Bali, Gili and Lombok
- Angus
- Nov 8, 2017
- 3 min read
Bali has long been a well established tourist destination for many Westerners. Ocean lovers flock here to enjoy the excellent surf breaks and world class diving whilst further inland one will find good hiking around the volcanoes and more of an authentic "Indonesian" vibe in the small cultural and spiritual towns. However, we would be remiss if we suggested Bali did not have partying at its core.
Canggu, Kuta and Uluwatu
After meeting up with Olivia (whom we met in Madagascar) and Clara (her friend from Germany) we spent the first four nights in Bali in Uluwatu at a place called Ayu Guna Inn which had spacious rooms, two swimming pools and a decent restaurant. From there it was a relatively short distance to several famous surf breaks, which we explored using a scooter but found to be either unsurfable (no waves) or UNSURFABLE (above our level). We found out that the surf in Kuta was more appropriate for our skill level (newbie) and after an hour or so we were all able to stand. Additionally, a short stroll from Kuta beach, through the typical Asian market stalls, we could find ourselves at the heart of Kuta's party scene. Here one can find an abundant selection of drinking establishments with ridiculous offers (20 shots for $11), beer pong and pretty much any other drinking related game. The evenings were thus spent unwinding in Kuta, which one Trip Advisor reviewer must have accidentally described as "Hell on Earth".
We then relocated to Canggu Beach Hostel, a hipsterish accommodation which relied on a top-up card payment system (dangerous at the bar) and had its own restaurant and bar, pool table and pair of swimming pools. Situated near Old Man's Beach that offers two places to surf for beginners/intermediates (Old Man's Beach and Echo Beach). We threw in a quick surfing session and found these waves to be definitely more challenging (and fun) than in Kuta. Come evening, Old Man's and Sand Bar are the places to go for late night frivolities.
Whilst Hunter made his way to Lombok the rest of us were determined not to make our trip to Bali revolve around adrenaline and alcohol. With that in mind we headed towards the island's cultural capital, Ubud. Set in the highlands surrounded by gorgeous rice fields, this town offered great food, ancient temples and a colourful range of parades and handicrafts as well as endless shops selling all sorts of services from massages to detox activities. It was also from here that we could book the sunrise trek up to the summit of Mount Batur. The tour bus picked us up from our hostel at around 2 in the morning and drove us to the base of the volcano. From there it was a 3 hour hike to the summit where we could drink coffee and have breakfast in the darkness and await the sunrise to reveal ash clouds emanating from Mt. Agung one week before it erupted. There were monkeys living around the top who fed from scraps of meals left by tourists.
Lombok
Meanwhile, Hunter had taken the boat over to Lombok. This island was all about culture and nature. Mataram, a town on the West coast had an excellent array of sea food and he and a couple of friends hired some scooters and took to searching for some surf beaches. Driving through the national parks they were able to see monkeys and did end up finding a few beaches where surfing was possible such as Selong Bay. However these, combined with poor weather proved to be not worthwhile; one would be better off keeping to Bali for this activity.
Gili
Now when I mentioned earlier that Bali was mostly about partying I was primarily referring to Gili T. The biggest of the Gili archipelago, this island's major attraction is the long strip of beach bars and clubs along its coast. We caught up with Zi (an old friend from Budapest) who happened to be working here and he showed us around the island during the day: including snorkelling with sea turtles, the famous trash mountain and a game of mini golf. During the night, we were taken to the beachfront where young adults from the world over congregate and participate in the creation and destruction of memories. Stay clear of this island if you don't want to party. Gili Air / Gili Meno offer just as good snorkelling/diving without the booze-infused mess.
On our last day in Indonesia we took the slow boat from Lombok to Bali and flew out from Denpasar to Singapore 12 hours before the volcano erupted and grounded all flights for a week. Close call!
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