@travellingwiththeateam

We started the day with a healthy brekkie option of natural fruit yogurt & berries – yum yum!

After a hour or so’s drive we stopped at a local street market to experience the food and goods on offer.

Our next stop took us to the village of Tetebatu, the home of our guide Barry who then introduced his father who gave us a tour of the area and the working weavers.

As part of the tour of the village, Andy got the chance to try on some of the garments alongside his much loved Naples football top. Not sure the two go together….

We then went on a walk around the rice fields and vegetable garden shared amongst the villagers. It was so impressive to see how self sufficient they are, with rice playing a major part of their diet in all its many varieties.

After crossing rivers and walking up banks we eventually arrived at our lunch stop, looking out across the valley over the coconut trees and paddy fields.

In the afternoon we headed to a national park in Rinjani to visit a couple of waterfalls.

After visiting the first waterfall, we were promised the opportunity to swim at the next larger waterfall. Just a 30min walk in between, with a few steps up and down!

Today was a free day on our tour of Lombok so we all agreed to head to Selong beach for some much needed sunshine and swimming.

Wow, what a location and view, so beautiful and unspoilt (although not for long based on the amount of land up for sale nearby).

After a good few hours at the beach, enjoying the surf, sea and snoozing, our happy traveller group returned to the hotel for more swimming, before a quick change and then off to see the sunset on a nearby hillside looking down on the ocean & beaches.

After a memorable sunset we jumped in our taxis and headed into Kuta for a meal at The Treehouse restaurant. Great authentic Indonesian food for us, with the rest of the team favouring more western offerings. Either way an enjoyable meal in a great setting. Michelle even managed to hit the swings before we left.

Tomorrow we head north for more adventures in the centre of Lombok for a home stay lunch, a visit to rice fields and swimming in waterfalls. Until then.

Today is travel day as we get the ferry across from Bali to Lombok.

Before leaving Candi Dasa, we had a ‘personalised’ brekkie with our names in oil!

Like most things in Bali, departure times for the ferry are merely a guide and as predicted we left 45mins later than scheduled, however the sun was out and the wind light, which meant for a gentle passage across the Selat Lombok.

After arriving in the port of Lembar, we had a short drive to a traditional village to see where & how the locals live.

Walking around the village was a real eye opener, with the buildings constructed of bamboo with mud & cow dung floors. The spaces were modest in size and layout, with low ceilings and basic amenities although they do have electricity and gas stoves.

All the houses were basic in structure and reminiscent of those found in developing countries across Asia & Africa.

The tour of the village brought home how limited the resources are for a great deal of the Lombok population. I’ve never before seen people living in ‘houses’ with mud floors and little or no toilet and/or cooking amenities.

Tonight’s stay is in Kuta, at Taku, a small hotel across from the beach.

The grounds and pool are excellent, as is our room with its amazon shower & comfortable bed with white sheets.

Our arrival late afternoon meant we got the chance to swim in the pool before the e went on to the hotel dinner for a great food offering, with seafood and chicken.

Tomorrow we are planning another beach day with the intention to pop in and have a look around to see if there are any bargains.

Big enjoyment to our friends, we look forward to seeing you tomorrow for our swansong.

4.30am start this morning, as we travelled to watch the sunrise and get photos from the famous ‘Heavens Gate’.

It was insta overload this morning with so many opportunities to take great pictures. Fatigue started to kick in for us both as we tried to remember the poses we’d seen from others.

Leaving Heavens Gate, we drove past a local balloon seller maxing out on carrying his merchandise!

Our next stop at just 8.30am, were the water gardens of Tirta Ganga. The colours were so vivid and the fish readying themselves to be fed.

The temple count continues, with a further three visited this morning alone.

Thankfully we had a local driver and guide who spent the day with us and after a culture packed morning, we headed to White Sands beach for some much needed rest and relaxation.

Both beach and sea were beautiful, and great for a dip and sunbathe. Lunch was a traditional Balinese offer whilst we enjoyed the views.

Tomorrow is the start of the next phase of our tour. We said goodbye to 8 of our group and hello to 4 new people joining for the Lombok Classic section.

Messing around with monkeys first thing & wow there was a lot of them.

