Sightseeing in Gili Islands - what to see. Complete travel guide

Gili Islands consist of three beautiful islands and is part of the Bali archipelago. The former began to attract travelers quite recently. Prior to that these amazing places with pristine landscapes haven't felt an influence of civilization; many of the modern things are prohibited there by law. It's prohibited to drive cars and motor bikes on the island, so the only available means of transportation are bicycles and horse-drawn vehicles. Many tourists prefer to travel around the islands on foot, as they can see beautiful places and interesting objects at every step.

Gili Islands are often called Emerald Islands, that's because of lush tropical forest occupying the largest part of the territory. The largest island of the archipelago is Trawangan; its population is about 900 people. The island is very popular among young travelers, as it boasts a decent selection of stylish places to stay, colorful beach discos and clubs. The incredibly beautiful and big coral reef, the main underwater attraction of these places, can be found next to the island. This reef is so big that sometimes it is called the Great Wall; the exact depth of the reef is unknown and is more than a thousand meters. Trawangan Island is famous not only for entertainment and beautiful beaches, but also for amazing natural sights and landscapes. Local rainforest has remained unchanged for hundreds of years.

The second largest island of the Air; it offers a lot of beautiful places to walk. This island has a more relaxed and intimate atmosphere, there is no such amount of noisy entertainment places, and, respectively, the number of tourists is relatively small. The smallest and most picturesque island is Meno. It’s popular among fans of high-end leisure. Amazing scenery of the tropical island can’t be called otherwise than paradise. It’s difficult to imagine that a few thousand years ago, all three islands have been active volcanoes. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

The main part of the excursion sites are natural objects. Islands can boast a very interesting nature reserve, the main inhabitants of which are birds. For a modest fee, anyone can walk through the incredibly beautiful bird park and listen to interesting stories of guide about the unique features of local nature. There are also turtles’ nurseries offering great fun for the whole family. Rare species of sea turtles, which are endangered by local predators, are grown there. Once the small turtles get stronger, they are released into the sea; everyone can participate in this exciting event.

There is not much information about the early history of the Gili Islands. First mentions of the archipelago date back to the World War II period. At that time, the Japanese army occupied the island. It was also used as a camp for war prisoners. The islands also became an observation post of the army. Nowadays, nothing reminds of that difficult period in the history of the island. Invaders didn’t make any negative impact on the natural splendor of the archipelago. Divers, who choose to explore sites not far from Gili Air Island, will have a fantastic opportunity to see a sunken patrol craft. The boat has been there since the war times.

Thorough archaeological excavations have only proven the fact that there were no ancient settlements on the islands. There is an important reason for that – there are no sources of fresh water on the islands. First permanent settlements on the Gili Islands appeared relatively not long ago, in the 70s of the previous century. First settlers were mostly involved in fishing. Later, several coconut palm tree plantations appeared on the island. First travelers appeared on the island approximately ten years after the foundation of first settlements. Needless to say, it was a turning point in the history of the archipelago.

Since that time, the development of the tourist industry has become one of the major goals of the region. New hotels, sports centers, and other infrastructure for vacationers appear on the islands regularly. The luxurious Pesona Resort and Restaurant has become a true historical landmark of the island. It was the first hotel on the island, the opening of which took place in 1982. Initially, the hotel was very small and was famous under another name, Pak Majid. Nowadays, it is one of the largest and most prestigious hotels on the islands.