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Round the World Travel Guide

Photo Essay: Indonesia’s #1 Island Paradise

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Welcome to my Indonesia island paradise — Gili Trawangan off  the coast of Lombok.

Small enough to walk around in an an hour and a half, it attracts a wide range of travelers seeking a little slice of heaven. The island is packed with dive shops, and has become a popular spot to get PADI certified. Snorkeling is also an option, as is renting a bicycle, however if you decide to simply spend your days lounging around, you'll be in good company.

Gili Trawangan
It only takes 1 hour to ride around the entire island of Gili Trawangan by bicycle.
Fresh seafood
This display of fresh seafood is what catches everyone's attention as they walk past past The Beachhouse resaturant. Check out those lobsters!
The Beachhouse restaurant
On my first night, my friend and I met a bunch of people at The Beachhouse restaurant, and we returned several times during our stay.
Shrimp in garlic butter sauce
Shrimp doused in garlic butter sauce with rice.
A band of locals
A band made up of local island musicians entertain the patrons of Sama Sama bar.
Traditional wooden boats
Traditional wooden boats, with the nearby sister island of Gili Meno in the background.
Horse-drawn cart
For about $5, visitors can go for rides on horse-drawn carts, known as a cidomos. There are no cars or motorbikes on the island.
Internet shop
Despite the advertising, the internet speeds at this shop were not lightning fast, however it's good enough to check e-mail.
Watch your favorite movie in a hut
These huts have a few mats, and little television and DVD players in the yellow boxes. Order a crepe or ice cream, and you can sit back, relax, and enjoy a movie. This is where I watched Superbad for the first time.
Chai tea and a croissant at Scallywags
Friends referred me to Scallywags restaurant for the best chai tea on the island.
Hut on a deserted beach - Gili Trawangan
I took this photo after enjoying a cup of tea with two British girls. It felt as though we had the whole side of the island to ourselves.
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  1. OMG it looks beautiful. It’s paradise. I have to keep that in my list of places to visit.

    • Angela, Gili T is one of my favorite spots on the planet so far! It requires a little time and energy to reach from Bali, but that’s just enough to keep the crowds of Kuta away.

  2. Thanks Noni, I spent a week on Gili Trawangan, and even during low season, there were enough people around for it to be a lot of fun.

  6. Sigh… wish I was there right now! That food would definitely have caught my attention too – and probably made me return for several days!

  7. Wonderful pictures !!! Never been there,  just happen to be stranded once (maby years ago) in Lombok (Senggigi) and saw the island from Bangsal. I am trying to imagine …. how the island looks like, looking to the south-east-west-north, how long does it take to walk around the coast of the island ?

    • It only takes about 1 1/2 hours to walk around Gili Trawangan at an easy pace. About an hour by bicycle, though sometimes you’ll get stuck in the sand.

  8. These photos bring back such great memories – thanks for posting them! Lombok and the Gili islands are by far my favorite destinations in the world, and I’ve been going back for years. Breakfast at Scallywags, biking around the island and trying to weave in and out of the loose sand, going for dips in that beautiful water whenever you feel like it. Sigh… I can’t wait to go back. Have you explored Gili Meno and Air as well?

    • No, I spent a week on Gili Trawangan, and didn’t get to the other islands. I was there in the low season, so I don’t think there were many people on them. There were hardly any other travelers on Gili T.