NEWS
ISSUE 102
HAVING FUN IN LOMBOK!
We love sharing the traditions of our Sasak people – the hypnotizing beat of the Gendang Beleq, the doll-like beauty of the Gandrung dancers, the mystery and magic of the Mandalika Drama – and they love our western “traditions”, as was evidenced at all the Halloween and Melbourne Cup parties over the past week. Dressing up and having fun together… that’s part of the magic of Lombok!
To find out more, pick up a copy of The Lombok Guide from the locations listed on http://www.thelombokguide.com/deadline_publishing.html or visit www.thelombokguide.com and discover the magic of Lombok for yourself… like thousands of others, you’ll be enchanted!
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A NEW HOSPITAL FOR LOMBOK!
 Medical facilities in Lombok have been steadily improving over the past few years, with reasonably good facilities at Risa Centra Medical Hospital in Mataram and the revamped KlinikBiomedika in Pangutan. However, hospital facilities on the island are still quite poor, particularly in comparison to hospitals in the west or even those in Bali.
The owners of ‘Rumah Sakit Harapan Keluarga’ hope to change that situation by making modern medical equipment and facilities available on Lombok.
The new hospital is located on Jl Ahmad Yani in Selagalas, just east of Mataram (see our Cities Map on page 46) and celebrated its “soft opening” on 25 September 2011. The grand opening is scheduled for mid-November.
The modern design of the hospital is a departure from the usual hospital standards in Lombok, with an emphasis on large clean spaces with plenty of natural light. Set on several hectares, the eight storeybuilding features floor to ceiling windows and all rooms take advantage of the beautiful views over green rice fields surrounded by distant mountain ranges.
 There is ample parking on site and a designated entrance for ambulances and emergency vehicles to access the emergency admissions area. At present, the hospital has two ambulances and plans to purchase more in the near future. There are also plans to construct a helipad on adjacent land to facilitate emergency airlifts by helicopter.
The most outstanding features of RS Harapan Keluarga are the modern technology and medical equipment, access to specialist care, a professional ICU unit and the well-equipped emergency room.
 Medical equipment includes high-end 128-sliceCTScan and MRI imaging equipment, as well as a state-of-the-art hemodialysis unit. CT refers to X-ray Computed Tomography and is used to generate a three dimensional image of the inside of a body. It is used in detecting tumours and hemorrhages in head injuries; emphysema and fibrosis in the lungs; heart conditions; pelvic and abdominal obstructions;as well as cancer, tumours, internal injuries and disease in other parts of the body.
High-powered 1.5 Tesla MRI (Magnetic ResonanceImaging) available at the hospital uses a powerful magnetic field to produce detailed images of internal structures. It is especially useful for examining the heart, brain, muscles and soft tissues of the body, and for identifying tumours.
 Hemodialysis equipment is vital for patients suffering from kidney disease and failure. The machine works to filter waste, salts and fluid from the blood when kidneys are not healthy enough to function properly.
Until now, patients requiring detailed CT or MRI scans, or hemodialysis, have had to travel outside of Lombok for treatment.
On the ground floor of the hospital is a spacious lobby and reception area, a coffee shop and canteen, access to the emergency centre and radiology department, an ATM machine and an on-site pharmacy.
24 hour services include ambulance callout, emergency room, pharmacy, on-site laboratory and radiology department. In addition to CT and MRI scans, the hospital has modern x-ray equipment, as well as ultrasound (USG), endoscopy, bronchoscopy and fluoroscopy facilities.
 The eight floors of the hospital house a polyklinik (public health clinic for general health problems and medical checkups), physiotherapy centre, and a huge variety of specialty departments.
Doctors at the hospital include GP’s, surgeons and radiologists, as well as specialists in pediatrics, cardiology and heart specialists, skin specialists, eye specialists, ear, nose and throat, urology, gynecology, orthopedic, nutritionists, psychologists, and more.
One floor of the hospital is dedicated to a maternity ward with modern delivery rooms, separate nursery wings, and a neo natal ward with incubators and specialist care. There is also a separate pediatric clinic for children.
 Another floor features well-equipped operating theatres, treatment rooms, and observation and recovery areas.
