From Bali to Gili

Sunset on Gili Trawangan

Our first thought upon arriving in Kuta, Bali was that it was much more developed than we expected.  Our second was that we had somehow stumbled into the Aussie version of the Brit’s Magaluf, or Canadian/American’s Cancun.  That being said the beach was long and beautiful and there was plenty to do.  We arrived one night before our friends  from Vancouver with whom we were going to be travelling for the next 10 days, so took the opportunity to ....ahem ...try out a few of the bars and cocktails on offer.  Well someone had to do it.  After a few happy hours along the main strip, we ended up in a giant bar called Bounty.  A bit tacky (ok a lot tacky) it nevertheless had a certain appeal as it was a giant pirate ship divided up into 6 or 7 different bars all playing different music.  We spent the rest of our first night here dancing the night away.  Our friends arrived late the next night and after one or two ‘quick’ catch up drinks that lasted until 3am, we went to bed eager to hit the beach the following day.  

Kelsey, Nicola and Noah in Bounty

After a good day  on the beach we got ready to go to a highly recommended Italian restaurant in a neighbouring town for Nicola’s birthday.  A few pastas, pizzas, and beef carpaccios later we headed back into town to ...where else? Bounty.  Again we spent the majority of the night on the dance floor after watching the more inebriated patrons slosh around in the foam pit.  After some slightly more relaxing nights, we woke up early and headed to Gili Trawangan, off the coast of Lombok.

Gili T was a welcome change. The small island has no cars, no motorbikes just horse drawn carriages and bicycles.  Things are a bit pricier on the island as everything has to be imported from Lombok but, especially thanks to our fabulous accommodation, we loved it and extended our time there.  Noah and I went diving a few times, including a deep dive certification course solely so we could descend to depths where the sharks live. Good visibility, warm water, shark sightings and a fairly strong current made for some really exciting  underwater adventures.   Aside from some beach side Spanish tapas and Japanese food, we stuck to the local Indonesian food which was always a cheap and safe option.

Marta's Villas, Gili Trawangan

Five days flew by and before we knew it, we were headed back to Kuta for two last nights. On our last full day in Bali, Noah and I rented a driver and headed up to Ubud for the day. What an amazing place. The picturesque village was only a couple of hours drive from the hectic Kuta, but felt a million miles away. Beautifully ornate restaurants, shops and guesthouses lined the narrow streets all the way to the base of the town where there was a large monkey sanctuary. I have never seen so many monkeys up close in my whole life. With no fear of humans they would steal your camera from your hand if you weren’t careful. About five minutes into our walk through the sanctuary, a monkey ran up to me, climbed up my leg and onto my head. Noah was hurriedly taking pictures while I was just slightly freaking out but I think the monkey might have been even more scared than I was (or just had a really good sense of humour) because he peed on me. All down the front of my shirt. After a quick trip to the nearest bathroom where I took off my shirt and rinsed it out under the tap Noah and I were finally BOTH able to laugh about it. It was certainly a memorable way to finish our time in Indonesia.

Indonesia fast facts:

Currency: Indonesian Rupiahs 13,000 = £1

Local beers: Kuta, Bintang

Average price of a vodka tonic: £2

Average price for dinner for 2 incl. drinks (restaurant):£8

Average price for dinner for 2 incl. drinks (street food):£3

Average price for a manicure: £2

Favourite national dish: Chicken Satay