Saturday, September 28, 2013

Gili Trawangan - Up Close and Personal -

Gili means "little island" in Sasak (the native language of Lombok) and while there are "gilis" all around the circumference of Lombok, when people talk of "the Gilis", they're not trying to showoff their Sasak prowess, but rather they're referring to three little islands off the northwest coast of Lombok, Gili Trawangan, Gili Meno and Gili Air.



The Gilis feature regularly in "The next hot thing"-style travel articles you'll see in your Sunday newspaper and have (somewhat deservedly) a reputation for heavy partying. Not all that surprisingly, it's a little bit more complicated than that and it's a mistake to consider the three Gilis as being one and the same -- each has its own distinct vibe. Let's focus on Gili Trawangan as the most popular one and is well known for its party life.

Gili Trawangan

The hectic GTrawangan can be felt rite when you arrive at the Public Harbor


This is the largest and most heavily developed of the three islands. Affectionately referred to as Gili T, Gili Trawangan has the largest number of guesthouses, hotels and resorts (more than 100) and enough bars and beach shacks to keep even the most dedicated party-goer well satisfied.

Gili Trawangan has the greatest supply of cheap(ish) rooms (which are mostly in the village near the main boat landing) of the three Gilis. This combined with the oversupply of bars and party atmosphere make it the most popular among budget travelers and those out for a good time -- your typical "sun, sand and sex" crowd.


Bear in mind that when we say cheap, in most cases you're still going to be looking at at least 200,000 rupiah a night -- 300,000 in high season -- for a cheap room in the village. Elsewhere, really very mediocre bungalows are going for 600,000 and up -- at least double what you'd pay elsewhere in Indonesia.
Highly Recommended Accommodation in GT
-Vila Ombak-
Vila Ombak's cozy area
The party scene has two main flavors -- the immediate area around the boat landing has plenty of beach bars and pubs (often charging Bali prices) and then the northern tip of the island has more secluded beach shacks and bars, which may appeal to those looking for a more laidback scene. Be careful with "fee and tax" especially in "luxury" restaurants, most will charge 21% tax and service, however it can be written in very small font at the bottom of the menu and be from 5 to 25% or more.

Recommended Italian Resto

Vila Ombak's area
Our favorite is Scallywags
Trawangan has a huge range of eating options from simple local warungs up to fairly grand places serving inventive modern cuisine. Many of these are attached to hotels or dive shops, and are not independent restaurants as such.
Budget places are thinner on the ground that they used to be, but still not hard to find. If you really want to watch the pennies, do as the locals do and eat in the local warungs inside the village, or at the night food market near the beachwalk south of the jetty. These serve the usual range of Indonesian staples: fried rice, fried noodles and bakso (meatball soup); on the night market, you will also find seafood (marked up for tourists' wallets, though), pancakes, snacks, desserts, and even beer. The push carts and few "warungs" on the main beachwalk are overpriced as much as twice compared to Bali or Indonesian cities (for example, selling sate ayam on the street for Rp 20,000 or nasi padang for Rp 22,000).
Barbecued fish is excellent here and every evening many of the better restaurants fire up the charcoal. The deal is that you chose your fish - red and white snapper and trevally are especially good - and it is grilled on the spot.
Cheap sweets stuff at the nite market
Warung KIKI NOVI is highly recommended for some fresh BBQ seafood
Despite protestations otherwise, drugs remain commonplace on the Gilis, especially on Gili T. Mushrooms are often signposted and the dealers proffering (mostly pot and cocaine) along the walk down to the pier area can get downright tiresome. Bear in mind that pot and coke are absolutely illegal in Indonesia, and while there is a common meme that the Gili T authorities turn a blind eye, we'd advise not risking it.

There are regular party nights on Gili Trawangan - the various bars take it in turn to host the late night gig (up to 4AM), to ensure that everyone gets together in one place rather than being spread around. The island is small and it is easy to find everything; just ask around for where the party is going to be on any given night.
Be very careful with locally produced spirits, especially arak. It can contain methanol and has caused many cases of serious injury and even death (as recent as new year 2012/13) among tourists and locals alike. If you suspect that what you've been served is not what you ordered, take it back. Sticking to western owned and managed bars will reduce the risk.



