On backpackers

As readers of this blog know, I spent more than half of 2019 travelling around SE Asia, covering a lot of ground in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Laos and Cambodia.

I didn't carry a backpack, because I'm old and have spinal issues, but I was, to all extents and purposes, a backpacker: It was an extended trip. I moved around from place to place every few days. I explored widely -- not just the "top tier" tourist destinations in each country, but loads of places that see almost no Western tourists. 

I was a backpacker, with a smart cabin trolley by my side.

Backpackers get a lot of hate from a lot of places. Government ministers can be often seen leading the pack (for example, the Indonesian Tourism Minister claiming in September 2021 that backpackers weren't welcome "to keep the country clean" once Bali reopened for tourists, as if the trash that washes up on the region's beaches was all tossed by backpackers, while all the $200 a night tourists carefully took their empty Evian bottles home with them at the end of their trip).

Some of this hate-the-backpackers may be based on economic self-interest (either the speaker owns a big 4 or 5-star hotel, or the people making the largest donations to his or her campaign do), but a lot of it seems to be more based on outdated concepts.

When was the last time you saw a bunch of old-school backpackers anywhere in SE Asia?

These days, boutique hostels with infinity pools have replaced the old-timer $3-a-bed shacks. The image of the hippy backpacker in torn trousers and a fraying Bob Marley t-shirt, spliff in one hand and banana pancake in the other, stopped being relevant sometime in the 90s. We're all flashpackers now.

So why the continued hate?

As the Indonesian Ministry for Tourism got a lot of negative press for his "clean" comments, I thought I'd like to share some facts with him (cause he's bound to read this; I had 7 visitors last month, so my site is bound to become world-famous any day now):

In 2019, I spent 51 days (7 weeks) in Indonesia, flying in to Yogyakarta at the start of August, and flying out from Flores via Bali in late September.

During that trip, I spent an average of $46.31 USD per day, so just shy of $2400 USD in total. That's in-country spend, so doesn't include flights to get to Indonesia, nor the visa. I also don't usually drink when I'm travelling, so the total is a little lower than it would be if I liked a beer or cocktail of an evening.

I stayed in 20 different hotels or guesthouses in Indonesia, ranging from Solo and Semarang in Java, to Pemuteran and Pantai Jemeluk in Bali, to Gili Gede and the Senaru on Lombok, to LB in Flores. Most of them I stayed 3 nights, although there were a few where I was mostly breaking a long journey, and only stayed 1 night, and a few smaller towns where I only stayed 2 nights.

I must have eaten in a hundred different restaurants, cafes, food stalls, and hole-in-the-walls. I used local taxi drivers, and tour guides, and laundry services, and shops. I carried a refillable water bottle everywhere I went. I took 2 minute showers to reduce my water usage. I didn't eat any banana pancakes (not that there's anything wrong with that) and I didn't smoke any spliffs. I spread my money around to a lot of small businesses, owned by locals.

According to the government ministers who make pronouncements on this sort of thing, that makes me undesirable.

They'd prefer that I flew in for a week, and stayed at a 4 or 5-star resort. That I was a "quality" tourist.

The 4-star Mercure Resort in Kuta is currently offering rooms for $38USD a night. It's owned by the Accor brand, so most of the proceeds will leave Indonesia, but never mind. While I'm there, I won't eat all my meals in the hotel, so I will undoubtedly visit local spots, like Starbucks. Too bad the Planet Hollywood restaurant closed down. 

Even before Covid kicked the socks out of prices, I would have probably spent less in country for a week in a 5-star than I did for 7 weeks backpacking, and would certainly have spent less for a week in a 4-star. And almost all of the profits would have been offshored. The locals would have received no benefit, apart from mostly low-paying jobs.

Or, I could be a backpacker, and put money into the pockets of local small business owners.

Yet the government ministers still keep insisting the 4 and 5-star tourist is desirable and the backpacker is undesirable. Which begs the question: 

What are they smoking?

2019 travel costs for Indonesia, including Java, Bali, Lombok and Komodo

Having spent August and September 2019 travelling around Indonesia, I thought it might be useful to give some ideas of costs, if your travel style is similar to mine (I travel solo, and I'm more flashpacker than backpacker. I like AC. I hate share bathrooms. I don't need anything "fancy" but I try and avoid staying anyplace that is decrepit, dirty, noisy, or has a rock-hard foam mattress). 

For convenience, I've broken my Indonesia travel costs into main areas: Central and East Java, Bali, Lombok, and Komodo.

