Most travel insurance policies are designed for a variety of travel needs but, We emphatically advise reading the fine print of any policy you purchase regarding any deductibles and health situations. You many find your policy will not cover pre-existing conditions that may cause a problem, or that the medical coverage is only for an injury or an illness, and not both.

For emergency aid, travel insurance polices are generally dependable and affordable, but there are still a myriad of gaps in the coverage provided.

You can find polices designed for almost any type of trip you may be planning, such as a single trip for hunting, backpacking, Boat trips, house rentals, and a host of others. But, the specific types and amounts of coverage you get depend on the policy you choose. It’s important to remember that you will only be covered for what is specifically stated in your policy and for nothing else.

Most policies cover trip cancellation, lost baggage, medical, dental, and accidental death coverage. Other policies include emergency evacuation, 24 hour travel assistance, and trip or baggage delay. You may even find policies that include options for collision or damage to rented cars and business conflicts. There are many options that can be covered, but you will have to ask.

The premiums for the policies are generally 5% to 7% the cost of your trip, but fees will vary depending on the your medical history and passengers ages. Many companies offer policies that will include coverage for children at no extra charge.

It is best not to buy your travel insurance from your tour operator. We have listed a few reasons why it may be better to purchase through an insurance company separately.

Most travel insurance policies offered by the operator are less flexible to your individual needs;

Provide a lower amount of coverage;

May only cover a portion of the trip;

Your coverage may be secondary and the insurance will only pay for what you own private health or homeowner’s insurance does not cover;

May duplicate coverage you already have;

In the event the tour operator liquidates and goes belly up, you would lose not only your trip, but also your premium.

Many travel agents are not fully knowledgeable when it comes to understanding the details of various travel insurance policies and may overlook something that could be important to you or your family and few offer suggestions. Buying travel insurance may be less expensive purchasing through your tour operator or cruise line, but for the reasons listed above, you should really check around.

If you do choose to buy your policy from your tour operator, be sure to use a credit card. Depending on the policy of the credit card issuer, you may be provided with protection against potential default of the operator.

When buying your policy from an insurance company:

Always get quotes from several companies.

Ask if the plan is pre-packaged or if you can custom design your own.

Can you waive the pre-existing condition exclusion.

Ask if you are covered for cancellation due to a terrorist incident. Don’t count of the company to provide information.

Ask any questions you can dream up and then ask for suggestions for solutions.

Enjoy your next trip and I hope the odds are with you and that you will never have to file a claim on your travel insurance policy.

PLEASE NOTE: Island Promotions does not provide Travel Insurance for any booking taken.

For the months of October and November hotels and Fast boats fall into mid or low season pricing, the weather is excellent, and the islands are not so crowded.

www.gili-paraduse.com offers the largest selection of hotels, guesthouses and villas on all 3 Gili islands.

This is where Island Promotions Travel excels itself as we will offer you and guide you through the most suitable island to stay on and accommodation to suit, as well as the best way to get there.

We can even offer you a package including a night in Bali, a stay iin the Gilis and a stay in some recommended hotels in Lombok as well if you would like.

WE can organise for you to be met at the airport in Bali, or the new international airport in Lombok which has just recently opened,

Alternatively from Bali we can arrange domestic ticketing and all the safe fast boats.

Please Note - some of the cheaper locally run boats DO NOT have qualified english speaking crew, do not fit international safety standards, and are not as reliable. We do not support them in the interests of passenger safety.

www.gili-paradise.com is run by CV. Island Promotions Travel.

We also run many other websites and are happy to be the original and longest running Gili island specialsts with 11 years experience, with 2 walk in shops in the heart of kuta manned by 12 staff.

We will be happy to guide you through your entire holiday with the most suitable hotel recomendations, and boat option depending on your location, with only one payment with one company.

