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THE GILI ISLANDS
LOMBOK
The
 Gili
Islands (Indonesian:Tiga Gili [Three Gilis], Kepulauan Gili
[Gili Islands]) are an archipelago of three small islands —
Gili Trawangan, Gili Meno and Gili Air — just off the
northwest coast of Lombok, Indonesia.
The islands are a popular destination for Western tourists
looking for a remote island experience. Each island has
several small resorts, usually consisting of a small
collection of huts for tourists, and a restaurant. Most
local inhabitants live in the hilly interior of the island.
Automobiles and motorized traffic are prohibited on the
islands by local ordinance, so the preferred method of
transportation is bicycle or the horse-drawn carriage called
a cidomo. Diving in and around the Gilis is also popular,
although the prices are fairly high due to local cartel
activities. The name "Gili Islands" is a bit of a misnomer,
because Gili simply means "small island" in Sasak.
GILI TRAWANGAN
Gili Trawangan is the largest of Lombok's Gili Islands and
is the only one to rise significantly above sea level. It is
3km long and 2km wide with a population of about 1000. Of
the Gilis, Trawangan has the most tourist facilities; the
pub Tîr na Nôg claims that Trawangan is the smallest island
in the world with an Irish pub. The most crowded part of
Trawangan lies on the eastern side.
On
 Gili
Trawangan (as well as the other two Gilis), there are no
motorized vehicles. The main means of transportation are
bicycles (rented by locals to tourists) and cidomo (a small
horsedrawn carriage). For traveling to and from each of the
Gilis, locals usually use motorized boats and speedboats.
The Gili islands are renowned not only for their friendly
inhabitants but the total tropical island paradise feeling
that they have. The white coral beaches, the warm and
inviting waters all invite to snorkeling, sun bathing and of
course diving. The diversity of aquatic life is astounding
and just off the shores you can find turtles, sting rays,
reef sharks, baracudas, and a myriad of small and large
fish.
Some of the first inhabitants of Gili Trawangan were from
Sulawesi who are fishermen and farmers. Previously Gili
Trawangan was covered in forest and deer lived on the
island.
GILI MENO
Gili
Meno is the middle of Lombok's three Gilis. It has
population of about 300, mainly concentrated on the center
of the island. The main income of the population comes from
tourism, coconut plantation and fishing. On the west side of
the island there is a small shallow lake that produces salt
in the dry season. Until a few years ago there was also a
small production of seaweed on the reef at the north end of
the island. It has swimming beaches all around the island,
as well as an impressive bird sanctuary.
GILI AIR
Gili Air is the smallest of the Gilis and it's closest
to the Lombok mainland, making it popular with honeymoon
couples and travelers seeking a quiet retreat. It has
population of about 1,000 and administratively lies in the
West Nusa Tenggara province. The island offers excellent
snorkeling and SCUBA diving off its east coast, and turtles
can be seen along the coral reef.
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