Java: average costs per day = £27.35 (493,000 IDR)

Accommodation average £14.24 per night (256,700 IDR). The more touristy places are (as you'd expect) a bit more expensive. But the towns that see few foreign tourists have very good value hotels.

• Yogya – 275,000 IDR (£15.28)
• Borobudur – 385,000 IDR (£21.39) 
• Solo – 143,000 IDR (£8) 
• Semarang – 264,000 IDR (£14.67): I picked a hotel in the business district, so not a cheap tourist hotel
• Surabaya – 264,000 IDR (£14.67): very nice, midrange hotel

Food and drink: average £5.79 per day (104,300 IDR) – mostly cheap restaurants, but no alcohol. I ate very well in Java. Sample costs might be:

• 25,000 IDR (£1.40) for a plate of noodles and a fresh guava juice
• 28,000 IDR for a bubble tea in a shopping mall, or a coffee in a Western-style cafe.
• 58,000 IDR for a nice meal in a nice restaurant

Sightseeing is mixed, WRT costs. The big famous temple sites, like Borobudur and Prambanan, are all quite expensive (350,000 IDR pp), but all that wandering around is free. I spent an average £4.37 (79,000 IDR) per day.

Transport is also very affordable, and good quality: I used a mix of trains and buses to move between towns, with city buses or just my feet to get around in town. Intercity train bus or journeys varied from 8000 IDR (train from Yogya to Solo, about an hour away) to 105,000 IDR (train from Semarang to Surabaya), and city buses typically cost around 3500 IDR (£0.19) per ride. I typically spent an average of £2.50 (45,000 IDR) on transport per day.

Bali: average costs per day = £28.12 (506,992 IDR).

Accommodation average £15 per night (270,400 IDR)

• Pemuteran – 200,000 IDR (£11.11)
• Lovina – 350,000 IDR (£19.44) 
• Tulamben – 300,000 IDR (£16.67) 
• Amed – 400,000 IDR (£22.22)
• Sanur – 250,000 IDR (£13.89)
• Padang Padang Beach on Bukit Peninsula  – 240,000 IDR (£13.38)
• Kuta  – 219,000 IDR (£12.16): I'm not a big fan of Kuta, but I'll stay in the south part of town if I have a morning departure flight or an evening arrival flight, as I can simply walk to/from the airport and avoid the airport taxi mafia.

Food and drink: average £7.56 per day (136,000 IDR). Bali has a wide range of food available, from cheap "local" restaurants and hawker stalls, to swanky beach-front bars, high-end international restaurants, and fancy coffee shops selling salted caramel brownies. I tended to not bother with the swanky bars or the high-end restaurants, but I did indulge in a few nice deserts! Sample costs (excluding alcohol) might be:

• 60,000-125,000 IDR (£3.33-6.94) for a meal at a tourist-oriented restaurant off the beach.
• 100,000 IDR (£5.50) for coffee and cake at a tourist-oriented restaurant on the beach.
• 25,000-30,000 IDR (£1.39-1.69) for babi guling (roast suckling pig and fixin's on rice) at a small, local restaurant.
• 15,000-18,000 IDR (£0.83-£1) for a veggie nasi campur (rice with assorted dished, like curries, on top) from a hawker stall.
• 25,000-30,000 IDR (£1.39-1.69) for a bubble tea.
• 5000-7000 IDR for a large bottle of water, depending on where you get it.

Sightseeing: Scuba or snorkel trips add up quickly, but apart from that sightseeing is pretty darn cheap (in most places, the beach is free). I spent an average of £2.11 (38,000 IDR) a day, which worked out as one full day snorkelling tour (500,000 IDR), and few small donations at temples during the trip. On Bukit, the beaches may have entrance fees (about 15,000 IDR pp).

Transport infrastructure is quite poor on the island; the assumption seems to be that all locals will have either a motorbike or a car, so there are few public buses, and those that do exist often run dual pricing for tourists. Where there are no public buses / bemos, you're stuck with very expensive taxis (although the gojek type taxi apps have helped reduce the prices to something more reasonable), or a few tourist shuttle buses. I spent an average of £1.56 pd (28,200 IDR) on transport, with using local buses to get between the ferry from Java and Pemuteran, or between Pemuteran and Lovina (both 50,000 IDR), bemos from Lovina to Tulamben (via a change at Singaraja) for 100,000 (tourist price), and the Perama Shuttle from Amed to Sanur (175,000 - not cheap but these shuttles tend to be safe with helpful drivers, so I regularly use them in Bali), plus taxi apps to get to and from Bukit from Kuta (about 100,000 each way).

