Category Archives: 2011:Indonesia

From Bali to Lombok …

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It was time to say good-bye to Bali …

We left Bali on the slow ferry heading for Lombok (takes around five hours). We were lucky with the ship, a relatively new one – even with a sun deck and deck chairs.

Interestingly those were only used by the tourists (it would probably be fair to call that deck the Westerner meeting point), while the locals remained inside or in the shade. For me inside was not really an option – due to the scent of durian hanging in the room (check my previous comments on durians … or take brie/ camembert add some onions and garlic and put it into the sun for some days and you get a feeling of what I am talking about).

On arrival on Lombok we were picked up by yet another van – we still had some hours drive ahead of us … all the way to Tetebatu at the lower slopes of Mt. Rinjani.

On the way we were lucky enough to witness traditional wedding parades; we stopped (the vans had to pass-by anyhow) and had a closer look. The parade is basically the bride being walked to the home of her to-be husband – the moment in her life, where she gets separated from her family (after years together under one roof) .. so if you see someone looking sad … it’s probably the bride.

On to Bedugal

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We left the coast again and made it back into the heart of the island, Bedugal being the destination of the day.

On the way we had numerous stops, the most notable one at a durian vendor to try this king of fruit. Reactions were … hmmm … mixed … those who know about durians will understand, for the rest of you, I suggest to have a read through the “Flavour and Odour” chapter of the durian article in wikipedia (which is actually quiet fun to read).

Lovina – finally at the Beach

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We left the high mountains behind and made our way to Bali’s north coast at Lovina –  well in time to see a fabulous sunset.

Today I went for a diving trip – we headed further East along the coast, to then take a boat over to Menjangan island – one of the best diving spots in the region.

After I made it back to Lovina, there was yet another sunset to enjoy – this time the British way … with tea followed by a Gin Tonic.

Dinner today was at a local family’s home – with home-cooked Bali specialities – and the Lovina-typical offers (Massage, massage … want a bracelet? … want to see the dolphins … ) with only the offers for sarongs missing.

Climbing Mt. Batur

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This was the earliest morning during this tour.

We left the hotel as early as 03:45; first using the vans to get to the starting point of the climb – and from there by foot uphill for around 1.5 hours.

I was part of the first group from our bigger group to make it up. The rest eventually arrived just 20 minutes later – as did the clouds that also did come in around that time.

On the way down the clouds moved and we could actually see that we were just getting down a volcano within a volcano.

After the hike we had earned a refreshing dip into the pool of a nearby resort (with additional smaller pools fed by hot springs.

On to Sidemen

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We finished the bike ride close to Sangeh Monkey Forest; before lunch we had a guided tour through the forest, passing by the temple, buildings and (yes …) monkeys.

After a fairly ant-y lunch we continued by van to Sidemen – our next stop for the night. On the way we stopped at a weaving mill to first see the production process and then (of course) get an opportunity for shopping. We made it to Sideman after some more hours of driving, where a nice pool was waiting for us – plus some very nice surroundings (green just got a new meaning) – – as well as some heavy rain.

Bike Ride from Ubud to Sangeh Monkey Forest

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This morning bikes were waiting for us; so we jumped on them and got going – first passing by Ubud’s Monkey Forest to our first stop – the Birth Clinic of the Bumi Sehat Foundation, a project supported by Intrepid.

We got an introduction to the project and a tour of the clinic before we continued our bikeride. Our next stops (only like 20 minutes later) was for the true intrepid traveller … we stopped at a local vendor and had a chance to sample a locally produced fermented, alcohol-free coconut based drink … it had a somewhat funny taste, though pretty refreshing.

We continued on … with the occasional break here and there … to finally finish the ride close to the Sangeh Monkey Forest.

Kechak

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In the evening the group got together again to visit a performance of traditional Kechak and Fire Dancing. Footage below …