(For an overview of the gilis, start on our original blog post by clicking here!)
While we didn’t spend the night on Gili Meno, we spend a day there, walking the entire perimeter and visiting some local hotels and businesses. This is more of your “deserted island” stereotype, save some restaurants and little shops on the east coast. This is the only island that boasts an interior lake, which is a charming little lake surrounded by palm trees and forest. While we were sitting in a beruga hut looking out over the lake, the beautiful sounds of Trawangan’s biggest mosque floated over the water to us. We barely encountered another soul as we traversed the island, stopping now and again to marvel at how big the waves could be on the southeast coast, or how clear the water was to the northwest. Even the horsecarts are few and far-between here!
Meno has some great beaches and even better snorkeling; most of the snorkeling boat tours stop on the central west coast and the northeast coast. I saw some turtles off the west coast, myself.
We walked inland to the bird sanctuary but didn’t have the time for a proper visit; luckily, there is a wide path cutting through the island from the main jetty, taking you across the island to the most high-end resort on Meno, Mahamaya. If you go to Mahamaya, don’t miss the café immediately to the north—phenomenal nasi goreng!
This is the gili to visit if you are down for seclusion and reflection with little in the way of distraction. This was BJ’s favorite of the gilis, with its white stretch of beaches and general tranquility.