5 THINGS TO DO ON GILI MENO

1. BEACHFRONT STAY – book a couple of nights at one of the seaside villa resorts that fringe Gili Meno and enjoy the simple romance of the ‘honeymoon island’.

Accommodation ranges from simple bamboo huts to superb private villas and eco-resorts – the pick is yours!

Gili Meno, aerial view

2.DIVING AND SNORKELLING – learn to dive at the local dive centre and explore the sunken pier of ‘The Bounty’ & ‘The Meno Wall’ diving spots, otherwise, you can just take a snorkelling tour.

Dive in to discover ‘Nest’ –  the insta-famous Underwater Sculptures – an artificially created collection of underwater sculptures by Jason de Caires Taylor

‘Nest’ –  the insta-famous Underwater Sculptures in Gili Meno

3.VISIT the Gili Meno Turtle Sanctuary and its private hatchery and learn more about the giant turtles and marine life conservation (best time to visit is between June-November)

Giant turtles – the symbol of Gili Meno

4.HIRE a sea kayak for the whole day and explore the turquoise, shallow, nearshore waters of the smallest island of the Gilis. Find one of the coastal hideaways where you can quench your thirst with a refreshing Bintang beer and chill out under a palm tree before you continue

Walk around Gili Meno and you will find many hidden spots where to enjoy a drink or two..

TRAVEL TIP

You can easily move between the islands using the local ferry or the more expensive private boats. The isles are so close to each other that it only takes up to 30 min by a speedboat to get from one island to the other.

Simply book a guesthouse on the desirable island and go on island hopping in order to see the remaining islands in one day.

Gili Meno is an ideal for a romantic escape or honeymoon

HOW TO GET THERE

Fly to Bali/Denpasar.

Most of the travellers take a private speedboat from Padang Bai/Bali, which takes 1-2 hrs/$30-50 USD one way, depending on the company and weather. If you travel on a budget you might want to go with a much cheaper option, the public ferry (5 hrs boat trip from Padang Bai, but it will cost you as much as $8 USD one way)

Gili Islands are easily reachable from Lombok. There are many boats frequently operating from the Bangsal Harbour to each of the Gili islands. ($1-5 USD one way, 2-hour ride). For more comfort, hop on one of the private speedboats in Senggigi that take you to the islands in just about 30 min for around $30 USD one way.

Gili Trawangan has also a small airport and you can get there from Bali by a private helicopter in just 45 min, however, this is quite a costly option (Air Bali)

For all international flights check out www.skyscanner.com or www.momondo.com