Gili Trawangan Island

CONTINUED FROM HERE: Around Ubud

Backpacking Indonesia: Day 005 & 006 (18 and 19 -April-2025)

Carpe Diem!

Michael and I left Ubud at around 10AM. The trip involved journey by road to Padang Bai harbour and then a ferry ride to Gili Trawangan island.  As we were driving to the harbour, I realised that I had never seen people quarrelling here. There was never a sign of anger on the streets. Every one seemed calm and relaxed. I also wondered if the Hinduism of Bali has caste system. If at all it exists, it wasn’t obvious. Upon some reading, I did note that there is some kind of classification here but it is not as strong as it is in India. The uniformity among people is evident in the manner in which they pray. But then, one has to really live in a place long enough to notice the classifications. 

At Padang Bai, we were dropped at the ferry service office where we were given tags to board. We walked to a near by restaurant for lunch. By 1PM, we left the harbour. There were loads and loads of tourists boarding the ferry. The scene reminded me of Richard from the movie “The Beach”. He refers to the tourists as pests. Every ferry got more people from the island while the same amount of them boarded. We got on our fancy ferry and headed towards the island. It was a smooth ride of 1.5H.

The backpacks were stored in the front of the ferry. At Gili T island, the authorities began to drag each one of them and threw it on to the pavement. A crowd had gathered around the bags and there was no space to place the bags. So, all the bags coming out of the storage was piled up, one over the other. Those who recognised their backpacks struggled to bypass the crowd and pull their bags out of the pile. It was a mess and after waiting for about 15 to 20 minutes, I got my bag. 

At Gili T island, we had booked a hostel not very far from the harbour. The hostel was on a backstreet, away from the hustle and bustle of the main street, but not very far either. 

In my dorm, I met two German girls who informed me about some of the things we could do. They told me that the sunset beach was 20 minute walk and there was free movie night by the beach. We were at the harbour side of the island and it is filled with nice restaurants and cafes. I grabbed a lotus banana crêpe and we walked to the other side of the island to view the sunset.

The view of the sunset over the turquoise waters overlooking the mountains of Bali island at a distance was a spectacular sight. 

At movie by the beach , they were playing Matrix that night. We watched the film for some time just for the experience and walked back to the hostel. 

On the Main Street, we found a nice Mexican restaurant and had dinner there. Michael introduced me to a drink called Frozen Margarita. I might have had this in the US but cannot recollect. This tequila based drink with fresh lime flavour was very refreshing. The burrito that I ordered was also very good. Though nothing like the ones we get in the US or Mexico, everything that went into it was freshly made. 

There were a bunch of places playing live music but we skipped them and headed to the beach. We sat there for a bit before returning to the hostel. That night, the two German girls were too noisy and they were walking in and out of the dorm, bringing in their friends (Which is not allowed). It was a nuisance. I had planned to complain the next morning but then ignored it considering that they were much younger and immature. 

Next morning, the Azaan from the nearby mosque woke the neighbourhood up at 5AM. Hostel mates who had been up all night and were outside our dorm were mimicking it. Michael and I discussed this later. I am strongly of the opinion that every one has the right to choose what they want to do, but the same should be done without disturbing others. Religion is a personal matter, it should not be a matter of public display. If your religious practices are disturbing others, then they must be reconsidered, irrespective of who is the majority. But none of the religions seem to understand this. 

After breakfast, Michael and I headed to the beach. The beach was almost empty. The clear turquoise water was tempting. There was a little weed but that did not stop me from going into the water. 

We returned to the hostel, freshened up and walked to a nice cafe on the main road - Kayu cafe. I had jackfruit wrap with Jamaican jerk seasoning. It was served with some fresh mango sauce. It was absolutely delicious. 

After lunch, we got ourselves some dessert and headed to the beach. Here, we met a bunch of college students from Lombok island who were doing a university project. They had to speak to visitors and ask a few questions related to tourism. I was happy to help them out with their questions. I asked one of them what he wanted to do and he told me that he would like to migrate to Australia. 

Back at the hostel, I took a nap and after that, I sat by the pool and finished my journal. Later that evening, we stepped out again to a restobar with live Reggae music. Sipping on a pineapple flavoured margarita, we listen to some soulful music.

We went back to the beach and ordered food at a burger place. Michael and I had some good discussion about life. We sat there for a long time until it was time to head back to the hostel. This was my last evening with Michael before I continue my journey to Java island and he stays back in the island for a day or two before flying back to the US. I enjoy our thoughtful conversations and I hope to meet him again in some other part of the world. 

A bunch of kids were playing at the beach. They were ignorant and unaffected by anything that was going around them. Indulged in their game, they were living the moment. At that instant, sitting by the beach, I felt just like those children. 

To be Continued...