Gili T
White sand beaches, turquoise water, coral reefs, turtles, biking, tropical bars, sunsets…Paradise. This is the island of Gili T, one of three small islands tucked up in the northwest corner off Lombok. The Gili Islands are a one-two hour boat ride from Bali’s eastern coast, and worth the trek. They consist of Gili Air, Gili Meno, and Gili Trawangan (or Gili T), each of which have their own unique feel. Gili T has the most going on and it known for its party scene and dive shops, Gili Air is more laid with great views of Rinjani volcano, and Gili Meno is known for it’s peaceful, relaxing vibe. All the islands are surrounded by coral reef and have amazing diving.
Since Josh and I became scuba diving open water certified we were anxious to head to the Gilis to check out its legendary dive scene and beaches. Getting to the Gilis during peak season can be pretty costly but since we were in Bali during the rainy season, Sanur was quiet, and the travelers scarce. We were able to bargain a deal for the boat for about a quarter the normal price, on a direct boat to Gili T. We decided to stay on Gili T because it had by far the most amenities, dive shop options, and much more action at night. Diving and partying don’t really go hand in hand (at least for us), but we knew we’d prefer to have a few drinks in a lively setting, and wanted to see what it would be like there.
We booked a guesthouse called Galway Bay through AirBnb, and got an awesome deal (free breakfast, coffee, water, bikes, wifi, pool, air con) for $30/night. There are no cars on the island so everyone gets around by biking or the strange horse carriages that the local drive around as cabs. The free bike was clutch. Galway ended up being one of the best places we’ve ever stayed at on our trip to date, and it really made Gili T more fun. Our host was this incredibly friendly Irish guy (Dave) from Galway Bay, who gave us the lay of the land and showed us where to go for what. We were spoiled each morning with an amazing hot breakfast, and because Dave was so friendly and inclusive to all his guests, we met a lot of cool people at the place and went out with them.
The diving was out of this world. We saw so much marine life I couldn’t even believe it! We saw white tipped reef sharks (yes, sharks!), cuttlefish, octopus, shrimp, stingrays, eels, turtles, and hundreds of different tropical fish. It was so awesome! The best part was that all the dive sites were within a 10 minute boat ride from the island, and each dive cost $35 US which is a steal!
Josh in Turtle Heaven with a green turtle
We were in Gili T for five days and did four dives, making two of our days diving days. The weather was a little threatening at times, but it ended up being really sunny and nice each day, and we never got rain, which apparently is unusual this time of year.
Can you spot the Cuttlefish?
We Found Nemo!
We spent one of our days snorkeling, and it was nearly as good as our dive experience. Galway gave us free snorkels to use, and the reefs are so close to shore that we just biked to the best spot, jumped in the water, and snorkeled our way down the beach. We saw three turtles while snorkeling, and I about lost it! They were so close to us that we actually got to swim with them. Best snorkeling of my life to date, and it didn’t cost any money!
Snorkeling fun on Gili T
Biking is a big thing on Gili T, but nothing super intense…it’s more of a beach cruiser type stroll. One of our days we just hopped on our bikes and went around the whole island, stopping as we went. We found these swings out in the water and had a fun little photo shoot.
Everyone pretty much stays on the east side of the island where the town is, but the sunsets are well known for being awesome on the west. At night everyone bikes over to the west and hangs at one of the laid back beach bars, drinking mojitos and watching the sunset. We did this several times, one night with our homestay people, and it was super relaxing and fun.
One of our nights after diving we were exhausted, but found one of the beach hotels had setup a movie viewing night on the beach. They started the movie right after sunset, and had beanbag chairs setup where you could chill and watch a movie. It was the perfect way to spend an evening on the beach.
We loved Gili T. People rave about how big a party scene it is, but it could literally be whatever you want it to be. We had some amazing dives, fun nights out, and some great nights chilling, watching the movie and sunsets. It was everything; relaxing, fun, and adventurous. We did NOT want to leave!
Seminyak (Legion Beach)
With only a couple days left in Bali we knew it was time to head back to the main land, and make our way closer to the airport. We stayed in the Seminyak area, on Legion Beach for two nights. When we went to Bali a year ago we had stayed a little north of this area, but liked it and thought it’d be fun to come back. Ironically, after Gili, Sanur, Ubud, and all the various places we’d explored in Bali, this area really didn’t make the cut for us anymore. Everything was lower quality, higher priced, and overly touristy. It didn’t really feel like the Bali we know and love. We had some fun at the beach and around the town, but it’s just not an area we will rush back to in the future. After a quick stint in Legion, it was time to head ‘Down Under’ to the wonderful land of Oz!
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