In Lombok, we are privileged to live on a beautiful tropical island surrounded by gorgeous smaller islands, known locally as “Gili”.
The Gilis off the northwest coast – Gili Air, Gili Meno and Gili Trawangan – need little introduction, having been a popular destination for travellers for well over 15 years now. It is Gili Trawangan, or Gili T as it is commonly called, that gets the most press and deservedly so, offering a hedonistic blend of diving and beach delights by day and a lively party and dining scene by night. However, Gili Air, the island closest to the mainland is now taking off as an alternative destination and is destined to shine in its own right over the next few years.
At present, Gili Air is a laid back little island with a beachfront lined by simple bars made from bamboo and thatch. Its main appeal is in its unspoilt nature, with none of the swanky restaurants and villas that have sprouted up on Gili… and that’s why people love it. There are no cars or motorbikes allowed, as is the case on all the Gilis, and thus there is no pollution to mar the clean island air and the peaceful atmosphere. The views from all points of the island are stunning but the east coast, facing Lombok, is probably the most fantastic – looking back at the big island with its green mountains and white beaches shining under the ever-present sun.
The water surrounding the island is of a colour hard to describe; a clear, translucent turquoise, made even more pure by the sparkling white sand beneath. Gili Air would be breathtaking if only for these things, but it is under the water that the true magic of this place is revealed. Take a few steps from the shore, lie down in the calm, warm water and open your eyes to a wonderland of coral and tropical fish.
While there are many areas around the three Gilis where the coral has been damaged by past practices of dynamite fishing and the ravages of El Nino and rising water temperatures, Gili Air still boasts living reefs off much of its coast. The coral starts within metres of the shore, making it easily accessible to anyone – even novices who have never snorkelled before. Because the island is protected by reefs, there are few waves and the ocean is amazingly gentle, allowing snorkellers to drift in a dreamy daze above this panorama of shapes and colours.
On the east coast, a gentle current flows from north to south allowing snorkellers to enter the water and effortlessly drift over the reef to the end, where the coral tapers out into a glorious sandy swimming beach just near the popular Chill Out and Zipp Bars. Below the surface, beds of colourful corals grow like some strange botanical garden. Delicate branches rise from the bottom, soft corals shaped like big roses, flat table top corals and weirdly patterned brain corals provide homes and food for the schools of brightly flitting fish.
And it is the sheer numbers of fish that delight the thousands of people who come to Gili Air to snorkel and dive every year. In the shallows, bright electric blue fish dart amongst the small corals, chased by schools of multicoloured fish. Gorgeous parrot fish in blue, green and purple; elegant Moorish idols with bright yellow and black stripes; and charming clusters of clown fish and anemone fish, affectionately known as Nemo, all live in these waters.
Around the corner on the southern end of the island, just a little past the Blue Bar, another kind of reef awaits you. While some of the coral has been broken by the waves that create a fantastic surf break around May and June each year, there are still fantastic corals to explore further out when there are no waves. Big beds of soft corals and occasional outcrops of hard corals provide fascinating vistas and harbour thousands of fish, large and small.
Further off shore, the reef slopes down to a steep drop-off into the deep water and, with visibility commonly at 15-20 metres, snorkellers can enjoy scenery usually reserved only for scuba divers. Here in the deep water live the schools of bigger fish; long slender squid glide by and, if you are lucky, you will catch sight of a giant turtle gliding through the depths. To swim with the turtles, these huge creatures which are so awkward and ungainly on land but move through their natural element with a breathtaking dignity and grace, is perhaps the most special underwater experience of all.
For those who have never had the pleasure of viewing the magical world under the ocean, Gili Air offers a superb opportunity to do so in safety and comfort. For those of us already addicted to the silence and beauty of the depths, this is an island where days could melt into weeks, quite happily drifting with the current and immersing oneself in the wonders of the underwater landscape.