Shop 1 -
The Gili Paradise Shop,
No. 12, Poppies Lane 1,
Kuta, Bali. Tel - 0361 753241

Shop 2 –
CV. Island Promotions,
Suka Beach, JL. Benesari,
Poppies Lane 2, Kuta, Bali.
Tel / Fax - 0361 766220

SMS bookings - +62 81 805 305 632
SKYPE – VIPSKYPE7
Yahoo messenger - gili.paradise

Facebook http://www.facebook.com/the.gili.islands

www.Gili-Blog.com - information, events, news, comments

www.Gili-Hotels.com - villas, hotels & backpacker beach huts

www.Gili-Fastboat.com - for fast boat on line booking reservations

www.Gili-Property.com - real estate, land and villa sales, villa rentals

www.Gili-Paradise.com - general information, transport, diving packages

For more information about the Gili islands of Trawangan, Meno or Gili Air you can send an email directly to myself at phil@island-promotions.com

The Gili Paradise shop now has 2 ofices and are the original longest running Gili specialists.

INTRODUCTION

Just a short two hour boat trip from Bali are the Gili Islands of Trawangan, Meno and Air. The largest of the three islands, Gili Trawangan, is around thirty minutes boat ride from the northwest mainland of Lombok and attracts the majority of visitors. The
beaches of the Gilis are still powdery white, the water a beautiful clear blue and they are positioned perfectly for sunsets over Bali’s Mt Agung and sunrise over Lombok’s Mt Rinjani.

Thirty years ago the islands were uninhabited and only discovered by the seafaring Bugis people from Sulawesi. It was only a matter of time before the more adventurous backpacker types discovered the islands and developed Trawangan into a hippy party paradise.

Gili Trawangan

Gili Trawangan now identifies itself as a great destination suitable for families of all ages. Various new hotels, luxury villas, and boutique bungalows now cater to children and offer good value. Some have baby-sitting services, and with lots of activities on the islands families are sure to enjoy their holidays to the full.

There are many restaurants on the islands with a choice of cuisines ranging from traditional warung style Indonesian food to all types of international menus. Many restaurants offer beachfront barbeques selling fresh fish, prawns and lobster – there is even a Spanish Tapas bar, Indian restaurant, sushi bar and an Irish bar!

Gili Meno

Only a kilometre 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 kilometres long and one in width, Gili Meno is the smallest of the three islands and by far the most tranquil. Most visitors are drawn to 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 warung fare with grilled fishon the beach once dusk approaches. Lazing around in a hammock,reading books and playing chess with the friendly locals (who arealways 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.

Gili Air

Although Gili Air is closest to the Lombok mainland it is the most overlooked of the three islands in terms of development. However, that is all set to change as the market here is geared very much towards the budget traveller and tropical island explorer. A lot of visitors actually prefer the grass roots atmosphere of Gili Air and the feeling of really being part of a close knit local community.

The circumference of the island is traversable by foot in around two and a half hours but be sure to pack some supplies as you’re heading well off the beaten track. As with Gili Meno the pace of life is slow and endearing to those who really want to escape the hustle and bustle of the outside world. More accommodation, cafés and bars are slowly starting to spring up to compliment the three dive centres on the main beach strip.

There are internet facilities at the Ozzy Shop (who also rent bicycles) and in a tiny wartel (phone shop) behind Villa Karang the connection is far from reliable. For its size Gili Air actually has awide range of accommodation to suit every taste and budget either on the beach or set back in the coconut groves. Be advised to change enough cash for your entire stay as the nearest moneychanger and ATM is on Gili Trawangan.

GETTING THERE

Regular daily fast boats depart Bali from Benoa Harbour in the south and Padang Bali in the east, directly to Gili Trawangan and Gili Air. All boats stop off at Teluk Nare on mainland Lombok as part of the return journey back to Bali. Public ferries run every two hours between Padang Bai and Lembar in Lombok and take around five hours. Bemos can take you to Bangsal Harbor on Lombok where public shuttle boats leave frequently to all three Gili islands. Perama shuttle buses leave every day from all major destinations in Bali. Their traditional Phinisi boat also leaves from Padang Bai harbor at 13.30, arriving in Gili at around 18.00.

There are regular daily flights from Denpasar to Mataram leaving throughout the day providing another degree of flexibility for those who don’t possess sea legs. Flight time clocks in at only twenty minutes from Bali to Lombok. Airport transfers with a car and speedboat can be arranged and only take about one hour to the islands.

