Gili Islands

The largest of the three, and still under two hours to ride around. Shops crowd the east side where the boats land; cross to the far side and the track turns to sand. Rubbish has to leave by boat, and what piles up on the island is a long-standing problem.

The smallest and quietest of the three; at night there is nothing to hear but the water. Only a handful of shops trade, so many people carry water and food over from Trawangan.

Closest to mainland Lombok, ten minutes across by boat. The quiet side and the side lined with shops sit on the same small ring, so where you sleep decides the day.

Figures of people stand in a ring on the shallow seabed off Meno. They were put there for coral to settle on, so the shapes shift a little each year. The water is shallow enough to reach them on a held breath without gear.

Green turtles come to graze on the shallow coral off the northeast of Trawangan. Blocking one on its way up to breathe sends it back down, so guides want the surface left clear. The water is clear in the morning and boats stir it up by afternoon.

Nothing motorised lands here, so loads move by horse cart. Fares are set by section, though newcomers are sometimes quoted something else. After horses collapsing in the heat became known, water troughs went up along the lanes.

Mount Agung on Bali stands across the water to the west and the sun drops behind it. A queue is already standing an hour before it goes down, for the swings planted out in the shallows.

The island holds a landlocked salt lake at its centre. In the dry season it shrinks and leaves salt on the bed; nothing swims in water that salty, so birds come instead. The smell is strong and reaches the village when the wind comes off it.

Once the sun goes down, stalls fill the square and it becomes the one place on the island still lit late. Long tables get shared, so you end up opposite strangers. Everything is counted by what goes on your plate, so ask before it does.

A low hill on the island's southern tip, ten minutes up on foot. On a clear day Rinjani stands to the east and Agung to the west from one spot. Concrete left from the war sits at the top. No shade on the climb, so people go early or late in the afternoon.

A dive site off Trawangan's southeast, where whitetip reef sharks often rest on the sand below the coral slopes. Turtles and rays pass by regularly. The current is quick and dives drift with it, so some prior experience helps.

A sunken pontoon off Gili Meno's west side, once a mooring for cruise boats, its steel frame now home to fish. The shallow depth makes it a favourite first wreck dive for beginners. Lionfish hide beneath the girders; keep your hands off.