Island Paradise for a Song

For a fleeting moment in my 20s, I dreamed of visiting Ibiza, but by then it was already the party-hardy island it is today, so I quickly moved on.

To read about the early Ibiza, however, as described by travel writer Iain Stewart (who wrote the original Rough Guide to Ibiza) is to yearn for a memory of an experience one has never even had. Stewart writes in an Observer article that the White Isle was once a bohemian haven with a "relaxed cosmopolitan vibe" and budding music scene. In other words, nowhere near the overpriced and predictable club scene it has become (Stewart notes a beer on the island now goes for €10.)

But all is not lost! Stewart says the tiny tropical island of Gili Trawangan in Indonesia could very well be the next Ibiza (of yesteryear.)

"The scene is quite raw, unpretentious and hedonistic, with stylish bars, vibrant nightlife, a hip hotel or two and very decent diving. Designers from Hong Kong and fashionistas from Tokyo mix with travellers from the UK, scuba nuts and Indonesian creative types."

The Muslim island is just a couple of miles long and one mile across. It's also remote: it takes an hour on a fast boat to get there from Bali. But unlike other south-east Asian paradises, Trawangan is car-free, with no motorized transportation whatsoever. Instead, locals and visitors alike get around by foot, on bicycles or by cidamo, a horse-and-cart taxi.

Sustainability is a big part of the island's appeal, not just by virtue of the lack of cars, but also thanks to recent efforts to curb overfishing and protect the coral reef that encircles Trawangan and two neighboring islands. Those efforts have ensured that marine life on the reef is a spectacular sight to be seen, according to Stewart, who says scuba divers and snorkelers will rejoice.

Just as one would expect of an island on the precipe of gentrification, there are both rustic and more comfortable options for lodging. The gentrifiers among us would probably prefer the stylish thatched-roofed cabins built in the style of rice barns, with polished wood floors, hand-carved beds and bamboo-walled bathrooms. Stewart suggests Dream Village where guests can stay for about €50 a night for a front deck facing the sandy beach.

And just like Ibiza of yore, nightlife on the island is hopping, but democratic. Bars and clubs, which are free to enter, come alive with house and trance — the cool kind, not the kind you might hear on the Jersey Shore.

Stewart suggests the following: From Bali several companies offer fast boat connections (US$110-$130 return) direct to Gili Trawangan. Try Blue Water Safaris (00 62 361 723479; bwsbali.com). Dream Village (00 62 370 664 4373; dreamvillagetrawangan.it) has bungalows sleeping two from €50 a night. The Horizontal bar (0062 370 639248; thegiliislands.com) also has villas sleeping two from €75 a night, including breakfast.

Photo of Gili Trawangan courtesy of yeowatzup via Flickr.