Imagine a world without incessant honking, traffic jams, and road rage. What may seem impossible in today’s auto-reliant world is a reality on one Indonesian island where motor vehicles are prohibited.
One well-known YouTuber gave her 1.01 million subscribers an inside look at life on the remote island.
Norwegian vlogger and frequent traveler Maddie Borge (@macerly) documented her experience exploring Gili Trawangan, a small Indonesian island without any cars. In her YouTube video, Borge explained that “the only vehicles allowed are bicycles and horses.”
She said of the experience, “This is definitely one of the most unique places I’ve ever been.”
Biking as she vlogged, Borge showed her followers a “whole road network” just for bicycles paved with smooth, flat stones.
“Even though there are no cars, there’s still traffic rules,” she said in the video. “We all cycle on the same side of the road as you would drive on in the U.K. And if you don’t, which I didn’t do the first day, you will get yelled at.”
Gili Trawangan is one of three Indonesian islands collectively known as the Gili Islands. All travel on the three islands is limited to walking, bikes, and horses. For longer distances or transporting large items, there are horse-drawn passenger carts called cidomos. (It’s worth noting, however, that Gili Island tourism companies have often been criticized for abusing and neglecting cart horses.)
As Indonesia’s tourism site explained, “Cars and motorbikes are prohibited on the Gilis, giving each island a very peaceful atmosphere.”
It’s a policy that makes sense, especially given the small size of the Gili Islands. Gili Trawangan, the largest of the Gili Islands, is just 6 square kilometers, or about 2.3 square miles.
The policy also benefits the planet by helping to curb air pollution. An International Energy Agency analysis found that private vehicles were responsible for more than 25% of global oil use and around 10% of carbon air pollution in 2022.
The Environmental Protection Agency noted that the average gas-powered passenger vehicle releases 4.6 metric tons of carbon air pollution per year. To put that in perspective, MIT reported that a cube 27 feet tall, wide, and long would hold just 1 metric ton of carbon pollution.
Commenters on Borge’s video were fascinated by the island’s transportation norms, with some sharing their experiences visiting similar islands, including Michigan’s Mackinac Island and Germany’s East Frisian Islands.
“If any, the only cars there are the fire truck and ambulance,” one commenter wrote of their experience visiting the East Frisian Islands. “It’s so peaceful up there because of that. I’m always so disappointed when I get back to the mainland with cars honking and people being stressed.”
In another video, Borge questioned how she can “return to normal life” after experiencing the island’s peaceful biking culture. One commenter suggested, “Advocate for better cycling infrastructure where you live.” Now that’s one planet-friendly way to soften the blow of leaving paradise.
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