Gili Islands, Indonesia

On the move again! We were bundled into the back of another truck and taken to the harbor in Lembongan, where we were then loaded onto a tiny fishing boat with about 30 people and all of our luggage like a floating sardine can.

Luckily we were only on this one for a few minutes before being transferred to a huge ferry to bring us to Gili Trawangan. I mentioned them in my last post but I reallt recommend Ekajaya Fast Boat for this journey, its a really modern ferry with air-con, they look after your bags, they are very organised and they were on time.

Gili Trawangan

When I arrived at Gili Trawangan I was again struck by the colour of the water. It was so many shades of blue and turquoise and clearer than I had ever seen before. The island is small and quaint with no cars, only horse buggies and bicycles but there's no shortage of shops and restaurants, there's an ATM and a 24 medical center (so technically you could stay there forever!).

 

We stayed in Gili Backpakers which was close enough to walk, luckily for the ponies who didn't have to lug our backpacks! Gili Backpackers is a very cool looking hostel with grafiti and song lyrics painted all over, a huge balcony bar with bean bags and mats, lots of rooms and bamboo bunkbeds with individual lockers and a big bathroom (only cold water though, not that it matters in the heat).

First on the agenda was to book a snorkeling trip because we were both mad to do it but were saving it for the Gilis. There are plenty of places to do dive courses too, but we passed on that one as it was quite expensive and takes a lot of time. We booked a snorkel trip for the following day that takes you to the best spots around the 3 islands (Gili Trawangan, Gili Air and Gili Meno) for 80,000RPH. It was one of the best experiences I have ever had, and what I would have done to be able to take photos under the water. It was quite eerie at the start when you first put your head under and realise how deep the water is, and the water is so crystal clear that you have 100% visibility all around you. We were surrounded by tropical fish and I could not get over how perfect they were; the colours and patterns and shapes. I saw almost ALL of the fish from Finding Nemo which I was very chuffed about, and we saw a turtle on the sea bed. It was like being immersed in a whole other world surrounded by colourful coral and literally thousands of fish swimming around you in shoals or going solo. It was an incredible experience.

That night was spent lying face down in bed because we both got so sunburned from swimming with our backs facing the sun all day, waterproof factor 50 may be necessary for this one! We did manage to venture out to the food market which despite the myriad of restaurants on Gili T is one of the most popular places for dinner. We had Nasi Goreng (rice, chicken, veg and an egg on top) for 15,000RPH and roasted corn on the cob covered in garlic butter for 10,000RPH - incredible value for amazing food and a great atmosphere.

Most of our days were spent lying on the beach with a kindle working on our tans, and one day we rented bicycles and cycled around the island for an hour or two. We saw how the other half live in very swish villas and resorts, and in contrast saw how the locals live in tiny thatch houses. Of course we couldn't let the sun go down unnoticed, so we watched the sunset over a volcano in the aptly named Sunset Bar.

Our Gili T nights were spent in Sama Sama bar drinking cocktails and dancing to the resident Gili T Band who play reggae versions of popular songs - they are so good! We nicknamed the 2 singers Bruno Mars and Mike Chang (from Glee), and then there was our new friend who requested to be called Mohommad Bono when he found out we were Irish. He was genuiely Bono's biggest fan, but very distraught to hear the story behind "Bloody Sunday"... he thought Bono just wasn't a Sunday person!

 

We are unsure how things escalated, but we ended up eating corn and having DMCs with Bruno Mars, Mike Chang and Mohammed Bono in the food market one night! They were the nicest guys and you have got to spend a night in Sama Sama if you ever find yourself on Gili Trawangan.

The only negative experience we had on Gili T was the night we were woken up by the aftershock of an earthquake! It only lasted a few seconds and most people didn't even feel it, but we were googling evacuation plans.

Gili Air
How can I put into words my love for Gili Air?! It was an island we had planned to visit for 2 days, and ended up staying a week. It was perfect. Much calmer and quieter than Gili T, Gili Air has its own vibe and moves at its own pace. It also has my favourite beach from our trip so far and we logged a lot of hours appreciating it! My favorite part of the day was when a man came along the beach selling fresh mango, it was heaven.

