I left you with a Friday cliffhanger… after being slightly disappointed by the party town vibe on Gili Trawangan, would I find serenity on neighboring Gili Air?

Darn, I think I gave myself away with the title of this post.

Yes — Gili Air is low-key, quiet, and supremely chill. Just ask these coconuts.

Again, I struggle with finding accommodation — even though it’s plentiful, the prices are higher than Bali and I’m stubborn.

For those truly looking for the most budget accommodation, there is camping available:

But I soldier on in search of a budget-friendly and Erica-friendly property (…which means Wifi and A/C, preferably with a pool but I’m not sticky about that point).

No joke: I walk around for 90 MINUTES before settling on the very first place I looked at — a free-standing bungalow with wifi and A/C for $20 a night. The only reason I passed in the first place is because it feels isolated. It’s a single bungalow and there are no other tourists around (it’s in the middle of a local village, which is actually pretty cool). Plus it’s a 12-minute walk from town and I hoped to find something a little closer to the main street. But other than that it’s perfect so I finally say YES.

The outdoor bathroom is pretty sweet:

And this bungalow works out great. I feel totally safe at night and the wifi signal is strong enough for me to download a few Louie CK albums. Score.

The next morning I wake up ready to enjoy my day of leisure. My only plans are to read, eat, and go snorkeling.

I find a lounging booth by the water and order an iced coffee (sadly there’s no soy milk on this island) and a pancake. Add in that view and BOOM, instant paradise.

I spend lunch in a similar manner, this time with a fruity and frozen adult beverage.

I’m reading Freedom by Jonathan Franzen, a book I picked up at my hostel in Hervey Bay, Australia. The previous owner had documented his or her extensive travels with this novel, and I add in my own locations:

I finish the book in Gili Air and leave it at my hotel in Lombok for a future reader. For the record: I LOVED this book.

With reading and eating done, I only have one last item to check off my to-do list… snorkeling.

I consider scuba diving in Gili, as there are many dive shops on all three islands. But my dive master in Tulamben said the diving isn’t as good here and you can see a lot just by snorkeling. So I save some cash and rent snorkel gear from a street vendor for about $5 a day.

When I first dive in, I encounter lots of greenery, like I’d expect to find in a pond or lake.

Once I clear the shallow green area, I’m greeted by clear blue water and a plethora of fish.

These straight-up-and-down creatures are called razor fish and they swim vertically.

I notice concrete pipes below, which appear to no longer be in use. I wonder what function they once served?

Check out that GIANT needle fish in the next photo.

An official snorkel group (led by a local guide) passes by and I discretely tag along for a bit. The guide has fish food and they flock to him like sheep… that’s a weird metaphor for non-sheep animals, but I’m sticking with it.

On the way back to shore I poke around the green area and find a few little creatures:

This one’s almost totally camouflaged:

And I find the most colorful lobster ever. Can you believe such a thing exists? Nature, you are pretty rad.

I love to eat lobster, but I wouldn’t lay a fork on this rainbow crustacean.

Then I find an eel. Gross, right? At least it’s not a water snake.

HOLY SHIT IT’S A WATERSNAKE!!!

I’m out of the water ten seconds later.

Switching gears… my favorite restaurant on Gili Air is Scallywags and I eat three meals here over the course of two days.

Love this nighttime shot on my way back to the bungalow.

This restaurant’s colorful light balls catch my eye at night.

From my Instagram feed:

My last dinner at Scallywags is a fresh fish sandwich.

The next day I take a boat to Lombok, where I meet a very fun couple — Ali and Jenni. Ali (a dude) grew up in Lombok and Jenni is from the UK. They met on the Gili Islands three years ago and just got married. They very kindly offer to share a car ride with me, cutting down the cost for all of us. I continue on to my hotel next to the airport in preparation for my morning flight to Malaysia. And then I spend one last afternoon by the pool…

Random: there is a Harry Potter statue next to the pool. And I enjoy deep fried bananas for dessert.

The next morning I fly to Kuala Lumpur and then immediately catch another flight to Kota Kinabalu on the Malaysian part of Borneo. It’s a LONG travel day but I’m greeted by Dunkin’ Donuts at the KL airport so I can’t complain.

Ahh, the friendly skies…

And that wraps up 3+ weeks in Indonesia! I’ll be back tomorrow with a budget breakdown detailing exactly how much I spent visiting this part of the world.