Gili Meno
95 There is also good snorkelling off the west coast near the now-defunct Bounty Resort. Swim out to where the old pontoon has sunk and become a home for many fish. Inland from the beaches, the island is quite dry with small homes scattered through the coconut groves. In the middle, toward the west coast, is a salt lake from which the local people still harvest salt on a small scale. It can be quite full in rainy season but dries up in the summer. Also inland, on the main track from the east coast, Gili Meno Bird Park has some tropical birds and a few interesting animals. There is accommodation here and a great display of Beatles memorabilia collected by the owner.
Continued from Page 93 Accommodation includes air conditioning and lovely open-air bathrooms, while the garden café and beachfront bar are already attracting popularity for excellent quality cocktails and delicious freshly-prepared meals. There is good snorkelling in front of Adeng-Adeng and along the northwest
coast, where it is often possible to see Green, Leatherback and Hawksbill turtles.
Casual beachfront cafés and bars serve Indonesian and popular western meals, with fresh fish and wood-fired pizzas being Gili Meno specialties.
To swim with the turtles – these huge creatures that are so awkward and ungainly on land but move through their natural element with a breath-taking dignity and grace – is perhaps the most special underwater experience of all and a major reason for visiting Gili Meno.
Some provide low-key entertainment in the evenings, more so in the high season, but visitors to Gili Meno largely come for romantic escapes and a chance to rejuvenate in the natural beauty of the island’s deserted beaches, which some argue are the best of all three Gilis.
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Dive Divine Phone: 085 240 570 777 | Gili Meno, Indonesia | www.divinedivers.com