The Intensive Care Unit (ICU) is equipped with separate internal and external corridors, providing restricted access to the wards from the main hospital corridors. There are eleven ICU beds, with a separate ward for children, as well as two quarantine rooms for isolating infectious diseases. The hospital also employs ‘Hepa Filter’ technology to filter air and reduce transmission of air-borne diseases.
 There is a good selection of inpatient rooms available, ranging from the cheapest “Standard C” ward with 124 beds available in 4 bed rooms, to “Standard A” and VIP rooms. The 38 VIP rooms are comfortable and modern one-bed rooms with television, phone and private western-style bathrooms. There are also 4 very spacious “Super VIP” rooms available, with facilities and furnishings similar to a quality hotel room, including a lounge and dining area, small kitchenette, television, phone, refrigerator and private bathroom.
From what we saw when we visited the hospital earlier this week, Rumah Sakit Harapan Keluarga certainly raises the standard of medical facilities available in Lombok. Hopefully the quality of care will match the facilities of the hospital, and health problems will no longer necessitate a trip outside of the island in search of professional treatment.
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• Anyone who has watched “DC Cupcakes” knows that these little cakes have come a long way from a bit of flour, eggs, water and icing sugar. Now we have our very own version in Senggigi, with “House of Cupcake” opening recently.
Each day of the week the menu changes, with a new batch of cupcakes in delicious flavours available on different days of the week. Everyday favourites include Double Chocolate, Double Vanilla, Chocolate Ganache and Red Velvet. At other times of the week, indulge in flavours such as Apple Caramel, Key Lime, Cookies and Cream, Lava Fudge and more! Special order cupcakes and home catering are also available for parties and events. House of Cupcake is located in Duduk Garden, just a couple of minutes south of Senggigi. Phone 0853 3833 3338 or see the advertisement on page 24.
• Warung Kangen in Senggigi Plaza (just across from Achi Acha Boutique) has become a firm favourite in Senggigi, especially for late-night revellers with the munchies after a night out at Happy Café or the clubs. It also does brisk business with tourists looking to sample some authentic local food served in clean and comfortable surroundings at very reasonable local prices.
The warung serves up a good selection of local meals, including a delicious paket of fried chicken or fish with steamed rice, spicy sambal sauce and lalapan (a local salad with fresh cabbage and snake beans). Now you can also choose an Indian-style “Tandoori Chicken” in addition to all the Indonesian favourites on the menu.
Dine in at the nicely set up tables outside or pick up takeaway on your way home. If you’re feeling particularly lazy, just pick up the phone and ask them to deliver! Ph: 0878 6558 0330 or 619 4109.
• Once again, The Lombok Guide is expanding! With this issue, we will begin publishing an extra 500 copies each issue… taking our print run to 3500 copies every two weeks and more than a whopping 7000 copies a month!
As most people know, our popular little paper literally walks out the door (usually folded up in handbags or tucked into backpacks!), so we are responding to the calls for more, more, more!
All our distribution points in Lombok and the Gilis keep running out of copies and the demand in Bali – especially since the new airport opened – has gone through the roof! Those people across the Strait are keen to know everything that’s happening in Lombok these days… so we are satisfying their curiosity and increasing our Bali circulation in the coming weeks.
88 pages and 3500 copies every two weeks… that’s a lot of news and info about Lombok going out into the world! Want to be part of our success and spread the word about your business? Phone (0370) 659 4005 or email kitadesign@hotmail.com
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GROUP PROTESTS UNDERAGE DRIVING AND MOTORBIKE OFFENCES
A local group has met with NTB police and the local parliament to voice their concerns about underage driving and traffic offences in Lombok.
Members of the Facebook group “1000 ORANG DI NTB MENENTANG ANAK-ANAK DI BAWAH UMUR MENGENDARAI MOTOR & MENDAPAT SIM”, supported by a group of Senggigi business owners and residents, attended a meeting held at Polda (Regional Police) Headquarters on Thursday, 3 November 2011.
 The meeting was a working party forum between Polda and Regional Representatives Council member, Ibu Baiq Diyah R Ganefi, to discuss the increase in traffic accidents and fatalities in Lombok and strategies for stricter traffic controls on the roads.
The Facebook group was formed by Widi Bruno, Sopantini Heyward and other local ladies who were concerned about the increasing number of traffic accidents in Lombok.