ISLAND LIFE

There are a variety of activities on all three islands – the most popular of which being beachcombing, or pitching up a hammock and soaking up the tropical ambience of the Gilis! It’s possible to follow the beaches around the perimeter of the islands in only about two hours on foot. There are two turtle sanctuaries on the Gilis as well as a birdpark, horse riding at the local stables, sunrise yoga classes on the beach, sunset drinks at the bar overlooking Mount Agung and kayaking trips inbetween!

There are three turtle sanctuaries on the Gilis as well as a birdpark, horse riding at the local stables, sunrise yoga classes on the beach, sunset drinks at the bar overlooking Mount Agung and kayaking trips inbetween!

Turtle Sanctuary (in front of Dino Café, main beach Trawangan) is involved in the preservation of one of Indonesia’s most endangered natural
species. The turtle eggs are purchased from collectors and put insecure incubation areas until hatching, whereupon they are placed
in holding tanks. When the turtles are large and healthy enough they are released. The most popular activities on the Gilis are centered around watersports. There are a handful of surf breaks scattered throughout the islands but the main draw is the year round quality diving and snorkeling. All dive centres and many shack operations lining the beaches rent snorkelling equipment for around IDR 50,000 for half
a day.

Diving

With over twenty-five dive sites surrounding all three islands there are opportunities to dive any of the Gilis regardless of where you base yourself. Most visitors stay on Gili Trawangan for the facilities and make the short hop out to the dive sites. Each dive school has its own fleet of traditional outrigger boats that ferry divers offshore to the walls and reefs where the best diving is to be found.

There’s a high standard of multilingual PADI, SSI and TDI certified (both local and foreign) dive instructors and guides working in the centres who have a vast knowledge of the region and know exactly where and when to take visitors to maximise their Gili scuba experience. Visability is consistently good all year round with an average distance of thirty metres. Divers can expect to see a range of topography, a large
variety of hard and soft corals and a spectacular diversity of marine life unique to Indonesia. The two most popular dive sites are Shark Point and Manta Point where divers can expect to spot black and white tip reef sharks, varieties of turtles, rays and hundreds of indigenous species.

Information

For all your Gili needs Island Promotions can arrange - Transport options from fast boats, shuttle bus and slow boats, flights and transfers. Accommodation from budget hotels and beach huts, to luxury villas and five star resorts. Activities including diving, snorkeling, kayaking, golf days, private parties and much more.

Bookings can be made through Island Promotions Travel at The 2 Original Gili Paradise offices :

Shop 1 -
The Gili Paradise Shop,
No. 12, Poppies Lane 1,
Kuta, Bali. Tel - 0361 753241

Shop 2 –
CV. Island Promotions,
Suka Beach, JL. Benesari,
Poppies Lane 2, Kuta, Bali.
Tel / Fax - 0361 766220

SMS bookings - +62 81 805 305 632
SKYPE – VIPSKYPE7
Yahoo messenger - gili.paradise

Facebook http://www.facebook.com/the.gili.islands

www.Gili-Blog.com - information, events, news, comments

www.Gili-Hotels.com - villas, hotels & backpacker beach huts

www.Gili-Fastboat.com - for fast boat on line booking reservations

www.Gili-Property.com - real estate, land and villa sales, villa rentals

www.Gili-Paradise.com - general information, transport, diving packages

All notes copyright of www.gili-paradise.com and Island Promotions

It was by sheer chance this footage was taken, the culprit did not even realise for quite a while that he was being filmed, and showed no reaction whatsoever when he realised he had been caught in the act.

May I remind you this is definately not normal practice as the patrols from the Gili Eco Trust are trying, but over such a large area it is extremely difficult.

If every visitor donated even just $1 or $2 to the Gili Eco Trust the money could be used to buy more boats for patrolling. The visitors are flocking to the islands, and already another example is that now, before the real start of high season the rubbish dump is already full.

If you want to come and enjoy these islands, please please be aware of your own impact on such a precious and fragile protected marine park.

Note: With thanks to Delphine from the Gili Eco Trust for supplying the footage, for more information about Eco projects please visit www.giliecotrust.com and donations.

Thanks to Island Promotions Travel, for supporting the cause, who can be contacted through www.gili-paradise.com for general information about the islands.

The fourth season of The Amazing race Asia leg 7.

