and takes less than two hours.
Although you can rent bikes for 50,000Rp per day, you won't get far. The beach path from the southern tip right round up the west coast to the top of the salt lake is a shadeless dry sand path that will have you walking your wheels. You can go for a little jaunt to the northwest coast on the good path along the north side of the lake, but again soft sand along the very north will stymie riding further.
Diving & Snorkelling
Snorkelling is good off the northeast coast; on the west coast towards the north; and also around the site of the vast new Bask hotel on the west coast (which claims it will install an underwater sculpture garden, no idea if the Hoff – or Pamela Anderson for that matter – will be depicted).
Gear is available from 40,000Rp per day.
Blue Marlin Dive CentreDIVING
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0370-639980; www.bluemarlindive.com; guided boat dives 490,000Rp)
The Meno shingle of the Trawangan original. There are rooms here, too.
Divine DiversDIVING
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0852 4057 0777; www.divinedivers.com; guided dives from 500,000Rp)
This Meno-only dive shop is on a sweet slice of beach on the west coast. It has rooms and offers some good dive/stay packages.
Gili Meno DiversDIVING
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0878 6536 7551; www.giliairdivers.com; Kontiki Cottages; introductory dives from 900,000Rp; h9am-5pm)
French and Indonesian owned; offers a range of courses including some good ones in underwater photography.
Yoga
Mao MenoYOGA
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0819 9937 8359; www.mao-meno.com; classes from US$9)
Offers daily classes in styles that include ashtanga and vinyasa. It has simple cottages in its inland compound that rent from US$45 per night.
DIVING THE GILIS
The Gili Islands are a superb dive destination as the marine life is plentiful and varied. Turtles and black- and white-tip reef sharks are common, and the macro life (small stuff) is excellent, with seahorses, pipefish and lots of crustaceans. Around the full moon, large schools of bumphead parrotfish appear to feast on coral spawn; at other times of year manta rays cruise past dive sites.
Though years of bomb fishing and an El Niño−induced bleaching damaged corals above 18m, the reefs are now well into a profound recovery and haven't looked this great in years. The Gilis also have their share of virgin coral.
Safety standards are reasonably high on the Gilis, but with the proliferation of new dive schools, several have formed the Gili Island Dive Association (GIDA), which comes together for monthly meetings on conservation and dive impact issues, and all mind a written list of standards that considers the safety of their divers, a limitation on number of divers per day, and preservation of the sites to be paramount concerns, which is why we highly recommend diving with GIDA-associated shops (identifiable by a logo). All GIDA shops carry oxygen on their boats and have working radios. They also have a price agreement for fun dives, training and certification. Sample prices:
Introductory dives – 900,000Rp
Open Water Diver course – 5,500,000Rp
Rescue Diver course – 5,500,000Rp
Some of the best dive sites include the following:
Deep Halik A canyonlike site ideally suited to drift diving. Black- and white-tip sharks are often seen at 28m to 30m.
Deep Turbo At around 30m, this site is ideally suited to nitrox diving. It has impressive sea fans and leopard sharks hidden in the crevasses.
Mirko's Reef Named for a beloved dive instructor who passed away, this canyon was never bombed and has vibrant, pristine soft and table coral formations.
Japanese Wreck For experienced divers only (it lies at 45m), this shipwreck of a Japanese patrol boat (c WWII) is ideal for tech divers.
Shark Point Perhaps the most exhilarating Gili dive: reef sharks and turtles are very regularly encountered, and there are schools of bumphead parrotfish and mantas.
Sunset (Manta Point) Some impressive table coral; sharks and large pelagics are frequently encountered.
4Sleeping
As you can see with all the west c
oast development, Meno is not immune from Gili growth. New properties are also appearing in the north – some of them rather posh. But you can still find a simple beachfront retreat.
oGili Meno Eco HostelHOSTEL$
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0878 6249 2062; gilimenoecohostel.com; dm/r from 90,000/200,000Rp; W)S
A fantasy in driftwood, this is the place you dream about staying when you're stuck in the snow waiting for a train. A volleyball court, groovy lounge, tree house, beach bar and much more open right onto the sand. Recycling and other ecofriendly practices, such as using sustainable construction materials, are a feature.