Lombok: average costs per day = £38.60 (695,790 IDR). Let's just get this out of the way: Lombok is considerably more expensive than Bali, and most of the time, you'll be paying more for worse quality. The Gilis have always been popular with the Bali crowd, but the rest of Lombok only got very popular a handful of years ago ("It's what Bali was like 20 years ago...."), which means a lot of tourists, but somewhat limited tourist infrastructure, and a developing industry trying to make as much money, as quickly as possible (and you can't blame them for that - if I lived in a relatively poor island, and all these rich tourists started flying in, I'd be trying to grab me a piece of that pie, too!).

Accommodation average £19.67 per night (354,667 IDR). The main Gilis (I stayed on 2 of the 3) have a mix of inexpensive bungalow joints (some more backpackery than others, normally off the beach), mid-range resorts, and expensive on-beach places. Mataram and Senggigi are big enough to have accommodation at all price points, with some good value places available. The "Secret Gilis" (and this also applies to some of the other places new to mass tourism) are still developing, and targeting a more upmarket tourist than their established northern cousins, so accommodation tends to be pricey there. Finally Senaru is still trying to recover from the earthquake, and is still fairly quiet, so hoteliers will be delighted to see you, and prices are low.

• Gili Gede (one of the "Secret Gilis") – 600,000 IDR (£33.33). Gili Gede is a very small island with a few fishing villages, obviously very poor, with a handful of not-cheap bungalow operators scattered around, and a fancy new resort and marina under construction on one side of the island. 
• Mataram – 300,000 IDR (£16.67) 
• Gili Air – 300,000 IDR (£16.67) - a decent bungalow joint with pool, just off the beach.
• Gili Meno – 250,000 IDR (£13.89) - your standard bungalow joint, just off the beach.
• Sire Peninsula – 400,000 IDR (£22.22) for an eco-lodge on the north coast.
• Senaru – 300,000 IDR (£16.67)
• Senggigi  – 210,000 IDR (£11.67)

Food and drink: average £8.90 per day (160,000 IDR). Outside of the Gilis (which has a variety of international foods), the dining scene isn't well established. I ended up eating in tourist-oriented restaurants (with identical menus) more often than I would have liked, but it was sometimes hard to find much else. I'm guessing, to be honest, that because the island has traditionally been quite poor, there often isn't much of a local restaurant scene, and I'm assuming most locals cook at home, with the exception of a few stalls selling grilled chicken and the like. So outside of the main cities, like Mataram, most restaurants and cafes you come across are predominantly for tourists. Sample costs might be:

• 40,000 IDR (£2.22) for a meal at a small local restaurant (in Mataram).
• 60,000-70,000 IDR (£3.33-£3.89) for a place of food and a non-alcoholic drink at a typical off-beach tourist restaurant.
• 85,000-125,000 IDR (£4.72-£7) for a plate of food and a a non-alcoholic drink at an on-beach tourist restaurant.
• 255,000 IDR (£14) for a three course meal (excluding alcohol) at a fancy on-beach restaurant.

Sightseeing: I spent an average of £2.07 (37,000 IDR) a day, which worked out as a cheap snorkelling tour (150,000 IDR), hiring a guide for a half-day's hiking to visit several waterfalls in the Senaru area (250,000 plus 100,000 tip) and a few small donations at temples.

Public transport is rare (there are theoretically bemos running a few routes between towns, but in reality they are quite infrequent, so you could end up standing at the side of the road for hours, trying to catch one), so expect you'll mostly be using taxis to get around. Between towns, your accommodation may be able to arrange a share taxi with other tourists. I spent an average of £5.38 pd (97,000 IDR) on transport. Sample costs include 350,000 IDR for a taxi from the airport to  Gili Gede (organised by my hotel), 24,000 IDR for an ojek trip across Mataram, 120,000 for a taxi from Mataram to the ferry port for the Gilis (booked using an app), 14,500 IDR for the ferry (including the small port fee), 210,000 IDR for a taxi from the Sire Peninsula to Senaru, and 250,000 IDR for a share taxi (shared with another tourist) from Senaru to Senggigi. From Senggigi, there is a bus to the airport (which goes through Mataram en-route) for 35,000 IDR.

Komodo: average costs per day = £51.63 (930,674 IDR) - woo-boy! 

