At 55, I’ll have learned that waiting for the “perfect time” to travel solo is a losing game. So this June, booked the ticket and am heading back to Gili Air for 21 delicious days of island life — and this time, I’ll be doing it a little differently.
On my last trip to the Gili Islands, I wandered the sandy paths of Gili Air, happy just to swim, read, and watch the sunsets. I remember walking past Radiant Gym more than once. It caught my eye — the open-air structure, the wooden equipment — but at the time I wasn’t so into the gym. Exercise for me then was more beach stroll than barbell.
Now that I’ve started training regularly with resistance work back home, I’ll be looking forward to experiencing that gym properly during my 21 days on Gili Air in June.
Returning Stronger
This year I’ll once again choose Gili Air for its gentle rhythm.
But this trip won’t just be about floating in turquoise water. It will also be about feeling strong in my own skin.
Back home, I’ve committed to regular resistance training. Nothing dramatic — just consistent. After 5 months, I can feel the difference. I’ll arrive on Gili Air not as someone curious about the gym, but as someone excited to keep the momentum going.
Weights Over Screens
One of the reasons I’ve fallen in love with resistance training is that it feels refreshingly simple. No flashing screens. No complicated programs. No staring at numbers ticking by on a computerised treadmill or exercise bike. I’ve spent enough of my life looking at screens.
Lifting weights — especially in a place like Radiant Gym — will feel grounding. Honest. It’s just me and the weight. My breath. My focus. There’s something deeply satisfying about the physicality of it, about using my own strength rather than relying on technology to entertain or distract me. Sometimes simple really is good for the soul. Strip away the gadgets and metrics, and what’s left is effort, presence, and the quiet pride of doing something hard.
The Gym I Once Walked Past
Radiant Gym will no longer be something I stroll by on the way to a smoothie bowl. It will become part of my daily rhythm.
The open-air gym reminds me of a cross between The Flintstones and Survivor. The equipment looks hand-built and beautifully rough around the edges — wooden frames, concrete weights, thatched roofing. It’s gloriously back-to-basics.
I’ll be lifting with a sea breeze on my face instead of air-conditioning. I’ll hear birds and distant waves instead of pop music. And I suspect there won’t be a single mirror in sight — which, honestly, feels freeing.
