Bali and The Gili Islands

So, there's Erika and I thinking we've seen it all when it comes to beaches and islands. It reminds me of our attitude before we visited India, which pretty much went along the lines of "We live in Bangkok, Delhi we can handle". As if. What I'm trying to say is, next time you meet someone who says "If you've seen one beach, you've seen them all", politely direct them to this post.

We went to Bali last year (which you can read about in our previous posts) and fell in love with the place. How can you not? Everything a traveller in Asia wants to experience is here, be it a vibrant culture, excellent food, beautiful scenery, amazing beaches and friendly people. It's on my list of places to retire, hopefully you'll see why.

We revisited Ubud and everything it has to offer, be it restaurants on a golden rice paddy or shopping for that perfect wooden sculpture, but our real highlight was staying on the Gili Islands which is a couple hours boat ride from Bali. Any fans of evolution out there would know this stretch of water is where Alfred Wallace had his eureka moment. It's been called The Wallace Line ever since. But I digress: this was all about Bintangs on the beach and snorkeling with huge sea turtles...


Bali and Gili Islands, 2013 from Oh My Travels on Vimeo.

We stayed at Gunung Merta Bungalows, Ubud. This is the view from our room.

Our bungalow (just the ground floor).

Some local artisans creating a bas relief.

The beautiful art and architecture at AMRA Museum, Ubud. 

We visited a local batik factory on the outskirts of Ubud as Erika researches her school trip to the island.

And then onto the mask museum, where character masks used in traditional Balinese dance are displayed.

The Kecak Dance, a version of the Hindu epic "Ramayana". 

No, it's not photo shopped. Yes, it is that blue. This is Gili Air Island, one of three islands that dot the approach to Lombok from Bali. This was the view from the restaurant of where we stayed (Sunrise Bungalows). 

One of the great things about this island, and why people come here to cure stress, is that motorised vehicles don't exist. All transport is on horse and cart. 

You can walk around the island in an hour or so and it's pretty empty (apart from the main stretch near the pier and the village which is inland).

Till next time...