Gili
Meno Lombok
Gili Meno is
the middle of Lombok's three Gilis. It has a
population of about 400, mainly concentrated on
the center of the island. The main income of the
population comes from tourism, coconut
plantation and fishing.
On the west side of the island there is a small
shallow lake that produces salt in the dry
season. Until a few years ago there was also a
small production of seaweed on the reef at the
north end of the island. It has swimming beaches
all around the island, as well as an impressive
bird sanctuary.
Gili Meno, the middle island, the smallest of
the three Gili's and it is the quietest with
fewer tourists. A great escape for honeymooners
or someone who wants to get away from it all.
Special features of the island is the salt lake
and spectacular dive sites such as, Meno Wall,
Sea Turtle Point, and Blue Coral Point. The
beach on eastern part of the island is very nice
and there's snorkeling just offshore and further
north.
Gili Meno has a population of about 300 locals.
The interior of the island is mostly a palm
trees surrounded by grass which is kept neat by
cows munching lazily in the shade. There are no
cars or motorbikes on the island, all transport
is by horse-drawn carts or on foot. The diving
was pretty good, with quite a strong current but
that incredible swimming-pool visibility that
you get on good days off the islands in SE Asia.
The relaxed pace of life and the community
feeling on the island is really special.
In Gili Meno, where fresh water is shipped from
Lombok, eco-friendly practices are not an
option. It is a necessity.
Gili Meno has surprisingly long, white sandy
beaches for an island that is only two
kilometers by a kilometer in size. The best
beaches are on the west side, with the southern
beaches a bit windy, while the northern and
eastern ones are good for snorkeling with their
reefs.
The surfing in Gili Meno is okay, yet better
than anywhere else in the Gili chain. Swells
reach up to over a meter and are best had
between January and June.
The Gili Islands don't have many standalone
attractions although Gili Meno comes with a bird
sanctuary, with a range of exotic birds. It is a
short walk from the main west beach at its
northern end.
Gili Meno is the middle island of the Gili
Islands located just of the north west coast of
Lombok. as with the other Gili islands it is
small and in fact this Gili is the very smallest
of all three of the Gili islands. Meno Island is
without doubt the most peaceful and unchanged
island of the three and the easiest to catch
boats you to the other islands in order to
explore and island hop in this tropical island
paradise. There are not dogs on Gili Meno and
there are also no proper roads and no motorized
vehicles of any kind. The reason to come and
stay on Gili Meno is to escape reality and spend
some time on a tiny tropical in the middle of
the ocean with no crowds and no cars. After
saying this there are a small number of luxury
hotels and villas that are usually cheaper then
on Gili Trawangan, the largest and most popular
of all of the Gili Islands, so there is no
shortage of luxury when you are in your resort,
but when outside the resort there is nothing but
paradise that is yours to explore.
You may have heard rumors of the large amount of
mosquitoes on the Gili Meno, in the recent years
many measure have been taken to reduce this but
true to this day and as with any tropical
country, the best time to visit is in the dry
season. The humidity is slightly higher than on
the other two islands so it is important to keep
well hydrated and to bring good mosquito
repellent that preferably includes the compound
'DEET' that is the only true chemical that
almost guarantees that you will not get bitten
when using it effectively. There is however in
this slightly more humid climate an amazing bird
sanctuary that has been set up by an Australian
women who has collected rare and endangered
birds from across Indonesia and is breeding and
protecting them on Meno, this is a special sight
to behold as you can see some wondrous creatures
you would never had imagined living in their
natural setting.
Getting to Gili Meno can be slightly more
difficult than getting to the more popular of
the two islands Gili Trawangan and Gili Air due
there often being a shortage of people going.
Sometimes the boat drivers will only go to Gili
Meno if there are a minimum of 20 people on
board so sometimes it can be worth getting some
people together who want to go. Failing this you
will have to charter the boat, which will be a
little more expensive, but competition for boat
rides is fairly competitive so ask around for
the best price. The other way to go is to catch
either the morning or afternoon boat to Gili
Trawangan or Gili Air and then get a boat from
there to this small island, this can be the
easiest and cheapest way if boat charter is too
steep and includes the added bonus of visiting
another island. This small extra effort is a
small price to pay for the tranquility and
seclusion of Gili Meno.