Aside from boozing, the main activities here are riding around the island and doing a snorkeling trip. There is a turtle hatchery on the island and you'll have a good chance of seeing turtles offshore. If you're in the market for postcard white sand beaches, you're in the right place.
Despite the touristy and crowded atmosphere it has,
GTrawangan still offers quietness and peacefulness in some areas ^^


Turtle Hatchery
Enjoy the sunset at Sunset Point




Friday, September 27, 2013

Bumbangku - A Hidden Heaven in the Southern Part of Lombok


Bumbangku in the morning























We have been hearing how people praised about Bumbangku for a while. Its great review on Agoda and Tripadvisor made us decide to check the place out ourselves. The downside was that  there were no signs whatsoever to get to this hotel. But, the  long adventurous 6 hours ride (it took so long as we got lost here and there) got paid off as we got our welcome drink with such awesome views.

This is the sign where you have to turn, Mates!

Welcome drink with  an awesome view



We decided to spend 3 nights here and we really glad we did so. There are some types of accommodation you can choose: Standard Room, Superior Room, and Deluxe Room.



Standard room / Superior Room
The difference is just only for the size

The Standard Room / Superior Room
The difference is just only for the size

The Deluxe Room has a TV and a huge refrigerator
Deluxe Room



The next day, we witness how beautiful the sunrise was along with the activities of the fishermen from the fishing villages around this place.


To be honest, no camera can do justice to this view!
Don't they know that their workplace is heaven?







There are some activities you can do here: canoeing, reading books that are provided in their dining area, renting a boat for snorkeling or surfing.


We found THE HELP on the self of the book rack ^^
We rented a boat to check the surround area.
There is this bay where we can snorkel
Bumbangku is really close to Grupuk where surfers like to hang out
In general, we love the quietness and peacefulness it offers. Well, if you like being in the middle of nowhere, just you and the private beach and the local ppl around you, then staying for 4 days here wont be enough.



But if you like crowded places with lots of cafes and stuff, then you'll get drop dead bored here. There are no other resort/cafe/tourist places around this place, so the only option to get your meals is only here which is not a big deal after all as this place offers good food.


Bfast option #1

Bfast option #2

Option for dinner
Option for lunch



There's an ongoing process of a new international harbor which will be likely to be finished next year, and i can imagine that this place will be crowded and touristy... so, you'd better book your vacation here before it happens ^^





Feel free to contact us for further details/info and reservation. ^^



1 Day Boat Trip From Senggigi Beach to 3 Gilis (Trawangan, Meno, Air)



Pic courtesy: Derrick Chang
We recommend snorkelling in Lombok as the island has better beaches and water conditions than Bali. The water is clear with visibility around 10-20 metres or so and with lots of coral reefs and marine life.  
The Private Boat 
cozy area of Vila Ombak Hotel in Gili Trawangan
Crowded Gili Trawangan
The Young Surfers are ready to hunt for some waves in Gili Trawangan
Gili Meno's water
Scallywags - Gili Air
Gili Air
Gili Air's water


We recommend island hopping to see Trawangan, Meno and Air if you have 1 day to spare. Among all the options, we highly recommend you to take the private one day trip which will be started from Senggigi Area. The day trip is preferably started at 09a.m (tho you can request to start later if you want to). It takes around 1 hour to reach Gili Trawangan which is the biggest and the most crowded island. We can spend around 1 hour so that you can explore this most developed gili. Anyeay, most clients prefer to skip visiting this gili and choose to snorkel around it.



Soon after Gili Trawangan, the trip continues to Gili Meno's area. This area is the favorite of divers and snorkelers for its beautiful corals and colorful fishes. Gili Meno is the smallest gili among the triplets. Some want to stop and explore this gili more to experience the natural peaceful atmosphere it has. 

The last spot we head to is Gili Air. This gili is the closest to mainland Lombok and the most popular after Gili Trawangan. There are some restos/cafes for you to have lunch here. Yet we recommend organic seafood Restaurant called Scallywags. 

After lunch, we can continue to explore Gili Air's underwater world which has outstanding view just like (or even more than) Meno.

We will head back to Mainland Lombok at around 3:30 PM (depends on the condition of the wave and weather) and you will be taken directly to your Hotel's private beach if you stay along the Senggigi Beach Area (e.g. Qunci Villa, Holiday Resort, Sheraton, Senggigi Beach Hotel) just in time for you to view the majestic sunset over Mount Agung - Bali.





