Boat Trip to the Gili Islands of Lombok

30 May 2024

Situated only a few kilometres off the northwest coast of Lombok, the Gili Islands is a hugely popular tourist destination. A day out to these islands by private chartered glass bottom boat was the highlight of my first trip to Lombok.

"Gili" actually means 'island' in the local language and the Gili Islands are made up of three idyllic small islands – Gili Trawangan, Gili Meno and Gili Air. The three islands each offer something different, as we would find out during our visit. Our guide, Omar, told us there are many nicer Gilis in Lombok but the most accessible and popular islands are these three.

It was a 20 minutes drive in our chartered van from our hotel in Senggigi to the boat launching point. Omar gave us a run-down of what to expect on the islands. He also gave each of us a small sachet containing supplements to combat sea-sickness. I don’t suffer from motion sickness usually but took the supplement anyway.

We were issued our snorkeling gear before boarding the glass bottom boat. Omar had requested for our shoe sizes the day before so the boat crew could prepare the right sized snorkeling fins for each of us.

Our boat to the Gili Islands. Note how clear the water is even at the mainland of Lombok.

Many pairs of helping hands from the crew as we board the boat.

In addition to Omar, we have two other crew members in the boat - the captain and his young first mate. The younger one would act as lookout in the bow of the boat while the captain steer the boat. These guys were awesome. Always willing to help and to ensure that we are safe and have a good time.

The weather for the day was perfect. Clouds with sun. Even then, sun protection (hats, sunscreen, sunglasses, etc) is a must before going out to sea. Most of us also wore water shoes.

It felt good to go out to sea again, feeling the sea breeze and the occasional spray of sea water on my face.

On our way to the first island, Omar pointed out the some objects floating on the sea to our left. These objects are used to rear oysters that will produce pearls. Many, including myself, are unaware that Lombok is famous for its pearl farms. This is big business in the area, with some of the prettiest pearls in Southeast Asia cultivated here.

Gili Air

The first island we went to was Gili Air as it was the closest. We donned our snorkeling gear and entered the water one by one. I was the second person to jump into the water with mask only; no fins and no life vest as I thought I could surface dive to get a closer view of the corals and fishes below.

The corals at our snorkeling area were quite good. I could see plenty of live corals with colourful fishes. I soon discover that the current at this spot was quite strong and it was difficult to propel myself forward without fins.

As more of my friends jumped in, I struggled to get back to the boat. Panting like crazy, I managed to return safely to the boat. I put on my fins and also wear the life-vest before returning to the water. Lesson learnt! 

Snorkeling in the clear waters off Gili Air.

Omar brought along a GoPro camera and one of the boatmen used it expertly to capture some underwater pictures and videos for us.

Beautiful corals and colourful fishes at Gili Air.

Best swimmer.

Enjoying the rare snorkeling experience.

Gili Air has plenty of live corals with plenty of colouful fishes but the current was quite strong. So, it is not ideal for novice snorkelers. For one of my travelling companions, this was the first time for him.

Our boatman trailed a long rope behind the boat for us to cling on. That was a very good idea! We could also use the rope to get back to the boat instead of swimming against the current.

Hanging on to the rope for a rest.       

Even though the sea on this day was not that choppy, a couple of folks in our group suffered from motion sickness at this point. The supplements that Omar provided to all of us when we left the hotel in the morning did not work for some.

This was supposed to combat sea-sickness.

 

Gili Meno

The next island we went to was Gili Meno, sandwiched between Gili Trawangan and Gili Air.

Approaching Gili Meno, we saw many boats and snorkelers concentrated at a peculiar spot. Omar told us this is where the very popular underwater “Nest” sculpture is located.

The sculpture consists of 48 life-size human sculptures of couples hugging each other, formed in a circle to encase even more figures lying on the seabed. This is created by the artist Jason deCaires Taylor to raise awareness about the risk of destroying the coral barrier reefs. The material used in the sculpture is supposed to provide a platform for soft corals and sponges to grow.

Just like at Gili Air, the current was quite strong. Our boatman brought the boat to a spot up current from the Nest before we entered the water. Once we are in the water, we drifted with the current towards the mass of people snorkeling above the “Nest”.

Quite crowded above the popular “Nest” sculpture located off Gili Meno.

Being only about 100 meters from the shore of Gili Meno, the water at this point is not deep. We could see the sculpture quite easily, together with the masses of legs and fins hovering above. It was actually quite chaotic as there are multiple groups gathered around the “Nest”.

Someone from another group diving in to snap a photo.

We drifted with the current past the sculpture and focused our attention to the many colourful fishes in the area.

Fishes attracted by some bread that our boatman (and photographer) brought.

A group photo at Gili Meno above the “Nest”.

Our boat was waiting for us, down current from the “Nest”, to pick us up as planned. Our next stop is Gili Trawangan, the largest island in the group.

Gili Trawangan

As our boat approaches the shore of Gili Trawangan, our guide Omar assures us that we will definitely see some wild sea turtles at this island.

He was absolutely spot on.

The beach on this island is gently sloping and shallow. We entered the water without fins and life vests and waded on the sandy bottom in search of sea turtles.

