Indonesia's enchanted isles

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This was published 15 years ago

Indonesia's enchanted isles

A magic spell is said to ring Lombok's tiny Gili Islands, and Monique Bouma can't wait to be bewitched again.

By Monique Bouma

All I see is coral slowly sweeping in and out; all I hear is the slurp of air through the snorkel. I float in a fantasy, the water like melted crystal on my sun-soaked skin. So clear that even the brooding stormclouds, building to a tantrum of tropical tears, hardly matter.

The reef flickers with activity. Flashes of electric blue, pink, yellow, orange, flutter round like decorations at a five-year-old's birthday party. Hundreds of fish play in coral castles and hide in seaweed tentacles.

On arrival from the Lombok mainland, the three tiny Indonesian islands of Gili Trawangan, Gili Meno and Gili Air seemed dull. Dry, rocky interiors ringed with prickly beaches of dead, bleached coral. A blur settled on me as I faced a line of dusty guesthouse touts and sweat snaked down my back in an ever-present trickle.

But it wasn't long until the spell took hold."

There's a little story about a ring of magic around the islands," dive instructor Antony Clubley, told me. "Once you arrive, you don't leave, or you end up coming back."

Clubley, from Britain, first visited about six years ago, while backpacking with friends. Now he runs a diving business on Gili Trawangan.
Speaking to him on my third (or was it fourth?) day, I understood instantly. I had already extended my stay as long as my airline ticket would allow.

Overseas tourists and Indonesians alike told me how they had arrived for a brief visit and found themselves here weeks, months, even years later.

An influx of Europeans fills the islands every July and August, seeking Indonesia's clear waters and endless sun.

But despite their closeness to Bali, few Australians ventured over to these islands, particularly after the bombing, Clubley said."

When the bomb went off, quite a lot of people came here from Bali, just to get away from it, for two or three weeks. But then no one came."

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The Gili Islands, as they are redundantly nicknamed (Gili means island in Indonesian), are each so small, you can lazily wander around their beaches in about two hours. Days blend together, gliding by in a dreamy haze of sunbaking, swimming and sleeping.

Diving is the main activity, but on Gili Trawangan, sipping cocktails on the pillow-piled bamboo platforms by the water's edge comes a close second, or first, for some. You can sit down for a fresh tuna steak and Bintang beer for lunch, and suddenly realise the sun is setting and hours have melted by.

Hawkers and accommodation and restaurant touts still call to you, but their sleepy manner is far from the desperate persistence of those in nearby Bali.

City sounds of cars and horns are a buried memory. Now and then there's a whir of a distant boat, music floats from a restaurant, the call to prayer issues from the mosque, cocks crow. The loudest noise is the jangle of bells as the brightly coloured ciamodos trot past these tiny pony carts are the only mode of land transport, excepting bicycles. Sticky-footed geckos ba-book in the night and flit around the bungalow walls.

Across the diamond seas, Lombok's mighty volcano, Gunung Rinjani, lies cloaked in cloud, and to the other side Bali sleeps hazily in the distance.
At night, the stars are so thick there is almost more light than dark in the sky, and on the edge of the water specks of phosphorescent algae wash in and out, glowing eerily. Each island has its own character, with Trawangan labelled the most festive of the three. The drop in tourism since the Bali bombing has seen a lull in the raucous beach parties, but locals predict they will soon be back.

A cobbled street runs past the pier, lined with ciamodos, restaurants and bars.

From this main strip, dirt roads go back a few blocks to where the 800 or so locals live, with shops, cows, chickens, cats and houses in a tangled but seemingly happy mess.

Despite the remote feel, internet, telephone and laundry services are easy to find, and there are even a couple of beauty salons and bookshops. But if Trawangan's bustling nightlife is too much, Gili Meno is only a 10-minute boat ride away. This island is the least populated, for those who like some time to dream alone.

Gili Air is the in-between with the largest local population and least dependence on tourism, it has a more rural feel but still has blissful beaches and a few party spots.

Standard Indonesian food such as nasi and mee goreng is easy to find, as are some Western dishes, but most travellers choose to sample the treats from the ocean, with grilled snapper and squid easily had for under $8.

Accommodation prices ride a seasonal roller-coaster. During the rainy season, from November to April, the price of a small bamboo bungalow with double bed, mosquito net and bathroom can be as low as $4 a night.

But luxury rooms at resorts with tiered swimming pools and ocean views are still relatively cheap, with air-conditioned twin rooms about $50.

As the hotel range shows, the islands suit all tastes, from the budget backpacker to those after a luxury diving holiday. Diving packages, including accommodation and transfers from the Mataram airport on Lombok, cost about $270 for three nights and six dives. Manta rays, sharks, giant clams, sea snakes, octopus and an abundance of fish and turtles are the main drawcards.

On my last night, I sat on one of the beachside bamboo platforms on Gili Air and chatted to Madi Ahmadinjene, 23, who was born on the island.

While we spoke, sheet lightning illuminated the sea like the gods flicking a light switch on and off.

As a child, Ahmadinjene and his friends would run scared from the tourists and watch them from a hiding place, giggling. Now they welcome them.
He said the magic of the island was the same for him as for visitors."

Many people say 'you're really lucky to live here', and I say yes, this is my place. For me, the ocean is everything."

The sadness of leaving started to crowd in on me, but quickly vanished as Ahmadinjene called me over to where his friends were playing guitar. Like the island we sat on, their music quickly wove a spell of happiness around me, and I smiled. I knew I'd be back.

Fast facts

Getting there: Flights from Melbourne to Mataram on Lombok cost about $1100, and the Gili Islands are half a day's travel from Mataram, by bus and boat. From Denpasar, Bali, it is one to two days' travel, depending on seasonal bus and boat timetables.

Weather: In July the average temperatures tops the mercury at 32 degrees and there is a small chance of rain.

When to go: Dry season is from May to October.

Accommodation: Depending on season, accommodation ranges from basic bungalows for $4 a night to luxury resorts at $50.

Best meal: Fresh tuna steak and a Bintang beer for $10.

Activities: Diving, swimming, sunbaking, dining, ciamodo rides.

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