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Celebration! 🥂
Hubby has finally retired and he chose to celebrate by going back to the Gili Islands.
The Gili Islands are 3 small islands in Indonesia, located north/east from Bali and west from the northern end of Lombok. We visited the Gili Islands in 2024. Please refer to my page to the right.
This time we chose to stay for 9 nights on Gili Air, our favourite of the three. More about our stay soon.
Firstly, we needed to find a place to stay for 1 night in Bali.
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VILLA BULAN, BALI
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I needed to find us a place close to the airport as we were arriving in the evening and didn't want to travel too far. Villa Bulan in Jimbaran fit the description.
The check-in process went smoothly and we were shown to our room, complete with own private pool.
We also confirmed that we will be staying here again for 5 nights on our return, and we were advised that the next villa would be even better than this! Wow!
The next day we drove with my daughter Kelli's driver Sami to the ferry terminal at Padang Bai to take the 2 hour ferry journey to Gili Air.
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GILI AIR
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The Gili Islands, although extremely laid back in comparison to Bali, are becoming quite popular with the Instragam Influencer crowd. In fact we saw a couple doing that very thing at the Zipp Bar. Story later.
Last time we were here on Gili Air in 2024, we stayed at the Zipp Bar on the eastern side. Absolutely fantastic. This time, we decided to choose accommodation on the western side with sunsets.
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HAKUNA MATATA
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We loved it here! Nora and the other staff were friendly and kind. Nothing was too much trouble. The pool area was gorgeous and there is plenty of shade to relax in after doing the touristy stuff in the sun all day. I hghly recommend their Spicy Mango Margarita, but not really a fan of the food being mainly Japanese. The fire show was cute and entertaining. See my video below.
We preferred to walk up the road for our meals & cocktails to the Long Life Bar. More detail below.
We hired our push bikes and an e-scooter next door at a good price. So everything was handy.
Loved the decor in our room and the staff kept everything very clean.
We had cute cats that visited us daily. They had collars, were looked after and well fed. Loved the outside bathroom.
On the last day, we came back to very cute towel animals and petals on our bed which was a beautiful touch and made us feel like we were appreciated for booking our stay with Hakuna Matata. And the sunsets! Wow!! Don't look now.... I will tell you all about that soon.
I would absolutely highly recommend Hakuna Matata should you choose to stay on Gili Air.
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EL PIRATA RESTAURANT
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We didn't eat at Hakuna Matata as they specialise in Japanese. So the next day we chose to have a lunch next door here at El Pirata. My nachos were fresh and I enjoyed the food. Hubby had a local dish and said it was pretty good too. The staff were nice and friendly.
It wasn't until we went up the track and discovered the Long Life Bar, that we found our local restaurant that was well priced and also all day cocktails at half price for $50k ($5AUS).
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LONG LIFE BAR
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As hinted at before, this place quickly became our favourite. We found ourselves coming here most days after sightseeing around the island on either push bikes or the e-scooter. It was the place we spent some time in the afternoon with a cheap cocktail or 2, taking a dip in the water or having a bar snack.
This is a family run business with the owner taking orders and helping people select their fresh fish for the BBQ and the wife handling the massages. In between both of them took time to play with their gorgeous daughter which was a pure pleasure to watch.
😀
Yes, in between times, we would buy a beer and local chips at the small shop around the corner near Chez Mamie Jojo Crepe Shop, and enjoy that back at the lovely accommodation pool in the shade. But the Long Life Bar always made us feel at home and part of the family.
They not only do great all day cheap cocktails, but for dinner you can choose a fish from the selection of fresh daily catch and they will BBQ it for you. We even had squid one night which was totally yummy. Hubby had a couple of massages right overlooking the beach and they also do movie nights. We didn't join for that as we go to sleep early these days.
Long Life Bar is our No.1 restaurant on Gili Air.
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QUEEN SUNSET BAR
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A little further up from the Long Life Bar, we had our second lunch and I highly recommend it.
I had fish marinated in Lombok spicy sauce and wrapped in a banana leaf. It just melted in my mouth and wasn't super spicy. Only $75 (Less than $7.50AUS). Hubby had the fish on skewers with the lombok sauce over. Pepes Ikan and Sate Ikan.
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GETTING AROUND GILI ISLANDS
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Gili Islands do not have cars. Most people get around by bicycle or now recently e-scooters can be rented too. When we visited in 2024 we could only hire bicycles. The islands are small enough to walk around if you are into hiking. They have horse and carriage to hire to take you to your accommodation.
Horse rides along the beach are common at sunset which looked nice.