We spotted one within minutes.

Swimming with the turtle at Gili Trawangan.

There are two species of sea turtles found around Gili Trawangan, the Green Turtle and the Hawksbill Turtle.

The one we spotted was the Green Turtle. The Green Turtle are actually not green in colour. It was light brown in colour as shown in the photos. They are called green turtles after the colour of their meat. Their diet consists of mainly sea grass, which causes their meat to turn green.

Green Turtle feeding on the sea grass.

I could not resist the temptation to give the beautiful creature a gentle stroke on its back.

The turtle was calm and probably used to humans. Ignoring us, it continued to feed on sea grass and other stuff on the seabed while the excited humans hover over and around it.

Being able to snorkel around this incredible creature was a beautiful experience. This was the highlight of my visit to the Gili Islands. I believe the rest of my group felt the same too.

Group photo at Gili Trawangan.

We boarded the boat again and landed on another part of the island where the “main street” of the island is located. There are many restaurants along this stretch. The restaurants on the island all have similar features – sandy floors, no walls and little huts where you have views of the sea and women in bikinis while we enjoyed our meal.

Typical restaurant scene.

Omar arranged for us to use the single shower room at a restaurant where we would take our lunch. We rested in the “restaurant”, took our time to look at the menu while the group took turns to shower and changed into dry clothes.

We had our lunch at this restaurant on Gili Trawangan.

Like most restaurants on the island, the menu catered to tourists more than locals. It features more western dishes than local.

Being on a private chartered boat tour, we could take our time to explore the place after lunch. It was obvious that there are no motorized vehicles of any kind on the island. The transport options are either horse-cart taxi or rent a bicycle.

The horse-cart taxi can take up to 3 passengers.

“Main street” of Gili Trawangan.

Omar suggested that we could rent a bike to cycle around the island. We chose to just strolled down the main street and feel the vibes on the Gili Islands.

Good to see that there is a program to protect the turtles on the Gilis.

Having a Gili Gelato during our stroll.

Bikinis are the uniform for tourists staying on the island.

Signage in various languages outside a dive shop. 

Selfie on the beach.

Outriggers at the beach on Gili Trawangan. Gili Meno is the island in the background.

Once we had enough of the Gili Islands, we boarded the boat again and headed back to Lombok. Compared to the outbound trip, the sea on our way back was more choppy. While I enjoyed the thrill of the rough ride, our two sea-sick friends had a relapse by the time we reached shore.

Overall, our outing to the Gili Islands had been fun. The clarity of the water was good for snorkeling. We saw plenty of corals and fishes and we got to swim with the turtles!

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Day trip to Sendang Gile & Tiu Kelep Waterfalls from Senggigi

31 May 2024

Sendang Gile & Tiu Kelep Waterfalls are located in the town of Senaru, which is the area most people would stay in before trekking to Mount Rinjani. In fact, most of the Rinjani trekkers would include a visit to these waterfalls either before or after their trek. Even though our group is not trekking up Mount Rinjani, the two beautiful waterfalls are worth seeing.

Senaru is located in the north of Lombok, about 77 km from our hotel in Senggigi. We had booked a chartered van with driver and guide for the day trip to these waterfalls. Our guide for the day was Jali since Omar (our guide in the first 2 days) had some family commitments and could not join us on this day.

We left our hotel at about 9 AM. It took us about 2 hours to get to Senaru. On the way, we saw plenty of villages, countryside, beaches and padi fields. We even chanced upon a large herd of goats crossing the road.

By the time we arrived in Senaru, it was time for an early lunch before trekking to the first waterfall. Jali brought us to Rinjani Lodge, a restaurant and hotel accommodation located on the borders of the Rinjani National Park. Situated on the edge of a cliff, it has infinity pools with views of the surrounding mountains, including Mount Rinjani.   The first thing that wowed us when we arrived at Rinjani Lodge was the awesome views.

Infinity pools at the lodge.

Accommodations at the lodge for trekkers to Mount Rinjani.

We enjoyed the scenic views from the observation deck and even spotted some wild black monkeys in the jungle next to the lodge. The observation deck protruded out from the cliff and was quite scary for those who are afraid of heights.  

Observation deck at the Rinjani Lodge with steep drop into the valley below. Notice the extremely low railings.

The restaurant offers a range of Indonesian and Western specialties. My wife and I prefer to try Indonesian food such as the Bebek Betutu (a local duck dish) and the Curry Chicken. The dishes were served with steamed rice, artistically packed inside a cone made from banana leaves.  Lunch at the Rinjani Lodge before our trek to the waterfalls.

Energised from our lunch, we started our trek to the waterfalls. The ticket booth and trailhead leading to both the Sendang Gile & Tiu Kelep Waterfalls is within walking distance from Rinjani Lodge. Entrance fees were taken care of by our guide Jali.

Jali had made arrangement for a local guide from Senaru village to lead us to the waterfalls. Guides are not mandatory but I was glad Jali arranged for one as we would soon find out.

