Family trip to Gili Islands with children. Ideas on where to go with your child

Gili is quite a nice place for family holidays. Despite the fact that there is little entertainment for children on the Islands, the year-round season, clean sandy beaches and magnificent, almost untouched nature will definitely interest parents with small children. But if you have school-age children and teenagers, you will be bored here after three or four days. Gili Meno is the most suitable for children of the three Islands.

The Islands have their own «specialization»: Gili Air attracts those who are fond of water sports and diving, Gili Trawangan a place of parties of young people, and Meno is ideal for a quiet family holiday. Of course, you can stay on other Islands, just keep in mind some peculiarities. Note that the Islands are quite close to each other, and if you do not want to hear the sounds of discos all night long, it is better to choose accommodation far from Air Island.

Young travellers will also find something to do here. First of all, the island has quite a large village with pets. For example, there are a lot of cows to look at. Kids will definitely love the idea of visiting this place. You can ride with your child on a cart with a horse, build castles on a beach, and older children will enjoy swimming with turtles or snorkelling. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

Indonesia is a country with a predominantly Islamic population, so there is a mosque even on the small Gili Meno Island. It means that every day from 5 am Mullah begins to read the morning prayer through a loudspeaker. It's a small inconvenience that you have to put up with. Be sure to pay attention to the improvement of the house choosing where to stay with children. Make sure that the selected bungalow has hot water and keep in mind that many hotels have hot water in showers. This is an important issue especially if you travel with small children.

Be sure to bring medicines, sun creams, baby food and diapers in sufficient quantities – there are almost no shops on the island. But there shouldn’t be any problems with food for children. Most hotels have very decent cuisine, close to European - not spicy and made of familiar products. You can always buy natural juices and fruits, rice dishes, noodles and fish with seafood in small cafes.

Today, the main Gili's advantage is a small number of tourists. There are not many tourists here even in the high season. You can safely enjoy a tropical holiday on the island. Be sure to go for a walk with the children on a boat. Firstly, it is the best way to visit other Islands, and secondly, you can admire nature and, if you are lucky, see dolphins. Nature here is really untouched, a small child will have a chance to admire crabs and insects, see tropical birds.

Moreover, there are many large spiders-a young explorer will certainly be interested in such a neighbourhood. You can go to the turtle farm near the pier. There are bred rare species of turtles and you can see small turtles here. Don’t miss a chance to visit Bird Park, which is located in the heart of the island. There are several interesting excursions in the Park. Children will be happy to see the exotic inhabitants-birds, small deer, crocodiles and lizards.

An interesting entertainment for the whole family is a boat trip with a transparent bottom. A three-hour tour is not very expensive, about $ 10, but you can see a variety of species of marine life: bright fish, turtles, crustaceans. Children of any age and adults will like this walk. You can move around the Islands only by bicycle or a horse-drawn cart.

For children, horse riding is an adventure in itself. There are no museums on the Islands, and the sights are mostly natural. Children won’t be interested in such kind of excursion. It is better to spend time on the beaches. You can go snorkelling or diving with older children. Try to swim on the board with a paddle, it is a popular and exciting activity in these places.