Gili Cooking Classes

Whether Indonesian food is your favorite one, or cooking is your hobby, or maybe just out of curiosity, there is no better way to learn Indonesian cooking than once you are in Indonesia.

​

‘Gili Cooking Classes’ are 3 hours courses, conducted in English by Indonesian professional chefs. Their experienced teachers will guide you through a session of “completely hands-on” fun filled courses with emphasis on the art of fine Indonesian cooking in a relaxed social environment.

The courses are focused on traditional Indonesian cuisine using the freshest local & seasonal products. During the class, you will learn traditional and practical techniques, as well as the substitutions to Indonesian local ingredients as to ensure you can prepare the dishes authentically and innovatively back home.

Located right in front of the Night Market Place in Gili Trawangan, ‘Gili Cooking Classes’ will immerse you right in the atmosphere of local life and Indonesian culture. You will prepare every dish by yourself before enjoying a nice and friendly outdoor dinner sitting around the bar.

After taking a ‘Gili Cooking Class’, you will be able to test your new found skills at home with family and friends, using their helpful recipe guide of traditional Indonesian dishes.

Half day Program:

Morning session: From 11:30 AM – 02:30 PM

Afternoon session: From 04:00 PM – 08:00 PM

PRICE FOR THE COOKING CLASSES

​

The price is rp 385,000 per person

Group prices

for 4 guests: rp363,000 
5-6 guests: rp330,000 
7-8 guests: rp297,000

• It includes free tea, coffee and water during the class
• The price includes your dinner or lunch (with the food you have cooked ^^)

Feel free to contact us for details.

Common Travel Mistakes We Should Avoid!

Even the most meticulously planned trip is subject to snafus, but with a little insider know-how, you can avoid making the common mistakes that can derail a vacation. Stick to the guidelines below, and you're more likely to have a trip that's memorable not for lost luggage and rushed sightseeing, but for the thrill of discovering a new place and savoring it.

1. Overpacking

At home, with your complete wardrobe available, there's no reason not to run through work, workout and working-the-clubs outfits in a single day.

But when your life is crammed into a couple bags, your fashion morality changes.

Those socks you wore on the plane should be good for another go.

The purple tee you slept in ought to be alright for a third wear.

Yesterday's undies? Well ...

According to a recent survey by Travelodge, two-thirds of travelers typically return from a trip with at least six unworn outfits.

The lesson: You don't need a new set of anything for each day of a trip. Figure on at least two wears for (almost) everything.

2. Not buying something you like as soon as you see it

You think you're gonna circle back to that shop.

You think you'll see a cheaper, better version somewhere else.

You won't.

That evocative street painting or those Metallica nesting dolls you didn't buy? Now not having them will haunt you for the rest of your life.

When you see something you like, just buy it and live without regret.

3. Trusting "near city center" descriptions

"Near city center" is like a Bible verse -- open to vast interpretation.

When you find the money you saved on your "near city center" hotel is being spent on 30-minute commutes and outrageous taxi fares, you know you've committed one of the cardinal sins of travel.

Online booking websites do not describe specific location of the accommodations they put on. Discuss what you want and dont want to your travel consultant.

4. Taking the "super" shuttle

Wait on the curb for a ride in a sweat-soaked van or bus (i.e. DAMRI BUS) and risk being the last one dropped off on a nine-hotel run, all in the name of saving a few bucks?

Your time is worth more than that.

Adam Carolla brilliantly sums up this classic travel blunder in his book, "In Fifty Years We'll All Be Chicks."

"The shuttle is the worst a few Rupiahs you'll ever save. It adds 90 minutes to whatever a Town Car or cab would have been. You have the unenviable choice between being dropped off last or being dropped off first and having a bunch of losers who can't afford cab fare and have no friends or loved ones with cars knowing exactly where you live."

The lesson: Take our private car service where we will take you directly to wherever your destination is after landing at Lombok International Airport.

5. Trying too hard to chisel out a bargain

There's no faster way to become embittered with the locals than going toe-to-toe with a market full of hungry sales people and shopkeepers.

Yes, we understand there's principle involved, but do you really need to whittle the equivalent of fifty cents off the price of an embroidered handbag that's going to sit in the back of a closet anyway?

