INDONESIA- Bali and the Gili Islands

We landed in Denpasar, Bali on a beautiful sunny day and were met by friends, James and his girlfriend Lita, at the airport. James and Keanan had worked together at Science Club and James has been living in Bali for about five years. They were extremely accommodating and had hooked us up with a room at their friend’s, Regina’s, house. The house was in the Canngu/Kerobokan area, about 10 min north of Seminyak (where all the shops, bars and restaurants are) and roughly 30 min west of Denpasar. Regina had been looking for someone to rent a room, so it worked out perfectly. She is incredibly sweet and made a great roommate! The house itself was fantastic. When you walk into the main gate there is a space to park the motor bikes (we had one, too) and on the right side was a path to the courtyard. In between the courtyard and the entrance was our room, standing alone, and attached to an open air living space with a big chair and TV. Across the courtyard from us were the open air kitchen, Regina’s room, spare room, bathroom, and laundry room. We were in a beautiful and quite neighborhood where roads to Seminyak were flanked by rice patties. How lucky we were to have such hospitable and fun friends and a great place to stay right off the bat!



Dinner with James and Lita



The walkway, living room, and our room

The entrance to our room

The stone design on the living room wall

Our garden and Regina's room

Kitchen, laundry, and hallway to the bathroom and other bedrooms

We spent three weeks living in that house, going to the beach, learning to surf, going out dancing and drinking (a nightlife we never had in India), watching soccer matches, and making great friends. Bali itself was incredible. The people were very nice, the food was delicious, and the scenery was out of this world. I am convinced that Indonesian skies and sunsets are impossible to beat. The only downside was that, due to it being the end of their rainy season, much of the runoff from Bali and Jakarta had caused a few of the beaches to be filled with trash. The best beaches were further out of the city and proved to be great day retreats.

Soul Sista party with Regina and friends

Late night party time after Soul Sista event

Karaoke crew

Amazing fresh seafood dinner on the beaches of Jimbaran

At the opening of the W Hotel in Bali- so fance!

One of our many nights at the Cave

Towards the end of our stay, Keanan and I decided to take five days to go to the Gili Islands. The Gili’s are a string of three islands that come off the northwest side of Lombok, the next main island east of Bali. From west to east the islands are named Gilli Tarwangan, Gili Meno, and Gili Air. Tarwangan is the most developed tourism wise, Meno is the smallest of the three and has very little to offer in terms of nightlife, and Air is the calmer version of Tarwangan with a larger local population. All three are absolutely beautiful. They are surrounded by marine life and definitely had the laid back island feel. Adding to the uniqueness of the islands is the fact that they have no police or law system in place. All matters are taken up with village heads that act as island mayors. The system has been working there for years and we were lucky enough to share a drink with the current village head of Tarwangan on our second night!

Our first two nights were spent on Tarwangan where we ran into a friend, Atu, who we had met in Bali. She was there looking at property and introduced us to her “island guide” and all around keeper of the peace, Made (Mah-day). It was great spending time with them, but Atu left after the first day and after two days we were ready to check out the other islands. Made arranged everything and even met us in the morning to send us off.

Nature on Tarwangan

Nature shot #2

Sunset with volcanoes to the west

Sunrise with volcanoes to the east

Made! He let Keanan get behind the bar and make some tasty cocktails!

Our first stop was Meno. The boat ride took about 20 min and as soon as we had secured accommodation we were in search of a beach to spend the day soaking in the sun and scenery. We were in luck and happened across a stretch of beach that provided us with a day of bright skies, vibrant waters, and all the privacy we could ask for. In the seven hours we spent playing on the beach, we only saw four people. After our day at the beach, we spent the beginning of our evening walking through the middle of the island where the locals live. That was a day of pure bliss. Everything was better than expected and Indonesia blessed us with unforgettable memories. It has been one of the best days of the trip without a doubt.

Paradise and our private beach combined

Private beach shot #2

Private beach shot #3

The next day, high on life, we took another ferry over to Air. We came upon a great bungalow and after setting up camp, we went on a tour of the island. It was somewhat of an overcast day, but the greys, blues, greens, and purples still had a way of illuminating our surroundings. We spent much of the day snorkeling and wandering about empty beaches. Watching the sunset over the horizon from the porch of our bungalow was a special treat. Looking out onto volcanoes on both sides of the straight and watching the world drift by into night was a luxury I felt lucky to have. It reminded me just how far from home I was and how different this world was from anything I had ever known. Amazing.

Relaxing on the porch of our bungalow

Going back to Bali from the Gili’s almost felt like going back to reality- until I realized that we were still traveling and every day is an adventure of its own.

Unfortunately, our time in Indonesia ended before we were ready to leave. Being such an unbelievable place, I am positive I will be back. I really feel as though we barely scratched the surface of all the wonders of Indonesia. The next time around cannot come soon enough! As you can imagine, I cannot recommend traveling to Indonesia enough. Yes, a flight may be expensive, but it will be worth every penny and more. This should mean something coming from someone who really only saw a sliver of what the country had to offer. DO IT!!!!!!