Come gather around the bonfire, as I am going to tell you a story about a tiny island that lies in the South Seas of the Pacific Ocean, a magical place I will always remember: Gili Air.
A small village with a big heart, Gili Air is an enigma. To give you an idea of how absolutely miniscule the island is - it is undetectable on a map of Indonesia, and you can stroll around the entire oblong perimeter in under two hours. No cars traverse the narrow dirt roads; instead, people get around by foot or bicycle. You will cross paths with a few horse and buggies, but these are primarily a tourist attraction.
“Why are you going to Gili Air?” fellow travelers would ask me, bewildered. Their curiosity stems from the notion that the island of Gili T is the bigger and better destination, known for its wild parties and highly developed area. Though it may be true that Gili T leads the pack in tourism – heck, Gili Air did not even have ATMs until a couple years ago – my response to the inquirers is simple: I like to take the path less traveled by.
I will reveal why this tropical key is one of the best-kept-secrets – from psychedelic nights to emotional experiences in an oasis hidden from the world – but first, some brief background.
Gili Air is one of three major Gili Islands along with Gili T (short for Trawangan) and Gili Meno. Gili means “small island” in Sasak language and Air means “water”. Many travelers are unaware there are actually more gilis, about 26 in total, but most of these are too small to be habitable. The main trio rests next to the larger neighboring land of Lombok, a 10-minute boat ride away across teal waters, where many local workers commute from each day. Eager tourists usually ferry from Bali, about two hours west on the high-speed boat.
While I felt like a nosy tourist snapping photos in Indonesian’s gorgeous destinations of Bali and Nusa Penida (how could you not?), the moment I arrived in Gili Air and stepped knee-deep in clear turquoise saltwater to deboard the boat, I was immediately greeted with a warm welcome – and would soon become treated like family.
Don’t Worry, Be Happy
With only around a couple thousand people on the island at a time, there are less people on Gili Air than there were students at my high school. But unlike memories of public high school in Los Angeles, the people on Gili Air are warm, friendly and kind (just being real here).
You begin to see the same people around on the island, and if you are an open book, you get to know everyone on a first-name basis. I’m talking about the workers, whether they are restaurant owners, tour operators, shop clerks, beach club bartenders… they all greeted me with genuine smiles and conversations that ran deeper than the basic questions or feigned interest you often contend with while traveling in Asia. Honestly, most locals seemed just as interested to meet you as you were to meet them.
If the song “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” was a place, Gili Air would be it. Not only did I hear that iconic song a lot… but the dozens of folks I met during my stay were chiller than chill. There are plenty of exciting activities to do in the gilis, which I’ll get into later, but the vibes are mellow on Gili Air, to the point where I feel like I could live there. Everyone is living the slow life.
Literally.
“Slow down, woman!” my new friend “G” playfully barked at me the first night I arrived. I had been frantically asking too many questions, after discovering I was lucky enough to visit during the monthly full moon party. When are we going to go to the party? Should we go now to check it out? It says it started at 5PM. What should I bring? Are you guys all coming?
Although I had left my busy hometown of L.A. two months prior, I still emanated the anxious fervor of an urbanite. I paused, stopped to actually breathe, and realized it’s true – that this constant rushing is silly. Why am I running to the beach, as if it is going to suddenly going to disappear? It makes sense to get caught up in this busybody style when you are traveling, since you are always trying to catch a plane, a boat, a train, a tour, a check out time… I’m exhausted just writing about it.
By the way, if you’re wondering, the ‘woman’ part of his request was not derogatory, but one of those lost-in-translation moments. We say “hey, man” as a friendly term in English, so he assumed the same goes for a woman.
Nevertheless, I adopted the phrase, and repeated it to myself when I noticed I was rushing the rest of my trip: slow life.
Part of the Family
I’ll admit that it’s not sharp wit, unmatched charm, or ridiculously good looks that make it easy for me to become friends with people around the world, particularly on a remote island in Indonesia.
It’s my hula hoop.
Strutting down the busy beach boardwalk my first afternoon while trying not to get trampled by bikes or horse drawn carriages as I admired the rainbow-colored boats along the harbor, I stumbled upon a group of young folks that spied the gold circle hanging on my shoulder, and then heard the same comments that follow me anywhere else in the world: Is that a hula hoop? Show us what you’ve got!
I twirled around the boardwalk like Frogger, the old arcade game where your frog character tries to hop across the street without getting squished by virtual cars, and after the dance was done, I made friends. I decided to abandon my foolish “plans” (wherever I was going), and learned you don’t need plans on Gili Air.
