Hey Miss Minch - Gili Air... it does exist as I've just been there. This was a true paradise. The Gilis are north west of Lombok (Lombok is the next island down from Bali). I caught a plane from Bali for the 30 min flight into Lombok and them took a taxi to the port to get a boat to Gili. There are 3 Gilis - Gili Air, where I stayed - Gili Meno and Gili Twanagan (I think that's how you spell it...) and they are all out of a picture postcard and it takes you about 40 mins to walk all the way around Gili Air which is the middle-sized island. I went to Gili to learn to Scuba Dive and apart from that there is absolutely nothing else to do on these islands apart from eat or sleep in a hammock. Gili Air was very quiet and I'd say there were about 20 people staying on the island including me + about 50 staff of various hotels, boat hire companies, diving companies and owners of horse and carts (the only transport on the islands). Btw most of the 50 local were fit young men so I was not complaining. Anyway on Sunday was my first SCD course and I watched hours of videos then in the afternoon I had my enclosed water bit of the course - this involved getting all the gear on and going 3 foot under water in the sear and then having your air supply cut off and not holding your breath, also filling your mask with water and emptying it while still under wate, swapping air supply with a buddy and other horrible things - I hated it. Monday was meant to be my first dive in Open Water (12 feet) so I left the hotel at 9am and went to the dive school put on all gear and plodded to the boat thrilled with the idea of what was a ahead of me (!!!????) So I'm on the boat sitting on the side and being told to fall off backwards into the water (now I'd not practiced this bit) and I would not go - no matter how much coaxing I got from my instructor I refused to go overboard. I don't know why - maybe because I hated the day before, maybe because I felt that 2 hours in 3 feet of water had not prepared me enough for this, maybe I was just scared. One thing I'm still glad I stayed dry. Anyway the rest of my time here was spent island hopping, drinking, eating, swimming, sunbathing so it was pretty tough going and I had the most wonderful, restful 3 days. One thing driving through Lombok was astounding - what a beautiful place. It reminded me of Java without the people and the pollution just acres and acers of jungle, farmland and horses and carts. This is a place is certainly want to visit again and find out more about - maybe next year??