Publikuar: 30.12.2016
Amazing accommodation in the jungle garden, in a traditional Lumbung hut, called Lumbung, on Lombok.
The special thing is that the bathroom is practically outside. As we just learned from our nice hotel owner, malaria and dengue are currently not a problem, which is quite reassuring when showering or 'having to go' in the evening. However, you should still spray your bum properly with the nasty mosquito repellent, as there are plenty of mosquitoes :-)
Another special feature of the Gili Islands is that they are car-free. There are bicycles and horse-drawn carriages.
Regarding the bicycles, many people do not ride them as regularly as you might know in Berlin/northern Europe, or they are drunk. In any case, they wobble and sway.
The carriages have funny bells so that drunk cyclists and pedestrians can hear them. It sounds like the bells of Santa Claus 🎅
There are so many pieces of coral on the beach, it's unbelievable. They are all very light, mostly white. Coral bleaching seems to be a problem here too, which is sad when you think about how beautiful it looks underwater. Primarily, it is likely due to waste disposal... Just drop it. It used to work well with coconut and mango skins, but not so much with plastic bottles and bags. Many resort and hotel owners, as well as hosts, are striving for creative alternatives, but it feels like many locals don't care - and how could they, when there are hardly any alternatives (gas cylinders and a deposit system, charging for plastic bags, etc.).
There was a beach clean-up just now, tourists were the ones collecting the trash, who admittedly also bring a lot of trash to the islands. The residents watched and looked somewhat puzzled. As always, there are exceptions to everything, but that's our brief impression.
But because the sunsets are much more beautiful, here are a few pictures, if the internet allows it. From 10 pm, it's often generator-only, so we prefer to turn off devices that consume power... Just like now, at 8 pm, power outage! Iris has already showered and is searching for her things in the dark, Tine is dirty but happy in the hammock - it could be worse ;-)
However, Iris' phone just broke, so urgent matters can be dealt with through my phone - not ideal, and repairs are out of the question on this mini island. Maybe on January 2nd in Bali...