Paradise on Gili Air

Eating lunch on pillows at the edge of the ocean
The mountains in the background are from neighboring islands

We often saw storm clouds in the distance, but nothing
ever went over Gili Air

An hour east of Bali are the three Gili islands. Gili, means small island in the local language, and that's exactly what these islands are. Stunning photos of these islands have crept their way into my life over the last few years, and before I even knew exactly where the Gili islands were I knew I needed to get there eventually. Since living in Asia I've learned of countries I've never even heard of, and it's been really cool to see what the locals casually talk about in terms of geography. They may not be able to point out New York on a map, but of course everyone in Asia has heard of the Gili islands! Talking with the locals has given us great vacation locations that I never would've found on my own.
After talking with some other travelers it seemed that Gili Trawangan is the most popular (and largest) of these three islands, it's the classic backpacker scene filled with bars and hostels on the beaches. However, I've already had my fair share of backpacker scene, and instead Emiliya and I decided to splurge on a bungalow on the smaller and quieter island of Gili Air. Now when I say "splurge" I mean $40 a night for a poolside bungalow, walking distance from the beach. Gotta love Asia!

Poolside view from our bungalow

We booked four nights at Gili Air Bungalows and enjoyed our long weekend of swimming and eating our way around the island. Gili Air is still pretty off the grid in comparison to other Asian countries, they just got their only ATM last year. There are no cars on the island, only horse-drawn carriages and a handful of electric bikes driven by the locals. The roads aren't paved, instead they're a mix of sand and dirt roads.

Indonesia has been very vegetarian
friendly. Veggie burger on the beach! 

It's been so refreshing to spend time on this little island with absolutely no plans. Each morning we wake up to a delicious and huge breakfast from our hotel and then we spend the morning swimming in the pool and relaxing in the sun with our books. From there we eventually head out to the main strip and find a new restaurant for lunch, soaking in the ocean views while we eat. It's rumored to only take about an hour to walk around the entire island, but we've mainly stuck to the main areas near the ferry dock because we can find all we need in that area. There are plenty of opportunities to rent snorkels or going on diving trips, there are kayaks to rent and stand up paddle boards; it's a water lover's dream!

Dirt roads and horse drawn carriages 

I think this is my first vacation in a while where I've spent more time talking with the locals as opposed to meeting other travelers, and I love it. Everywhere we go the waitstaff are so eager to talk with us, Emiliya is always getting complemented on her Armenian looks and people are always so amused by my curly hair. They want to know where we're from, where we're going next, and what we've seen in the world. We have yet to meet anyone that is specifically from Gili Air, it seems instead more people relocate to this island from nearby areas; but even if they've only lived and worked on this island for a few months they're always so proud of their new home and are eager to hear our praises about our stay.

Getting in my daily chocolate fix
with triple chocolate mousse

Southeast Asia is known for being a cheap place to vacation, and Thailand itself was a very cheap place to live. However, when it comes to touristy areas it's common to find higher prices and after a day site seeing in Thailand it's easy to find yourself spending much more money than you were planning. Indonesia has been the first place where I can truly splurge on whatever I want and not be startled with how much I'm spending. Even with eating out for every meal I've never spent more than $6 at a restaurant, and that includes drinks and appetizers. A "day out" for us on Gili Air would include both meals eaten in a restaurant, an afternoon stop for coffee, maybe some gelato, and purchasing a few souvenirs. Doing all of that in either Gili Air or in Bali would never total more than $15. The only place where I've been losing money in Indonesia is on the transportation. An hour taxi ride from the Bali airport was $30, which is good compared to the States or Europe, but compared to other Asian countries it's more than double. Ferries are also very expensive, my roundtrip ticket from Bali to Gili was $45, but expensive ferry tickets seems to be a common thing for all Asian islands.
While traveling around to more than one location the thought of my next city is usually enough to keep me moving, but right now there are no thoughts that can pull me from this beautiful island and lifestyle. If I didn't already have my next plane ticket purchased I don't know when I'd leave this place! I say this for practically everywhere I visit, but, I can't wait to come back to Gili Air.