Includes:
  • Insurance 
  • Full snorkeling gears 
  • Mineral water



Excludes:
  • Lunch 
  • Other personal expenses
Feel free to contact us for further info and reservation.

Click here to get more details about the 3 gilis. 



Thursday, September 26, 2013

More Sneak Peek To Qunci Villas


Whenever we have honeymooners approaching us and telling us that they want to have a honeymoon in Lombok, Qunci Villas will be the first we come up with. 

We couldn't agree more with Lonely Planet's Review which stated that it would be hard to find an equivalent hotel on Bali's coast and it's impossible to find one elsewhere on Lombok. Moreover, we nodded in agreement to its statement saying that the hotel is a destination in itself. 

Possessing Qozy Rooms, Luxurious Villas, 3 swimming pools, super comfortable and relaxing private beach and restaurants areas, and a complete Qamboja SPA facility, Qunci  is really hard to resist. Many people has chosen Qunci to tie the knot in their wedding ceremony.

Most of our clients who have had the budget or (thanks God, has listened to our suggestion) upgraded their honeymoon budget to be able to stay in Qunci Villas always go back home with a desire to come back to the romantic aura Qunci has.

Although Qunci is famous among the honeymooners, it is also a perfect place for a family or a bunch of friends who want to explore the untouchd Nature that Lombok has to offer and spend the nights in stylish Qunci Villas that offer minimalist luxury and a real-away-from-it-all vibe.

Scott Coffey, the owner of Qunci, has succeeded to combine luxury, laid back atmosphere, and untouched nature of Lombok. 

Feel free to contact us to get special rates/deals for Qunci:
  • email abbatourandtravel@gmail.com
  • LINE or Whatssap 08778405640
  • FB Page 


Welcome to Qunci

The Main Lobby







The Garden View Room
It's just located a few meters from the beach btw

The exotic romantic open space bathroom


When it's almost sunset, Qunci will make sure that we'll get a romantic atmosphere 

Almost sunset in Qunci
*Pic Courtesy: Qunci Villas

Gili Trawangan - Up Close and Personal -

Gili means "little island" in Sasak (the native language of Lombok) and while there are "gilis" all around the circumference of Lombok, when people talk of "the Gilis", they're not trying to showoff their Sasak prowess, but rather they're referring to three little islands off the northwest coast of Lombok, Gili Trawangan, Gili Meno and Gili Air.



The Gilis feature regularly in "The next hot thing"-style travel articles you'll see in your Sunday newspaper and have (somewhat deservedly) a reputation for heavy partying. Not all that surprisingly, it's a little bit more complicated than that and it's a mistake to consider the three Gilis as being one and the same -- each has its own distinct vibe. Let's focus on Gili Trawangan as the most popular one and is well known for its party life.

Gili Trawangan

The hectic GTrawangan can be felt rite when you arrive at the Public Harbor


This is the largest and most heavily developed of the three islands. Affectionately referred to as Gili T, Gili Trawangan has the largest number of guesthouses, hotels and resorts (more than 100) and enough bars and beach shacks to keep even the most dedicated party-goer well satisfied.

Gili Trawangan has the greatest supply of cheap(ish) rooms (which are mostly in the village near the main boat landing) of the three Gilis. This combined with the oversupply of bars and party atmosphere make it the most popular among budget travelers and those out for a good time -- your typical "sun, sand and sex" crowd.


Bear in mind that when we say cheap, in most cases you're still going to be looking at at least 200,000 rupiah a night -- 300,000 in high season -- for a cheap room in the village. Elsewhere, really very mediocre bungalows are going for 600,000 and up -- at least double what you'd pay elsewhere in Indonesia.
Highly Recommended Accommodation in GT
-Vila Ombak-
Vila Ombak's cozy area
The party scene has two main flavors -- the immediate area around the boat landing has plenty of beach bars and pubs (often charging Bali prices) and then the northern tip of the island has more secluded beach shacks and bars, which may appeal to those looking for a more laidback scene. Be careful with "fee and tax" especially in "luxury" restaurants, most will charge 21% tax and service, however it can be written in very small font at the bottom of the menu and be from 5 to 25% or more.