We found a spot that we loved on the beach called Unzipped and went there every day for lunch and sunbathing - we worked hard on our tans and it paid off eventually!

Our home for the week was Gili Air Hostel (the same company as Gili Backpackers) which was pretty basic but very homely and lots of friendly people around. If you have a bigger budget there are some incredible bungalows on Gili Air, or if you just want to google them for hotel envy! Our hostel had a great pancakes for breakfast and the best shower I've had in a long time, they also have 400 movies to chose from every night. We took it easy and watched movies most nights, but one night we headed to a beach party with a gang from the hostel. I'll always remember this at the night we saw plankton glowing in the sand, which you don't see every day! Also, the locals are mad yokes! Dancing the night away on a Monday and probably driving a boat full of tourists somewhere the next day!

The best food we had was noodles from the little Warungs, but there are loads of BBQs and buffets as you walk along the beach front road. 

Our last day on the island came far too quickly, and as we waited for our boat to pull up a man who had previously been colouring in a stone began to beat a guitar with one hand and smoke a cigarette with the other while howling at the top of his lungs. It was a really weird way to say goodbye but at least put a smile on our faces!

Our next stop is Ubud which I'm really looking forward to, but if it had been anywhere else we may have decided to skip it and stay even longer. We miss you already Gili Air!

Next Stop: Ubud, Bali

Nusa Lembongan, Bali

I'm so glad we found Nusa Lembongan. This is what Bali is all about. Perfect, and I mean perfect, clear turquoise water, with beaches and temples every direction you turn. It is a paradise.

Thankfully the choppy boat trip was a short one to Lembongan (which is one of 3 islands that comprise the Nusa Penido Archipelago, right at the very south of Bali). It's a bit hectic when you arrive as your bags are taken off the roof of the boat and you pray they don't fall in, there are people every where and men frantically asking which hotel you are staying in and then you are herded into the back of a truck and dropped off at your hotel before you know which end of you is up! We stayed at Radya Homestay which is fantastic value for a bungalow for 2 and run by a lovely family. The open air bathroom is a bit of a surprise, but a nice touch too.

Less than 24 hours after swearing off mopeds for life for a second time, we rented another one. This time with the added bonus of having no helmets and a kickstarter!
We had the best day.
We found a gorgeous spot called Mangrove Beach where the sun-loungers were free and the water was warm! We sipped on fresh mango juice and coconuts in Warung Jiva and read our kindles looking over the beach and feeling very lucky.

After a while we geared up for some exploring and willed the bike up steep hills as we drove around the coast looking at the perfect views and women working on seaweed farms when the tide went out.

Around every corner was a new find. Ornate temples, panoramic views, beaches, cliffs. We passed by a graveyard that had colourful umbrellas on every headstone and saw a volcano from the tippy-top of the island. It was such a great way to see the island, exploring for ourselves and getting lost to find new ways around. I loved how so many places felt totally untouched like we weren't supposed to be there... maybe we weren't!

 

Another great beach we found is called Dreamland Beach where enormous waves crash into Devil's Tear. We stayed for ages watching the monster waves rolling in, I can still hear them thundering in my ears when I think about it!

 

Later on we went to Blue Corner for the sunset and a very laid back beach party with some surfers from Melbourne. It was a great spot for a party and seems to be the place to go for a night out on Lembongan. 

The next day we ambushed the pool at the hotel across the road from us called Tiger Lilly's and pretended we weren't poor backpackers for an afternoon!

That night was spent at the island's cinema restaurant, complete with bean bags, projector and drinks - such a cool spot. The movie was Into The Wild which is a feckin horrible movie for a traveller to watch, I'm scared for life! The cinema is a great idea though as the island is so laid back and not a huge party island, it's lovely to sink into a beanbag and relax after a tough day on the beach!

Next Stop: Gili Islands
 

Other Bits and Pieces:

Nusa Lembongan is really forward thinking about conservation and the environment which is great to see. You can snorkel in crystal clear water and they are doing their best to keep it that way, so you may have to pay a tax to snorkel or dive. There is also a really cool self-sustainable cafe called Eco Deli who have natural juices and salads, definitely worth a visit. You can also refill water bottles in lots of places so hold on to your empties.

