xyxyxyxyxyxyxy xyxyxyxyxyxyxy AwAkening of the senses Gili Trawangan is not just about having fun in the sun. Join Mallika Naguran as she dives deeper into this island’s underwater garden for a spot of coral reef restoration WORDS MALLIKA NAGURAN | PHOTOGRAPHS FOUED KADDACHI 68 MARCH/APRIL 2012 Gili TrawaNGaN ADE Astawa looks out provide quieter escapades in comparison. into the azure distance Outlining Gili T are gleaming stretches of as the speedboat bumps sandy beaches, fringed by coral reefs and along surges of waves, deep fishing zones, where fishermen carry heading towards the on a livelihood practised by past spectre of an island on generations. Following the urgent call of Mthe clear horizon he knows too well. He the mosque before dawn and whispered has just left Bali with a group of scuba prayers over woven mats, the men row out divers that include myself, mostly from to the seas with rods and nets on their Singapore, to learn to care for coral reefs handmade sampans or wooden boats. on Gili Trawangan, or fondly known as The largely Muslim community living in Gili T for short. villages tucked away from the coastline is a For Made, Gili T is home, where he was framed picture of serenity. Time moves born and raised, where he attended high slowly. Sun-kissed kids spill out the back school before leaving for Bali to become a lanes barefoot with tangled hair, old ladies dive instructor. The 17-year-old lad is my shuffle along with rattan baskets of guest on this eco dive trip on his own homemade cakes, and granddads sit out on home island – a welcome break from the front verandahs shaded by jackfruit trees, strenuous instructor training he has been exhaling clove-scented curls. having on Bali the last six months. He is Here is an island that has no tarmac or thinking about granny’s freshly pounded runway strip, so motorised vehicles are chilli sambal with coconut flavoured nowhere to be seen. Instead, bicycles steamed rice and crispy anchovies. He has compete with pony carts on a ten-foot his meals out near south Gili T beach, squiggly pathway that holds mud when it while looking out at the tip of Mount rains. It fringes the beach and is where one Rinjani on Lombok Island not too far walks on to get food, clothes or for the away. His mother lives on Lombok, and so tourists, to the next bar on a Full Moon do his sisters, but his home is in Gili T party, which interestingly now happens where he must return one day after he nearly everyday. obtains his professional instructor diving certification to earn his living. At seven square kilometres, Gili T is the largest of the three Gilis – the other two are Gili Air and Gili Meno – all cast in a row to the northwest of Lombok. Gili means CLOCKWISE FROM TOP “small island” in Sasak, a language spoken LEFT Gili T’s azure crystal by the early inhabitants of Lombok waters and pristine white belonging to the Bali-Sasak-Sumbawa sand beaches; village kids frolick, carelessly, in the subgroup. The sasaks embraced Islam in waters; you’ll find no the late 17th and 18th century while motorised vehicles on Hinduism remains intrinsic to most of the Gili T, only ponycarts as other natives within the West Nusa the main mode of transportation; goofing Tenggara province. More than three around underwater; Gili T’s million Sasak and Balinese live in this beachfront bungalows and area, which includes the Sumbawa island, long stretches of white where Made’s father works as a mechanic. sand make it hard to ever leave; in Gili T anything The Gilis are quick getaways for Bali and anywhere can be your expats who are bored with what playground; though picturesque Bali offers and now seek tourism is picking up, alternative scenery. Gili T, just over an fishing still remains the hour’s speedboat ride from Bali’s Benoa or main source of livelihood for villagers; for something Padangbai departure point, is the “party romantic, try horseback island” while Gili Air and Gili Meno riding at sunset 72 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2012 MARCH/APRIL 2012 71 Gili TrawaNGaN Idyllic? Yes. An oasis of calm? If you powered structures or Biorock with the head inland and up north. A place to meet help of the community itself. new friends? For sure. Bars are aplenty, Other initiatives include installing with local tanned dudes carbon copying mooring buoys to prevent accidental the Bali cowboys ever ready to befriend anchoring on coral reefs, increased marine single female travellers. They strike awe police patrol to curb bad fishing practices, with their break-dance routines in front of waste management to prevent pollution, an Irish bar, hoping for a reward in the plastic bag reduction awareness form of a beer. Partying hard is what most programmes, and education of children tourists do after a sunny day out diving or and youths. Today there are more than 500 island hopping; dehydration quickens hotels, resorts, lodges, dive centres and beer guzzling, and by four in the morning, tour operators on all three islands, with 50 the dizzy dances continue to the pounding businesses contributing actively to the base and rhythm in one big blur, more trust fund and to the upkeep of the island, often than not aided by easily obtainable which includes training youths for the party enhancers. bustling tourism industry. For many who make it out to Gili T, it’s a One of the few selected Indonesians to different kind of wild creatures that are the be fully sponsored by PADI, a scuba diving attraction. Under the sea teem varied association, to become a certified marine life one can easily recognise: instructor, Made hopes to do his bit to parrotfishes, angelfishes, jacks, puffers, reverse the devastating actions of the and clownfishes live in symbiotic fishermen by participating in coral reef existence with the animated anemones. restoration through the Biorock dive Corals are pretty at a number of dive course program. sites but cannot be compared to the past; e “I want to help improve the environment the resplendent coral reefs fringing the with Gili Eco Trust, especially the marine Gilis have been bombed out due to problems we face, after I become a dive damaging fishing practices. Communities instructor,” he says. Hopefully it will be a of fishermen, in their haste to increase dream come true for this brown-eyed their catch, dynamited the spots where islander in the months to come. LP fishes congregated most – the coral reefs – and then conveniently swooped up the fish floating dead on the water surface at one go. Little did they know that they were destroying generations of natural underwater habitat. With the destruction of the coral reefs, the population of coral fishes plunged as a result. The fishermen found themselves with fewer and fewer fish, and then eventually close to none. While the locals on Gili T recognise their growing economic needs and want to grow tourism in a bigger way to meet those needs, it is heartening to know that they now take personal responsibility in CLOCKWISE FROM TOP protecting their environment. LEFT Biorock technology A community-led movement – the Gili relies on electric currents Eco Trust – was formed in 2001 by seven running through steel structures to develop dive shops and a local organisation to corals, and in turn gather funds and resources to heighten regenerate a whole coral marine awareness and conservation of the habitat; all divers in Gili T three Gili islands. A major initiative is to help fund the Gili Eco Trust with a one-off diving levy; restore demolished underwater habitats with plentiful and varied and prevent further beach erosion by marine life, Gili T is a building new coral reefs using electric superb dive destination 72 MARCH/APRIL 2012 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2012 75.