Recommended Italian Resto

Vila Ombak's area
Our favorite is Scallywags
Trawangan has a huge range of eating options from simple local warungs up to fairly grand places serving inventive modern cuisine. Many of these are attached to hotels or dive shops, and are not independent restaurants as such.
Budget places are thinner on the ground that they used to be, but still not hard to find. If you really want to watch the pennies, do as the locals do and eat in the local warungs inside the village, or at the night food market near the beachwalk south of the jetty. These serve the usual range of Indonesian staples: fried rice, fried noodles and bakso (meatball soup); on the night market, you will also find seafood (marked up for tourists' wallets, though), pancakes, snacks, desserts, and even beer. The push carts and few "warungs" on the main beachwalk are overpriced as much as twice compared to Bali or Indonesian cities (for example, selling sate ayam on the street for Rp 20,000 or nasi padang for Rp 22,000).
Barbecued fish is excellent here and every evening many of the better restaurants fire up the charcoal. The deal is that you chose your fish - red and white snapper and trevally are especially good - and it is grilled on the spot.
Cheap sweets stuff at the nite market
Warung KIKI NOVI is highly recommended for some fresh BBQ seafood
Despite protestations otherwise, drugs remain commonplace on the Gilis, especially on Gili T. Mushrooms are often signposted and the dealers proffering (mostly pot and cocaine) along the walk down to the pier area can get downright tiresome. Bear in mind that pot and coke are absolutely illegal in Indonesia, and while there is a common meme that the Gili T authorities turn a blind eye, we'd advise not risking it.

There are regular party nights on Gili Trawangan - the various bars take it in turn to host the late night gig (up to 4AM), to ensure that everyone gets together in one place rather than being spread around. The island is small and it is easy to find everything; just ask around for where the party is going to be on any given night.
Be very careful with locally produced spirits, especially arak. It can contain methanol and has caused many cases of serious injury and even death (as recent as new year 2012/13) among tourists and locals alike. If you suspect that what you've been served is not what you ordered, take it back. Sticking to western owned and managed bars will reduce the risk.



Aside from boozing, the main activities here are riding around the island and doing a snorkeling trip. There is a turtle hatchery on the island and you'll have a good chance of seeing turtles offshore. If you're in the market for postcard white sand beaches, you're in the right place.
Despite the touristy and crowded atmosphere it has,
GTrawangan still offers quietness and peacefulness in some areas ^^


Turtle Hatchery
Enjoy the sunset at Sunset Point




Bumbangku - A Hidden Heaven in the Southern Part of Lombok


Bumbangku in the morning























We have been hearing how people praised about Bumbangku for a while. Its great review on Agoda and Tripadvisor made us decide to check the place out ourselves. The downside was that  there were no signs whatsoever to get to this hotel. But, the  long adventurous 6 hours ride (it took so long as we got lost here and there) got paid off as we got our welcome drink with such awesome views.

This is the sign where you have to turn, Mates!

Welcome drink with  an awesome view



We decided to spend 3 nights here and we really glad we did so. There are some types of accommodation you can choose: Standard Room, Superior Room, and Deluxe Room.



Standard room / Superior Room
The difference is just only for the size

The Standard Room / Superior Room
The difference is just only for the size

The Deluxe Room has a TV and a huge refrigerator
Deluxe Room



The next day, we witness how beautiful the sunrise was along with the activities of the fishermen from the fishing villages around this place.


To be honest, no camera can do justice to this view!
Don't they know that their workplace is heaven?







There are some activities you can do here: canoeing, reading books that are provided in their dining area, renting a boat for snorkeling or surfing.


We found THE HELP on the self of the book rack ^^
We rented a boat to check the surround area.
There is this bay where we can snorkel
Bumbangku is really close to Grupuk where surfers like to hang out
In general, we love the quietness and peacefulness it offers. Well, if you like being in the middle of nowhere, just you and the private beach and the local ppl around you, then staying for 4 days here wont be enough.



But if you like crowded places with lots of cafes and stuff, then you'll get drop dead bored here. There are no other resort/cafe/tourist places around this place, so the only option to get your meals is only here which is not a big deal after all as this place offers good food.