Aware of the number of children being issued with illegal driver’s licences and/or riding motorbikes on public roads, the local mothers formed the group “1000 ORANG DI NTB MENENTANG ANAK-ANAK DI BAWAH UMUR MENGENDARAI MOTOR & MENDAPAT SIM”, which roughly translates as “1000 people in NTB against underage children driving motorbikes and being issued with driving licences”.
 The group description states: “This group was formed because of the increase in the number of accidents that occur in NTB, caused by motorists who do not follow the traffic rules / or because of underage children riding motorbikes. For those of you who do not agree with a driver’s license being issued to minors, or to adults who are issued licenses without completing a driving test, let’s get together to voice our disagreement. Together we will try to create a disciplined and orderly traffic system [for Mataram], so that the number of accidents can be decreased, for the sake of our children.”
The group quickly amassed a remarkable following, with 1225 members registered as at 4 November 2011.
Seeking an opportunity to voice their complaints to police and ask for action, the group was invited to attend the working party with Ibu Baiq Ganefi and regional police. They then asked members of the Senggigi business community to support them by attending the meeting and representing the investors and expatriate residents of their community.
 The meeting was attended by a large number of police, including traffic officers and members of the Senggigi police branch. Leaders discussed a number of options, including better education, implementation of driver safety training, education in schools about traffic laws and safe driving practices, and stricter enforcement of traffic laws.
Speaking at the meeting, Ibu Sopantini called upon the officers to uphold traffic laws and show discipline in carrying out their duties. She suggested better education and training, as well as clear street signage to educate people about road traffic rules.
Official figures for 2011 show there were 40,047 cases of traffic violations that are dominated by motorcycles driven by students. In addition, as many 951 traffic accidents were recorded from January to September 2011; the majority dominated by motorcycles.
Speaking at the meeting, Ibu Widi said that a number of accidents involved young children and school children who were riding motorbikes to and from school.
“These are children who have not been given proper training in riding a motorcycle. This issue needs serious attention from the police, especially the Traffic Unit,” she said told reporters at Police Headquarters. “There are kids around 12 years old, but they already have a license. How is that possible?” she asked.
The legal age for possession of a driver’s license (SIM) in NTB is 17 years old.
 Director of Traffic Police Comr Edi Sukaryo NTB said that people applying for a driver’s license must pass competency exams, including a written exam,practice and simulation.
“People who want to make a C driver's license must be aged 17 years. Part of the process is taking the information from Identity cards (KTP). We remain committed to the law,” he said.
The group called upon NTB police to tighten up issuing of driver’s licenses according to legal procedures and applicable laws.
Police also criticised the ease with which people are now able to purchase motorbikes. Unlike in the past, people can now apply for a motorbike on hire purchase or credit with as little as Rp 250 000 deposit. Dealers are not obliged to check if the rider has a driver’s license, nor do they provide helmets or safety gear to riders.
Parents are often pestered to buy motorbikes for their children, saying that public transport to school is not efficient, they said. However, the group disputed this and offered other solutions to school transport problems.
“Police should offer alternatives to motorbikes, for example by encouraging people to ride bicycles to school. Other countries have effective ‘Bike to School, Bike to Work’ campaigns,” Ibu Widi suggested.
Owner of The Lombok Guide, Pak Dian Cahyadi, speaking on behalf of Senggigi business owners and expatriate residents said, “The problem in Mataram is bad, but it is even worse in Senggigi. We have children as young as nine years old riding motorbikes, without any regard for traffic laws.”
“The speed limit in Senggigi is 40km per hour, but this is never enforced. Every day we see teenagers racing through the main street. This is very bad for Senggigi’s image as a tourism centre, as well as being dangerous for people living in Senggigi and for the tourists who come here. It is dangerous even trying to cross the road,” he said.
“Furthermore, we have the problem of many people riding motorbikes with modified exhaust systems (knalpot). Every day, ‘boy racers’ speed through Senggigi, on their way to race on the new road at Malimbu. They race through town at 80 and 100km per hour, travelling in groups with very noisy exhaust systems. Come and see this for yourself – it happens from 4pm every day and is worse on Sunday, when everyone has the day off.”
