It’s funny that the two overwhelming recommendations I got from you all were to leave Bali and go to one of the Gili Islands and to Nusa Lembongan. I’m so glad I listened because neither disappointed.
After a quick stop in Padang Bai where we were able to take a dip in the Blue Lagoon and enjoy some incredibly fresh seafood we hopped on a “fast boat” to our next home, Vila Ombak on Gili Trawangan, also known as Gili T.
I’m so glad we made it there because your recommendations were spot on, Gili T is such a fun spot and a must do if you have the time on your trip to Bali. We arrived in the incredibly hectic “harbor”, which is really just a beach that the boats pull on to and have you jump off onto the sand, and grabbed the islands form of a taxi to our home for the weekend, Vila Ombak.
With the funniest welcome drinks we had received yet in hand, we explored our little hut and reveled at our gorgeous outdoor bathroom. I think the thing I will miss most when I leave Bali is being able to shower under the stars. There’s something seriously amazing about outdoor showers, and this one was no exception!
The hotel is gorgeous, it’s quite spread out and so nice to walk around, there are giant chess boards set up around the main pools which are a fun addition.
Gili T is known for its snorkeling and scuba diving so we wasted no time, jumped into our bathing suits and set off to find some lunch and a place to rent snorkel equipment.
The snorkeling itself didn’t disappoint there were loads of fish swimming around the reef. Unfortunately my mask and snorkel were malfunctioning so that was a bit of a disappointment. It is also quite difficult to get out to the reef to snorkel because it’s so shallow for so long and the bottom is all broken coral which is very sharp and difficult to walk on.
Pro tip: bring your own mask and snorkel and take one of the snorkel tours. It will save you a lot of frustration and you’ll see a lot more!
After an afternoon at the beach, channeling our inner mermaids and hardly getting out of the water we were exhausted and getting quite hungry (tough life led over here in Bali. We made our way back to the hotel, and after a quick dip in the pool, a game of chess, changing and a failed attempt to see the sunset because of the rain we ventured into town to grab some food.
I have been living in these shorts this trip, they’re the perfect weight and the fit is just so good, plus elastic waist band shorts that I can wear outside the gym? Sign me up.
Lilly Pulitzer for Target Crop Top (similar) / Shorts / Sunglasses / Necklace
If you make your way to Gili T pretty much all the restaurants are great as far as I can tell. We didn’t have a single meal on the island that wasn’t delicious. But the Indian food at Pesona Shisha Lounge was some of the best I’ve ever had. The vibe is really cool, you sit on cushions on the ground and it’s right on the beach so you can listen to the waves. It’s a really fun spot and the chicken tikka masala is incredible. Everywhere we ate was great though and the views definitely did not suck.
Vila Ombak is a great resort and it’s positioned far enough out of town that it’s a quite retreat from all the madness of Gili T nightlife. It was so nice to go back to the hotel and be able to unwind before heading to bed. I cannot recommend this hotel highly enough, it was perfect for our quick trip to the island. There is also a spa there that unfortunately we didn’t take advantage of but it looked amazing. You can rent bikes and snorkel equipment from the hotel, set up excursions and even register for a PADI dive course.
Our second day in Gili T we rented a few bikes and rode around the island, which non stop would have taken us about 40 minutes. We stopped along the way for some more snorkeling, lunch and of course more pictures. If you have been following along on Instagram you probably saw my picture of the amazing sunset swing on the island! I was told about the swing before arriving in Bali and really wanted to see what it was all about so we made our way over there and it was totally worth it. We sat and watched the sunset while singing over the shallows before heading off to dinner in a hut over the water.
After an incredible breakfast at Vila Ombak on our last day we packed up and hopped back on the boat to head to our next home in Ubud, which was eventful to say the least.