In this next leg’s Roadblock, teams rode an outrigger to Gili Trawangan Island, where one team member took free diving and snorkelling lessons at a Gili Trawangan Dive Resort before diving into Halik Reef to retrieve a briefcase full of money.

They then returned to Gili Trawangan Island and rode a cidomo, a local horse carriage to the aforementioned resort. There, both team members had to count the money in the briefcase totaling (Rp 3,804,000) and use this as the combination to retrieve the next clue from their Sony VAIO laptop. If they did not enter the correct combination within three attempts, they had to wait for 10 minutes before they can enter another combination.

Additional tasks

* At the Blue Water Express terminal, teams must sign up for boats leaving for Lombok, with the first boat leaving at 7:00 AM containing two teams, and the second boat leaving at 7:30 AM containing three teams.

* Upon arrival at Mataram, teams must search the fishing village for their next clue, which unknown to the teams, was hidden in a fishing boat parked along the beach.

* At Pura Lingsar, teams must participate in Perang Topat, a rice war ritual where teams were showered with rice powder by locals, before receiving their clue. An interesting piece of history

Another sign of the incredible speed that the world is catching on to the beauty of the Gilis, great promotion, but really we don’t want it thanks.

Im sure they made a large contribution to the Gili Eco Trust to run around like crazy idiots and know nothing about the fact it is in fact a protected marine park.

Proves my underlying theory, the prize money, Amazing race indeed, if you watch closely. you can see just what people will do anything for a price tag of $100,000.

Watch the stressed participants rage around a peacefull holiday island

Traveling with babies can be a surprisingly delightful experience, as long as the fulfillment of their basic needs is kept pretty much on schedule… their schedule.

Babies aren’t as fragile as parents sometimes fear. It’s most likely that your baby enjoys the trip. Babies often find flying soothing and usually fall asleep listening to the hum of the engines, which by the way, disguises the sound of a baby crying very well.

By three months your baby is a pretty good candidate for flying. It isn’t a good idea to bring your baby for air travel before this age. In the first week, the baby’s heart and respiratory systems couldn’t cope well enough with the reduced level of oxygen during the flight and at the age of two months, your child would still be susceptible to infection and should avoid all crowds, especially in a closed environment, such as the airplane cabin. The best part is that a three month old baby also can’t run around.

There is no evidence that flying is unsafe for babies, if they are healthy. If you fly with your baby on either long or short flights, you should follow these guidelines:

PRE-FLIGHT ADVICE

Pack well in advance and check that you have all necessary documents. Children are sensitive to parental anxiety. Minimize your baby’s stress by reducing yours.

Prepare a bag for your baby for use on the flight and include favorite foods, snacks, toys, diapers, wipes and so forth. Drinks and food, take more than you think you’ll need for emergencies and the inevitable delays.
If you are breastfeeding drink plenty of water whilst flying. .
Some of the Airline Companies cater for small children’s needs. You can check this out when you are booking and can pre-order special food for your baby.

IN FLIGHT ADVICE

Feed baby both during take off and upon landing. Swallowing encourages baby’s ears to clear ‘air blocks’. Also make sure your baby takes appropriate feeds and doesn’t become dehydrated.

Keep your baby cool. Remove hats and extra clothing. When you check your baby, if he or she is sweating or the tummy feels hot to the touch, take off some clothing. Don’t worry if the baby’s hands or feet feel cool, this is normal. Place your baby on their back to sleep.

Some experts advise to give baby massages, usually two or three days, before and after flying. Massage before flying helps the baby to be more relaxed, in hope for a smooth flight and massage after flying helps the baby cope with jet lag, or other differences at the destination.

Anyway, as long as there’s no contraindication for massaging the baby, such as muscle or bone disorders (fracture, dislocation, or ask your doctor for more information), massages won’t harm your baby if done gently.

FAST BOATS AND BABIES

There is no actual age limit for babies travelling on the fast boats between the islands here in Indonesia. However following the same rules as flying is a fairly good guide.

The weather particularly in high season periods can get quite big seas and choppy waters, which means a bumpy ride for you and your little one. If conditions are so bad the harbourmaster or captain or Operations manager may not let the boat leave, however this is extemely rare, maybe 3 days in a year.