“The noise is very bad and is already having a major impact on tourism in Senggigi. We have reports from hotel owners and managers that guests have complained about the traffic noise and cancelled their stays at Senggigi hotels.”
“The noise also affects restaurants and cafes along the main street, as it makes it uncomfortable for guests to sit outside, listening to the constant roar of illegally modified motorbikes. This is a direct loss of income for Senggigi businesses… and a loss for Lombok in general.”
“We have received many letters from Senggigi business people, as well as expat and local residents complaining about the noise and the speeding problem. We have passed these letters on to Polda and the Senggigi police, but still there is no action. Individual complaints made to the Senggigi police have also resulted in no action. Motorbike riders know they can break the laws in Senggigi because the police do nothing,” he concluded.
 Deputy Commissioner, Martono and Ibu Baiq Ganefi seemed surprised at this statement and agreed that the problem needs to be taken seriously.
Responding to Pak Dian, Deputy Head of Polda, Pak Martono promised that action would be taken by the police within the next week and called upon the Senggigi police officers present to instigate regular roadblocks (razia) to apprehend speeding motorcyclists.
NTB Traffic Police Director, Comr Edi Sukaryo stated at a press conference after the meeting that within the next two weeks police would immediately right the situation in Senggigi by checking registrations and licenses of motorists and vehicles, including “non-standard” or modified motorcycles.
“That's our target in Senggigi,” he promised.
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THE LOMBOK GUIDE AT ITB ASIA
 The Lombok Guide 2011 Annual Magazine works hard all year to promote Lombok around the world!
Our latest travels have seen our glossy full colour magazine on display at ITB Asia travel show held at Suntec Convention and Exhibition Centre in Singapore from 19 to 21 October 2011.
ITB Asia is an annualthree-day B2B trade show and convention held in Singapore. The travel show is in its fourth year and is considered to be Southeast Asia’s premier travel show and expo. It is organised by Messe Berlin (Singapore) Pte Ltd and supported by the Singapore Exhibition & Convention Bureau.
International exhibitors from all sectors of the travel industry, Asia Pacific's leading travel companies and emerging small and medium-sized enterprises meet with top international buyers from the MICE, Leisure and Corporate Travel markets at the show.
Representing Lombok at ITB Asia this year were Marcel Navest from PuriBunga Beach Cottages and Chairman of the Lombok Hotels Association, together with IbuWiwit (General Manager) andKadekWidi (Marketing) of Qunci Villas.
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LOCAL SCENE
HALLOWEEN @ CAFÉ ALBERTO
Little ghosts and ghoulies in fabulous costumes had a great time celebrating Halloween at Café Alberto
with fun entertainment and dancing on stage by some of Lombok's beautiful and talented teenagers.
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DOZENS OF FOREIGNERS DEPORTED THIS YEAR
The NTB Immigration Office reports that dozens of foreigners have been deported throughout 2011for entering the island of Lombok illegally.
M Yanis,Head of the Immigration Office in Mataram,says dozens of foreigners who were returned were mostly illegal immigrants.“We have deported people quite a few times already this year. Quite a lot of people; there are dozens,” he said.
The deported foreigners include nationals of Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, Cambodia, America, and Malaysia. The foreigners were found to be in possession of unclear documents or, in some cases, did not possess valid travel documents.
“We have entered their names on our blacklist, so that they cannot re-enter the country,” he continued.
Tourists and legitimate visitors who come to the island are issued with a visa for the duration of their stay.
“We are not particularly concerned with tourists, as they are usually equipped with a visa on arrival.We are more concerned if there is abuse of the visa rules. In fact, some experts violate the rules by working or manipulating the restrictions of their visa, in which case we will send them home,” he explained.“Some time in the near future there are experts that we willdeport, who are either stranded or have sneakily infiltrated the so-called illegal immigrants,” he added.
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INDONESIA RANKS LOW IN 2011 HUMAN DEVELOPMENT INDEX
The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) launched the 2011 Human Development Index (HDI) on Wednesday, 2 November 2011. The index again places Indonesia at 124 out of 187 countries surveyed.
In addition, Indonesia again ranks lower than five of its ASEAN counterparts, with Singapore leading in 26th place, followed by Brunei (33), Malaysia (61), Thailand (103) and the Philippines (112).
