Blogs from Gili Air, Lombok, Indonesia, Asia - page 5

Apologies first of all. I had intended to include photos of this wonderful tropical paradise that I’ve called home for the last week. But alas, the internet connection here is operating at pre-1990 levels and the potential for uploading photos, despite my perserverence for the last few hours, seems futile… Anyway, I am sitting here now on the bamboo verandah of my very own little bungalow, looking out at the beach as the dark clouds of the daily monsoonal storm roll in, accompanied by the constant low rumblings of thunder and the continuous flashes of lightning..Gili Air, literally and I guess appropriately meaning ‘water island’, is a tiny fleck of land just off the northwestern coast of Lombok. Stretching almost one whole, entire kilometre from top to bottom and about the same across, it is home ... read more

The speedboat roared away from Padanbai harbour, leaving Bali behind as the guttural roar of our four engines left a long trail of white foamy water in its wake. The lower, internal compartment of the small speedboat was full and so I had to endure the top, outer level for the journey. The outer level was nothing more than the boats roof which was open to the blazing morning sunshine. My backpack had already been whisked away and stowed in the hull, along with my sun cream. By the time I reached Gili Trawangen I resembled a tomato with blond hair that had spent an hour and a half in a wind tunnel. The journey was exhilarating as the boat skimmed the waters surface, bumping over the deep blue sea at incredible pace. The Gili Isles ... read more

Next stop the Gili Islands, we had the option of an expensive 3 hour speed boat journey or the cheaper minivan/ferry/minivan/boat option. We chose the later and 12 hours later, noisy music videos on the ferry, a few scam attempts by cocky but harmless Indonesian teenagers (who all seem to run the place!?!) and tourists being herded around like cattle we arrive on Gili Trawangan. Upon arrival we decided to divide and conquer, Jim found somewhere to stay and Carla drank beer and made friends with a nice, if very drunk Norwegian couple. A fun evening of drinking and meeting the Norwegians other friends from England continued until the early hours. However after many beers Jim could not remember where our guest house was and after a smidge of panic and almost checking into the guest ... read more

Ceux et celles qui nous suivent déjà depuis quelques années, savent que nous prenons toujours une pause dans nos voyages. Des vacances de nos vacances! Cette année, c'est a Gili Air que nous avons laissé tomber les sacs pour 17 jours, au large de Lombok, la voisine orientale de Bali. Se rendre à Gili Air n'est pas de tout repos! Les pièges pour wisatas se succèdent jusqu'à Bangsal, l'ultime étape avant d'atteindre l'ile, mais non la moindre! Attitude, mensonges, chantage et agressivité nous attendent ici à Bangsal, le summum de l'arnaque. Ce que ces jeunes escrocs indonésiens ne savent pas, c'est que les Trotteurs ont été initiés durement aux arnaques les plus tordues et farfelues de l'Inde, il n'y a pas si longtemps de cela!!! Nous esquivons donc, avec succès, leurs ambitions saugrenues et atteignons finalement ... read more

Efter at have brugt laengere tid end beregnet paa Borneo, havde vi kun knap 3 uger inden vi skulle vaere tilbage i Bangkok for at fange vores fly videre til Nepal. Vores plan havde til en start vaeret, at vi gerne ville se en del af Lombok og Flores (og lidt af Bali), men det kunne vi ligesom godt se, at det ville blive for presset et program. Indtil videre havde vi ikke oplevet sol og strand saa meget, og det synes vi lidt at vi traengte til (ja, det er haardt at vaere rygsaeksrejsende indimellem). Derfor besluttede vi at tage et fly til Bali - haenge ud i Kuta et par dage og saa tage videre til Gili Islands, tre oer der ligger lige nord for Lombok, for at slappe af paa stranden og dykke ... read more