MORNING: MALIMBU CLIFF
Starts your day with a visit to Malimbu Cliff, 45 minutes drive away from Senggigi Beach, to see the beautiful view of Lombok's seashore. Malimbu Cliff is often selected as either the starting or ending point of adventure to the three Gili islands which is located nearby. If you are visiting the three Gili islands from the main city of Mataram, you will definitely pass by Malimbu Cliff. It is actually recommended to visit Malimbu Cliff when it's near sunset but our tour was so packed today and our tour guide was kinda skeptical whether we could make it in time at all so he'd rather squeeze in the visit to Malimbu Cliff at the start of the day.
Malimbu Cliff is often chosen as the meeting point for many local communities in Lombok such as cycling and bikers motor touring community. I suppose it's pretty nice and chill to relax at the top of the cliff with amazing view surrounding you. Our tour guide made a joke that the name "Malimbu" is actually given because the beauty of the seashore does not lose out to the famous Malibu Beach in the USA. I bought his joke for a second because I really think it does not lose out. Hahaha.
LATE MORNING - AFTERNOON: GILI TRAWANGAN
Embark on the adventure to visit the famous three islands of Gili, Gili Trawangan, Gili Meno and Gili Air. These three beautiful islands are referred to as The Gili Paradise Islands. I started my adventure with Gili Trawangan, the most commercialised Gili island amongst the all three islands. There are so many activities you can do at Gili Trawangan from snorkeling, glass bottom boat, cycling, wandering around, eating, lazing on the beach and so on. There are so many international tourists here so Gili Trawangan kinda gives off a bit of commercialised atmosphere kinda similar to Bali.
Our tour itinerary in Gili Trawangan started with a snorkeling/ glass bottom boat trip so we made our way to Oda Cafe & Bungalow where we gonna borrow the snorkeling gear. You will need the goggle, snorkle and the fins to snorkel leisurely in the water area of Gili Trawangan. The rental cost for these equipments is IDR 30,000 (USD 2+) The life jacket is also provided for each participant. If you are not fit for snorkeling, you can still see the beauty of the underwater world that Gili Trawangan offers by glass bottom boat. While it may not be as fun as snorkeling, at least you won't miss the whole fun. If you are lucky, you may be able to see the sea turtles and some rare fishes.
Lunch is provided by Oda Cafe & Bungalow after we are done snorkeling. There is shower room available at the cafe so you can wash yourselves and change clothes here. I guess the perks of signing up with a tour is that everything is catered for and you don't have to do a lot of separate arrangements for your activity in Gili Trawangan. Lunch are basically local seafood dishes such as fried prawns, fried fishes and some curry dishes completed with a coconut drink. Yumz.
The best way to explore the land of Gili Trawangan is by renting a bike from one of the bike rentals which are available along the main road of the island. Daily rental of the bike costs IDR 30,000 (USD 2+). You just need an approximately 45 minutes to bike around Gili Trawangan.
Plop yourselves to one of the beach floats available at the beach along the stretch of the island to relax with a coconut at your side after a long day of snorkeling and cycling to wait for the sunset. You just have to order food and drink from the restaurant which owns that particular section of the beach to enjoy the privilege of lazing at one of their available floats. At night, the whole stretch of main road of Gili Trawangan turns lively because there are so many bars and restaurants at the left and right side of the road. These restaurants are taking turns to offer some party entertainment. The price for the food/drinks plus entertainment may not be kind to the wallet but not everyday you can enjoy this kind of laidback lifestyle at the beach.
LATE AFTERNOON - EVENING: GILI MENO, GILI AIR
Even though the three Gili islands are known together as the Gili Paradise Island, Gili Meno and Gili Air have not really shared the same fame as their sister, Gili Trawangan. One local traveller told us that during his wait to depart the port to reach Gili Meno, 4 boats directing to Gili Trawangan has departed. He has to wait for a while before the boat is finally full and ready to bring him to Gili Meno. There are not many resorts developed at Gili Meno. One resort may only have 4 bungalows and the price for one night stay at this bungalow usually pretty cheap around IDR 150,000 (USD 11) because the location of the bungalows may not be near that accessible or deep in the forest. A ride around Gili Meno is available for visitor by a transportation called "Cidomo" for the price of IDR 175,000 (full island) and IDR 150,000 (half island). Since the island is pretty much not that exposed to human inhabitation yet, I find that the sand and the water at Gili Meno is way way way clearer. It gives you the vibe of deserted in the inhabited island. That kind of feeling.
Slightly more popular than Gili Meno, Gili Air seems to have more resorts compared to its sister island. The gradation of the ocean water at Gili Air is just so breathtaking. Before you decide to stay at one of the resorts at these two islands, you have to take note that these two islands are smaller compared to Gili Trawangan. While basic necessities such as air-conditioner, toilet, and hot water are provided by these accommodation, you may occasionally experience a black-out (even my house at Jakarta experience this sometimes). The best thing about staying a night at Gili Air or Gili Meno is definitely the experience of waking up in the morning and immediately jump to the sea water to play or laze around. One with the nature, they say. Bike rental and some restaurants are also available at Gili Air.