Indonesia’s 2011 HDI placing, which scores 0.617, is still higher than that of Vietnam (128), Laos (138), Cambodia (139) and Myanmar (149).
The 2011 list again puts Norway at the top of the index with an HDI of 0.943, followed by Australia, the Netherlands, the United States and New Zealand, respectively.
“But when the index is adjusted for internal inequalities in health, education and income, some of the wealthiest nations drop out of the HDI’s top 20. The US falls from #4 to #23, the Republic of Korea from #15 to #32, and Israel from #17 to #25,” the UNDP said in its 2011 Human Development Report.
“Other top national achievers rise in the IHDI [Inequality-adjusted HDI] due to greater relative internal equalities in health, education and income. Sweden jumps from #10 to #5, Denmark climbs from #16 to #12, and Slovenia rises from #21 to #14,” it adds.
The UNDP says HDI rankings are recalculated annually using the latest internationally comparable data for health, education and income.
The IHDI was introduced in last year’s Human Development Report along with the Gender Inequality Index and Multidimensional Poverty Index in order to complement the original HDI, which as a composite measure of national averages does not reflect internal inequalities.
The 2011 HDI rankings placed Burundi (185), Niger (186) and Congo (187) at the bottom.The 10 countries that place last in the 2011 HDI are all in sub-Saharan Africa.
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HATTEN WINS MEDALS AT ASIA WINE SHOW
Bali wine maker, Hatten Wines, has won three awards for their wines at the prestigious Wine for Asia International wine show held in Singapore recently.
Held in conjunction with the Wine for Asia conference, the Wine Style Asia Award 2011 has achieved international recognition as the region’s premier wine award, celebrating top quality wines for the Asian palate and market.
 Wine Style Asia Award 2011 serves as a good reference for Asian consumers in the following key areas:
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Quality wines that have passed through gruelling tests of Asian and International judges |
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Recognition of the diversity and uniqueness of the different wine regions |
Judging took place on 10 and 11 October, 2011, with the judges only advised of grape varieties and vintages. Hatten Wines received notice of their winning entries on 15 October.
Organised since 2004, Wine Style Asia Award has become a premier platform that acknowledges achievement in wine making from vintages suitable to the growingly sophisticated Asia palate. The award saw over 460 entries resulting in 6 Trophies, 30 Gold medals, 115 Silver medals and 56 Bronze medal award-winning wines.
A panel of 9 national and international judges were looking for quality wines which express a good and appropriate flavour intensity, balance between the key elements in the wine, and a good length and quality in the after-taste. Emphasis was placed on identifying wines with an additional wow factor which stood out from the selection.
Hatten Wines popular white “Alexandria” won a Silver medal, the second time the wine has won a silver award in international competition. Made from Muscat grapes grown on the island of Bali this slightly sweet, elegant table wine is a popular accompaniment for Balinese and Indonesian food, and is sold in leading hotels and restaurants across Indonesia.
Hatten’s two fortified wines “Pino de Bali Red” and “Pino de Bali White” both received bronze medals. These wines are made and matured in a “solera” of French and American oak barrels for up to 5 years in order to achieve the consistence, maturity and style demanded by Hatten Wines’ Technical Advisor, winemaker and oenologist, Don Buchanan.
 Born in Australia and having worked in many locations around the world, Don’s work at Hatten Wines brings the best world practice to all areas of the business, ensuring consistency and quality of the Hatten and Two Island range of wines.
Hatten Wines supplies their popular and competitively priced range of wines to many of the restaurants and bars in Lombok, and regularly visits the island to conduct training and product information sessions for their clients.
Gigi van Kuijk, Business Development Advisor of Hatten Wines, visited Lombok on 10 and 11 November to carry out training onHatten and Two Islands wines for staff of restaurants, hotels and barson GiliTrawangan.
These training sessions give staff the opportunity to enjoy learning more about tropical world wines, as well as the chance to taste the award-winning wines. Two interactive classes of 45 people were held on Gili T, with a total of four training sessions taking place over the two days.
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MR FIXER (Tongue-in-cheek answers to your personal and building problems)
QUESTION: I have recently bought a small villa in a quiet area of Senggigi on the beautiful holiday island of Lombok. My budget was quite modest so I have chosen to buy something which requires some renovation. Can you recommend a selection of essential tools I will need to get the job done?
