Scallywags Smugglers Hideaway

A tropical island and nature hideaway vibe permeates the various locations that make up the Scallywags Smugglers Hideaway, which is popular among divers as well as holidaying couples and groups of friends. Opening right onto the sand, the attractive, partly open-air beach club restaurant has a vaulted thatched roof, whitewashed walls, and a long, curved bar made of handsome solid wood. There's a simple reception area with locally inspired canvases and a handsome dining table that serves as a dark-wood front desk. One enclosed pool, complete with a water feature, sits under an attractive bamboo-beamed roof, and is surrounded by lush plants and a small paved deck. At Mango Retreat, partly open-air hallways with boulder-design paths and bamboo-fashioned ceilings lead to attractive bamboo and thatch cabanas and a beautiful outdoor pool in a shady walled garden.

Smugglers Hideaway, Mango Retreat and Mango Motel, which make up the majority of the accommodations here are set on a quiet, pedestrianized alley lined with a few shops, around an 11-minute walk from the beach club and restaurant. From the beach club, it’s a six-minute walk to the island’s pier. Note there are no cars or motorbikes on Gili Air; the only means of getting around are by bicycle, on horse and cart, or on foot.

Gili Air is around a half-hour by boat from the mainland’s Bangsal harbour, from where Lombok International Airport is about a 90-minute drive. It’s a 20-minute boat ride from Gili Air to neighboring island Gili Meno, and 30 minutes to Gili Trawangan.

Accommodations are set across a number of locations, with the majority of them -- at Smugglers Hideaway and Mango Retreat -- located an 11-minute walk from the beach club. The stylish rooms at Smugglers Hideaway are bright and modern, with white floor tiling, cream walls sporting local canvas art, and large beds with crisp white linens and built-in, solid wood-topped bedside tables. There are long, hardwood desks, open-air closets, and attractive gray-brown curtains. Whitewashed sliding French doors lead to wood decks. Simple but attractive walled courtyards have pebble-lined pathways and wicker club chairs. Mango Retreat’s Deluxe Garden View Rooms have larger, more elaborate and intimate-feeling courtyards with lush trees and foliage, leading right to the pool area. Amenities include air-conditioning, flat-screen TVs (and DVD players in most rooms), free-Wi-Fi, safes, and extensively stocked minibars.

Attractive semi-outdoor bathrooms sport black and white stone tiled floors and walls, modern countertop sinks, design-led mirrors, and rainfall showers. They are especially beautiful in Mango Retreat’s Deluxe Garden View Rooms, where they become garden bathrooms featuring fountain-like rainfall shower centerpieces and double sinks. Hairdryers, bathrobes, and toiletries are provided. 

There are also more functional ensuite rooms at Mango Motel adjacent to Mango Retreat, plus a windowless beachfront room alongside the property’s beach club and restaurant (guests get access to the Mango Retreat pool). Finally, the separate off-site three-bedroom villa has a private pool.

Scallywags has a good range of modern facilities. The two pools -- one at Smugglers Hideaway and the other at Mango Retreat -- are secluded and inviting, though they’re on the small side. An 11-minute walk from most rooms, the beach club is set right on a gorgeous, wide stretch of sand, with plenty of lovely modern sunbeds and parasols for all guests to access. The free breakfast buffet offers a good variety, and it’s also available a la carte for outside guests. The all-day restaurant serves an extensive and delicious menu of local and international meals and snacks, plus cooked-to-order barbecues. There’s a fully equipped on-site diving school, and a spa offers a full range of treatments. Guests in most rooms get free use of bicycles, which can also be hired. Wi-Fi is free throughout, though it can be spotty.