In Reply to: Padang Bai v Gili Island-suggestions pls posted by joandtim on Monday, 7. November 2011 at 16:51 Bali Time:
I've just returned from a holiday in Bali and Gili Trawangan. Fast boats are the main way to get to Gili but you can also fly. I used Gilicat after much research on the companies, as I've heard some horror stories about safety standards on the boats. Gilicat were awesome on both occasions that I was on the boat. We also visited their office in person to book the fares and we got it for about half of the advertised price. Am an amateaur snorkeller as well, and we stayed at the Luce D'Alma resort which is nice and quiet and away from the main strip of Gili T and just a short bike ride away from their private beach, the bars and restaurants that Gili T offers. The snorkelling is great, plenty of sea turtles to be seen and lovely fish. I highly recommend the Beach House for food, it is so reasonably priced and has excellent quality food, especially their freshly bbq'd seafood. Gili is great, it's a super relaxed place, a few nights there is plenty, we reduced our Gili leg of the holiday by two nights because it's pretty quiet and you do the same thing pretty much every day, unless of course you are doing day trips to the other islands and Lombok. Well I hope you enjoy! I'd give anything to be back there and am planning to return again next year. :)