MR FIXER: You only need three tools in life.WD-40, duct tape and a hammer. Ifit doesn’t move and should, use the WD-40. If it shouldn’t move and does, use the duct tape. If you can’t fix it with a hammer, you have an electrical problem.
QUESTION: I came on holiday to the sleepy idyllic shores of Lombok to find peace and maybe a little romance and before I knew it, I was smitten in love with a beautiful local girl with big eyes and a big blinding white, happy smile.
We met at the Happy Café there is lots of action and a live band. My sinuses have cleared up now and my new girlfriend and I have been seeing each other for over a week. When I met her, she was wearing some sexy sandals with lacey leggings, so it wasn’t until our last date that I noticed the size of her feet. They are humungous size eleventeens!
Her hands are also oversized and as big as a goalkeeper’s. She also has a mole as big as a rabbit on her top lip. Shall I dump her or overlook the oddity?
MR FIXER: Women never show you their real feet on the first date. As everyone knows, you have to do at least 3 dinners, 2 gifts, send her a poem, walk over hot coals and eat nails before you get to know the girl. Ask her if she is using some skin care products which are GUARANTEED to remove, reduce or change the blemish after only 40 bottles at US $39 each for a period of not less than 1000 days. She might take the hint and save you the trouble.
QUESTION: I locked myself out of my holiday rental home the other day and didn’t know what to do, so I called in a locksmith. Well, at least that’s what he said he was. It turns out that he was a loxologist – in other words, he picks locks for sport. Apparently, it’s all quite legal as long as he owns the locks that he picks or he has permissionfrom the owner of the locks he is picking.
We went off to the lock shop and he picked a lock that was a perfect replacement for the front and back doors and then picked the lock on my villa so I could get in. He is very handsome but he doesn’t speak much English. Do you think he could pick me? I asked him for a date and he said, “How about 14 November, 1989?” What shall I do?
MR FIXER: You need to practice saying, “How many locks can a lock picker pick if the locksmith picks the locks.” Invite him back for dinner, lock all the doors and ask him to get his equipment out.
QUESTION: My future husband and I are thinking of having a tropical wedding on the holiday island of Lombok. It was my idea, as a way of persuading my fiancé to go ahead with the institution of marriage. I can’t wait to enjoy the champagne breakfast on the beach with my husband to be, but he just gets evasive when I try to discuss the details. I am so much in love with him but I am not sure if the feeling is mutual. How can I win him over to the idea?
MR FIXER: They say marriage is a wonderful institution and love is blind, but who the heck wants to live in a blind institution?Marriage is not for everybody! Men for instance. It is a sort of friendship which is recognized by the police. Bachelors should be heavily taxed – it is not fair that some men should be happier than others! Always remember: it is better for a woman to marry a man who loves her than a man she loves.
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LOCAL SCENE
MELBOURNE CUP @ THE BEACH CLUB
Melbourne Cup Day has become an institution at The Beach Club in Senggigi.
Lombok race lovers joined the crowd in fancy hats to watch Australia's favourite horse race on the big screen,
with sweeps, cocktails, best hat and fashion prizes. Once again Gary took the Best Hat prize
with his "Outback Dunny" creation, while Heidi stole the show for "Best Dressed"
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GILI AIR
I have a t-shirt that has the slogan, “Eat, Sleep, Dive” on it. It is a great t-shirt for Gili Air. Or that is what I initially thought… but it turns out that eating and sleeping are not always so easy!
When it comes to sleeping, at first I had trouble adapting to the call to prayer from the mosque. It is loud and starts at around 5am. However, I am finding that if I relax and don’t stress about being woken up, it is oddly soothing and I am managing to drift back to sleep.
There is nothing soothing about the roosters, however!They are the second nightly intrusion for visitors here. Most of them cannot tell the time and they certainly have no idea that they are only meant to crow at dawn.
 I was staying in the main village and the first rooster started at 10pm, then at around 3am, the next rooster started. This rooster set off a domino effect – a Mexican wave of rooster calls that sounded like the house was surrounded by an army of the birds, all set on disturbing tourists’ sleep. Maybe the rooster calls are so loud as revenge for mankind eating so many of their brethren!
