Bali and Gili Trawangan
We left the Philippines with a long journey ahead of us to Indonesia. We flew out of Cebu early in the morning with a very long stopover in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. We decided early on that rather than spending ten hours waiting at the airport for our connecting flight to Bali, we would actually go out and explore the city of Kuala Lumpur for the day. We had both been before and we didn't have too many plans for the day, but we just thought it would be a nice day out, exploring the Malaysian capital.
As it was a connecting flight, our luggage was already checked in so we didn't have to worry about dragging our backpacks around the city. We decided to head straight to the iconic Petronas Towers as it was something I didn't do the last time I was in KL. We soon realised why Stef and I must have given it a miss last time - the cost! It seemed ridiculous and yet again we couldn't justify it. We were coming up to the end of our trip after all and money was getting tight. Instead of going up the Petronas Towers, we had a few selfies of us with them and decided to spend our afternoon at the cinema (after some tea and cake of course!). We couldn't really think of much else to do on a budget so went to see Disney's new film, Moana. It was actually very enjoyable and a great way to kill a little time in between flights.
Our flight from KL to Bali was delayed and we didn't arrive until 2.00 am, having gotten up for our flight in the Philippines at 4.00 am the previous morning. We were very tired but also very excited that my sister, Jenny was waiting for us at the airport so she could spend the last leg of our trip with us in Bali and Gili Trawangan. We expected to find her asleep on an airport bench after a seventeen and a half hour flight from the UK, but she was awake and very excited to see us. She had been waiting a long time for this trip and I don't think she had ever been so excited!
After long days and long flights, we all headed straight to bed and woke the next morning to have a dip in our lovely pool. It was great to catch up with my sister about our adventures and hear about what had been happening at home.
We all agreed that a Balinese massage was exactly what we all needed after an exhausting journey. We had three masseuses come up to our hotel room and give us all a very painful massage in the comfort of our own room. The lady that was massaging me didn't seem to be too bad but Jenny and Rich were in pain for days after their masseuses prodded, poked and abused them. Not exactly the relaxing experience we had all been hoping for!
We were staying in Kuta, so decided to go out and explore. Jenny had never been to Asia before and it must have all seemed so crazy to her. I explained that not everywhere in Asia was like Kuta; I didn't want her to be put off. Everywhere we went we were being hassled constantly by the locals for taxis, massages, clothes and everything useless we could possibly imagine. Even as experienced Asia travellers, it was seriously annoying. We went into a few shops and Jenny couldn't help herself with how cheap everything seemed and managed to purchase a few things without much hesitation. We had a wander around and headed to Kuta beach for a walk and to drink out of coconuts, something Jenny couldn't wait to do. It was so nice to finally share our adventures with her.
We went to see the Bali Bombings Memorial, where 202 people died in 2002 in a nightclub that was bombed by Islamic activists. I always think it's important to learn about these things that have happened in countries you visit, even though it might be sad. It certainly was very thought-provoking and eye-opening.
We then went to a bar called Tubes for a drink. Just as we were about to leave to head back to the hotel, a tropical downpour ensued and we just had to stay for another Bintang (the local beer) to ensure we didn't get absolutely drenched.
The next day we all went to the water park, Waterbom. Though it was expensive, it was brilliant fun and so worth it. It was a great day out and we all thoroughly enjoyed all the slides, the lazy river and of course, the dip and sip pool bar.
After a crazy few days in Kuta, we all agreed it was time to move on to Ubud. Both Jenny and myself had heard good things about the little town so we were very excited. Rich had started to feel unwell at the water park and was rapidly starting to feel more poorly so all he wanted to do was curl up in bed. We got a bus from Kuta to Ubud, and gave Jenny the true backpacking experience by walking in the heat with our heavy backpacks for half an hour to our hotel, instead of grabbing a taxi. We were all relieved to finally arrive at our guesthouse, dump our bags and have a dip in the pool. It seems most of the guesthouses in Bali have a swimming pool, which was great for us on a budget.
Whilst Rich felt like dying in the hotel room, Jenny and I went out for the day to explore some of the best sights in Ubud. There were a number of things that Jenny had specifically said she wanted to do whilst in Ubud so we paid for a car and driver who would take us to all of the places we wanted to go. This was great for us as rather than booking a tour and being tied down to a specific itinerary, we custom-made it and only saw the things we wanted and at our own pace.
Our first stop of the day was the Monkey Village, where we could get up and close and personal with lots of cheeky monkeys. They were free to roam around and do as they pleased, which meant they could climb up and on you if they so wished. It just so happened one particular monkey did wish for just that as he gave Jenny a little leg hug. It was quite funny to watch and I'm quite impressed she didn't freak out!
We then drove further north of Ubud to the largest rice terrace in the area, Tegalalang Rice Terrace. We had some lunch with a spectacular view and then went for a short walk around the terraces. It was absolutely beautiful and so humbling to witness the locals hard at work in the heat.
