Gili Islands Blog

GILI MENO

The island lies directly in line in the middle of the other Gilis of Trawangan and Air, both only separated by 1 Km or so of water, it is by far the quietest most undeveloped natural island of the three. The only Gili island with a salt water lake, a bird park with a Beatles memorabilia bar and the only pool table on the entire Gili islands.

Gili Meno accommodation ranges from beach shacks like Malia’s Child and other budget options like Tao Combo travel lodge. Mid range to higher end are the highly recommended super cool Shack 58 and also Villa Nautilus .

Dive and snorkelling spots include the infamous Gili Meno wall, where during the day turtles freely swim by, huge Gorgonion fans hang, and the many species of colourfull corals. By night see turtles sleeping, huge moray eels running up and down the wall, and the friendly and entertaining spanish dancers.
Further along you reach Meno slope, home to the extraordinary blue ringed octopus, a large sandy area of blue spotted stingrays and schools of batfish, including juveniles. Keep going further and finish on the new area of  Bio Rocks,  just recently installed ( February 2008) they are uniquely shaped into an aeroplane, tunnels and domes, these will be the new home to many varieties of corals and marine life.

Only a kilometer from Gili Trawangan and set in the middle of the three islets lies the real Robinson Crusoe experience of the Gilis with some of the best beaches to be found.

Only two kilometers long and one wide, Gili Meno is the smallest of the three islands and by far the most peaceful and under developed. It’s possible to walk around the island along the beach or paths of Gili Meno in under two hours.

Most visitors are attracted to Gili Meno for the lure of total escapism and it is therefore very popular with honeymooning couples and adventurous castaway types.

The dining scene is predominantly local cafes with grilled fish on the beach as dusk approaches.

Lazing around in a hammock, reading books and playing chess with the friendly locals (who are always willing to strike up a conversation) also ranks very highly on the daily Meno agenda.

For divers and snorkellers, the island boasts the infamous ‘Gili Meno Wall‘ where during the day turtles freely swim by and giant gorgonian fans hang amongst the colourful corals. At night divers can witness huge Moray Eels and the entertaining Spanish Dancers.

GETTING to MENO

Most visitors arrive via Gili Trawangan then jump on a connecting island hopper boat for the fifteenminute trip over the channel.

Boats depart from Gili Trawangan at 9.30am and 4.00pm daily (approximately IDR 23,000) and from Gili Air at 8.30am and 3.00pm (a twenty minute ride, IDR 25,000).

Visitors from mainland Lombok leave from Bangsal harbour in public boats for the twenty-five minute crossing (IDR 25,000). Purchase tickets only from the concrete Koperassi Karya Bahari building and not from the touts that line the roads into Bangsal.

There are no set timings for the crossing from Lombok to Gili Meno, it’s up to the captain once the boat is full but it is possible to charter your own public boat for a fixed price of IDR 190,000 or buy up remaining available tickets for a speedier departure.

The most popular stretch of sand on Gili Meno is to be found to the
left of where the boats pull up on the beach. This southern beach strip is where the majority of accommodation getting there beach life on the island is to be found. There are no hawkers to disrupt a day’s sunbathing and the beach huts lining the sand offer a perfect respite from the heat where visitors can buy drinks and snacks from the neighboring warungs.

Snorkeling equipment can be hired from any of the local operators. Swimming is perfectly safe in the calm waters here but don’t venture too far out from the shoreline.

As with Trawangan, visibility is constantly good year round. Expect to see Hawksbill and Leatherback turtles, schools of Batfish, Blue-spotted stingrays and many varieties of hard and soft corals. If you look hard enough you could be lucky enough to find rare and unusual nudibranchs amongst other lesser-spotted micro critters.

EATING MENO

Although it may not appear so at a first glance there are actually a fair number of places to eat along the beachfront all with spectacular views over to Lombok or Gili Trawangan. Balenta is on the north of the island and specialises in local Sasak cuisine with Mount Rinjani and mainland Lombok as a dramatic backdrop.

Bibi’s Café is part of Villa Nautilus and has the usual mix of Western and Indonesian dishes with reputedly the best pizzas on the island.

The Jungle Bar is to be found inside the Tao’ Kombo bamboo huts set up literally in the bush! A quiet and secluded spot on the far southern tip of the island.

Malia’s Child is a popular gathering spot for budget travelers and serves a heady mix of Indonesian and European cuisines.

The Rust Bar and Restaurant right at the harbour front is street side in a central location with cool music and plenty of punters hanging around for after dinner drinks.

SLEEPING MENO

Don’t come to Gili Meno expecting to find the top level of accommodation as on Trawangan. dining out accommodation The charming Thai style huts on the main beach are very popular as they are the only rooms on all three islands that are situated actually at the water’s edge.

Mid range bungalows are generally situated slightly back from the main path whilst budget rooms can be found dotted throughout the whole of the island and can be found just along the main strip.

The thatched bungalows and rooms are situated in a shady tropical gardens on the northern part of the island.

There’s a mix of cheaper rooms and better-appointed bungalows with freshwater shower facilities and fan. The beach out front is quiet and charming in its own right and visitors will find few distractions or disturbances.

There are not too many activities to be found on Gili Meno, which is part of its appeal. Those who simply cannot refrain from some form of activity will find the Bird Park in the centre of the village an entertaining distraction for a morning or afternoon.

The Gili Meno bird park hosts over three hundred birds in a natural, free environment.

Peafowls, Pheasants, Hornbills, Eagles, Pelicans, Macaws and parrots galore are amongst the feathered citizens and ambassadors gathered from all over the world.

Accommodation is also to be found on site but most make the trip for the guided tour of the park, restaurant and pool table.

The Turtle Sanctuary plays an important role in protecting and hatching baby turtles for release into the Gili waters. Small donations are welcome to this worthwhile cause.

Apart from these two pursuits it’s back to tropical beach-combing and book reading activities to whittle away the Gili Meno hours..