Explore the emerald archipelago of Indonesia; a land of diverse cultures, breathtaking landscapes...
Ubud
After exploring the beauty of Ubud, Bali, we were mesmerised by the lush landscapes and vibrant culture that surrounded us. That eve we booked another uber (successfully) to our hostel in Ubud. This cost us 100,000 IDR. The hostel was lovely ‘Dormy Inn’ but a little bit out of the way so we rented a scooter the whole time which was great for us as Danielle is a confident driver but if your not so keen maybe stay somewhere closer or ask about taxi hire. Our friends hired a car for 400,000 IDR (2 people) for the day to take them round to all the attractions they wanted to see.
In Ubud we went to the monkey forest, 40,000 IDR, which we really liked. It’s a nice little walk as well as just being to see the monkeys. I was really scared about being attacked but didn’t need to be; if you don’t provoke them or have any food they won’t come near you. From the enchanting Monkey Forest to the scenic drive to Trawangan Waterfall, every moment was filled with awe and wonder.
In the afternoon we went to the trawangan waterfall. It was a fantastic scenic drive to the waterfall passing through jungle, rice paddies, hidden streets and dodging all the dogs! This was the best bit of the trip as the waterfall itself wasn’t really anything too special (this may be us in spoilt traveller mode as we have seen so many stunning things now, hopefully not!). The water was pretty murky so we opted out of the swim and it was just so busy.
After this we drove in convoy (at the waterfall we had met up with Katie, Charlotte and Daryl) to a silversmith. The silversmith visit was a unique experience, watching the craftswomen create intricate jewellery pieces was truly captivating. There is a shop at the end of the tour to see and purchase the finished products. There was no pressure to purchase the jewellery and they let us walk around with no problems, even though no one had bought anything.
No trip to Ubud is complete without a visit to the bustling local market, where bargaining for souvenirs and local food added an extra layer of excitement to our adventure. Whatever you do in Indonesia make sure you barter for everything, even if you think you’re undercutting them, you are not, it is very much apart of their culture.
After our enchanting time in Ubud, Bali, we embarked on the next leg of our journey to the stunning Gili Islands. Due to the unpredictable weather, we opted to fly to Lombok instead of taking the long boats from Bali to the Gili Islands. The next day we got the hostel shuttle (60,000 IDR pp) back to Denpasar airport and flew to Lombok. We had heard the weather was really bad for the boats going across to the Gili islands so thought we would try flying via Lombock instead and the short 30-minute flight provided us with a smooth and convenient way to reach our destination. As we settled into our seats and soared above the clouds, we couldn't contain our excitement for the adventures that awaited us on the pristine shores of the Gili Islands. The transition from Bali to Lombok was seamless, and we eagerly anticipated the new experiences and breathtaking landscapes that awaited us on these tropical paradises.
Next up - Lombok!