Just buy the damn thing and spare your heart the cortisol burst for when it actually needs it.

6. Buying cheap flip-flops

You think, "I'm only gonna wear 'em for a week, I might not even take 'em home, why buy the good ones?"

The answer comes when you blow out a toe strap and shred the bottom of your foot a mile into a hike across the local lava beds.

And now you have to go back.

7. Fearing street food

No one wants to get sick on vacation, but why travel all the way to Lombok and not eat the local grub?

The locals don't like food poisoning any more than you do. If they're in line, consider the place vetted and assume you're going to be fine.

Click here for ideas on local food Lombok can indulge you.

8. Over-reliance on guidebooks

Making a travel plan using only your guidebook is like making a plan to stand in line at the bank for a week.

Guidebooks are great -- we use them all the time -- but it's best to pull just one or two suggestions per day from a guide that thousands of like-minded travelers have read or downloaded.

Again, plan your trip with a travel consultant will save you from wasting a lot of money, effort, and possibilities of becoming stressful in arranging your trip. 

9. Obsessive photography

The obsession/obligation to document every street scene, templs and starter course kills the spontaneity and visceral experience that should be the backbone of travel.

It's now so easy to take photos that one click leads to another.

Before you know it, you have 300 pictures on your phone comprising old buildings, blurry sunsets and plates of food.

Congratulations. Your trip is now defined by low-quality images on a handset that, trust us, nobody back home wants to spend 20 minutes scrolling through.

10. Not printing out reservation details

They're already on your phone and computer, so why bother with hard copies of your hotel name and address?

Because your phone, computer, tablet and other electronics might not work with the local network as soon as you land, especially after crossing oceans.

Now where are you supposed to go? 

*This post is inspired by this.

Check The Weather Forecast in Lombok Before You Book Your Tickets, Mates!

Pic courtesy: Derrick Chang

In general, Bali and Lombok have similar weather, though Lombok is dried and receives less rain than Bali. 

The hot and sticky rainy season lasts October to March with downpours that can obscure all visibility. The wet season brings daily rain with the worst falling between December and February. From June to August, the temperature drops slightly and there is usually a refreshing cool breeze in the air. Humidity is high during the rainy season and better in the dry season.

The popular dry season, referred to as "summer" by the locals even though it is the southern hemisphere, is cooler and much more pleasant. The best time to visit is during the dry season from April to October. December and January are characterized by sudden and short thunderstorms in the afternoon, though sometimes it can rain for days, flooding all the rivers and roads. This is also high season together with Christmas and New Year, when most hotels and villas will charge higher rates.

Low, High & Peak Season

Low: January 9 to June 30; September 16 to December 20. Low season is a great time to negotiate deals on accommodations and find cheap hotel packages.

High: July; September 1 to September 15; Chinese New Year and Easter week. Accommodation is hard to find and almost as expensive as peak season. 

Peak: August; December 20 to January 9. Although the weather in August is cooler than the rest of the year and there is very little rain, December's weather is hot and humidity is high. During peak season, Lombok is bursting at the seams with tourists. The roads become heavily congested and dinner reservations are hard to get. Expect to pay almost double for accommodations; shopkeepers will drive a hard bargain.

Public Holidays

Most of the major Christian, Muslim, Hindu, and Buddhist holidays are celebrated in Lombok. The government also sets a few additional days every year during the year, though Islamic holiday dates change year to year. January: 1 New Year; February: 14 Chinese New Year (2561), 26 Maulid (Birth of the Prophet); March: 16 Nyepi Balinese New Year (1932); April: 2 Good Friday, 28 Waisak Day (Buddha's birthday); May: 13 Ascension Day; August: 17 Indonesia Independence Day; September: 11 and 12 Eid-ul-Fitr Muslim festival to end Ramadan, 13 shared holiday by government decree; November: 17 Idul Adha, cattle sacrifice and hajj pilgrimage; December: 7 Islamic New Year (1432), 25 Christmas.

The main religious event on Lombok is the Bau Nyale Festival (Feb or Mar). The Lingsar Temple is the site of a mock war in October for Perang Topat.