The Gili Beach Houses, Gili Meno Island, Gili Islands - Explore & Book
"The ferry port is little more than a row of shacks and a simple wooden jetty, but our first impressions of this tiny tropical island were all about the dazzling light and vivid colours; bright paintwork, bougainvillea tumbling onto white sand, a lagoon-blue sea. A teardrop of coral beaches and coconut palms washed by the crystal-clear waters of the Lombok Strait, Gili Meno doesn’t quite qualify as a desert island, but the smallest of the three Gilis is home to fewer than 500 people. Only two kilometres long and half as wide, there is no traffic, no paved roads; bicycles and horse-drawn carts are the only means of transport (you can walk coast to coast in less than 20 minutes).The dream begins with two houses, Bamboo and Stone, both set in a huge sandy garden right on the water’s edge. Each house has four bedrooms, open-plan living spaces, a grown-up kitchen, a fresh-water pool and ocean views. There are daybeds on verandahs, sunbeds on the beach, beautifully tiled floors in gorgeous bathrooms, sofas piled with bright cushions, rugs and pretty antique furniture – but the luxuries here are all about nature and the outdoor life: bikes, birds, hammocks, sunsets, sea breezes and starry skies. A world away from Bali’s tourist hotspots, this so-called honeymoon island is heaven for escapists. Highs The gardens are made for relaxation: sunbeds, shade, an inviting blue pool, the beach on the doorstep... blissYour small team of friendly staff take the art of housekeeping to another level – arranging everything from breakfast and bike hire to massages and boat trips and always with a bright smileThe island’s lagoons are excellent for snorkelling and scuba diving (turtles swim in the shallows and there's a dive centre nearby)For larger groups of friends or family, it’s possible to rent both houses (sleeping 16 in total) – and they are right next door to each other Lows Secluded, yes, but not entirely private; a walkway passes by and the eye-catching nature of the houses tends to draw attentionThe island is remote and unsophisticated, so expect occasional power outages; there is a back-up generator on site for such eventualitiesWhether by sea or air (via Lombok), the Gili islands are quite a trek, and boat services are occasionally delayed or disrupted by rough weather during the wet season" - Lesley Gillilan
