A Glimpse of Sunset at Gili Trawangan

The morning sun at Senggigi Beach, Lombok, shone more brightly although it was still 09:00 a.m. 

in the morning. A Tempo photographer, Charisma Adristy, and I agreed that we should find cool places to take pictures and enjoy the scenery. 

We decided to go to Gili Trawangan, a small island on the northwest off Lombok Sea that can be reached via Bangsal Harbor. 

Along the way to the harbor, I could not help but drawn into the captivating panorama of the beach. The white sand was in contrast to the green grass field where coconut trees were growing. The weather was suddenly changed into a mild rain drop. The rain and the splashing sound of the sea waves were combination that brought tranquility.

The trip to the harbor took us 45 minutes. Our taxi stopped about 100 meters from the harbor. The driver told us that taxis from outside were not allowed entering the harbor, since there are many other transportation means inside the harbor. We chose to walk while carrying our belonging into the ticket booth.

We paid Rp30,000 each to cross on a fishermen's boat. There were also speed boat to get to Gili Trawangan but the speed boats did not depart from this harbor. We went on the fishermen’s boat together with other 30 passengers. 

I recommend bringing minimum belongings and wear flip-flops for more comfortable trip to Gili Trawangan. We arrived at our destination 45 minutes later.

When we arrived, it was the time for the male Muslims to do Friday prayer at the mosque. The men with sarong and kopiah (hat worn by Muslim) often crossed path with foreign tourists which mostly in their bikinis. 

But both cultures did not seem to be annoyed by each other. Luh Sagita, an ice cream vendor, said that there have been many foreigners who settle in Lombok.

We rent bicycle to go to the Sunset Bar. "From the Sunset Bar, the peak of Mount Agung in Bali is clearly seen," said Desman Dato, a tour guide who happened to be at the bicycle rental. Unfortunately, once we reached the spot, there were dark clouds shrouded the sky and blocked our view to Mount Agung. 

Fifteen minutes later, the cloud started to disappear, revealing the peak of Mount Agung. We did not miss the chance to take a bunch of pictures.

Arbian, a guide at Sunset Bar offered us a spot to enjoy excellent sunset at Gili Trawangan, but we had to catch our boat back to Senggigi. Although the sunset at Senggigi was not as good as that at Gili Trawangan, at least we could still enjoy the panoramic view without any heavy luggage.

Source : Tempo