The Papalagi Resort

Excellent place with really nice and hearty breakfast included. The rooms are fine with a good bathroom - I did not get a look at the bungalows, which are more expensive. Hir and the other staff are very helpful and friendly. The atmosphere is very relaxed. The food is very good but expensive, as it probably is in all resorts in Indonesia. You can see the sunrise up on the hill behind the resort, which is a bit difficult to get to, but the sunsets are to die for. However, to me the main selling point was the coral reef, which was directly accessible from the beach: A short swim across the sea grass will take you to some healthy coral and a lot of fish. The water was not crystal clear but still great. Also, the 3 hour snorkel safari to 4 different sites was very good value for the money. The best of these places was really the northwest beach of Gili Gede, which you can also reach by foot; it features some amazing blue staghorn coral and lots of fish (and very clear water). Bruno, the sweet, young Rottweiler, is actually quite reserved, so you have to earn his friendship, meaning that if you would rather not engage with him, he will let you be.

The communication with the resort before my arrival was not optimal. I requested transportation by boat from Kokomo (the arrival point of the Gili Getaways ferry on the other side of Gili Gede) to the Papalagi resort and also got what I thought was a confirmation on WhatsApp. However, when I arrived, nobody was waiting, so I had to contact the resort again. The Kokomo restaurant was not the worst place to wait, so it did not really matter, but I am still not sure what went wrong. Some debris sometimes drifts onto the beach, depending on the current. When I was there, it was mostly in the evening, so it did not affect my snorkelling during the day. However, the employees are very concerned about it and try to influence stakeholders in Lombok and Bali to keep the water free of debris, although this may be an uphill battle.

Michael, the owner, is so nice, funny, generous & friendly. Beautiful garden and swimming pool, private beach, the best choice in Gili Gede !!!! The rooms are nice, with nice furniture and good bathrooms. michael’s staff is so nice and the food is great !

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Thank you so much for the hospitality! The staff were incredibly welcoming and helpful. The perfect place to escape the crowds! (miss you Bruno ;) the perfect gentleman pooch)