Genuine Smiles in a Wonderful Little World … Gili Trawangan – Portrait Photography

These charming and delightful kids live on the tiny Indonesian island of Gili Trawangan. 

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Places to go, places to grow 

The 3 tiny Gili islands between Bali and Lombok are wonderful places for a vacation. And judging from the warm, genuine smiles of these happy kids, those islands are also great places to grow up.    

Since motorized traffic is forbidden on the Gili islands, the best way to get around is by walking. (Unless you’re in a hurry; then you can take a bullock cart or ride a bicycle.) And while walking, you’ll meet many locals, going about their daily lives. 

I met these kids a few days after I arrived, and they were so friendly and engaging that we would stop and chat whenever we ran into each other. I speak no Indonesian, but they spoke more than a few words of English, and that was enough for our introductory chats. 

Wonderful little world 

They enjoyed their simple life on Gili Trawangan, and loved exploring different parts of the island. But they were also curious about the outside world, and the 2 older girls asked me many questions about my home country and more. Since they’re usually surrounded by tourists from the great big world beyond their shores, their interest is inevitably piqued.

At the same time, these kids were quite content in the great little world on their island. Not surprising, I guess, since it’s essentially a tropical paradise.  Location – Gili Trawangan, on Google Maps

This is my entry in @juliank’s Portrait Photography contest.