I only spent a few days on Flores, visiting Komodo, so I only stayed at one place, right on the waterfront. It was very overpriced (£27 per night - 488,000 IDR) for a very average room, with peeling wallpaper and a damaged pipe that continually sprayed a fine mist of water all over the bathroom floor. Talking to other tourists, most of the other places in town didn't seem much better, although there were apparently some nicer places on the other side of the town (beyond the airport).

Food and drink: average £9.50 per day (171,000 IDR). The restaurants scene is very much designed for the wealthy international tourists - expect high-end Italian restaurants, coffee shops serving vegan sandwiches, and I even saw a Starbucks.

Sightseeing: The main boat tours seem to all be pretty similar in price. I paid 400,000 IDR, not including the park entry fees (which were another 350,000 IDR). I wouldn't worry too much about shopping around, or worry about where you should book, as very often (near as I can tell), everyone gets jumbled together into a handful of boats at the port. So take anything they tell you about the size of the boat, or the number of people per tour, with a massive handful of salt.

Transport: Apart from a taxi to the airport on the day I left (50,000 IDR), I didn't use any transport as Labuan Bajo is pretty small (I actually walked to my hotel from the airport on the day I arrived - I used a taxi on the way back, because the airport is on top of a big hill, and momma didn't raise no fool).

A layover on Bukit

I've been to Bali quite a few times before, and explored quite a bit of the island on previous visits: my first trip had (briefly) taken in some of the big tourist hotspots (passing through Kuta on the way to Ubud) before deciding that wasn't the Bali for me, and hightailing it northeast to the hills and north coast. I've explored the east coast and island-hopped around Penida, Ceningan and Lembongan. I've enjoyed the far northwest. But prior to this leg of the trip, I'd never been south of the airport.

Bingin beach

Now I was passing through Bali again, en route from Komodo to Chiang Mai. Might as well break up the trip with a bit more exploration.

Do to the complete lack of public transportation covering the area, and the high fares of local taxis, I limited myself to small subsection that I could explore by foot, staying in Padang Padang, and walking to Bingin Beach and Pantai Cemongkak from there.

Padang Padang beach as the tide is coming in, blocking off my bit of sand

There's some pretty nice scenery, with the cliffs overlooking the sea, but you're definitely in a tourist hub - in the built up centre of Padang Padang, almost every building is either a guesthouse, tourist cafe or restaurant (anyone for avocado smash on toast, or an acai bowl?) or tourist-oriented shop. I tried finding a local breakfast one morning, and had to give up. Not a traditional warung in sight. Meanwhile the beach at Padang Padang is nice but tiny, especially when the tide is in, and therefore crowded. For those that burn easily, like I do, the beach has almost no shade (as the limited shady area at the base of the cliff is taken up by the beach vendors) except for a crowded patch of rental beach umbrellas at the back end of the beach, near the stairs and vendors.

Padang Padang beach - cute but small

Not one for me, I'm afraid.

I enjoyed Bingin beach a little more (it felt quite a lot quieter, probably because the very limited parking in the area and the fact that most places are built into the cliffside means lots of stairs to navigate with your luggage), although the beach was very rocky so not great for swimming. I also enjoyed my time I was walking between centres, routes that took me along quiet back lanes with the occasional cow for company.

Bingin beach

But I was left with the feeling that Bukit is too developed for a northern-Bali lover like me, and ended up only staying a couple of nights in the area.

Please forgive the lack of quality photos in this section -- I wasn't really in the mood to take many, so you're stuck with what I got.

Worth the trip: Komodo and Padar Island

Komodo and the neighbouring islands are beautiful, with great snorkeling. The area is expensive to visit, the gateway town (Labuan Bajo) is awful, and it's also a long way from most of the other places you'll probably want to see (meaning it's a very long boat trip, or a climate-crappy flight from everywhere else). 

But it is fantastic.

The standard itineraries include Padar Island (known for a view point you can climb to, and a pink sand beach), Komodo Island (where you'll be taken for a walk to through the forest and brush to spot some dragons, and then end up at the island's cafe where half a dozen more dragons will be sleeping in the shade of the building, attracted by the cooking smells), and a snorkeling site (which could be manta point, or off a beach, depending on the weather and sea conditions). 

For a few more practical considerations, jump to the bottom of this post (below the pictures).