Tao KomboBUNGALOW$
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0878 6033 1373; www.tao-kombo.com; r 200,000-400,000Rp; W)S
This innovatively designed place has seven lumbung cottages with thatched roofs, stone floors and outdoor bathrooms. It's home to the popular Jungle Bar, and is 200m inland from the main strip. The owners are heavily involved in community projects; the whole place is run with an eye to sustainability.
oKebun Kupu KupuGUESTHOUSE$$
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0819 0742 8165; www.kupumenoresort.com; r from 800,000Rp; aWs)
Situated 300m from the beach, this collection of bungalows (the ones made from wood are lovely) has a great pool, palm trees overhead and a quiet spot near the salt lake. The French owners honour their heritage by serving excellent food (the crème brûlée is particularly good).
Ana BungalowBUNGALOW$$
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0878 6169 6315; www.anawarung.com; r fan/air-con from 500,000/800,000Rp; aW)
Four sweet, peaked-roof, thatch-and-bamboo bungalows with picture windows, and pebbled floors in the outdoor bathrooms. This family-run place has a cute used-book exchange on the beach next to its four lovely dining berugas (open-sided pavilions) lit with paper lanterns. Seafood dinners are excellent.
Jepun BungalowsBUNGALOW$$
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0819 1739 4736; www.jepunbungalows.com; bungalows fan/air-con 500,000/600,000Rp; aW)
Just 100m from the main beach path and harbour, with charming accommodation dotted around a garden. Choose from six lovely thatched lumbung, bungalows, or book the family house; all have bathrooms with fresh (hot) water and good-quality beds. Three have air-con.
Seri ResortRESORT$$
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0878 6109 6374; www.seriresortgilimeno.com; r 550,000-1,600,000Rp; aWs)
It's a tough call, but we think this beachfront resort is just that much whiter than the surrounding sand. There is an interesting range of rooms here, from budget huts that share bathrooms, to suites in three-storey blocks, to luxurious beach villas. Service is good, and the atmosphere high-end.
Mallias BungalowsINN$$
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0819 1732 3327; www.malliasgili.com; r 500,000-1,200,000Rp; aW)
This location right on Meno's best beach can't be beaten. The bungalows are simple – although some have air-con – really just bamboo and thatch. As such they are a good deal at the lower end of the price range. Then again, swinging on a hammock on your porch overlooking the beach is priceless.
5Eating & Drinking
Almost all of Meno's restaurants have absorbing sea views. Here 'dressing for dinner' simply means putting on clothes.
oSasak CafeINDONESIAN$
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; mains 25,000-80,000Rp; hkitchen 7am-9pm, bar till late)
Considering its out-of-the-way location, this bamboo-and-thatch, island-casual hang-out has tasty Indo standards, which literally take on a rosy glow when the sun sets. The tunes and the drinks flow late into the night.
Webe CaféINDONESIAN$
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0821 4776 3187; mains from 25,000Rp; h8am-10pm; W)
A wonderful location for a meal, Webe Café has low tables sunk in the sand, with the turquoise water just a metre away. It scores well for Sasak and Indonesian food such as kelak kuning (snapper in yellow spice); staff fire up a seafood barbecue most nights too. There are also basic bungalows for rent (from 400,000Rp).
Ya Ya WarungINDONESIAN$
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; dishes 15,000-30,000Rp; h8am-10pm)
Ramshackle warung-on-the-beach that serves up Indonesian faves, curries, pancakes and plenty of pasta, along with the views you came to Meno to enjoy.
Diana CaféBAR
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; h8am-9pm)
If you find the pace of life on Meno too busy, head to this intoxicating little tiki bar par excellence. Diana couldn't be simpler: a wobbly-looking bamboo-and-thatch bar, a few tables on the sand, a shack offering tattoos, a hammock or two, reggae on the stereo and a chill-out zone.
7Shopping
Art Shop BotolHANDICRAFTS
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; hhours vary)
Art Shop Botol is a large handicrafts stall just south of Kontiki Meno hotel. Choose from masks, Sasak water baskets, wood carvings and gourds. It's run by an elderly shopkeeper with 11 children and countless grandchildren.
