Last Updated on July 18, 2023 by Tina
In 2019, I started a tradition on my blog where I publish a birthday post on my birthday. This year, I was not able to do it because I wasn’t in the mood to blog. I haven’t posted in a long time that I kind of lost my momentum in writing. I still love blogging even if everyone’s been telling me to vlog instead. And I Went Anyways will always be my baby. I just get so many distractions every time I attempt to write (like IG reels 😂). It has been more than a month already, but I will still write about how I spent my birthday alone on Gili Air to warm up to some serious writing again.
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A week before my birthday, I flew to Bali to spend my birthday on Gili Air. Gili Air is one of the three small islands off the coast of Lombok, east of the island of Bali. I’ve read about the Gilis in some backpacking groups in the past but never really thought of going there until that time I was planning where to spend my 41st birthday. I asked my friend for a recommendation and he suggested Gili Trawangan. The pictures looked nice but I’ve read that Gili T is a party island and I’m not into parties so I thought maybe Gili Air is a better fit for me. It is not as quiet as Gili Meno, and not as busy as Gili T.
My original plan was to spend three days in Lombok and then travel to Gili Air on my birthday. But a week before my birthday, I decided to scratch off Lombok on my list. Lombok is very big and I didn’t think three days is enough to explore the island. Also, even if I could work while traveling, I decided to take a vacation leave so I can enjoy the islands without thinking that I still have work to do when I got back to my room.
Related Post: How I Spent My 40th Birthday Alone in Phuket, Thailand
My 41st Birthday Alone on Gili Air
I arrived on Gili Air 2 days before my birthday. I spent my first 2 nights on Gili Air in a different accommodation because of the last-minute changes I made to my itinerary. On my birthday, I had to move to a different accommodation. It was a lot better, and a beachfront property. I was thinking of joining a Gili Islands snorkeling tour on my birthday, but when I woke up that day, I decided to just chill and not leave the island.
Breakfast at Sandy Beach Bungalows and Snorkeling at Turtle Point
The check-in to my next accommodation was at 2:00 PM, so I decided to go snorkeling first. I wanted to see sea turtles and there’s an area on Gili Air that they call turtle point where you can see them during high tide, usually before 11:00 AM. When I got to the area, the waves were a bit big, so I decided to eat breakfast at Sandy Beach Bungalows first. They have huts along the beach where you have a nice view of the sea while having breakfast. I wish I could share the photos. Unfortunately, something bad happened to my phone the day after my birthday, and I wasn’t able to back up the pictures I took on my birthday.
When I finally decided to go snorkeling, I didn’t see any turtles. It was because I was afraid to go very far. While I know how to swim, I get anxious when I can’t reach the bottom. I didn’t dare go deep, because on my birthday 7 years ago, I almost drowned in a secluded beach in Dinadiawan, Aurora. I was also alone back then. Below is my picture after I almost drowned.
Check-in at Segar Village and Snorkeling Again
I moved to my new accommodation, Segar Village after washing up. It was earlier than the check-in time but I messaged them before going and they said the room is already available. While checking in, I told the guy that it was my birthday. He told me that have I informed him in advance, he would have decorated my room. That would have been nice. He also told me that I have a welcome drink at the restaurant.
I went to my room to leave my things, then went to the restaurant to get my drink and I decided to have lunch there as well. After lunch, I went snorkeling again in front of my accommodation. But it was already low tide so no more sea turtles. I saw lots of colorful fish though. After snorkeling, I spent some time in the pool of my accommodation before freshening up and resting a bit.
Watched the Sunset and Had Beef Rendang for Dinner
I had a favorite sunset spot in Gili Air, and on my birthday I went there again. There are no establishments in that area, and you can see Mt. Agung from that spot. After sunset, I walked around the island to look for a cheesecake. In case you didn’t know, it’s my favorite cake and I always have it on my birthday. I shouldn’t be mentioning it anymore, but it’s just nice that my ex never fails to remind me every year since he met me to get myself a cheesecake. (It’s his favorite too btw.) I thought this year he wouldn’t tell me anymore. (And I wasn’t even expecting that he would greet me, but he did.)
I found a cheesecake in a fancy restaurant, and I was thinking of having dinner there as well. But when I checked their menu, they don’t have Indonesian food. I ended up having dinner at Warung Green Chili. There was a sign outside that says they have the best rendang and I haven’t tried rendang yet so I decided to try theirs. It was super spicy but it was really delicious.
For the cheesecake, I decided to take away a chocolate cheesecake from Istanbul Kebab and ate it on my room’s terrace. I think I slept early that day because I got tired from walking all day. I think I made more than 20,000 steps that day.
Final Thoughts
That’s how I spent my 41st birthday alone in Gili Air. Many people think that it must be lonely to be spending your birthday alone in a place far away from home. And I kept asking myself that day if I felt sad. And my answer was I didn’t. Im not sure if it’s because I’m so used to being alone already, or because the people in Gili Air were so friendly that I never felt alone. Anywhere I went, people were greeting me, asking me how I am. They weren’t even trying to sell me anything.
Also, all the special people in my life took the time to greet me. My best friend kept me company while I walked around the island in the dark. (She calls me every night while I walk on the beach and she’s stuck in traffic in Metro Manila.) I didn’t do anything grand on my birthday, but I’m happy with how my day went.
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Lovely…Peaceful birthday celebrations are the best one!
Indeed!😊