GILI AIR
Gili air is the island closest to the mainland and can be
reached in around 20 minutes by local or five minutes by speedboat.
Being the closest of the Gilis to the mainland,Gili Air has
the largest local populationof the three islands;combining the charm of a
tropical island with access to the people and culture that make Lombok unique.
GILI Air was ori
ginally spelled as”Ayer”,with th word “Air”
meaning water; thus Gili Air is the water island.
While nowhere nar as busy and developed as Gili Trawangan,Gili
Air has evolved rapidly over the fast
few years and is certainly slated for more developed in the future.
For now,Gili Air is still a laid back island with funky bars
nd simple café’s bars made from bamboo rubbing shoulders with some swanky new
place along the beachfront.
As is the case on all the Gilis,there are no cars or
motorbikes allowed on the island,thus there is no pollution to spoilk the clean
air and the peaceful atmosphere.
The island’s main appeal is its low-key and unspoilt nature…and
that’s why so many love it.
Telephone and internet
facilities are available on the island,as are most of the normal tourist
amenities.although there are no banks,there are ATMs on the south coast (near 7
Seas) and two machines on the east,near Bel Air Resort.
There are three clinics on the east of the island – one to
the north (inland from Orong Cottages),Gam Clinic (inland from Biba Beach
Village) and royal medical (to the south near 7 Seas).
Tere are also some funky shops selling home-made jewellery,arts
and wooden crafts,as well as three small boutiques with electic mixes of island
wear,jewellery and accessories.
Like all the Gilis,the best swimming beaches are on the east
coast,facing Lombok,is probably the most fantastic – looking back at the big island
with its white beaches and green mountains dominated by Indonesia’s second
largest volcano, Mt Rinjani.
Accommodation on Gili Air ranges from from simple
back-packer bungalows to luxirous air-conditioned roms with hot water and
swimming pools.
Old-style hotels built from wood with thatched roofs sit
alongside from of the more modern
boutique hotels and villas,suchas the up-market Waterfront Hotel with weight
contemporary air-conditioned bungalows and a swimming pool set in nice gardens.
Guests can while and dine at thev ery good Waterfront
Restaurant and Bar housed in a stylish wooden jogloon the beachfront.
Next door, Manta Dive
offers comfortable bungalow accommodation, a swimming pool, and professional
dive courses and dive trips to all three
Gilis.
Scallywags-who have another popular resort on Gili
Trawangan-operate Scallywags Organic Beach Club on the southern end of the
beach.
The restaurant has an excellent menu and guest facilities,
as well as a friendly atmosphere and excellent of the swimming directly in
front of the restaurant.
Just next to Scallywags, The Beach Club Gili Air offers
accommodation for couples and families in eight charming bungalows with large
air conditioned bedrooms,private terraces and semi-open air bathrooms.
Yhe beachfront here is a popular place for louging on
colourful bean bags during the day,or for romantic dining in the evening.the
beachbar and restaurant serve delicious meals and snacks,as well as all day
breakfasts.
There are also free movies for restaurant guests on the
beach every night (weather permitting) starting with children’s movies in the
evenings,followed by adult feature movies.
Further south,near the harbor,7 Seas International is a professional dive operation,and also offers
comfortable and modern air conditioned cottages on the white and beach.
It is one of the few
places on the island that offers family accommodation,in Duplex Famili
Cottages,only a step away from the pool.each has spacious room,a big bathroom,
a large trrace and small garden,and sea views from the 2nd floor,the
existing bedding is suitable for 5
people and up to 3 exta bed can be added
on request.there is agood variety of restaurant and beachside café’s on the
island,offering everything from traditional indonesiandishes to up-market
international fare.the beach barbecues with freshly caught fish are
particularly good.
The bar scene can get pretty lively in the evenings
and,during high season,the island kicks into high gear with Full Moon parties
on the beach.
Activities include walking and cycling around the island,sun
bathing,and swimming,snorkeling and diving,as well as yoga nd meditation,and
relaxing masseges and body treatmens.
For exploring,there is a path running parallel to the
beach and it takes around 90 minutes to
circle yhe whole island.the interior is
criss-crossed with a maze of tracks that
can get confusing,but all lead back to the beach.
Other activities include kite surfing,glass bottom boat
trips,kayaking,stand up paddle boarding and surfing.
There is a good surf break with a barreling right hander
hnown as”Play Gili”off the outh coast that attracts crowds when it is
pumping.iy breaks over sharp coral,so check
with local surfers about conditions and board hire.
The calm waters and good visibility make Gili Air an ideal
place to learn to dive or to upgrade diving skills.there are a number of popular dive sites that attract divers
from the west coast,hans reef and
frogfish point off the north coast
The water surrounding the island is a clear,translucent aquamarine,
made even more pure by the sparkling white sand beneath.gili air still boasts
living reefs off much of its coast and there is wonderful snorkeling directly
from the shore, particularly from the east and northeast beaches.
The coral starts within metres of the beach, making it
easily accessible to anyone even novices who have never snorkelled before.
Because the island is protected by reefs, there are few waves and the ocean is
usually gentle, allowing snorkellers to drift in a dreamy daze amongst this
panorama of aquatic shapes and colours.
For those who have never had the pleasure of viewing the
magical world under the ocean,Gili Air offers a superb opportunity to do so in
safety and comfort.
For those of us who
are already addicted to the silence and beauty of the depths, this is an island
where days could melt into weeks, quite happily drifting with the current and
immersing oneself in the wonders of the underwater landscape.
0 komentar:
Post a Comment