Sea kayaking the secret Gilis of south-west Lombok

The archipelago most visitors never see

Everyone knows the three Gilis off the north-west corner. Almost nobody knows the twenty-odd islands scattered across Sekotong Bay in the south-west.

Gili Nanggu, Gili Sudak, Gili Kedis, Gili Layar, Gili Asahan — sheltered turquoise water, empty white-sand beaches, live coral straight off the shore, and fishing villages that still run on outrigger jukungs. On a good day you will not see another kayak.

We paddle genuine expedition sea kayaks with rudders, bulkheads and dry storage — not sit-on-top rentals. That is what gives us the range to island-hop properly.