Bfast option #1

Bfast option #2

Option for dinner
Option for lunch



There's an ongoing process of a new international harbor which will be likely to be finished next year, and i can imagine that this place will be crowded and touristy... so, you'd better book your vacation here before it happens ^^





Feel free to contact us for further details/info and reservation. ^^



1 Day Boat Trip From Senggigi Beach to 3 Gilis (Trawangan, Meno, Air)



Pic courtesy: Derrick Chang
We recommend snorkelling in Lombok as the island has better beaches and water conditions than Bali. The water is clear with visibility around 10-20 metres or so and with lots of coral reefs and marine life.  
The Private Boat 
cozy area of Vila Ombak Hotel in Gili Trawangan
Crowded Gili Trawangan
The Young Surfers are ready to hunt for some waves in Gili Trawangan
Gili Meno's water
Scallywags - Gili Air
Gili Air
Gili Air's water


We recommend island hopping to see Trawangan, Meno and Air if you have 1 day to spare. Among all the options, we highly recommend you to take the private one day trip which will be started from Senggigi Area. The day trip is preferably started at 09a.m (tho you can request to start later if you want to). It takes around 1 hour to reach Gili Trawangan which is the biggest and the most crowded island. We can spend around 1 hour so that you can explore this most developed gili. Anyeay, most clients prefer to skip visiting this gili and choose to snorkel around it.



Soon after Gili Trawangan, the trip continues to Gili Meno's area. This area is the favorite of divers and snorkelers for its beautiful corals and colorful fishes. Gili Meno is the smallest gili among the triplets. Some want to stop and explore this gili more to experience the natural peaceful atmosphere it has. 

The last spot we head to is Gili Air. This gili is the closest to mainland Lombok and the most popular after Gili Trawangan. There are some restos/cafes for you to have lunch here. Yet we recommend organic seafood Restaurant called Scallywags. 

After lunch, we can continue to explore Gili Air's underwater world which has outstanding view just like (or even more than) Meno.

We will head back to Mainland Lombok at around 3:30 PM (depends on the condition of the wave and weather) and you will be taken directly to your Hotel's private beach if you stay along the Senggigi Beach Area (e.g. Qunci Villa, Holiday Resort, Sheraton, Senggigi Beach Hotel) just in time for you to view the majestic sunset over Mount Agung - Bali.





Includes:
  • Insurance 
  • Full snorkeling gears 
  • Mineral water



Excludes:
  • Lunch 
  • Other personal expenses
Feel free to contact us for further info and reservation.

Click here to get more details about the 3 gilis. 



More Sneak Peek To Qunci Villas


Whenever we have honeymooners approaching us and telling us that they want to have a honeymoon in Lombok, Qunci Villas will be the first we come up with. 

We couldn't agree more with Lonely Planet's Review which stated that it would be hard to find an equivalent hotel on Bali's coast and it's impossible to find one elsewhere on Lombok. Moreover, we nodded in agreement to its statement saying that the hotel is a destination in itself. 

Possessing Qozy Rooms, Luxurious Villas, 3 swimming pools, super comfortable and relaxing private beach and restaurants areas, and a complete Qamboja SPA facility, Qunci  is really hard to resist. Many people has chosen Qunci to tie the knot in their wedding ceremony.

Most of our clients who have had the budget or (thanks God, has listened to our suggestion) upgraded their honeymoon budget to be able to stay in Qunci Villas always go back home with a desire to come back to the romantic aura Qunci has.

Although Qunci is famous among the honeymooners, it is also a perfect place for a family or a bunch of friends who want to explore the untouchd Nature that Lombok has to offer and spend the nights in stylish Qunci Villas that offer minimalist luxury and a real-away-from-it-all vibe.

Scott Coffey, the owner of Qunci, has succeeded to combine luxury, laid back atmosphere, and untouched nature of Lombok. 

Feel free to contact us to get special rates/deals for Qunci:
  • email abbatourandtravel@gmail.com
  • LINE or Whatssap 08778405640
  • FB Page 


Welcome to Qunci

The Main Lobby







The Garden View Room
It's just located a few meters from the beach btw

The exotic romantic open space bathroom


When it's almost sunset, Qunci will make sure that we'll get a romantic atmosphere 

Almost sunset in Qunci
*Pic Courtesy: Qunci Villas

.