In search of a peaceful night’s sleep I tried several places on the south of the island, which is closer to where I work. The bungalows near the beach are very nice and come at a decent price, starting around Rp 150,000 a night.
Unfortunately, for people like me who value sleep over the partying, one set of bungalows has a bar and a sound system so loud that the sand shakes with the music. I have yet to see a guest at the bar, which I imagine is because the music is so loud that no one can order drinks, but that hasn’t stopped them playing the thumping beats.
For a quiet night’s sleep, this counts out most of the accommodation along that stretch of beach. I have to say that the places are nice: they are a good price and have easy access to the dock – and nightlife! – but, if you are in search of sleep, then you’ll need to read on.
This is a very small island and, soon enough, word got out that I was looking for somewhere quiet. Locals and expats alike were stopping me to tell me that they had heard of a place. I was shown houses and rooms – but all were surrounded by the dreaded roosters.
Finally, I ventured to the far side of the island, to accommodation called ‘Bintang Beach Bungalows’. This is an actual place – I wasn’t just drowning my plight in the local beer! “Bintang” means “star” in Bahasa Indonesia and I have to say that the accommodation here really does shine bright in a sky that is already full of some sparkly stars!
They have well cared for bungalows, starting from Rp 80,000, in landscaped gardens set back from perhaps the best beach on the island. From the port they are at the opposite end of Gili Air, but it is well worth the effort to seek them out. Plus the island is small enough to walk around in just over an hour, so nothing is that far away.
Sleep taken care of, my thoughts turn to food. On Gili Air food falls pretty neatly into three categories: tourist food (pizzas, burgers,etc), local food that is made a little bland to appeal to tourists, and “proper” local food.
To orientate yourself on Gili Air, if you turn right after you arrive at the dock, you find yourself in “tourist town”. Here you will find a selection of great tourist restaurants. The Zipp Bar and Chill Out Bar, in particular, are always popular.
Perhaps my favourite tourist restaurant is the Mirage Sunset Bar. Turn left at the dock and walk five minutes past Villa Karang (a great hotel with a secluded pool). I think this is a great place to eat at any time, but as the name suggests, be there around 6pm and you’ll get to watch the amazing sunsets as you eat.
 These places do tourist food very well and also serve a slightly bland version of local food aimed at tourists, (and so are a little over-priced). For the real thing, it’s best to visit one of the Warung (local restaurants) to try the local food and mix with the locals.
A few warung have also toned down their food for the tourists’ palate, however, so if it’s (possibly) the best local food on the island you’re after, visit a lovely lady called Tandra at Warung Tandra.
Taking the inland roadfrom the dock, in less than five minutes you will reach the City Store – the largest shop on the island and the only one that vaguely resembles a supermarket. Just before you reach City Store turn right and walk for another five minutes andTandrais the first warung on your right hand side. Food here is priced between Rp 10,000 and 20,000 a dish and the quality is consistently excellent. The Gado Gado and Olah-Olah are particularly nice.
.JPG) So now I can eat well, I can sleep well and – since I run Karang Divers on the island – my t-shirt can now live up to its slogan!
Diving the Gilis continues to be an amazing experience. Shark Point, off Gili T, is an adventurous 30m dive for those suitably experienced and my favorite dive site – Halik – continues to offer divers the chance to see a vast array of fish – including two shark sightings there this last week. They were only small sharks but a shark is a shark, and seeing them there is a sign that the reefs are starting to recover from years of abuse and dynamite fishing.
On that note, I am speaking to the Gili Eco Trust next week to find out about their great work and how they are doing onGili Air. The reefs are looking particularly healthy so they must be doing something right!
If you’ve been to Gili Air and you’ve eaten well, slept well and done some great diving, please email me at the address below so I can go and check it out… and perhaps mention it here!
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GILI SCENE
MELBOURNE CUP @ THE BEACH HOUSE
The Beach House on Gili T once again put on a big day for Australia's famous horse race.
Crowds gathered at the popular beachfront bar for a day filled with cup madness, with hat prizes,
special drinks and a Cup menu, sweeps, Eco Trust fund raising and the annual boat races off Gili T.
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