The nearby monkey sanctuary in Ubud provided a spectacular display of monkeys in their natural habitat, alongside temple buildings and stunning jungle scenery.

Walking around the sanctuary, we felt like extras in an Indiana Jones movie – tall tree roots and vines creating a collage of shapes which were other worldly.

Before leaving Ubud we were able to grab a hour or so lounging by the hotel pool to enjoy the sunshine we hadn’t seen for a few days.

On the way to our next nights stay in Candi Dasa, we took a slight detour and visited a jewellery factory specialising in silver and fine art.

Our final stop of the day was in Kerta Gosa the home of the historic court of justice. The site dating back to the 1620’s when kings and queens of Bali dispatched justice and more latterly the Dutch occupation during their colonial reign.

We eventually arrived on the coast in Candi Dasa and were greeted by wonderful views out over the sea bathed in early evening sunshine.

Tonight’s room is a real winner sitting immediately opposite the sea with the hotel pool close by. The decoration to the room was a nice touch and bodes well for our 2 night stay.

Off out tonight for our final dinner with the Classic Bali tour posse, before we embark on the Lombok section and we say goodbye to new good friends as they head off home or on to another part of SE Asia. Good times.

A cooler start to the day as we looked down on the lake and volcano below.

After a couple hours on the coach we arrived at a fruit farm growing cacao, bananas and snake fruit – the picture below shows them growing in the base of a tree where snakes also nest.

We tried a series of coffees, some flavoured with fruits and herbs as well as the special brew, and the most expensive cat-poo-chino, where the coffee beans are eaten from the trees from a local cat/mongoose who then excretes the beans which are then collected, cleaned and roasted.

We ordered our cat-poo-chino drinks and happily enjoyed them with a side order of nuts and crisps!!

As part of our travel operator G adventures commitment to the people of Bali, we visited a local centre where people born with disabilities work having been ostracised from their own community – sadly in Indonesia they are seen as bad luck so don’t go to school or work as others would.

We had a fab lunch, and then enjoyed a presentation from the residents before getting involved in a music performance. Great fun and lovely to help these people.

Some of the group travelled the last 30mins via motor bike and side car, but sadly there was a limited amount of passengers so we missed out this time. Michelle is keen we don’t next time around!!

Our hotel in Ubud was close to the monkey forest and as a result the gardens were filled with on lookers checking out opportunities for food. They nearly got some from us when one got in a room and tried to steel a packet of our sweets!!

This evening we visited the Royal Palace to see a traditional Balinese dance performance. It turned out to be a mix of a love story, the battle between good and evil with a pantomime mixed in. A little hard to follow but good fun all the same.

The evening come to a close with drinks in a live music bar just around the corner from our hotel.

Tomorrow we head to the coast to Candi Dasa, stopping at Kertagosa to visit the Court of Justice along the way.

After a relaxing nights sleep and breakfast in the homestay, we headed to hot water springs in Kintamani.

After a short walk into the jungle, we came across the beautiful pools which proved to be hot and rich in healthy minerals which reputedly help to slow down the aging process, time will tell!!

We then moved on to a traditional village in the mountains near Bangli, where we were treated to a traditional meal and Balinese dancing.

Once the professionals had shown us how to do it, one by one we all had a go, Andy being the first to show off his moves!

We then had the opportunity to try on their traditional dress in readiness for making an offering at the local temple.

It was such good fun and great to feel a part of the community, even for just a couple of hours.

After each making our own offerings, we then participated in a temple visit where we were blessed and said our prayers of happiness and peace.

As we drove to our nights stay up in the mountain above the volcano at Bangli, we tried some local fruits. One was Durian, the most expensive fruit in Indonesia costing upwards of £40 per fruit is covered in a spiky shell and has a disturbing potent smell and an unusual savoury taste, akin to cheese.

We eventually arrived at our nights stay which would have had great views over the lake and volcano basin, but for the rain clouds and mist. Hopefully they will pass in the morning and we can get some photos from the mountain top.

We started early today with a 7.30am departure by coach to visit the rice fields of Jatiluwih.

The fields were lush green with the flowery rice still a month or so off.