Our local guide (I did not get his name), armed with a wooden stick, led us down a steep path paved with concrete steps through the rain forest towards Sendang Gile. He told us the stick was to defend us from wild monkeys that lurked in the forest.

Interesting flower of a unknown plant. We saw quite a few of them. 

We could hear and see the waterfall from the trail as we approached it. It only took about 15 minutes from the entrance to the Sendang Gile waterfall.

Once we got to the foot of the Sendang Gile waterfall, we could really feel its might.

Sendang Gile is an impressive two-tiered waterfall with massive force.

We could feel the cool spray of the mist generated by the force of the falling water against the rocks beneath. Despite being the dry season (from May to October), the volume of water cascading down was quite massive.

The pool of water around the Sendang Gile waterfall is shallow at this time of year. It is hence not suitable for taking a dip.

After taking some time to enjoy the surroundings and admire the power of the fall, we continued on our trek to the next waterfall. One member of our party was not feeling well, so Jali stayed with the couple at Sendang Gile Waterfall while our local guide led the rest of the group (3 other couples) to Tiu Kelep.

From Sendang Gile Waterfall, we headed back towards the entrance and turn left at the sign for Tiu Kelep Waterfall. We saw a troop of small monkeys in the trees above but they did not bother us.

The trek to Tiu Kelep was more interesting. The first part of the hike was easy, with steps going downhill and then up to a bridge which is actually an aqueduct carrying water from the mountains to the village of Senaru. As we made our way across the aqueduct, we could see the water gushing rapidly along the aqueduct through the metal grills below us. 

At the other end of the bridge, we saw some locals with inflated rubber tires, offering rides through the aqueduct. 

Hiking towards the Tiu Kelep Waterfall. The sluice gate is the structure at the top of the stairs.

After passing a sluice gate, the hike becomes more exciting. We went through lush tropical jungle, rocky trails and had to cross the shallow river that leads to the Tiu Kelep waterfall.

Our waterfall guide lends a helping hand to ensure all the ladies and some gents negotiate the trail safely.

Before the first water crossing, we changed into our aqua shoes (already wet from the previous day’s trip to the Gili Islands) or sandals so as to keep our shoes dry.  

Changing into our aqua shoes or sandals before the crossing the stream.

Our guide offered to carry our backpacks for the water crossing but we told him we could manage. The water was mostly ankle deep only. Just need to watch out for slippery rocks and strong current. 

First water crossing for the day. 

It was amazing to see our waterfall guide going through the terrain with bare feet. There are some parts of the rocky trails that were lined with sharp chicken wires on top and he just walked right on them.

Enjoying the thrill of hiking through rough terrain.

The path to the Tiu Kelep Waterfall is not well-marked but it is not easy to get lost. Just follow the trail along the river to the waterfall. Having said that, it was good that we had a guide to show us the best path to take.

There are several water crossings before we arrived at the falls. We got more confident after completing the first water crossing. Overall, it took about 40 to 50 minutes to reach Tiu Kelep Waterfall.

Tiu Kelep Waterfall is impressive! It offers a fantastic photo backdrop. Our guide added value by helping to take numerous photos at the waterfall. The area near the waterfall has high humidity and there is a constant stream of misty water spray from the waterfall. Non water-resistant cameras or phones could be easily damaged by the wetness. The ground at this place was also soaking wet so our guide carried a few of our backpacks on his shoulders while taking the photos!

Our guide was careful to shield the lens and openings of my friend’s mobile phone with his hands before taking quick shots. 

Couple photo with Tiu Kelep Waterfall as backdrop.

Group photo taken by our guide.

Our guide knew the best angle and places to get the good photos.

Photo of the day.

The aqua shoes provided good traction on the slippery rocks.

The wet rocks were very slippery and we had to be careful. One of my friends slipped once and suffered a slight abrasion on his ankles. 

After we had enough of the waterfall, we returned via the way we came.

Our guide insisted to help carry some of the backpacks. 

On the way back, one of the guys went for a dip in the rock pool and I followed suit. Big mistake!

I realised that I had my wallet and mobile phone were in my hiking pants after I stepped into the water. As a result, my phone went dead and could not be revived. I lost all the photos taken on this trip. 

I made the mistake of jumping into the stream to take a dip at this point.

Swam with my wallet and Samsung Galaxy S10 in my pocket.

Drying ourselves and changing back to our hiking shoes before trekking back to Rinjani Lodge.

After the last water crossing, we took time to dry ourselves and changed back into our hiking shoes.

After the fun, we trudged back up the steps to the entrance and then back to Rinjani Lodge where we met up with the rest of the group.

From there, we took the 2 hours drive back to Senggigi. By the time we arrived back at Senggigi, it was already dark.

We decided to have dinner at the Ocean Blue Seafood Restaurant. This restaurant is owned by a Malaysian Chinese and serves seafood cooked in Cantonese style. This is also one of the few restaurants we saw that displayed live fish, crabs and lobster in tanks for us to choose from. 

After dinner, we requested our driver and guide to bring us to Fresh Mart Senggigi, an upscale grocery store chain, to buy some beer, wine and snacks.

We ended the day with a get-together to enjoy some beer, wine and snacks in my hotel room.

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