Following on from the rice terraces, we visited a coffee plantation where we were able to sample a vast selection of wonderful teas and coffees. The ultimate coffee being Luwak coffee, which is made from the fermented poo of Asian civet cats. It was all very bizarre, as is everything in Asia but the coffee was actually incredibly delicious.
To finish off the day we visited Bedugul Temple and the Tegenungan Waterfalls. We had such a fantastic day visiting all of the places in Ubud. It was so lovely to spend the day with Jenny and take in all the sights, but we certainly did miss Richard who was tucked up in bed back at the hotel, feeling very sorry for himself. It was a shame that Rich hadn't spent the day with us but it at least gave Jenny and I the opportunity to have a sister day of exploring and sightseeing.
Ubud was a quirky little town that was certainly very different from Kuta. It was a lot more relaxed and gave off the famous Bali hippy vibe. Jenny and I both agreed that we much preferred it to Crazy Kuta, as we named it.
Jenny had heard that the W Hotel in Seminyak was a great spot for for watching the sunset, so the next day we headed there, again without poor Richard who was still ill in bed. We had some food and a couple of drinks and a little swim in the infinity pool, which was amazing. It was all very luxurious and we had to wonder how much it must cost to actually stay the night at this hotel. We had a lovely afternoon, but unfortunately did not witness an amazing sunset owing to the poor weather. We were not very impressed with the fact it was rainy season in Bali!
Our time in Bali was coming to an end and we were very much looking forward to getting the boat across to one of the Gili islands, Gili Trawangan, or Gili T as it's lovingly known. There are three 'Gili' islands that are part of the island, Lombok. We knew we'd only have time for Gili T; we will just have to make sure we come back to go to Gili Meno and Gili Air! We had a great time in Bali but it wasn't up there with one of my favourite places I've ever visited. It was lovely but there was nothing particularly special about it for me. My favourite part was the sightseeing day around Ubud as we saw and did so much and it felt like we were soaking up a little of the Indonesian culture. We were all just very excited about getting to Gili T and enjoying a bit of beach life. What can I say, I love the beach!
Before getting the ferry over to Gili T, we had a short amount of time for some snorkelling at the Blue Lagoon at Padang Bai. It was absolutely gorgeous; the sea was so clear and lovely and warm and the sun was finally shining. It was our first little taste of the amazing beaches.
Rich was particularly excited to get to Gili T as he'd spent six weeks there a few years ago, completing his Divemaster scuba diving course, and was very much looking forward to getting back and seeing some of his friends. He absolutely loves the island and we couldn't wait to see what he had been raving about.
We spent five nights on what can only be described as a paradise island. The weather had perked up for us and we (mostly) had glorious sunshine to enjoy the fabulous turquoise ocean and white sandy beaches. We spent the days sitting on the beach, eating wonderful food, drinking cocktails, riding bicycles, snorkelling (and scuba diving in Rich's case) and swimming in the hotel pool. The hotel we stayed in was fabulous for the price we paid and it felt nice to spend five nights in one place, rather than packing and unpacking every two or three days.
The whole feel and vibe of the island felt very relaxed and chilled and it was really nice to get an idea of the place that Rich really loves and raves about. He was remarkably feeling a lot better and seemed to have recovered from his man flu! We met some of his friends from Manta Dive, the dive shop, and it was lovely to put some faces to names as I'd heard so much about them all and Rich's experiences there. It felt like Rich had returned home and we could understand why he had so much love for this beautiful island. He had said it had changed a lot in the time since he'd left three years before. It had become a lot busier and a lot more touristy but we still enjoyed it and had a great time.
It was only a short holiday for Jenny and the time had come to part ways and say our goodbyes. Rich and I were flying to Australia and Jenny was going back home to the UK. She had started to feel unwell too, so was actually looking forward to going home and seeing her husband and counting down to Christmas. It was a shame she was feeling poorly, but I was glad she wasn't feeling too down in the dumps about going home. We did feel sorry for her though; going home to below freezing temperatures when we'd been soaking up 30 degree rays on the beach! At least Christmas was just around the corner to soften the blow.
Rich and I were very excited for the next adventure. We had spent just over two months in Asia and we were so ready for some western civilisation again. Our adventure had been absolutely incredible but there comes a time after being in Asia for a while, that you start to crave a taste of normality again, and you start to feel like you're 'over' the whole travelling life. We'd certainly got to that point and couldn't wait for what was to come next; starting our lives and the next chapter in Australia.
It had been a fantastic twelve days in Bali and Gili T with Jenny and I am so glad she got to share a piece of our adventure with us. She got a taste for Asia and intends to see some more of it in the not so distant future. It was lovely for us to spend some quality sister time together and for her to join us for a slice of paradise in Indonesia. It was a shame her husband, Ricky could not come too but I am sure they will both come out and meet us in Australia one day.
We cannot believe that nine weeks in Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Taiwan, the Philippines and Indonesia is all over so quickly. We experienced so much and it was the best adventure I could have asked for. New and exciting things await in Australia and we absolutely cannot wait for it all.
See you in the land down under!
