AdventuresNW
Some years ago, I had an amazing experience. I was in Indonesia on the island of Bali, travelling with my family. We had been exploring the inspiring landscapes and culture of this incredible island, completely spellbound by the unfamiliar. We heard talk about some islands off the coast of Lombok (the next island in the Indonesian chain) known as the Gili Islands. From what we heard, the Gilis sounded remarkable. Tropical white sand beaches and a kaleidoscope of offshore reefs. No cars (transportation was provided by horse-drawn wagons). Intermittent electricity. Bamboo huts with thatched roofs. It sounded like a vision of paradise, a place forgotten by the modern world. We were determined to go.
And so it was that we found ourselves crossing the Lombok Strait in an outrigger fishing canoe, captained by a snaggle-toothed Balinese fisherman that we hired for the passage—a tattered blue tarp served as a sail: no radio, PFD’s, or navigational equipment, our gear protected by tarps as waves broke over the bow at regular intervals. The voyage took us across the Wallace Line, the demarcation between Asia and Australasia, and home to some of the strongest currents in that part of the world.
Out in the middle of the Sundra Strait connecting the Java Sea to the Indian Ocean, we saw no land in any direction. We were really out there.
After four hours on the tiny boats, we arrived on the bucolic sandy beach of Gili Trawangan! We spent a glorious week on Gili Trawangan and Gili Air. That week was a highlight of my life and the joy of being there was greatly enhanced by that remarkable voyage across the sea.