But on other days there can still be big swell, we offer the same advice as we would with pregnant women, ask at check in if you can have seats at the very back of the boat, the noise of the engines will quiten out any crying and the hum will passify them and usually infants sleep, or are more interested in whats going on around them.

I have my own 3 year old and am frequently travelling betwen Bali and Gili Trawangan, fortunately my mini me seems to be like me and doesn’t get scared or sick in bumpy seas.

Do the obvious, or rather dont, giving them a big breakfast is a recipe for sea sickness, sit them on your lap and you will be surprised how much your body will absorb any bumpy parts of the crossing, which is usually only a 20 minute section off the north east coast of Bali.

Baby Massage Technique

Use natural oil like organic sunflower or olive. Make sure your hands glide easily and for the best results use a firm touch. Pull baby’s leg through your palms and fingers, hand over hand, from the thigh to foot, repeat three or four times. Give your baby’s leg a gentle shake. Now do the same with the other leg.

Then massage both legs together. Place your hands on the inside thighs and pull downwards around the back of the thighs, down the back of the knees, calves and feet. Repeat three or four times.

Now stroke firmly two or three times down the front of the legs.

This will help relax your baby’s legs and feet and stimulate their circulation. The baby’s hands feet and head are the coldest parts of their body until their circulatory system is fully developed.

Lay the weight of your open, relaxed hand on baby’s tummy and, without pressing but rather using the relaxed weight, your hand, massage their tummy clockwise, the same direction as the baby’s digestive system. Now lay your relaxed hand across your baby’s tummy and gently press from side to side (not downwards) between the hips and the ribs. This stimulates the large and small intestine and will help to relieve wind, colic fractiousness, and anxiety.

Place your hands on the centre of your baby’s chest and massage upwards and outwards, over the shoulders. Draw both arms down vertically through the centre of your palms repeat a few times and give the arms a gentle shake. This will relax your baby’s arms and shoulders and stimulate the circulation of their arms and hands. Rest your hands on the front of baby’s shoulders and using their relaxed weight draw them downwards over the chest, hips, legs and feet. Repeat three or four times before turning your baby onto their tummy. Once on their tummy, if they can, help your baby to bring their hands forward so they can rest on their elbows. Now stroke firmly, using lots of oil, hand over hand several times, down your baby’s back. With a relaxed open hand, stroke clockwise several times around the base of the spine and buttocks. Now rest both your hands on the back of your baby’s shoulders and stroke downwards two or three times over the back and down the legs to the feet.
Remember to place your baby on their back to sleep and on their belly to play.

Lastly Indonesians absolutely adore babies, particularly the fair skinned variety, it is easy in any hotel to find a helping mum to babysit to give yourselves a break. Find someone who speaks at least some english so you can explain about feeding and sleeping, or any other special requirements. We always recomend that you have a mobile phone when travelling, exchange numbers, then if there is a problem you can dash back to see that there probably is no problem, just baby misses mum, and if babysitter gets concerned she can aslo call and you can pop back to make sure everything is fine.

It will also give you that peace of mind so you can enjoy that precious free time.

If you have a higher manager please inform he or she that we (my family and I) are sincerely grateful for all your wonderful assistance and customer service that you have provided.

Upon my arrival back to Bali I will stop by to thank you in person at your office in Kuta.

You have really made my experience with your company a delightful one! I very much look forward to re-booking with you with our future trips to your beautiful island which we adore so very much.

Your’s Sincerely

Sandy
(Australia)

We can cater to just about any requests you may wish for, luxury yacht charters, helicopter sightseeing and direct fast boat transport, traditional phinisi boat charters, domectic flights and transfers, scuba dive packages from beginner to experienced, and all hotels, resorts, villas, and accommodations on all three Gili islands.

Family friendly deals, to suit your budget and needs, also available.

To enquire about packages please contact us and we will be happy to put together any Gili island’s hotel, activities and transport options to suit your budget and personal requirements with one of our friendly team at Island Promotions Travel.

We also have ready made 2 day 1 night packages to 4 day 3 nights packages, honeymmon and wedding packages, and Bali, Lembongan and Lombok mixed packages.

No itinery is beyond our experience, just ask and we will try to make your dream holiday come true….

For more information and enquiries [click here]