Gili Islands, Lombok

Moon behind Clouds
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Ok, the Gili Islands better live up to their reputation. We've just arrived by boat and what a journey it was. Hell and nerve raising. I can honestly say I've never been on a boat, which normally fits 16 (had around 27 on it) plus... a double bed AND mattress beside my right arm and 72 eggs, a flourescent light and a bedroom mirror on my left. Crazy! And that's not even considering the waves. We were on a typical Balinese fishing boat with a small motor. Hopefully our few days here will erase the 45-50 minute journey from my memory so I can make it back haha.

Gili Islands (on a cloudy day)
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We began to erase some brain cells that night by going on the piss :o) Arak Sunrise's were flowing. The Gili's aren't majorly busy but there's a bit of nightlife here. The Irish pub (there's one everywhere!) Tir Na Nog is drawing in the crowd and we had a bit of a laugh with some local lads feeding us the 'erb :o) We walked home like two Thunder Birds.

The Gili Islands - Paradise..

The next morning we went to the beach across from our place. We thought we must have been still drunk when a vision appeared in front of our very own eyes - around 30 Norwegian girls wearing skimpy bikinis, if at all, frolicking in the water. Mouths open, bellies in :o) That night, we ended up in the same bar having a few drinks with them. Hot as hell, not one minger among them, but frustratingly only about two with any kind of conversation skills :o)

Gili Islands (on a cloudy day)
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Today, we got a bit of a shock! We had planned to spend an extra few days in Bali, going back to Singapore on a Friday to take in a weekend there and then off to Oz. On ringing Qantas, Denpasar it turns out our flight to Cairns is completely booked out for the month of October. So, our original date it is! We leave Bali now next Wednesday. With that in mind, we've decided to cut our stay short here and head back to Kuta tomorrow. It's a pity as the Gili's are paradise and the locals are really nice people. We won't miss Ramadan though. Bloody hell. Chanting and singing noises blaring from the Mosque (which feels like it's in our room) at 5am, noon and 8pm. It's a bit much. I feel sorry for the locals though - only one meal a day, no drinking, no smoking etc. for a month as well as working their normal long day. Tough!

Crazy Bike one of the locals rides.
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Anyway, in summary, I'd definitely recommend a visit to the Gili Islands [take an early morning boat over] and maybe come in August (before Ramadan) or Christmas - both the best times to visit..