As a family of three I'm going to surprise the reader in revealing that we stayed in Gili T and absolutely loved it. Whilst magic mushrooms and exotic cocktails are widely available, there was no real party scene that bothered us - I say bothered because the party element seems to have a negative connotation to some. I'm sure if you came here seeking for a party, you'd find one but certainly as our schedule was dictated by a three-year-old, the disco ball was glistening just for us when our toddler wanted a quick dance before bedtime. We rarely stayed out beyond 10 pm so no rough crowds spoiled our nights out. I am sure there is a second wave of party-goers that are more partial to the cocktail promotions.
I'm sure all this depends on where on the island you stay, too. If you take a public ferry from either Lombok or Bali, you'll be greeted by a general pollution of noise and smells at the central peer. This definitely isn't the best side Gili T has to offer. Mixed with the scent of horse poo and the food court, I don't blame the tourist who decides to step right back on a long boat to continue on to the smaller islands. But that really is a shame as the biggest of these islands has got a lot more to offer than initially meets the eye. Look beyond the central market and you'll see the bluest and clearest of the oceans, most beautiful sunset scenery and an exciting restaurant scene.
We stayed on the south tip of the island, in Gili Trawangan resort. It's a walking distance from the main strip but far enough to step into calm from the hustle and bustle of bars. The resort's main building has got few rooms, and there are private apartments and villas behind it. Whilst only the rooms from the main building overlook the ocean, clearly the best attribute of the island, the villas are beautifully appointed with Indonesian furniture, and a private pool helps to forget the lack of views!
Resort's private beach is perfect for chilling in the sun with cocktails in hand and cooling off in the coral blue sea. Check the tides, though, unless you want to go rock pooling. And bring sea shoes, the coral is really sharp! That's where the breakfast is enjoyed, too, with toes buried in the white sand. The hotel breakfast is amazing; great quality food enjoyed in a beautiful setting. They offered the best eggs benedict I've ever had (and I've had quite a few!) with a local twist of pak choi. Don't be fooled, the service still takes time, this is Asia after all, but the real Illy coffee enjoyed listening to the gentle crushing of the waves makes up for the wait.
For us, Gili T turned out to be the perfect mixture of chilling, shopping and snorkelling. The variety, and especially the quality of eating establishments really pleasantly surprised us. Although keep away from the warungs; we did initially try a few places for fried rice or noodles but they were revolting. I don't know if today's backpacker can be fooled with pot noodles and yesterday's fish but for one exception away from the main strip, all the Indonesian food we tried was awful. And I don't understand how those dishes even can be ruined as Indonesian is my favourite of all Asian cuisines! So we ended up spending a bit more money than we had thought but ate like kings. But then again, a goat's cheese salad is a real treat for someone who comes from Brunei!