It is quite expensive to get to the Gilis from Lembongan. But MAKE SURE that however you get there, you book your return ticket as they charge even more once you are on Gili to get off. Our haggling/bluffing experience paid off and we got a boat to Gili T, an open return ticket to Padang Bai and a transfer to Ubud for 750,000RPH. We tried them all but the best deal was in the agency across the road from Radya Homestay. They were really organised and they used Ekajaya Fast Boats which are very reliable and safe. The guy who sold us the tickets was a bit mad and looked like an Indonesian Christy Dignam from Aslan, but it's all above board!

Balangan and Uluwatu (The Bukit Peninsula), Bali

Traveling around South America was a very different experience to traveling in South East Asia. For one thing, we were hyper-organised for South America and knew where we wanted to be and when we needed to be there. Since we have arrived Indonesia however we have been going with the flow and deciding where we want to go next at the drop of a hat - and I love it! We would literally be lost without our Lonely Planet book though and I can't recommend it enough. So with the help of The Book we decided to take a trip to The Bukit Peninsula, which is renowned for its beaches and surfing, as well as the Temple of Uluwatu. But another big difference between here and South America (where you could get a bus to absolutely anywhere at any time of day or night) is that public transport in Indonesia is basically nonexistent. So we booked a transfer from Kuta to Balangan with our hotel, and most likely got ripped off!

We had booked accommodation in Balangan (The Balangan Inn) and wondered why our driver found this so funny. All became clear when we arrived and realised that where we were staying was quite... rural! So when we checked in the guy at reception gave us 2 keys, one to our room (a very romantic little bungalow with a 4 poster bed) and a key to our very own moped, which we both stood and looked at blankly for a moment. The moped was only 70,000RPH for the day and by far our best (and only!) option for getting around. So after a 20 second lesson we were handed an expired Indonesian driver's license and 2 helmets, given directions ("that way"), and off we set down winding roads to find Balangan Beach.

Thankfully we found it easily enough and it was drop dead gorgeous, as well as jammed with surfers who provide the entertainment on the massive waves.

We spent a few hours sunbathing and watching the surfers and then set off for Uluwatu. The best time to go to Uluwatu temple is around 4.30pm to have a look around and then watch the Sunset Kecak Dance performance at 6pm. Also, be forewarned warned about the monkeys who are terrifying, thieving bastards!

It quickly became apparent that Karen had nerves of steel on the moped while I just had regular nerves, so she was nominated to do the half hour drive to the temple. It was a bit further than we thought in very busy traffic and we had a few hairy moments but it was all worth it when the temple came into view perched right on the edge of a sheer cliff with waves crashing all around.

 

We had a wander around and managed to avoid the monkeys (did I mention they are huge and have fangs and steal from children?!) and then took our seats for the Kecak Dance at sunset.
It was like nothing I have ever experienced, I will remember it forever.
First, a fire is lit in the center of the arena.

Then the chanting erupts from all around as about 40 men and boys burst out and sit in a circle around the flames.

  

I can't do it justice to describe the performance, it's almost like a trance as the relentless chack-a-chack-a-chack chant never stops or quietens and female dancers move and swish around the flames portraying ancient folklore stories. You become completely mesmerised, almost dizzy as you watch and listen. And all the while the setting sun is the backdrop.

HOWEVER! As the sun got lower and lower in the sky we began to realise that would be driving home in the dark, on a moped, with one headlight and no directions. Crap. Things started off very well though, we bought petrol out of a vodka bottle from a stall on the side of the road for 70,000RPH (45c!) which felt promising:

And we even managed to find our way back to the main part of town for a little pitstop to calm the nerves! Then we found the road that definitely led back to our hostel and we knew that in 10 minutes we would be back from our adventure. An hour later after driving down at least 7 pitch black roads, on the verge of tears having been chased by a pack of street dogs, we were lost. It was luck that got us back to the hostel, no idea how we found it again, but we were badly in need of a drink and a hug! 

Our vow to never, ever get on a moped again if our lives depended on it was short lived as we rented it again the next day to see Padang Padang beach. This was one of the main reasons we came to the Bukit Peninsula as we read that it was "small but perfect", "paradise", "a surfer's dream", "the Bali you always dreamed off"... 

