For ocean lovers, Lombok has a wonderful variety of diverse beaches, islands and marine life to discover.

Off almost every coast are the small islands locally known as ‘Gili’ and, apart from the three famous Gilis off the northwest coast – Air, Meno and Trawangan – many other Gilis are just waiting to be discovered!

One tour operator offering unique trips to discover these off-the-beaten-path islands is Kemanayuk – run by friendly and professional local people who really know their island.

Two of the most popular tours Kemanayuk offers are personalised snorkelling trips to the Gilis in southwest Lombok and East Lombok.

The southwest tour focuses on the charming island of Gili Layar, which is around two hour’s drive south of Senggigi (or one and a half hours from the city of Mataram).

The scenery en-route is interesting and beautiful, following the coast through rural Lombok. The trip makes a stop at the port of Lembar, the shipping hub connecting Bali and Lombok, where you can stretch your legs and watch the ships and regular passenger ferries docking.

Continuing further south, you will see stretches of the picturesque southwest coast and the mainly deserted beaches along the way.

After arriving in the small port of Tembowong near Gili Gede, the trip takes around 20 minutes by local wooden boats (called perahu) to cross the calm waters to Gili Layar.

In addition to Gili Gede and Gili Layar, the pretty islands of Gili Renggit and Gili Asahan are also located nearby and Kemanayuk can also arrange trips to these islands on request.

The calm waters make the boat ride pleasant and comfortable for all ages. Once arriving at Gili Layar, guests are usually eager to get into the clear turquoise water!

The reef starts just a few metres from the edge of the beach and within minutes, you can enjoy the colourful and iridescent corals as well as the fabulous variety of tropical fish.

Gili Layar is an unspoiled island and has only one small bungalow development with just five rooms and a charming bamboo restaurant.

As the reef is so close to shore, there is a designated area to the south of the bungalows where you can enter the water to access the reef safely without cutting yourself on the sharp coral.

Do not try to enter from in front of the bungalows or restaurant as the water is too shallow and you will damage the coral!

Fortunately, the bungalow owners care about the sustainability of Gili Layar’s coral reefs and will reprimand anyone caught stepping on the corals or touching them while swimming.

If you are using fins, it is better to use only your arms and hands for movement and keep your feet still (using the fins for buoyancy only).

The beautiful corals here have taken decades to grow and will die if they are touched or smashed by careless swimming. So, please protect and preserve them so they can be enjoyed for many years to come.

Once in the water, you can snorkel for as long as you like… the reef extends for a long way and the underwater scenery is guaranteed to be amazing and fun.

For those who wish to stay on the island and enjoy the peaceful atmosphere when all the day trippers have gone home, overnight stays can be arranged

Gili Layar Bungalows are simple, but comfortable and clean. The restaurant is particularly good and serves cold beers, juices and soft drinks, as well as delicious fresh fish and local meals.

Southwest Lombok is a wonderful area to explore and it’s easy to spend days island-hopping around the thirteen Gilis in the region.

The second tour takes place on the opposite side of the island, to the Gilis of East Lombok.

Sitting just off the east coast is Gili Kondo – another remote and favourite snorkelling destination.

It takes around 3 hours from Senggigi (2.5 hours from the city of Mataram) to get there, travelling on good roads and passing through many small villages and rural areas.

This is a great way to see the changing landscapes of Lombok and there are fantastic views of Mount Rinjani and the mountain ranges along the way. The tour also takes in a visit to the giant trees on the east coast called “Dinosaur Trees”.

Arriving at the harbour on the east coast, guests change into their swimsuits, since the snorkelling is done from the boat in the middle of the ocean.

In addition to Gili Kondo, other nearby east coast Gilis include Gili Bidara and Gili Petagan, Gili Kapal, and Gili Gosong. Tiny Gili Pasir (“Sand Island”) only appears when the tides are low.

The day will be spent exploring some of these beautiful and un-crowded Gilis (the only Gili on the east coast which has small permanent population is Gili Bidara).

The snorkelling usually begins in the area around Gili Petagan, where there is a large variety of tropical fish, as well as colourful corals. You even can meet the popular “Nemo” here!

After being ‘snorkelling-satisfied’, the tour takes the boat exploring into the mangroves (if the water is high enough).

If the tide is low, the boat stops at Gili Pasir, where guests can play on the small uninhabited sand island.

The next stop is charming Gili Kondo – the Gili surrounded by beautiful clear aquamarine water.

Although the coral reefs here are in the process of maintenance, there are still plenty of colourful fish to see and calm waters to swim in and enjoy.

For tours to these snorkelling spots – and other off-the-beaten path adventures – contact the friendly guides at KEMANAYUK:

Website: www.kemanayuk.com | Email: info@kemanayuk.com See adventures at: IG: kemanayukkk | Youtube: Kemana Yuk