Check out my video below on Island Life.
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DAY TRIP TO GILI MENO
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We took the public boat over to Gili Meno to check it out. We hired pushbikes and rode across to the other side, had a swim and a drink and snacks, then rode around the southern end and back up to the wharf.
There is a huge lake in the middle of the island. A peaceful place to sit and bird watch.
Down around the southern end we ran out of track and could not ride, so we had to get off and walk our bikes through the sand. It was hard work and finally we reached a small shop where we bought some water and recouperated a bit.
Gili Meno is really laid back compared to the other two islands but I am glad that we have not chosen to stay here. The beaches were stunning, but that is about all it's got going for it.
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ANA SALON
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I decided to get my toe nails done. I haven't had them done before. I had in mind a shimmery dark green colour. Not that I like green. But for some reason I thought it would look good on my toe nails against the gorgeous aqua green colour of the water here.
Eka did an amazing job!! I didn't think my toe nails would look so good. 😎
It was worth every penny of my $250k! ($20AUS).
She really took a lot of time to make sure everything was done perfectly. The colour is called catseye. It really does shimmer. The whole process was lengthy with every detail neatly done. It involves putting on the green, then adding silver shimmer and moving it around with a pen magnet, then putting more green on top. Very interesting.
Hubby chose to have an hour massage and we both finished at the same time.
Ekka is on the left in the photo below and hubby's massurist is on the right.
I love the pink!
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SNORKLING
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Last time we visited the Gili Islands, we did a private snorkling tour. I highly recommend paying the extra as they take you before the crowds and it's a more personal experience. This time we decided to cut the cost and join a group snorkling trip. We chose Oseana.
The guys that ran our trip were amazing. They had to look after about 40+ people at various levels of snorkling and swimming skills and they handled it like the professionals that they are. Seriously, I reckon they should be paid a handsome sum for what they do.
We visited all of the sites that we did on our private trip, including the famous under water statues off Gili Meno. We also stopped at Gili Meno for lunch (cost not included).
So if you can't afford a private tour, then join Oseana. They are located right opposite the ferry wharf.
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ZIPP BAR
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The next few places that we checked out were in between riding around the island on our bikes and e-scooter.
We came back to the Zipp Bar again as we stayed here in 2024. Check out my page. We were nicely surprised that some of the same staff were still working here and remembered us! Awesome!
The food is excellent and the cabanas overlooking the beach and in the shade are a welcome place to eat and have a cocktail or two. The water here is crystal clear and inviting and I reckon still the best place to swim on the island. We saw a couple doing the Instagram thing walking hand in hand with a drone videoing it. Sooo cute :) Check it out on my Island Life Video below.
I increased my Google score for the Zipp Bar from 4 to 5 stars for the wonderful staff, great food, beach and location. I would happily stay here again. Great job guys!!
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PINK COCO
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We stopped by for a snack and a drink here. The staff are super friendly and we chose a cabana on the beach.
Sadly this part of the island seems to have had a bit of erosion and so there was a steep drop to get to the water and we had to navigate a bit of weed too which made it not so nice to swim here.
Yes, everything is pink and cute. The accommodation looked nice with Pink Flamigos around the pool area. They had pink boats and a pink mermaid statue and pink swing. However, we would't stay here as it is a bit away from everything and as I said, not real good for swimming.
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SUNNY ROSE
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Keeping in the Pink Theme, we decided to go somewhere else for breakfast. Enter Sunny Rose.
I absolutely love the decore there and pink fairy lights. 💖
Reading the reviews on Sunny Rose Bungalows, I would most certainly choose this place if we were to stay on Gili Air again. It's not located on the beach but within walking distance to Turtle Beach which is the place that you can snorkle with turtles.
Breakky here was nice and we loved the quiet atmosphere. We can see why people choose to stay at Sunny Rose Bungalows.
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LEGEND BAR
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We came here a couple of times as it was quiet and relaxing and the staff were nice.
We watched cartons of beer being unloaded from a boat. I felt sorry for the guy carrying them whilst the big guy on the boat pretty much did nothing. I felt sorry for the young man doing all the work, so I raced down and snuck $10k into his hand. I hope the big dude didn't see that, because any bet, he would take for himself.
Anyway, this was the place that served nice white wine for $120k ($10AUD) which made a change from beers and cocktails. Beer is cheap and cocktails can be cheap too if you know where to get them other than at happy hour. 😜
Hubby bought a stubby holder here as he was having trouble finding a bar that actually served beer in a stubby holder. I don't like them as my fingers are small and I can't stand wrapping my hand around a stubby holder. No, just the beer bottle is fine with me.
