Gili Trawangan

Yesterday we arrived on Gili Trawangan. The speedboat ride was torture - crowded boat, cramped seats, no air conditioning, and the windows had to remain closed because of the rough sea.

Gili Trawangan lives up to its promise in the travel guides - a small island with dreamy sandy beaches and a lot of tourists. There are no motorized vehicles on the island. The means of transportation are bicycles and horse-drawn carriages. We find this very pleasant.

Today we explored the island by bicycle. We were prepared for a day trip and had everything from sunscreen to headlamps. Despite taking a break for swimming, we managed to circle the island in 2 hours. Most of the beaches are very developed, so we only found a few opportunities for swimming. However, you can get free sunbeds and sunshades if you buy drinks at the corresponding bar.

After all the trouble, we managed to find a small shop away from the tourists for lunch, where the locals eat. It is also the only shop that sells bread and the like. Supermarkets only sell drinks and snacks like chips.

Our highlight is snorkeling around the island - especially our 'home beach' - Turtle Bay. The underwater world is colorful and really impressive. We have never seen such a variety of fish before, let alone getting so close to a turtle while snorkeling. We were also able to observe a lobster; unfortunately, the pictures didn't turn out well.