I didn't take many pictures, as I was too focused on enjoying myself to mess about with my camera for most of it, but here are a few:

Padar Island

Wildlife on Padar Island

One of the famed Komodo Dragon beasties

Practicalities:

You can buy tickets from a thousand places in town, and most seem to sell the same tours. Take anything they tell you (size of boat, which fees are included, how long the journey to the islands are) with a pinch of salt. 

Fees for the standard tour range, depending on where you buy, from about 350,000 to 500,000 (I paid 400,000). Considering how many people were herded together at the docks, I'm not convinced the variety in price meant anything. That price is for the boat and lunch, but doesn't include the park entry fees (I paid 350,000 extra for that, which is collected by the staff on the boat, who go to the fees office for you, so you don't all have to line up. I think it was supposed to be higher, however not all places we stopped had anyone collecting fees).

I was told pickup at my hotel was 5:30. I turned out to be the young lady from the travel agency on foot, who walked me over to their shop, where we were joined by a couple of other people, collected from another hotel. We then were given snorkel equipment, and all walked down to the docks, and handed over to a boatmaster. Great service - they could have easily just told us to go to the docks for 6am, so the staff could stay in bed. But the collection and walk to the docks was a nice touch, to make sure we got to the right place.

At the docks, about 40 people were assembled together, and herded into 2 boats. I was on the larger boat, with about 20-25 people. There was a covered seating area on the main deck, with wooden benches for 8 people, and the rest of the passengers could stand, or go up on the roof and sit on cushions. Sitting on the roof might be okay if you're 25, but not so great if you're 45. The second boat didn't have the seating area on the roof, and instead had a larger seated cabin. This second boat had lifejackets under the seats, but the boat I was on only had about 8 jackets, that were in a separate compartment at the very back of the boat, behind the toilet. Getting onto the boats at the dock involves walking along a narrow beam, with a staff member to hold your hand and help steady you, but it was still a little nerve-wracking for a balance-challenged person like myself.

The boats left the dock at 6:30am, and arrived at the first stop at 9:20.  I'm not certain what time we got back, but it was full dark before we reached the dock, so it must have been around 7:30pm. It's a long day, and well worth the money.

Nuke it from orbit; only way to be sure: Labuan Bajo

Sometimes a place leaves you a bit cold. You don't really get the vibe. The payoff isn't quite worth the effort. It's fine, it's okay, but it's not really you, you know?

Labuan Bajo is not that place.

Komodo is the local cash-cow, and boy, is the town milking it. They seem to have abandoned all attempts to cater to a more diverse group of tourists (such as backpackers, or domestic travellers) in favour of focusing entirely on midrange and wealthy American tourists.

Want to stay in a dorm? That's 250,000 IDR (about £14, or $19USD). Want a private room? That will be £26 ($35 USD) for one of the cheapest options in town. The wallpaper will be peeling, the bed will be hard, and the bathroom will flood 4 hours after you check-in.

But you're checked in, so it's time to grab some food. Where to go?

There are fancy-pants Italian restaurants, vegan cafes selling avocado wraps, and cupcake bakeries. There are tourist-oriented Indonesian restaurants, selling toned-down versions of Indonesian food for the Americans (minus the chilies). There's a fucking Starbucks.

What there doesn't appear to be is anywhere the locals go to eat (you're guessing these places must be some place outside of the town centre).

But it's time to have a good night's sleep, and things will look more positive in the morning....

Labuan Bajo harbour looks almost attractive in the setting sun.

1:00am, you're startled wide awake by the loudest horn you've ever heard, from one of the ships in the Labuan Bajo harbour. It sounds like an airhorn in your room with you. 

But you finally, once your racing heart slows down, get back to sleep.

1:30am — another air horn.

1:45. 2:30. 3:00. And on and on it goes. 

So you start the next day bleary eyed, but you know it's going to be a better day, as you're doing a boat tour to Komodo and the neighbouring islands. 

And it is wonderful — the scenery is smashing, the lizards are neat, and the snorkeling is pretty darn good (more on this in my next post).

But the travel agents are deeply dishonest: whatever they told you about the boat size, the max number of tourists on your tour, which fees are included and which are extra: it's all lies. Everyone gets herded together at the port, and shoved at random onto a couple of massive boats. There will be no life jackets on the boat, and if you ask if there are any, the staff will mock you to your face.

But, it's still a great day out, despite the assholes.

Labuan Bajo harbour from part way up the hill, towards the airport.

The following day, main attraction of the Labuan Bajo area done, you figure you'll see some more of Flores while you're here. Travelfish tells you share taxis run between the main towns, and that your hotel (or any travel agent) can sell you tickets.

