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Gili Islands

Includes  Why Go? Gili Trawangan. . . . . 300 Picture three minuscule desert islands, fringed by white- Gili Meno...... 310 sand beaches and coconut palms, sitting in a turquoise sea: Gili Air...... 314 the Gilis are a vision of paradise. These islets have exploded in popularity, and are booming like nowhere else in Indo- nesia – speedboats zip visitors direct from and hip new hotels are massing. It’s not hard to understand the Gilis’ unique appeal, for Best Places a serenity endures (no motorbikes or dogs!) and a palm- to Eat shaded languor. Still, despite a growing green conscience, all three islands are seeing a lot of development and, in peak ¨¨Sasak Cafe (p313) season, can feel mobbed. ¨¨Kayu Café (p307) Each island has its own special character. Gili Trawangan ¨¨Pituq Café (p307) (universally known as Gili T) is by far the most cosmopol- itan; its bar and party scene is vibrant, its accommodation ¨¨Ruby’s (p317) and restaurants are close to definitive tropical chic. Gili Air ¨¨Kokomo (p307) has the strongest local character, but also a perfect mix of buzz and bliss. Gili Meno is flirting with shoreline gentri- fication. Best Places to Sleep ¨¨Adeng Adeng (p312) When to Go ¨¨ ¨¨Kebun Kupu Kupu (p312) The wet season is approximately late October until late March. But even in the height of the rainy season, when ¨¨Indigo Bungalows (p303) it’s lashing it down on or Bali, the Gilis can be ¨¨Pondok Santi Estate dry and sunny. (p306) ¨¨High season is between June and late August and again ¨¨Wilson’s Retreat (p306) at Christmas, when rooms are very hard to find and prices ¨¨Biba Beach Village (p316) surge (though great weather is almost guaranteed). ¨¨The perfect months to visit are May and September. It’s fairly dry, the crowds have abated and there’s no cyclone season to worry about. Still, with the Gilis’ popularity growing so quickly, it’s always a good idea to book a room in advance. Getting Around 299 . e . s e 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 k s . n c e a l m e i p k r a m 1 p # J W 5 . Boats r . i . Many 0 5 ok

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There’s also a slow daily island-hopping boat #p ( ecently introduced, public fast boats run WALKING & CYCLING & WALKING CIDOMO ISLAND-HOPPING to 400,000 to a fun way to get around, but sandy stretches of path mean that you will spend time pushing your bike in the hot sun The Gilis are flat and easy enough to get around by foot islands (per day 50,000 8 cannotWe recommend using cidomo drawn carts) due to the significant questions about the treatment of the horses almost hourly indaytime on a route linking GiliGili Meno, T, Gili Air and Bangsal; they cost 85,000 R Gili to another timetable at the islands’ docks charter boats between the islands (350,000 service that loops between all three islands (15,000

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