Girls weekend in Gili 

 

I have not seen one of my close friends for a long time. So we had a good deal of catching up to do plus we both needed some time out after a long year. The idea of lying on a beach with a cup of coffee or a glass of wine sounded very appealing to us. So we decided that Gili was the idyllic destination, a perfect location for a girls weekend.
Our Gili weekend was an adventure from the beginning. It started with an interesting ferry ride and a scary experience with spider filled trees that made me freak out but ended with time well spent.

The Ferry ride

The weekend started with an hour and a half car ride to the pier. It was here that our adventure to board the ferry began. While we were waiting for the ferry to arrive, it started to rain and my first thought was, “This is going to be interesting.” As the ferry approached, our group of people started moving closer to the edge of the slippery pier.

Boarding the ferry was a whole different story. For starters, the ferry is much lower than the dock, plus we had to carry our own bags on board. Which meant only one hand was free to grab the railing. With the rain still falling, the slippery pier and the turbulent sea, as well as the ferry moving to and from the pier. This called for some skilful navigation on my part. Bag in hand, I tried to get hold of the ferry railing as it moved closer. Taking care not to fall into the water. Slowly with one foot on the ferry and the other still on the pier. The swell pushed the ferry away from the pier causing me to do a bit of a split. Well almost, luckily I have long legs and managed to pull myself safely onboard. Inside it was rather stuffy as there was no aircon below deck. But thankfully due to the rain and a slight breeze we were cooled.

Arriving in Gili

With our arrival to Gili T island, the small pier was quite busy and our ferry dropped us off on the beach next to it. This meant we had to climb down the small ladder on the side of the ferry with our bags again in hand. Definitely not the easiest way of getting off a boat.
Our destination, an eco-resort, was located on the opposite and quieter side of the island.

Spider filled trees

As we walked we realised that the shortcut we thought was the road ended up being more of a makeshift footpath, which was overgrown with plants. My second major lesson learnt in travelling (my first being in Sri Lanka), is that you can’t always trust the GPS. Then my worst nightmare ever… Spiders! In the trees, I saw spiders instead of leaves, massive spiders! Ugh, I really should have taken a picture, but I have a big phobia for spiders and I’m sure it was the fastest my friend ever saw me move.

Back at the pier area, we continued on the long “spider-free” coastal road to our resort, dragging our onboard suitcases behind us on the dirt road (lesson number three, consider a backpack next time).
After a long and exhausting walk in the heat of the day, we arrived at Gili Teak Resort. Now you may ask why we walked, well the reason is that Gili has no cars or motorcycles. Your options are walking, cycling or using Cidomo which is a horse cart, but it was not really that far, just hot.

Gili Teak Resort

This relaxing boutique resort consisted only of a handful of teak cottages. All hidden under beautiful vegetation, each in its own private setting. The layout of the cottage is open with a lot of natural light coming in from the glass sliding doors. The wood finishes, white bed linen and an open layout all added to a modern Scandinavian feeling. All adding in creating a relaxing atmosphere. The bathroom was a surprise. It opened onto a double rain shower, surrounded by a fish pond, with real fish The best part of the bathroom was taking a shower under the stars in private.

Pathway to and from the rooms

We had a lovely relaxing afternoon at the quaint cafe next to our resort called Casa Vintage. With a stunning view of tidal pools and waves breaking in the distance, and Bali’s volcano, Agung looming on the horizon.

Day 2

The clean fresh air, the silence and the lack of light pollution resulted in one of the best night’s rest that I have had in a long time.
Gili Teak offered a tasty breakfast with several options to choose from, my favourite was the smoothies.

So, the plan for the day was as follows, to relax and snorkel. As our area by the beach was not ideal for snorkelling. We made our way to the soft white sandy beaches and turquoise water near to the pier. On our way to the beach, we discover a spa, we also found out that the restaurant opposite the spa offered a movie night. Ooh, what could be better than a massage and a movie on the beach? Without a moment’s hesitation, we booked and reserved.
Most of our day was spent lounging about on the deck chairs at a beach cafe being served with the most delicious food that altered my food budget somewhat.

I heard that you could spot sea turtles here which made me really excited as I so badly wanted to see them while snorkelling. Unfortunately, I only saw a turtle pass me about 3 meters away while swimming without my camera or snorkelling gear. Although I did not see another turtle, I still enjoyed the relaxing feel of floating around. At the same time felt quite sad because I wondered how healthy the coral still was as most of it was white in colour. There was a variety of fishes I had not seen before as well as brilliant little blue fishes and also a crayfish.

Massages and Beach movie

Our late afternoon massages were followed by a sunset walk on the beach back to our resort. Passing a huge swing in the water with the sunset as a background. Well hello, we had to stop as this was an ideal photo opportunity right!
While I was waiting my turn to sit on the swing for a photo, we saw horses walking into the ocean, they stopped as soon as their bellies touched the water. There they stood cooling down while their owners relaxed on the beach. These ocean horses created a surreal and picturesque moment.
That evening we lazed on a sofa on the beach for our movie date with a pizza and a glass of wine.

The following morning we returned to Bali the same way we came. This was a short but sweet weekend away.

xxx

Travel plan:

• Accommodation:                  Gili Teak Resort
• Accommodation style:          Resort
• Price range:                          $
• Interesting finds/souvenirs:  not many stores on Gili, magnets (swimwear)

*Disclosure: Opinions expressed here are my own