But when you ask your hotel, all you get is a bored "no." So you try a travel agent. And then another. And another. No one can (or will) sell you a ticket, or give you any information on any service of any kind. So you can't figure out how to get out of town.

I arrived in Flores thinking I'd probably stay a week to ten days. I left after 3 nights, and was very pleased to be leaving Labuan Bajo.

Sometimes a place leaves you a bit cold.

I fucking hated Labuan Bajo.

Watching the weather: Senggigi

My final stop on Lombok was Senggigi, on the west coast.

It doesn't have a terribly good reputation these days ("promises a lot but is mostly a bit of a dump," according to Travelfish). The beaches are no great shakes, and the "town" is mostly just a sprawl of tourist-themed development along a few bays, without ever feeling like there's a there there.

But there are patches of bright sky among the clouds.

There are some very good value places to stay (mine had big shady balconies, and a terrace and restaurant built overlooking the sea). There's a decent posh grocery store with a good selection of imported food (for when you've been missing cheese, wine, and strawberries). And there's also a nice seaside temple (Pura Batu Bolong), and half-decent sunsets.

And sometimes, that's all you need for a couple of days.

Pura Batu Bolong, as a storm rolls in

After the earthquake: Senaru

On 5 August 2018, a magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck North Lombok. 

More than 500 people were killed, and hundreds of thousands were displaced as the shallow earthquake damaged or destroyed an estimated 80% of buildings in the worst affected areas.

When I visited Lombok in September 2019, most areas had been repaired and rebuilt, but I noticed there were still a handful of abandoned and collapsed buildings in northern areas, including on the Gilis. You probably remember the Western news media focusing heavily on the Gilis in reporting the story, all the young tourists trying to get off the island and complaining about waiting for rescue.

But other areas in northern Lombok were hit much worse, and one of those areas was the backpacker hub of Senaru.

A village built along one of the ridges immediately north of Mount Rinjani, it had become a popular base for tourists wanting to climb the mountain or go hiking or treking in some beautiful scenery. 

The earthquake flattened large parts of the town, and that put the tourist industry on hold, depriving many locals of their livelihoods at the same time it damaged their homes and property - a double whammy.

So I knew I was going to try and visit, to put some money into the local area. And I'm really glad I did.

Quite a few hotels, guesthouses and restaurants were open for guests, having repaired or rebuilt quickly. And the scenery is spectacular.

I stayed at the newly rebuilt Pondok Guru Batki, which like most accommodation is built on the eastern side of the ridge, offering fabulous views across the steep valley towards Mt Rinjani. I spent several happy hours sitting in the garden, enjoying the views and watching the monkeys scamper through the trees in search of fruit.

View from my guesthouse towards the various peaks of Mt Rinjani

Looking along the ridge from my guesthouse

My guesthouse organised a guide to take me on a tour of the area. We hiked through the jungle and alongside a stream, scrambling at a few points across large broken boulders and clambering over fallen trees (the path had been badly damaged in several places during the quake, and as a middle-aged woman with crap balance I was quite glad to have a strong young man to offer me a steadying hand in a few places) until we reached the magnificence that is Tiu Kelep waterfall. 

Tiu Kelep waterfall - simply magnificent (but tricky to reach on your own)

There was almost no one else there (just one other Western couple, who were leaving as we arrived). You could swim in the hole at the base of the falls, but I didn't (I knew we had a lot of hiking still to do, and I didn't want to have to do it in damp clothes) but I can easily envision spending an hour relaxing there, if you're of a mind.

We then hiked back to Sedang Gile, a smaller waterfall nearer the road, which has been developed for visitors. It's easy to reach along a paved path and stairway, and near the base of the falls they've built a selection of picnic tables and small stalls selling drinks and snacks (like yummy fried bananas!). There's also toilets here, FYI.

Sedang Gile waterfall - smaller but still an attractive place to relax

After the waterfalls, we hiked to a traditional village, which welcomes tourists in exchange for donations. You can sit and chat, via your guide as a translator, with some of the village elders, and drink tea or coffee, while chickens run about your feet.

Finally, we went for a long walk through rice paddies and fields, while my guide talked about growing up in the village. We ended up outside the guide's house, where he introduced me to his wife and sweet-as-a-pea six year old daughter, and proudly showed me around his small orchard and vegetable patch. 

It was a great half day, and stretched until out for about 6 hours (as he could see I was interested).

