S01-E12
Indonesia is more than just Bali
Indonesia is an incredible country that is made up of over 17,000 islands. Of those 17,000 most tourists only make it to one, Bali. It is easy to understand why, Bali is incredibly beautiful, accommodating, and has a lot to offer. During our time in Indonesia, we spent time on Bali and a small island off the main island of Bali, Nusa Lembongan. Visiting Nusa Lembongan was not in our original plans but after several canceled flights to Manado on the island of Sulawesi we needed to come up with an alternative and Nusa Lembongan did not disappoint. Below are some of the highlights from our time on the big island of Bali:
Govinda Villas - situated in the jungle 45 minutes north of Ubub, these family-owned villas are a lovely and quiet sanctuary away from the traffic and noise of the more touristed spots in south and central Bali
Bali Highlights Tour - Wayan Badunk, is not only a tour guide but also the owner of this amazing company. On our tour, we visited The Twin Water Falls, the Ulun Danu Deratan Temple, the Ogoh Ogoh Bali Museum, and the Pura Taman Ayun Temple. He and his company offer a variety of tours and will tailor one based on your needs and desires. He is extremely knowledgeable, friendly, and a very safe driver. If you want TikTok-style videos and photos from your tour - he is your man
Ubud Art Market Bali - the perfect place to find local treasures and artworks. Be ready to haggle
Our final stop in Indonesia was the capital - Jakarta. Coming from island paradise this was a little bit of a shock, but we are very glad that we took some time to explore and learn more about the history of Indonesia.
Tour of Jakarta - where we visited the State Elementary School Menteng to see the statue of young Barack Obama, The National Monument, Istiqlal Mosque, Chinatown, the Old Town, visited a traditional shadow puppet maker, and the Sunda Kelapa Harbor
Juni - fabulously designed bar and restaurant. Very modern with a large cocktail menu
Street Food Tour - We booked this tour with Emir and it did not disappoint. Mark ate A TON, but me being gluten-free proved to be a barrier - this country loves to fry things and use noodles. We learned a lot and explore places we never would have seen
Camden Bar - fun local bar with live music and DJs on the weekend. Starts late and goes late. Great selection of food and drinks. Be warned - the cigarette smoke is insane and unbearable for us
We then headed to Nusa Lembongan, a small island off the coast of the big island of Bali. This was not in our plans, but due to some canceled flights, we found ourselves on this island paradise. We took the fast boat 3 hours to Nusa - which was a nightmare, but there is no other way to get from Lombok to Nusa. Once there we were thrilled with what this little island and its neighbor Ceningan Island.
Bay Shore Huts Villas - affordable, Bali-style villas with two pools, a restaurant, bar, and scooter rental. Great location and well worth the price
Devil’s Tears - the sea has carved the rocks into concave shapes, so when they crash into the rocks there is this crazy sound, and then a huge wave of mist engulfs you. Pay a small fee to park and to walk into the site
Dream Beach - hike down some steep steps and step onto this beautiful white sand beach. There are a couple of places you can rent chairs or bean bags, and buy food and drinks. Be careful of the water, the waves are rough and the currents are very strong
Yoga Dunia - great studio offering classes two times a day - morning and evening. Fee is on par with other yoga studios and classes tend to be on the smaller side
Klyf Club - beach club/restaurant/bar/hotel overlooking the Blue Lagoon. The food is amazing and the view cannot be beat. No entry fee and no minimum spend. Short drive once you get onto Ceningan Island
Le Pirate - cute seaside bar on Ceningan Island overlooking the seaweed farms. Good drink selection
Mushroom Bay - a beautiful beach with good snorkeling that you can swim right out to. There are a lot of boats and ferries so be on the lookout when you are in the water. Smooth bay for easy swimming
Why Not Mushroom - bar up on the cliff overlooking Mushroom Bay. Great happy hour and service, good bites, perfect view for the sunset (which does happen behind the opposite side of the bay).
The Point - a cliff-top bar/restaurant/hotel to watch the sun dip into the ocean. Stunning views
Hai Bar and Grill - one of the more fancy places on Nusa on Mushroom Bay. Great food and service, but prices are more steep
Indi Warung - roadside restaurant with open fire grill. We had the fish of the day and it was perfectly done. Very reasonably priced
L Good - restaurant and bar with live music nightly. Fun place to chill after dinner
Jungutbatu Beach - a beautiful beach with a lot of beach clubs and restaurants both beachside and up on the cliff. You can surf right next to the Abandon Crane if you like
Stengbali - probably the best meal we had on the island - that says it all
After the big island of Bali, we headed to Lombok. Lombok is much less touristy than Bali, but there is a lot of development happening, so it is well on its way to becoming another Indonesia hotspot. To get to Lombok you can either fly or take a ferry. To save some money and because we were not in a rush we took the slow boat or local ferry. If you want to learn more, we go into this a bit on this episode of the podcast. We stayed in Kuta which is known for its surfing and surf schools and lessons. Here are some of our recommendations for lovely Lombok:
Batatu Villas - with a remote location this resort is only a short motorbike ride or a slightly longer walk from Kuta. The rooms are stunning, the staff is great - we loved our time here and would stay again
There are several good restaurants and bars in Kuta - Treehouse is great for happy hour, Cantina Mexicana for tacos and margs (their jack fruit tacos are incredible), Warung Hidayah Kuta Lombok is a great local restaurant and people were also ordering a lot of pizzas
Mana Eco Retreat - offers many yoga classes a day at a good price. You can buy single drop-in classes or multi-class passes. Great teaches and open-air studio
Heartbeach - surf classes and school in Kuta
Mandalika Beach Club - situated on a perfect beach, with two pools, lots of beach chairs, beds, and umbrellas. Of course, food and drink are more expensive, but very good quality. Very affordable compared to most beach clubs
Beaches: Tanjung Aan Beach - surfing, lunch, drinks, sunbathing, swimming, and Warung Turtle is a great restaurant and bar on this beach that does not charge you to use their beach chairs or umbrellas. The only restaurant on the beach that has cocktails, not just beer. Selong Belanak Beach is about 30-45 mins from Kuta with surfing, swimming, plus places to eat and drink
