Relaxing in Gili Meno

It's been a little while since we have sat on a beach and done nothing all day, that's all about to change! We have booked ourselves into a small resort right on the beach on the tiny island of Gili Meno. The middle island in a chain of three, each a tiny slice of paradise with varying degrees of human activity.

The smallest and quietest of the three Gilis, Meno is a haven of tranquillity. Just 5km in circumference, you can walk the entire island in around an hour, slightly more if you stop for cocktails and a little swim along way. Free from the noise of motorised transport, you can truly unwind on Meno, listening to the sound of waves and the horses ferrying the few tourist that make it out here to their lodgings.

We divide our days pretty evenly between reading on the beach, taking a dip in the pool, snorkeling in the sea and deciding which happy hour drink we should get. The snorkeling just off the beach is outstanding. There is a small section of plants and sea grasses which attract Turtles before the ground drops away and the Coral and exotic fish take over. We have seen Moray Eels, trigger fish, angel fish, parrot fish, trumpet fish, lion fish and even a lobster, as well as varying sizes of both hawksbill and green Turtles, all within 100m of our hotel (er included some pictures from the Internet to give an idea of what we saw) . We saw so many turtles that we learnt to recognise the two types! Quite the island paradise and a well deserved rest for us to recharge before we get back on the road.Read more