Diving the Gili Islands, Lombok | Indonesia

DESTINATION OVERVIEW | The island of Lombok lies next to Bali and is often described as 'Bali how it used to be'. For divers there are two distinct diving areas – the tiny Gili Islands off Lombok's northern tip and the bays around the southern coast.

The three Gili islands – Air, Meno and Trewangan – are small and sandy, no roads, no cars and understandably haunted by long-term travellers. Gili Trewangan is the busiest hub for dive centres but as the islands are close together, you can dive around all three from whichever one you stay on, or for that matter from the nearby coastal resorts.

Dive sites are hardly ever more than 20 minutes from the beach and conditions are mostly easy, although stronger currents occur around the full moon. This, along with the proximity of the reefs, ensure these waters are perfect for novices and many people come here to train. Advanced divers will enjoy the deeper reefs, which have vast areas of pristine coral, huge swathes of hard corals and brightly coloured fans. Sharks are quite common and at certain times of the month, so are mantas.

PROS AND CONS | Easy to reach, Lombok is just a 20 minute flight or a couple of hours by direct speedboat from Bali. The pace varies on the three Gilis – Gili Trewangan is by no means quiet but has great night life and restaurants. Gili Air and Meno are quieter. Lombok's coastal beaches opposite the Gilis are more resort-orientated. Medana Beach is the location of the Oberoi, which is both classy and quiet and in a very romantic bay.

SCUBA DIVING | Conditions around the Gilis tend to be consistent and mostly easy-going. In the past, there was a lot of fishing, along with some bombing, and there is evidence of destructive practices. However, several ecological projects are resolving much of this with bio-rock projects and artificial reefs promoting rapid reef regeneration. The shallows are rubbly and less than attractive but if you don't meet at least one turtle on every dive, you had your eyes shut. No matter what some will try to tell you, there is some very impressive diving here, especially below 20 metres.

OPINION | We first went to Lombok as travelers in 1985. We snorkelled over the reef off Gili Air and were hooked. We have been back to dive there twice since and stayed in the lovely little Manta Dive bungalows on Gili Trewangan as well as at the fantastic Oberoi for a birthday celebration. Both were great.

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