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
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