This new, home-from-home is locally owned and operated and strives to share island life and culture with as wide a variety of people as possible, reflected in the range of accommodation options and prices. The property is situated directly on the beach with beautiful, ever changing, ocean views that stretch to Mount Rinjani in the north-east of Lombok. The locally sourced staff are extremely friendly and accommodating, making one feel one of the family within minutes, as is their culture. The stated aim of Thamarind is to make a direct contribution to the people of the island through environmental consciousness and employment, and to strive to become evermore eco-friendly in their approach to running the resort. Accommodation is made up of plantation-teak bungalows and a three bedded building, inspired by traditional rice storage barn, or lumbung. The bungalows are all ensuite and have tastefully furnished bedroom/sitting areas each with a terrace. The lumbung has three separate double bedrooms that can be used as a single family or group unit or used separately, one on-suite and the other two share a bathroom. Tents are supplied with comfortable a mattress and pillows.

Abu, the owner, is the grandson of an original island settler who came to the island to follow good fishing opportunities. He was raised on the island and went to the mainland to go to university, but has always kept close to the island and offers the advantages his education has provided him to help the local community. His sister is the only other member of his large immediate family who has remained on the island and is now in charge of the kitchen, putting a delicious local stamp on the food served at the restaurant. His grandfather was responsible for planting the number of thamarind trees that dot the site and island, hence the choice of name. It is just the way with the Sasak community that all are welcome and included and guests are drawn in and find new friends from around the world.

The island still retains its unspoiled charm and walks around the islands brings one in contact with the very friendly local fisher folk who still ply their trade from beautiful outrigger boats, mainly focusing on catching, partly processing and taking their mackerel catch to market. Be prepared for long conversations along the way (possibly even onesided ones in the local Sassak tongue), offers of coffee and a seat on the gazebo. Guests see the island as an authentic island getaway and a welcome antidote to the more crowded small islands (gilis) to the north and to Bali. In fact, people who knew these places of old say that that Gili Gede (amusingly the name translates as ' big small island') reminds them of the other gilis and Bali many years ago. There is a variety of watersport activities and opportunties available. Enter island time and re......lax.