The sun made a much needed show and made the landscape come alive and beautiful. We spent an hour walking around the fields and trying some of the local fruit and rice biscuits.

We had an enjoyable relax in the fields as our guide Barry chatted us through the different rice varieties, black, red and sticky.

As a group we dropped on local stallholders selling fresh fruit, many of which were new to the both of us.

Sadly the sun disappeared late morning and the rains of the wet season returned.

Next stop was a visit to Lake Danu Bratan temple where we were greeted by decorative statues in stunning colours.

The gardens around the temples mini lakes were filled with carp fish.

The main temple sits in the lake itself and is only accessible for local dignitaries or on special religious occasions for local people.

After a walk around the grounds trying our best to avoid the rain clouds, we went up into the hills of Munduk where we went for a hike to see the waterfall.

Like all things in Bali, health and safety takes somewhat of a backseat, with walkways often uneven, wet and slippery. Our guide Barry was the first to slip as he led the way to the mouth of the waterfall.

This evening was a homestay in a small family home in Munduk. The rooms were beautiful and in traditional Balinese style. We had a lovely time and a great meal made by the extended family who were so friendly and generous.

The rain persisted into the evening and sadly the view from our room was lost in the clouds.

A very quiet day as we honoured Nyepi, a day of quiet contemplation. Everyone stays at home, people don’t work and as tourists we were required to stay in the grounds of our hotel and not go out.

With no shops open and the restaurant temporarily closed, when it came to lunch time we indulged in an old school classic in Bali, the pot noodle!

Michelle went with the traditional veggie option, whilst Andy was on the chicken curry classic. Both were very good and brought back memories of being back at college!

We spent the day exploring the hotel grounds with its wonderful planting which had the feel of a botanical garden.

With our tour put back by a day due to the religious holiday, we caught up with a few fellow travelers and had a team shot in front of one of the demons that was paraded around the streets.

Thankfully the weather started to improve during the day with the rain passing and a little sunshine, making the hotel pools look a lot more inviting.

The hotel grounds are kept clean and tidy and are wonderfully decorated with traditional carvings and images even in the toilets.

Despite the wind and rain of previous days the staff are out each morning, brushing the paths and whenever you walk past they stop to greet you with smiles and friendly gestures.

With the days movements being limited to the hotel grounds, after an early dinner at 6pm, we packed ready for the start of the tour around the island tomorrow and were in bed by 8.30pm.

Today marks the next stage in our tour and the start of our adventures in SE Asia.

We are staying in an authentic Balinese hotel, a stones through from Sanur beach. At breakfast we were greeted by smiling faces from the staff and settled in with omelettes made on the spot. After a good feed, we set off to explore the local area and a walk down to the beach front. We have arrived at the tail end of the wet season, so whilst it’s hot and humid, it rained on and off for most of the day.

Tomorrow the island of Bali will be blanketed with silence/Nyepi for the Balinese New Year and celebrated with silence, fasting and meditation.

To mark this occasion, tonight there is a festival where the locals get rid of their ‘demons’ by parading the edifices in the street.

We saw a number of the ‘demons’ being prepared during the day and its fair to say they were eye catching!

As we walked along on the beach we came across traditional Balinese boats and numerous small temples with offerings in advance of Nyepi.

The huge demons were positioned on street corners ready to be carried by the young Balinese boys. Given the spectacle even the locals were stopping to stare and take photos.

To let everyone know the demons were coming, we saw and heard drums beaten by the locals.

Late afternoon we met our fellow tour groupies, who we will be travelling with for the next 8 days as we experience Classic Bali. There’s about 16 of us, mainly from the Uk, Canada and Germany. After initial intros we headed out for an early dinner before going to watch the evening’s celebrations of the ‘demon’ displays.

The various ‘demons’ descended on a square near our hotel for a mock battle.

It meant for a strange and unexpected evening, standing in the centre of a main highway during heavy rain, traffic all around us, waiting for the carnival like celebrations to descend. When they did at last begin, some 2hrs late, we were up close and got some great photos.

Tomorrow the blog will be a lot shorter as everyone is required to stay at home, or in their hotel and honour the days silence with meditation & peacefulness. Oddly feels a bit like a return to Covid 19 times.