#lombokstrait

[sabathaly]

The fairy tale-like scenery Lombok tells in its each and every turn . . . #lombokroad #lombokstrait #lombok #indonesia #senggigi #visitindonesia #wonderful #beach #perspective #northlombok #mataram (at Senggigi)

[mom-maeum-seoul]

Crossing the Lombok Strait

Many people had told us about how amazing the Gili islands were, so we knew we had to visit whilst in this part of Indonesia. There are three of them - Gili Trawangan (known as Gili T), Gili Meno and Gili Air - in a line just off the west coast of Lombok. Gili T is known for its nightlife and party scene (my friend Alec, who used to live in Bali, told me it was “full of drunk white people”), Gili Meno is “for honeymooners”, and Gili Air is kind of in the middle of those two intensities, the best of both worlds, and was also the island that had been recommended most highly to us, so that was the one we settled on. Getting there was another story... There are limited options - you can go either by “fast boat” or a slower boat from Bali, or fly to Lombok and get a much quicker boat from there. We decided to take a boat and thought we’d found a decent one, so Ville went to the website to book. I saw his face fall, and understood why as he read out the following message, all that now existed of the company’s website:

It seemed the incident in question had been an explosion that had killed one person and injured many more. Upon doing further research, we became somewhat uncomfortable with our options. To quote another travel blog, which we read in increasing apprehension:

“Boat safety in Indonesia is, to put it nicely, less than awesome. It also helps to know that the stretch of ocean you’ll be cruising across is the Lombok Strait, which is somewhere between 2600 and 3200 feet deep, or scientifically deep as shit and somewhere you definitely don’t want to sink.

When researching which fast boat to take, thinking things couldn’t possibly go that wrong in a 1 to 2.5 hour boat ride, I found an endless supply of horrifying TripAdvisor reviews that read like the Titanic of the 21st century, with tales of nearly sinking, water pouring in through the windows, thoughts of jumping ship into rough seas, crying, screaming, mass panic, a shortage of (or limited access to) lifejackets, no rescue boats, no communication with passengers, and several other tales of general awfulness. Not to mention the actual news stories of fast boats catching fire, exploding and sinking. Hooray!

If the idea of sketchy boat rides in rough waves is enough to make you seek alternate transportation methods, no worries! Simply strap yourself in for a quick 25 minute flight on the 5th most dangerous airline in the world, Lion Air, or the ever-so-slightly higher rated Wings Air or Garuda Indonesia.”

We were still determined to go, however, due to beaches and sunsets like those pictured below (a couple of my snaps from the island) - and in handsight, we are still very glad we did go - but needed to find a safe(ish) option.

After extensive research, we found a western-owned boat company with excellent reviews that claimed to exceed Indonesian boat safety requirements (it had enough life jackets for everyone on board!), and although it was 2-3 times the price of some of the others at around €75 return, we decided it was a price worth paying to feel (and hopefully be) a bit safer.

The crossing on the way there was not too bad, but I have to agree with a phrase I saw used repeatedly in the many reviews of the crossing - it is “not for the faint hearted”. Conditions were fairly good both ways - beautifully sunny, but with a moderate wind. The boat travels at around 50 knots during the 2 hour 15 minute journey, skimming across the waves, which is fine as you travel along the coast of Bali or Lombok, but becomes bumpier and more disquieting as you move out into the choppy open sea and the waves become much larger. I have to admit to being quite scared at one particular point on the way back as we left the Lombok coast and moved across the open sea towards Nusa Penida and the boat started to become momentarily airborne after riding over larger waves and rocking violently from side to side, careening over the surface of the sea. I think we were all hugely relieved to be back on dry land, and glad we had not chosen to sit on the roof of the boat, where we would have been drenched as well as terrified of being thrown off (no seatbelts obviously...!!).

The crew do that journey at least twice a day though and they didn’t seem worried at any point, and came through the cabin reassuring anyone who looked terrified (which included me!).

Relief upon arrival to Gili Air

To give you some idea of what the journey is like, the video below was taken right after we left Serangan port in Bali where the seas are still fairly calm - so faaaaaaaaaaaar from the bumpiest moment!

Updates still to come: our well-earned adventures on Gili Air (including lots of snorkelling and paddleboard yoga), our trip to Pemuteran (northwest Bali) and more observations on the Indonesian people and culture.

-Maddy

[mylifesamoviedotcom]

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A post shared by Alyssa Ramos MyLifesATravelMovie (@mylifesatravelmovie)

Was really hoping to find sunken treasure with our pirate boat, but all I found was a closet full of floaties, including this parrot, and an uninhabited island with no name....Actually nevermind, that sounds exactly like pirate treasure to me! Yay for the booty!! 😜🙌☠️⚓️⛵️🏝 . #giliislands #gilicassanova #gililayar #lombokstrait #sunnyspirateboat @sunnythepirate #lombok #bali #indonesia #mylifesatravelmovie #travelblogger #goprogirl #plotagraph #balicili #balidaily #beautifuldestinations (at Gili Islands)

[lintangkinasih]

#vitaminsea #sea #jalanjalan #lombokstrait #selatlombok #mountain #nofilter

[xadorax]

Pretty much splashed and drenched. Thank you, laut 🌊 #exploradoraventures #gili2014 #lombokstrait (at Lombok Strait)

[urbancarpediem]

View of Bali from Lombok

[peppermint1101]

Give me a pair of wings, I'll wave them hard 👼 Good night🌛 #dragonfly #Uluwatu #cliff #BaliSea #LombokStrait #Indonesia (at Pura Luhur Uluwatu (Uluwatu Temple))

[banyupadmatangi]

#wave #lombokstrait #sunrise #morning (Taken with Instagram)

[banyupadmatangi]

ombak yang dipecah kapal dan air laut yang tertimpa cahaya pagi #wave #sea #strait #morning #lombokstrait #sunrise (Taken with Instagram)

[banyupadmatangi]

sisa embun semalam, menara & pulau lombok yang semakin dekat.... #ferry #lombokstrait #morning #lovejourney (Taken with Instagram)

[banyupadmatangi]

#matahariterbit dari balik kaca #ferry #sunrise #morning #lombokstrait (Taken with Instagram)