Nelly and I just finished an amazing week in Indonesia. It wasn't always pretty or how westerners romanticize Bali, but it is was still amazing nonetheless. After arriving late at night we woke up the next morning ready to explore Kuta, Bali. Our plan was to head to the beach but instead with one wrong turn we found ourselves weaving through the heart of the area for 2 hours. I feel like we got to see the real Bali....from the way people live to how they cook to how they drive. After China and India, Indonesia and the US are raked the 3rd and 4th most populated countries in the world and, seeing how many motorbikes are on the road, that seems more than accurate! Imagine trying to cross a street with no signals or crosswalks (they do not exist here) with thousands of motorbikes coming at you, not including cars and vans!
We also came across some amazing statues in the middle of the street.
After wandering for a couple hours in the heat and humidity, we finally found our way to the beach where we relaxed our feet and anxiously guzzled our first Bintangs (local beer) to quench our thirst. Once we'd regained our energy, we headed back to the hotel for the night (of course with another detour on the way). The next morning we were supposed to board a boat to the island of Lombok for a few nights however we ran into some problems and had to stay another day/night in Bali. We spent the day at the beach doing more 'touristy' things. The locals set up little bars on the beach where you can stop and buy a Bintang from them and chat. The beach is also littered with vendors selling everything from watches to sunglasses to bows and arrows.
The next morning we were up bright and early to catch the boat to Lombok. After an hour and a half car ride to the harbor, an hour and 15 minute boat ride across the Lombok Straight and then another forty minute cab ride to our hotel, we were definitely in need of these!
During lunch we chatted with a local and chartered a boat to the Gili Islands for the following two days. The Gili Islands are a set of 3 islands about an hour off the beach from the resort we were staying at. When you see the boat we took, you will understand why it took 1+ hours.
The first day we jumped on the boat (literally)and set out for Gili Trawangan, which is the most populated island of the 3 (with tourists, not locals). It is where most of the backpackers go and is full of little beach bungalows that you can rent for around $10/night. We started off the day by walking around the island which took us about 2 hours and included a climb to the highest point of the island.
These pictures are quite deceiving though because the island was full of trash. It was very hard to find a beach to lay out on because there was garbage everywhere...it was really a sad sight to see.
After our tour of the island we stopped for lunch at a nice beachside cafe. Everything on the island is brought in from Lombok, including most of the people who work there, and as we were eating a boat full of locals from Lombok pulled in with supplies for the hotels and restaurants. This woman was unloading crates of eggs.
After lunch we made our moms Mother's Day presents! The reef around the islands is pretty much dead so along with trash the beach is full of dead coral that we were able to use.
After lunch we took a quick dip and then headed back to the boat for our journey home. The next morning we headed out to Gili Air which was a lot more low key (the 3rd island is sandwiched in-between the two and is called Gili Meno. Lonely Planet describes it as the place to go if you want to play Robinson Carusoe.)
We again walked around the island and then stopped for lunch. Motorized vehicles are not allowed on the islands so it was very easy to walk around. Not like Bali at all! This is all coral washed up on the beach.
That night we explored the town we were staying in on Lombok, Sengiggi, and then enjoyed some drinks at the beach bar (for the 3rd night in a row!)
Due to our mishap with the boat a few days prior we were not able to explore the island of Lombok itself which I was quite disappointed about because it is absolutely beautiful. These pictures were taken on the way to catch our boat back to Bali.
Overall we really enjoyed Indonesia. If I were to come back I know for sure where I would spend the least amount of my time (Bali) and the most amount of time (Lombok). The people were amazing and so hospitable and with some exceptions, the countryside is gorgeous.
Next stop: Singapore!
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