When you google Gili Islands, the algorithm gives you Gili Trawangan, Gili Meno and Gili Air, a triplet of islands just off the northwest coast of Lombok. Scroll down until you almost get RSI of the pointer finger and you may get a whiff of the Secret Gili’s (or not…so just put Secret Gili in your browser!)
The Secret Gili’s (Gili meaning small island in Sasak language) are a bunch of pristine, pretty much deserted islands in the southwest of Lombok – Gili Nanggu, Gili Sudak, Gili Tangkong, Gili Rengit, Gili Kedis and Gili Layar to name a few. The easiest way to visit these islands is on a tour and we found a private day trip on Viator with Bale Laut. (You can also book a Bale Laut tour with TripAdvisor.) We did our due diligence beforehand, read the reviews, checked the star ratings, as in Indonesia it’s pretty much caveat emptor, you get what you pay for!
An hours’ drive west of Kuta Lombok, through myriad tiny villages that reflect the rural nature of the majority of Lombok, the countryside dotted with both simple and ornate domes and spires of the Jama Masjids. A seemingly rampant competition to produce the most extravagant Masjid, our driver revealed that many villages in Lombok have one or two mosques per district, however in the wild west, there are two to three per village!
Our Bale Laut team, Wawan the driver, Agus our snorkelling guide and Nazeem the boat captain were 5 stars in both service and personality! As we were private touring (sans the great unwashed), our itinerary was malleable and we leaned into the suggestions of the crew.
Each of our island stops showcased something unique. Gili Layar was all about the coral. Much has been said about the decline in coral health in Lombok due to dynamite and cyanide fishing, but Gili Layar proved the exception. The coral here is healthy, diverse, colourful and stunning! Delicate orange lace coral swaying seductively in the current, rare blue coral, brain coral, brightly coloured anemones, tentacles tantalising their clown fish tenants. A literal treasure trove of biodiversity and natural beauty.
Next stop, Gili Rengit was where we spotted our first (and sadly only) turtle of the day, and Gili Nanggu had starfish, scorpion fish, sea urchins and pretty, tropical fish in abundance.
The highlight of our tour was an alfresco lunch on Gilligan’s Island (Gili Tangkong.) Fresh fish, barbequed over smoking coconut husks, on a spectacular remote, palm fringed tropical island, surrounded by powdery white sand and aquamarine seas, with a few cows and the Bale Laut A team in attendance.….how’s the serenity!
Agus, chief snorkelling guide and Go-Pro dude was filming when we found Nemo, his mother, brother, aunt, sister – the whole clan! He directed us into position and then the fish, with a bottle of fish food we squeezed until our heads were covered in a fish halo. We left the trip with a seriously creative collection of vids.
Homeward bound, we dropped into Gili Kedis, a tiny sand cay featuring a rustic timber rope swing, some benches, a hut – insta perfect things to pose on or under, amidst turquoise water juxtaposed by pure white sand.
For the most part, we were the only peeps on the islands we visited as our crew artfully dodged other boats, and realistically, there were less than a handful of outriggers with tourists out there. I can’t help but rant about this day trip. For around $AUD120pp, this tour slapped. Make sure you tip these dudes grandly!
