Anyone who’s been to Indonesia's Gili Islands would likely agree on one thing – you can’t help but feel relaxed as soon as you set foot on the fine white sands.
These three little islands off the coast of Lombok are a popular holiday destination, and it’s easy to see why. Its vivid blue waters, rich marine life and dramatic sunsets are like a tropical postcard, with the ban on motor vehicles further enhancing the peaceful atmosphere.
They may be small in size, but the islands pack a punch in terms of things to do. Adventurous travelers can enjoy action-packed days of water sports and island hopping, while those who prefer to take it at a more leisurely pace can make the most of the beach bars and spas. Whichever island you choose, here are the top experiences to add to your itinerary.
The Gilis are a fantastic place to learn to scuba dive, with a huge choice of international dive schools offering PADI-certified lessons in different languages, as well as trips for all levels of divers. The surrounding waters are dotted with fascinating dive sites where you can spot everything from shipwrecks to sharks (don’t worry, these are reef sharks, and they're quite shy when it comes to humans). Some of the most popular locations include Shark Point, Turtle Heaven and Gili Meno Wall, which is an excellent spot for night diving.
Planning tip: For the best underwater visibility, plan your trip during the dry season (April to September). Although it’s still possible to dive during the wet season, thunderstorms and increased sediment mean you won't be able to see as much.
Scuba diving isn’t for everyone, so if you prefer to stay on the surface, grab a snorkel and mask to peek below the waves instead. If you don’t have your own gear, there are places to rent snorkels and fins all along the beaches. The waters here are clear and shallow, and are teeming with colorful tropical fish, turtles, octopus and starfish. It’s easy to snorkel off shore, and as you walk along the coastline you’ll see signposts indicating the best snorkeling areas. For beauty spots further out – such as the Gili Meno underwater sculptures by British artist Jason deCaires Taylor – join a boat tour and go island hopping.
If you’ve fallen in love with the local cuisine and plan on recreating it back home, then one of the must-do activities is to join a cooking class. There are a handful of cooking schools where keen foodies can learn to prepare classic Indonesian dishes like mie goreng (fried noodles) and kare ayam (chicken curry) using fresh ingredients from the local markets. Gili Cooking Classes is by far the most popular option, where English-speaking local chefs take you through three-, four- or six-course menus. There are outposts on Gili Trawangan
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The 60th edition of the art extravaganza that’s the Venice Biennale runs until 24 November at the two main venues Giardini and Arsenale. as well as countless offsite locations, official and unofficial. There are 88 National participations this year, with four countries participating for the first time: Republic of Benin, Ethiopia, United Republic of Tanzania, and Democratic Republic of Timor Leste. Here are eleven of the must see country pavilions.
The traditional foods of Indonesia never quite get the credit they deserve. Thousands of islands spread across three time zones ensure a culinary diversity like no other nation.
As a travel writer, one of my greatest loves is experiencing a new country, region, or city with my son. But one place has always been our favorite: London.
Experience Turks and Caicos is thrilled to announce a significant surge in air arrivals from the United Kingdom to the Turks and Caicos Islands, marking a positive turn in our tourism landscape. While the United States remains our primary tourism source, the rise in visitors from the UK during the initial months of this year is truly encouraging. From January to March 2024, we welcomed 3,946 arrivals from the UK and Europe, representing a remarkable 105.4% increase compared to the same period in 2023. This surge can largely be attributed to the launch of Virgin Atlantic’s non-stop flight from Heathrow, London to Providenciales on November 4th, 2023.
What better way to celebrate the start of a marriage than with an unforgettable honeymoon in a dream location? But with so many exquisite island destinations to choose from, it can be difficult for honeymooners to decide which is the best for a romantic getaway. On average, couples spend around $5,000 on their honeymoon, so they’ll want to make sure they get the most value for money.
Before joining TPG in 2021, I was a newbie to the world of points and miles. Despite traveling frequently throughout the previous decade, I was oblivious to the benefits of loyalty programs or how straightforward it could be to earn points or miles for airfare and hotel stays.
Finding a great bookstore while traveling can be just as satisfying as spending the day at a beloved museum or sacred monument—and that’s certainly the case in Istanbul. The city is packed with hidden second-hand bookstores and flea market-style book alleys. The thing is—the majority of these places sell books written in Turkish, which, while beautiful to look at, mightn’t be the most practical if you’re looking for something to bring back to your hotel and read (unless of course, you speak Turkish).
Looking to establish itself as the number 1 online travel agency in Southeast Asia, Air Asia Move, previously known as AirAsia superapp, announced the launch of its ASEAN Explorer Pass on Thursday.
It’s inevitable: Every spring when we pull together the Hot List, our annual collection of the world’s best new hotels, restaurants, and cruise ships, a staffer remarks that this latest iteration has got to be the best one ever. After a year’s worth of traveling the globe—to stay the night at a converted farmhouse in the middle of an olive grove outside Marrakech, or sail aboard a beloved cruise line’s inaugural Antarctic voyage—it’s easy to see why we get attached. But this year’s Hot List, our 28th edition, might really be the best one ever. It’s certainly our most diverse, featuring not only a hotel suite that was once Winston Churchill’s office, but also the world’s largest cruise ship and restaurants from Cape Town to Bali. We were surprised and inspired by this year’s honorees, and we know you will be too. These are the Hot List hotel winners for 2024.
Travelers from around the world have decided their favorite hotels for 2024 and Tripadvisor has unveiled the final results of winners for its annual Travelers’ Choice Best of the Best Hotels Awards. The awards celebrate this year’s highest rated hotels based on Tripadvisor reviews.
Hamad International Airport (HIA) in Qatar was just named the best airport in the world in the 2024 Skytrax awards, knocking 12-time winner Singapore Changi Airport down to second place.