Meno Madia Bungalows
Gili Meno is a small tropical island off the coast of Lombok in Indonesia. Actually a lot of people think it belongs to Bali, as it is heavily promoted on Bali and most of the visitors come across on a fastboat from there. It’s a quiet and appealing beach getaway from busy Bali, and unlike almost all of Bali, Meno has white-sand beaches. It is very popular for snorkelling and diving. The quietest of the three “famous Gilis”, it’s known as the island of love, or the honeymoon island. But it’s not only couples that come here. Meno is a great place for families too, and for anyone looking for a peaceful break.
When I decided to take some time out on this little island, I rented two bungalows for three years. One for me (and then Made joined me), and one that Made rented out to guests, to help pay the rent.
We posted it on Airbnb and within a couple of days Made had a booking. And that’s how it all started. From there the story just evolved. And it became more interesting and enjoyable. Sure, it wasn’t part of my dreams to clean toilets and make beds, but the up-side is we get to meet people from all over the world – share travel stories, life stories, laughs, music and friendship. And I have plenty of time to rest and heal, do yoga, listen to Made playing his guitar, enjoy the beach. And importantly for me, I have time to write.
But one can’t live on dreams, savings and a single bungalow forever. It was time to plan for a future income, and because we love hosting so much, we decided to expand. Luck was kind to us again and some reasonably priced land came up for sale around the corner.
We have now built 3 bungalows for guests, a little bungalow home for ourselves, and a small cafe for our guests, Meno Madia Soul. One day I hope for it to be a health kiosk. We are so glad our new place has kept the same vibe as our old bungalows and our life on Meno… laid back, relaxed opening hours, food and drinks made with love. A place for quiet reflection, some solitary down-time, or for meeting old and new friends.
In September I completed a yoga teacher training course, and in November we built a small yoga ‘shala’, an open air bamboo structure with wooden floor, grass roof and no walls. It fits a maximum 6 guests to share yoga. By December we were already offering daily classes of hatha or gentle flow (who’d a thunk it).
This blog page is my own personal space to share my dabbling in writing. A lot of the stories will be inspired by my new life, living in Meno Madia Bungalows on the island of Gili Meno, Indonesia.