What. A. Let. Down. 

The best thing about Padang Padang beach is seeing people's reactions when they realise that they are actually in the right place and this is Padang Padang beach, everyone is disgusted! It was tiny, not even room to put down a towel, and crowded with sellers and cigarette buts. It wasn't even that pretty and the current was too strong to swim. We sat in disappointed silence for about 10 minutes before we decided to head back to Balangan Beach which is a million times nicer. 

After a day of sunbathing we were lucky enough to find a small crowd of people doing yoga on the beach at sunset. The teacher is there most days and the class is free but you can give a donation at the end. I have never done yoga before and had to suppress a serious case of the giggles every time he told us to "keep our spineys straight". At one stage I thought he told us to "be avare of our food and coffee", but he was actually talking about our "foots and calfeys" - that nearly send me over the edge! But I thoroughly enjoyed it and he was a very knowledgeable yogi. He invited us to jam with him later that night too, but due to lack of jamming skills we politely declined! 

Next Stop: Nusa Lembongan, Southern Bali

Kuta, Bali, Indonesia

Sorry there are no pictures for Kuta, I don't know why I didn't take any. My bad.

We had read in our bible (Lonely Planet's South East Asia on a Shoestring) that when we arrived in Denpasar Airport we should leave the grounds of the airport and cross the road to get a cheaper taxi. I think we were pretty successful as we bargained the driver down to 40,000RPH and managed to ignore the hundreds of annoying little men trying to take us from the arrivals hall.

We arrived at our very budget friendly Sayang Maha Mertha Hotel and were pleasantly surprised. We were kind of expecting a hole to be honest but it was perfect for what we needed - clean room, breakfast, close to everything and nice staff.
We were actually quite wary about arriving in Kuta in general as not one person had anything nice to say about it, particularly Australians who warned us that there are some undesirable Ozzys who make Kuta their second home. And while it is a bit brash and busy and nothing like anywhere else in Bali, it wasn't the worst place you could be.

We spent our first day chucking out all of our fleeces and thermals and stocking up on summer clothes in the market. We got a whole summer wardrobe for next to nothing, but you have to haggle and bargain like your life depends on it - if the girl in the stall isn't pretending to cry as you leave then you gave her too much! 

Later that evening we were temped by the unbelievably cheap prices in the spas and booked in for a Balinese Massage. (I also booked in for a wax, but I'm going to need a few years of therapy before I can go into that. Suffice to say a 14 year old girl should not be allowed to use molten lava on tourists). Unfortunately the massage was not much more enjoyable. The same pre-teen lightly rubbed me up and down for a solid hour while occasionally jumping on the bed like a silent ninja. As we say in Ireland: it was shite!

The following day was memorable for all of the right reasons however as I got to tick standing up on a surf board off my bucket list. Living in Ireland where we have some of the best surf in the world it's a sin that I have reached the age of 26 without trying it before, but I already can't wait to do it again.
The best price we found was 400,000RPH for 2 hours of lessons and board rental. We practiced on the sand first and couldn't hear a word the fella was saying but we got the gist. When it was time to take to the water the instructor admitted that the waves were much bigger than usual, but I was convinced that years of watching Home and Away would pay off! It took a good few tries and screams of "PADDLE PADDLE PADDLE" before I eventually caught a wave and stood up on the board, and when I did I felt like an absolute rock star! Karen had been surfing a few times before and put us all to shame standing up the first time like a boss! I just wish we had someone there to take photos.

Kuta was our first experience of daily Hindu offerings that you see and smell almost everywhere in Bali. Canang Sari is the name for the beautiful small offerings made from flowers, rice, sweets and incense which are lit to praise and thank the gods. They are left on shrines and temples and placed all over the pavements each and every day in ritual. I never want to forget the smell of Bali; frangipani and rosemary.

 
Next Stop: Balangan, Bali

Other bits and pieces:

You need $35 US Dollars to enter Indonesia which you pay at passport control. Nobody tells you that!

Everyone in Kuta wants to rip you off. If you are getting a taxi, buying something at a stall or booking transport etc, always take at least half off the price they say and start bargaining from there.