Gili Trawangan 'Lonely' Following Dearth of Tourists

From Anis Nabilla Md Wazilah LOMBOK (Indonesia), Nov 5 (Bernama) -- Popular tourist destination Gili Trawangan located in North Lombok now feels almost deserted, as the number of visitors took a nosedive following the earthquake which struck the archipelago three months ago. Speedboat operator Laluh Juliado, 28, said his business was badly affected after the incident. "It's not that no one is coming at all...there are some who still do, but it’s not as good as before. "Sometimes I get tourists (who wish to use my service), there are days where I get nothing at all. Usually (prior to the earthquake) I could make two or three trips a day, but after the disaster it's been hard," he told Bernama. The news agency is currently covering the #peduligempalombok6.0 aid mission organised by the Global Peace Mission (GPM) Malaysia here. Laluh, who has been ferrying visitors for over 10 years now, hopes business will pick up again during the school holidays. A greengrocer, Nindi, said her earnings were affected due to the lack of tourists, who were likely scared to come to the island after the earthquake, which claimed hundreds of lives. "We ourselves are still traumatised, it's likely that other people are also afraid to come and spend their holidays here. However, this is the only place I can earn and we need to remain steadfast. "Usually, at this time of the year, visitors flock to this place, and it lasts until January," said the 42-year-old who runs her business at the Gili Trawangan market. Meanwhile, GPM's Mission Leader Ahmad Hamizan Ahmad Horman said after surveying the island, he found several shops damaged, and the organisation was ready to provide assistance to the affected parties. Lombok is currently in the recovery phase after a 6.4 magnitude earthquake struck on July 29, followed by a second one on August 5, measuring 7.0 on the Richter scale. In the meantime, Malaysians who wish to help may channel their donations online via www.billplz.com/peduligempalombok or by making deposits to Global Peace Mission's accounts in Maybank (5642 2161 1602) or Bank Islam (1402 3010 02922 4). -- BERNAMA