W E E K E N D - P L A N S

I'll be at the beach....

All pictures from my lastest obsession: Gray Malin   Check out his Insta!! 

BALI PART 2: GILI T

THE PERFECT WEEK ON GILI TRAWANGAN

Gili T is one of three islands about a 2 hour boat ride (take the fastboat!) from Bali. It's the most popular island of the three & an absolute must do if your travelling to Bali. 

When we first arrived at Gili T, I did have a few hours of panic of the "what am I doing here" nature however after 1 day I was in love & could of stayed 2 weeks instead of 1. 

To be prepared: don't expect any luxury, but you should expect: the most chilled out vibe, friendliest people, cheapest food & drink and beautiful beaches. (& a lot of gap year travelers with no shoes on!!!)

MUST STAY:                      Villa Nero                                  http://www.thevillanero.com/

MUST DO:                          Cycle round the whole Island in appox 1 hour (not including Bintang stops & photo opps)                  

MUST DO:                          A day at Pearl Beach                http://www.pearlbeachlounge.com/

MUST DO:                         Sunrise Snorkeling Trip              

TIPS: Villa Nero is a great place to stay. While still basic its a little more upmarket than a lot of the places on the Island, its clean with helpful staff, a nice pool and a good restaurant. It's a 5 minute walk from the main street and close to where the boats arrive. You can cycle round the whole island in approx. 1 hour and round the other quieter side we did discover some more luxury looking hotels if you prefer.

Renting bikes and cycling round the island is a must and the sunsets are amazing on the back side. There is much less life around there but you are still guaranteed a cold Bintang all the way round. (However I would recommend you take your own water!) 

We booked our own private boat for a sunrise snorkeling trip which was amazing and totally worth the extra money to be on your own schedule. We arrived on time as requested (6am!! & I am not a morning person!!) to find the captain was still at home in bed however this is just the way of Gili T and we were soon on our way. Normally they do a designated round trip with some different stops and the turtle stop is at the end, however we insisted to go there first to have the best chance to see the Turtles and I would definitely recommend you do the same. (We saw 3 up close which was amazing). We stopped for lunch on the much quieter Gili Air which was amazing to explore. I couldn't recommend the trip enough. 

I won't recommend any places for food and drink as I think it changes year to year and its all luck of the drawer. There are a few mentioned in all the guide books which we tried and they are all a bit hit and miss. The only place I will recommend is Pearl Beach Club. It became my favorite spot for a day of tanning/chilling/eating/drinking. It has proper sunbeds (which fill up early!) and good food and drink. Guaranteed safe and clean drinking water and a good cocktail list! 

Gili T is the kind of place where you will find your own way once you are there, the main street is small and you can see what food and drink is on offer, which place looks busy and worth a visit. The tips above are just a few things I would definitely recommend. Oh, and of course the crazy cheap massages are a daily must ;)!!!

                              

If you have any questions about Gili T or any of the pictures/tips above then please leave a comment below and i'll always reply x