When you're travelling on a budget, it can be tempting to try and skip the additional cost of a guide (I accepted the requested fee without any haggling, and at the end added a generous tip as I knew the village's economy was struggling, plus my guide was great). But often, it really pays off to hire a local.

Although I could have visited Sedang Gile and the traditional village on my own (they're both easy to reach by road), I really doubt I would have made it to Tiu Kelep on my own (I would probably have either gotten lost, or assumed I was going the wrong way when I got to the scrambly bits, and turned back). Plus I never would have learned as much about local life, without someone to talk to. Best 350,000 rupiah I spent on the entire Lombok leg of my trip.

After all that walking, it was time for a (very) late lunch. Or (very) early dinner. Lunner, I guess.

I stopped in at a little restaurant my guide had recommended, with extensive views over the valley and farmland, and ate lalapan ayam, a dish of assorted raw vegetables with sambal terasi (a tomato and chili sauce, here made "not spicy" with only one chili for the wimpy westerner) and ayam bakar (grilled chicken).

And my new friend, who sat at my feet, meowing and watching me eat the entire time, until I finally ran out of will power and shared my chicken with her.

Views from Warung Dedi Tioq Angen

Tasty lalapan ayam

My demanding dining companion

Sunset over Mt Agung

 

Pictures taken from Rinjani Beach Eco Resort, on Lombok's Sire Peninsula.

Staying safe and sane on the Gilis

The Gilis (meaning Gili Air, Gili Meno and Gili Trawangan, off the NW coast of Lombok) have been firmly on the banana pancake trail for yonks.

Each has their own vibe: Gili T is the party island and the most developed of the three, Gili Meno is the quietest of the three, and Gili Air is somewhere in between (although large parts of the western coast and interior of Air are still barely developed). I spent a few nights on both Meno and Air. Meno is definitely more my style and I found it a bit prettier than Air, but Air had better swimming and snorkeling in my opinion (especially around the southern half of the east coast).

The lack of motorised traffic, the happy and relaxed other tourists, the plethora of restaurants, cafes and accommodation at all price points: all of it lulls you into an idyll.

This will do nicely (SE of Gili Meno)

But there are a few things to be mindful of -- to ensure your holiday stays idyllic.

First, the currents around the islands are very strong. I noticed this especially around Gili Meno. For most of the north and west coasts there is a fringing reef, which can only be swum over at high tide, resulting in quite shallow water on the inside of the reef at lower tides. But once you're over the reef into the deeper water, there are very fast-moving currents running parallel to the beach. I noticed quite a few people get into trouble along the north shore, fighting against the currents not to be swept off, shouting for help from the snorkel trip boats. 

I also noticed the boats would throw a life preserver to, or turn on the engine and go chasing after, tourists who were from their boat and got swept away. But they ignored the cries for help from tourists who weren't from their boat. Luckily everyone I saw get into trouble managed to either get rescued by their boat, or reach the fringing reef and get over it into the safer, shallower water. But it must have been a scary experience for many -- I saw one woman burst into tears as soon as she was safely in the shallows.

Snorkel boats crowding around Nest (a collection of underwater
statues) on the west coast of Meno

Even on the west shore of Meno, which is very popular with snorkel boats due to underwater statues, the current is quite strong pulling you south, and the reef has few boat channels allowing you to exit the water at low tide. I ended up swimming quite a long way further down the island than I'd intended, just trying to find a way to get back to shore.

So my advice is this -- pay very close attention to the conditions, check where the boats runs are down current from your desired snorkeling or swimming location (as you'll need these to get past the fringing reef at low tide), and be especially careful when you're on your own. Oh, and wear swimshoes as you'll need to walk over lots of broken coral to get to deeper water -- these are not soft, sandy bottoms in the main.

The next piece of advice concerns how you get to the Gilis. Most people visit by speedboat from Bali, but the speedboat operators have a reputation for being cowboys -- we're talking overcrowded boats, going out in bad weather. I personally wouldn't feel safe going that way. The slow ferries to Lombok, being larger, are considered safer.

Bangsal, the main port on mainland Lombok for the Gilis has a reputation for being a hole, filled with hustlers, but I actually didn't find it any worse than any other transport hub in SE Asia, so you don't need to try and avoid it, despite what Lonely Planet says.

Sunset from the west coast of Gili Meno, looking at Gili T in the
foreground, and Bali's Mount Agung in the background

Marketing Mataram

Mataram has an image problem. 