Our central hangout was the same place we met, on the beach outside Three Little Birds, Yancibey’s shop for hair wraps, dreadlocks, and handmade jewelry, fittingly named after the Bob Marley song. I quickly learned this was the main spot where many people gathered, and my handful of friends turned into dozens over the next few days.
There was a painted wooden sign that hung in the shop, boasting “Free Smiles.” That was true. The laughs were abundant, too.
We sat on the makeshift benches, telling funny jokes to attract tourists to the shop, which really made us more friends than customers. We savored juicy fish that was just caught, grilled and seasoned with the most delicious sambal (spicy sauce) – oh, how I would kill for that charred sea bass right now. We spent evenings drinking rice wine, a locally brewed drink that smelled like sulfur, but I guzzled it down anyway as the boys played cards. I answered questions about America that I found humorous, and we sang classic songs from western bands (Guns N Roses, Pink Floyd). I met their families, went to their houses, and learned a few Indonesian words. Several of my friends didn’t have cell phones… why would we need them? We knew where everyone stayed, or hung out, on this tiny island in the Pacific.
And yes, we finally went to the party.
Psychedelic Parties
At the beach parties, goa trance echoed out from the DJ booth towards the ocean’s dark waves like a siren’s mystical song at sea. Acid house, psytrance, techno and other house genres also sparked from the beachfront clubs, along with shooting neon lasers and colored strobe lights.
If you have no idea what I am talking about, it’s all loud, speedy electronic music. If you hate electronic music, you can always visit Gili Meno, the calmest island. Gili T is party-heavy, while Gili Air is a sweet Goldilocks atmosphere in between the two.
I find it hilarious and embarrassing that, by habit, I imagined the parties to be at actual indoor bars or clubs. Of course, the clubs were outside! Popular beach clubs like Lucky’s or Legend were grand locations on the sand with a dance floor, beanbags, tables, bars, and plenty of festive, dancing people!
Despite the buzz from the Bintang lager, there are always little things that remind you where you are. At one bar, I bought a room temperature beer, because I wanted a beer and there was a lack of ice. Remember, you’re on a tropical island where everything is imported with shipments, and beach bars often chill drinks with portable coolers. Read the room!
Besides the music, why do I use the term psychedelic? Well… there are magical mushrooms that pop up in different establishments. They are illegal, but you can find them in the form of milkshakes, and trip out on the beach.
Fire spinners lit round wicks on strings ablaze and whirled them towards the starry sky. Locals and visitors from around the world chatted and clinked drinks together. And it turns out that the parties stretch much later than they claim to be, with the full moon event remaining just another night on Gili Air.
More Things to Do
A typical day on the island involves meandering through overgrown alleys towards the never-ending white sand beach and stopping in bamboo-built restaurants to huddle under shady enclosures, enjoying Indonesian fare like Nasi Goreng and Mie Goreng (fried rice and fried noodles) or Western delights (falafel pitas, cheeseburgers) over cold pineapple drinks.
You can indulge in the common vacation pleasures, such as receiving a massage, relaxing at the bar, or getting inked at the bamboo tattoo shop.
However, you are on Gili Air! Time to take a glass bottom boat tour, snorkel with huge turtles and underwater sculptures, scuba dive to vibrant reefs, island hop, or get wild with water sports.
I even took the public boat to the serene jungle in Lombok for a day, where we biked up the tree topped mountains to godly cascading waterfalls with no one else at the base. My new friend Kiki showed me hidden natural swimming pools with multiple levels of turquoise falls where we waded in the strong sun.
If you are in the Gilis I suggest you take the time to visit Lombok for a few days (or the other way around - fly into Lombok, and then visit the Gilis). There are astoundingly less tourists there than in Bali, and Lombok blossoms a diverse bouquet of nature. I must certainly make a trip back to surf at the break, check out the famous pink sand beach, trek to the active volcano, and witness dramatic sunsets.
17,000 Islands
When I planned my trip to Gili Air, I only allotted myself a few days to explore, not knowing if I would grow bored because of its intimate size. Of course, I was utterly wrong! Yes, a few days are perfectly worth the excursion if you are short on time, but if you find yourself backpacking with no limits, I recommend booking a one-way ticket so you can chill for as long as you would like.
The magic of the Gilis is that once you get settled, you never want to leave. This bright, loving, carefree, forgiving, colorful, majestic, wondrous place is built on a close-knit community, lustrous flora and friendly fauna, unique small businesses and a cohesive relationship with global travelers.
Indonesia is the largest archipelago in the world, composed of 17,000 islands of which 6000 are inhabited. Yet I have only visited a handful of these islands, which is like going to the beach and only stomping one footprint into the sand before turning around. It was an emotional experience to leave on the topsy boat back to Bali, but I know I have more memories to make near the fanciful waters of the Gili Islands.
