Tag 314: Gili Trawangan

The sun is burning on the skin. The sea is calm. A few locals shout incomprehensible phrases. I'm standing on the deck of a speedboat, once again, and tiredly smoking my cigarette. We are about to leave the island of Gili Trawangan, which is popular among party-loving and snorkeling tourists and belongs to Lombok, and go back to Bali.

We have adjusted to the island atmosphere and had a good time here. Lying on the beach during the day, snorkeling with turtles and riding bikes, and partying in the evenings. Gili Trawangan is the largest of the three Gili Islands and probably the most touristy. However, it does not belong to Hindu Bali, but to Muslim Lombok. And you can tell. Dogs are forbidden here, as are motorized vehicles. On the 700-inhabitant island, there are two mosques that pray the 'Call to Prayer' about five times a day for about 20 minutes each through loudspeakers. The first one starts at 4:30 in the morning. The strict rules of the Muslims clash with the party-going tourist community. Nevertheless, the island lives almost exclusively from and for tourism. After a few days, we got used to the loud prayers. The island is very beautiful and manageable. We circled it once on our bikes in 45 minutes. The colorful underwater world is perfect for snorkeling. The water is clear and pleasantly warm.

We ate well, made new friends, and had great experiences. Now we are going back to Bali. Next stop: Amed.