Heri Sisworo
Have you ever dreamed of visiting an exotic white sand island, small enough that you can explore in one go? Well, you can stop dreaming already and go to Gili Bedil, a very small island located on the northern shore of Sumbawa Island. Covered only in coconut trees, Gili Bedil is like the island you can only find in movies about pirates.
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Gili Bedil is pretty real, though. It is a great getaway destination that is not yet popular among tourists who visit Indonesia. Part of the reason is that it is quite an effort to visit this island. Here is what you need to know about Gili Bedil.
Location
Gili Bedil, also known as Gili Bola by locals, is a small island in the northern coast of Sumbawa Regency. Administratively, its location is at Labuan Bajo, Utan District, Sumbawa Regency, West Nusa Tenggara Province. It is the smallest island in the archipelago that also consists of Saringi Island, Timudung Island, and Kramat Island.
How to get there
This is a tricky part, but by no means difficult. The biggest city nearby is Sumbawa Besar. From this city, you need to go west via Northern Lintas Sumbawa Road. One and half hour’s drive from Sumbawa Besar, you will reach Utan, a small town. From this town, you have two choices; go to Labuan Pade or Labuan Bajo (not to be confused with the similarly named Labuan Bajo of Komodo National Park).
Those two are the ports that will get you to Gili Bedil. Labuan Pade offers boat ride specialized for tourism with many amenities. Labuan Bajo, on the other hand, is fishermen’s port and offer a more traditional charter boat to Gili Bedil. Labuan Bajo is definitely more affordable. From those two ports, you will only need 15 minutes ride to reach Gili Bedil.
The Island
Gili Bedil is a very small island, shaped like an arrowhead, and has a diameter of approximately 100 meters. The whole island is made of white sand with coconut trees and bushes covering it.
There is not much development going on here and you can enjoy the island in its pristine condition. Apart from the beautiful beach around the island, you can also enjoy wonderful underwater life here.
Tips
The most important thing to remember is; bring your own food and drinks to this island because there is literally nothing here. You can, however, ask the boatmen to get you fish to grill on the island. Grilling BBQ or fish in this island is a wonderful experience. If you want to explore other islands nearby, make sure you come to Gili Bedil at the end of your trip because this island is simply the most beautiful.
So if you want to enjoy a perfect getaway on a pristine white sand island just like in pirates’ movies, you can visit Gili Bedil. All of your efforts to reach this tiny island will be paid with a beauty that you probably have never seen before. Next