8Information
There is one ATM; it's near the boat landing and is often out of currency. Given that few places take credit cards, bring cash.
8Getting There & Away
The boat landing ( GOOGLE MAP ) is a sleepy hub. Check the public boat schedules carefully as Meno's small size means that waiting for a boat to fill can take a long time. None of the fast boats directly serve Meno, although some provide connections. Otherwise, you need to go to Trawangan or Air to catch a Bali boat.
Gili Air
Closest to Lombok, Gili Air falls between Gili T's sophistication and less-is-less Meno, and is for many just right. The white-sand beaches here are arguably the best of the Gili bunch and there's just enough buzz to provide a dash of nightlife. Snorkelling is good right from the main strip – a lovely sandy lane dotted with bamboo bungalows and little restaurants where you can eat virtually on top of a turquoise sea.
Though tourism dominates Gili Air's economy, coconuts, fishing and creating the fake-distressed fishing-boat wood vital to any stylish Gili guesthouse are important income streams. A buzzy little strip has developed along the beach in the southeast, although the lane is still more sandy than paved.
rBeaches
The entire east side of the island has great beaches with powdery white sand and a gentle slope into beautiful turquoise water, with a foot-friendly sandy bottom. There are also good, private spots the rest of the way around Air, but low-tide rocks and coral are a problem.
Gili Air
2Activities, Courses & Tours
17 SeasC3
2Blue Marine Dive CentreC1
3H2O YogaC2
4Harmony SpaC1
5Oceans 5B3
6Oriental LandC3
4Sleeping
77 SeasC3
8Biba Beach VillageC2
9Bintang Beach 2B1
10DamaiC1
11Gili Air HostelC3
12Grand SunsetB2
13Rival VillageC3
14Villa Casa MioB3
5Eating
15Eazy Gili WaroengC3
16Le CirqueC3
17Pasar MalamC3
18Scallywags Beach ClubC3
Siti ShopC3
19Sunset LoungeA2
20Warung Sasak IIC3
6Drinking & Nightlife
21Legend BarC1
22Little BarC1
2Activities
Water Sports
The entire east coast has an offshore reef teeming with colourful fish; there's a drop-off about 100m to 200m out. Snorkelling gear is easily hired for about 50,000Rp per day.
The island has an excellent collection of dive shops which charge the standard Gili rates.
Blue Marine Dive CentreDIVING
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0812 377 0288; www.bluemarinedive.com; night dives 570,000Rp)S
Has a nice location on the beautiful northeast corner of the island. Offers freediving courses. The owner is very active in reef preservation efforts.
Oceans 5DIVING
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0813 3877 7144; www.oceans5dive.com; fun dives from 500,00
0Rp)S
Has a 25m training pool, an in-house marine biologist and nice hotel rooms. Also offers a program of yoga diving, and emphasises sustainable diving practices to its guests.
7 SeasDIVING
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0370-663 2150; www.7seasdivegili.com; 4-day TEC diving packages 6,400,000Rp)S
A vast dive shop with a range of accommodation and a good pool for training or just playing. A local leader in recycling.
Oriental LandKAYAKING
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0878 6546 1505; 1/2hr rental 150,000/270,000Rp)
Rent a kayak made from clear plastic and not only can you explore the reef-protected waters around Air, but you can see the reefs right under you.
Cycling
Bikes can be rented for 50,000Rp a day but large sections of the coastal path in the north and west are annoying, as long slogs of deep sand swallow the trail at times. Inland lanes, however, are mostly concrete and very rideable. Some shops have bikes with huge tyres which actually aren't any easier to pedal.
Yoga
H2O YogaYOGA
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0877 6103 8836; www.h2oyogaandmeditation.com; classes 100,000Rp, 3hr workshops 300,000Rp)
This wonderful yoga and meditation retreat centre is set back from the beach on a well-signed path in the village. Top-quality classes are held in a lovely circular beruga. Massage is also available, and there's candlelight yoga at 5pm.