Tir Na Nog – Gili Trawangan

Posted on 28. Jul, 2012 by Poi in Indonesia

Although Bali was the end of our adventure this time round, our official last destination before making our way back to Kuta and ultimately the UK was the Gili Islands.

Although we had been staying in nicer accommodation than we would on normal trips out of Bangkok we wanted to finish off somewhere extra special without having to go home with no money. After a bit of searching we came across Tir Na Nog on Gili Trawwangan and arranged to stay with them.

The hotel is around a 10/15 minute walk from where the ferries drop you off on Trawangan and the biggest surprise upon arriving was it’s front bar area which was clearly an Irish bar. Talking to the owners later we later found out that they purposely avoided mentioning this on the website as it can put people off but on the other hand it brings in more business for the bar.

Their concerns are genuine because to be completely honest the minute I saw Irish bar my expectations of the hotel dropped and I was worried that we weren’t going to get the luxury last stay we wanted.

After checking in we were led to our room and all fears were forgotten. Staying in the deluxe room (well worth the extra pennies) meant we opened the doors to find a private front garden area.

The front garden from the bedroom

Another set of doors opened into our bedroom which looked just as the photo’s on the website, large room, good sized bed, plenty of storage space, TV, Air con and fan. However, the main selling point for both of us was the bathroom. Out the back of the room is another garden area but it holds everything you would normal find in a bathroom, a large drench shower, sink area and toilet. It’s all completely private with high walls so no need to worry about peeping tom’s while enjoying a very satisfying naked outdoor shower (or shit).

Outside shower

Tir Na Nog has a pretty large piece of land and a number of bars, furthest back from the road is a large indoor area which often fills up for the football at the weekends and you’ll find the staff enjoying the game as much as anyone else.

Out the front across the road is the most popular bar which is lively most days and every night serving one of the best barbeques we had on the island. Next door is a Ryoshi, a Japanese Restaurant run by the same people which we unfortunately didn’t get round to trying, there is a lot of good food on the island and it’s hard to get round them all. There’s also a small bar just inside the entrance, which is popular with the local divemasters who like to relax after a long day showing you around under water.

If you’re looking for a party then Tir Na Nog is the place to be on a Wednesday night, this weekly event seems to attract half the island and you won’t find it hard to make friends. We had a great time and as long as you’re not in the front two rooms it shouldn’t be a problem getting away for a bit of piece and quiet when you’re done. The room service helps as well the following day when your hangover is too bad to move.

The bed

Looking back we enjoyed our stay at Tir Na Nog a lot and the deluxe room was exactly the sort of place we were looking for. My only criticisms would be the pool area is not as nice as some others you see around the island but when you’re on a tropical island you shouldn’t be in the pool too much anyway. It would also be nice to have a mini bar in the room so when you fancy a beer in garden area it’s there and ready.

All in all a lovely stay and we’d definitely go back.

Tags: Bali, Indonesia