To get here by bike or e-scooter it's best to take the inland road. We saw people puffed out pushing their bikes and e-scooters from both sides when it's easier to take the inland route.
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ISLAND VIEW BAR
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Last time we visited the Island View Bar in 2024, I remember the nice swing on the beach. See the last pic here.
This time, when we visited, the tide was right out and the view wasn't as nice. However, they have a lovely relaxed atmosphere and swings at the bar which reminded us of our time on Caye Caulker, Belize.
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PJ'S BAR & GRILL
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I had breakky by myself here at PJ's one morning, down the path from Hakuna Matata.
It's not worth giving 3 stars on Google, as reading the reviews, they are more talking about the bar, sunset, pool table and stuff like that and we cannot comment on that.
Anyway, I was not impressed with breakfast. I would have preferred a clean table and table cloth. It seems that they are more interested in the dinner crowd here.
My omlette was nice enough, but nothing special. Not much of a great memory here, so I won't recommend.
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CHEZ MAMIE JOJO SUNSET
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Speaking of breakfast, if you like pancakes then Chez Mamie Jojo Sunset does them the best!
There are 2 Chez Mamie Jojo's on Gili Air. The one that we went to is located on Sunset Bvd, around the corner from Hakuna Matata.
We visited twice and both times my sugar and lemon pancakes were scrumptious! They also do a whole host of other pancakes or crepes. Hubby had a banana and honey crepe.
I highly recommend this place if you want something different for breakfast other than the usual eggs & bacon.
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KIOSKO TAPAS
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Hubby and I love tappas because they are small dishes and we can share, so we rode past Kiosko Tapas in the centre of the island and decided to give it a try.
I do remember that the potato dish that I ordered was nice but have no idea what hubby ordered and have no thought other than that this restaurant was anything more than a distant memory.
I wouldn't bother eating here.
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SUNSETS & SUNRISES
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Staying on the western side of Gili Air, we were able to enjoy the awesome sunsets.
The many restaurants and bars on this side of the island is where everyone congrgates to sit on bean bags or cabans on the beach and enjoy watching the sunset whilst enjoying a cocktail or two for happy hour.
Staying at Hakuna Matata, we were in a prime location for this. We even enjoyed the fire show. They have this show at various locations on the west side on different days, so make sure you check it out and book a table to ensure you don't miss out. It was a little bit tacky, but cute.
See my Fire Show Video below.
The last 2 photos of sunrise were taken with my Canon DSLR. The only time I actually got it out this trip. All of the other photos you see here were taken on my phone.
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SUNRISE
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BACK TO BALI
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VILLA BULAN - TAKE 2
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We stayed here before and after our trip to the Gili Islands. We chose it because it is close to the airport.
There's so many things to love about Villa Bulan. The staff are so friendly and welcoming. Our villa was spotless and it was nice to have breakfast delivered every day at the time of our choice. They have an interesting selection of breakfast dishes which was nice. We ate at the restaurant too and enjoyed our meal there. I liked the local red wine but they only had 1 bottle. That wasn't a problem as I was able to buy the same one at the Sidewalk Mall which I recommend going to.
We were able to walk to the beach where there are plenty of restaurants and awesome sunsets. Villa Bulan is next to a local school. We loved hearing the children in the morning singing their songs. There is a laundry around the corner so we got our clothes washed, dryed and ironed there for a small sum. Around the corner from that is a local store where we purchased some beer and local snacks. Love trying the local chips and lollies.
When we needed to go somewhere we just used Grab. They are quick and cheap. Coming back here every day after sightseeing was like being welcomed by family. We plan to come back to Villa Bulan next year. So looking forward to it.
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The local laundry
Local snacks. My dinner for the day.
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JIMBARAN BEACH
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Sunsets overlooking Jimbaran beach are awesome! Being close to the airport was good for taking those plane shots at sunset.
It can be difficult to get good shots in between everyone else trying to do the same, along with the usual instagram influencers that you'll see in my video below. 😄
We tried a couple of restaurants mentioned below. Out of the 2, Warang Bamboo was the better one. But we actually had the best meal at the Sidewalk Mall. More about that later.
We saw lots of kites too. Gone are they days we used to fly kites with the kids. In fact you don't see much of that at all anymore in Australia. Good cheap fun. Instead parents feel obligated to pay big bucks and take their kids on the weekend to footy and netball, just to keep up with the Jones's.
Shame really. 😔
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MUAYA TERRACE
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The first time we walked to the beach was earlish and not much was open, so we came back the next day just before lunch and chose Muaya Terrace as the Google write up had good reviews.
The pizza that we shared had this sauce on it that overpowered the rest of the food. I found myself scraping the sauce off and even that didn't make it any tastier.
I wouldn't recommend.
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WARUNG BAMBOO
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Warung Bambo was much better in the food department.
We ate here for dinner and enjoyed the sunset. They will take your order from your table and bring the food down to you. You can always tell a good restaurant by the crowd and this one drew the people in.
I would highly recommend.
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SIDEWALK MALL
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Love this mall! It doesn't have lots of shops so if you plan to do some serious souvenier or clothes shopping, go to the Beachwalk Mall to the north.
What we loved about the Sidewalk mall was the Gourmet Market which is a regular grocery store with the addition of being able to select your choice of meat and have them cook it for you. You can also add a beer or a glass of wine to your meal too as that is on the menu.
Hubby chose a sausage roll and slice of pizza and I had a chicken vol et vous. We will be back and this time I might choose an Australian cut of beef and get them to cook that for me. It's a shame that our best meat is shipped overseas and sold cheaper than back in Australia. We pay a fortune and it's second grade. 😕
We ate our lunch at an outdoor table next to a long pond with huge fish. We were amused by a couple of teenagers playing soccer at a table with netting around. Eat and play soccer at the same time .... lol.
Back inside there is also a bar if you just want to enjoy a drink whilst watching people shopping. Wandering around the grocery aisles, they have a huge selection of local and international groceries. It was interesting to see the chip options. Amongst the local chips were our Smiths chips at around $7AUD a packet! Hooleydooley!! 😲 I'd rather eat the local chips. Our chips have changed taste and is not the same any more, whereas the chips overseas are still packed with flavour.
We finished our lunch off by choosing a selection of chocolate from the chocolate bar and taking it home in our Grab Uber. We will definately come back next year on my retirement holiday.
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PANTAI BANDANA
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We had 4 days back in Bali before we flew home. Since we have not investigated the southern part of Bali known as the Ungasan reagon, I planned a day out to check out some of the beaches here.
Villa Bulan was kind enough to organise for us a driver for 5 hours. I thought that would be enough, but it turns out that we probably should have organised two days to do what I wanted to do instead of just one. Oh well, you learn from your mistakes. Plus I wanted to keep the costs down this trip.
So, first stop was Pantai Bandawa, a beach on the eastern side and popular destination. We paid a small amount to enter and drove down to the car park. We were not very impressed with this place. Yes, it's very touristy and there are interesting statues in openings carved into the cliff face as you drive down.
We could not swim here as the surf was quite choppy and dangerous. The shops lined up along the paved beach front were all the same and didn't look very inviting. Consequently, we didn't stay long.
I wouldn't recommend.
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KLIVE BEACH CLUB
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Wow, WoW and WOW!!!
I soooo wish we had just come here and spent 4 hours instead of wasting time at Pantai Bandawa. We are sooo coming back!
We cannot rave about this place more than the photos show you. Please take a few minutes to check out the cool video they have on their home page on the link below.
We hired a cabana on the 5th level. 5B. $150AUS got us the cabana and included $100AUS to spend on food and drink. We could access the pool and other good stuff and we had staff that looked after us and took our orders. They also supplied towels so no need to bring your own.
As it is built on the hillside and has such a steep slope, they have a funiclular that takes you down. The view is stunning!
Food? Amazing!! Hubby had a burger, but I indulged in the red snapper ceviche and a cheese plate. After all we didn't have much time to spend our $100, so I had to make the most of it. 😎
We were sad that we didn't have enough time here to enjoy ourselves thoroughly.
Never mind, we will be back! Next time we plan to stay longer and enjoy the day to the full.
Thank you Klive Beach Club for creating a fabulous, memorable experience! See you next year!!
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FLYING HOME
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Flying out of Bali you cannot help but be in awe of Moung Agung which peeks out from the surrounding clouds. This mountain is breathtaking, being 3,148 metres above sea level. That is massive!!
Our flight was memorable, but for all the wrong reasons. So, they gave us seats down the back. No problem. However, they also put families with kids there too. The flight was in the afternoon and arrived in Brisbane at 11.30pm. The whole flight was disrupted by whinging kids and in particular one that wanted to dig her shoes into the back of my seat! Finally that stopped when I turned around in my seat and silently gave her the 'death stare'.
Anyway, tip.... pay for seats further up the plane, or take a different flight time.
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MAPS
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VIDEOS
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