I mostly used Travelfish when researching this trip. Travelfish does not mention Mataram at all. Trying to find some information on the area, I also checked my old Indonesia Lonely Planet from 2007 (which gives it exactly 3 pages, plus a map). I ended up relying on the information I could find on Google searches -- which wasn't much!

So no one knows anything about Mataram, so tourists don't go there. Shame.

Well, this is nice....

I know it's not idyllic, like the islands can be.

I know it's not beautiful, like the scenery in the mountains.

And, to be honest, it's a very small and low-key capital city, without the kind of grand boulevards, big museums, and thriving nightlife the words "capital city" normally bring to mind. 

But there is plenty of nice places to eat, for when you're getting bored of tourist-oriented restaurants with identikit menus. There is a wide range of shops, for when you need to replace your shoelaces, repair your sunglasses, or stock up on tampax, granola bars and Listerine in a large grocery store. 

Beyond the food and the convenience, and best of all, just east of the centre and easily reachable by taxi or ojek, is the Narmada area. 

The main attraction in the area is Taman Narmada (Narmada Park), a large garden complex build around a sacred spring. There's a large swimming pool on site, which you can access for an additional fee. I also spotted quite a few locals bathing where the spring flows into the main pond (although having earlier spotted a dead rat floating in the sacred waters, I didn't partake myself).

Overlooking the main central pond

I visited on a Tuesday, and the park was very quiet, with few other people there (as you can see from the photos). But there were a large number of closed food stalls on the hill overlooking the main pond, so I'm guessing this becomes a very popular eating and relaxing spot on weekends.

Just east of the park is Pura Kaweri Narmada, a Hindu temple known for beautiful grounds, and just north is the new Narmada Botanic Garden (which I didn't know was there on my visit, so unfortunately missed out).

So if you ever get to spend a month touring Lombok, like I did, you could do worse than taking a mini break from the coast and the volcano to slot in a day or two exploring Mataram!

2 more pics of the garden:

Getting away from it all on Gili Gede

Gili Gede is one of the so-called "secret Gilis" in the southwest side of Lombok. Tourism to this area has been growing over the past few years, driven by people trying to avoid the crowds of the more popular northwest Gilis, but it's still a long way from "developed."

Gili Gede itself is a fairly small island, with a few tiny villages, and a handful of guesthouses and resorts. You can walk all the way around the island in a couple of hours (there's a small paved path that covers most of the island, suitable for walking or motorbiking, although quite broken up in places so watch your footing). 

The scenery on Gili Gede

The central part of the east coast has some nice enough beaches, with white sand and shallow water suitable for swimming with the family, although don't expect the beaches to be completely pristine and swept clean of all flotsam, as these are still predominantly fishing islands, not tourist islands. The southern part of the east coast is mostly mudflats and seagrass, but good for wildlife spotting (a large heron kept wandering into the open air restaurant at my guesthouse, looking for handouts, and the sea outside was filled with starfish).

The beach on the central section of Gili Gede

Although the reefs off Gede are mostly broken up and dead, the neighbouring islands of Gili Layar and Gili Rengit are known snorkel spots and your accommodation should be able to book you a boat to take you out for a day or half day. TBH, the reefs weren't anything really special to my eyes (perhaps I've just been spoiled after Lang Tengah), however they are very quiet, so you can snorkel away from the crowds. And I did spot a giant sea turtle at the drop off on Layar.

Your throne awaits.... (Gili Layar)

It's a fairly chilled out place to relax for a few days, although TBH I was a little bit uncomfortable at just how obviously poor the village near my guesthouse was. The white liberal guilt kicked in, as it doesn't look like any of the revenue from us tourists was ending up in that particular village. Meanwhile, the island's tourism infrastructure continues to grow, with a large new resort and marina under construction on the southwest coast of the island. Hopefully all the development will spread some of that increased prosperity around.

Rush hour (the main cross-island road on Gili Gede)

Civilised Sanur (nom nom nom)

Sanur doesn't get a lot of love.

It's not a trendy part of Bali, like Nusa Penida. It's not a popular, party destination, like Ubud or Seminyak. Instead, it's more like a grand old dame, once-glamourous in her youth, but has since settled down into a semi-sedate retirement. I've now passed through three times, and enjoyed it each time.

The best word to describe Sanur is "civilised." It's got tourists, but it rarely feels over-crowded. There's a little bit of hassle from the beachside vendors and massage ladies, but not too much. The waterfront has a lovely walking path that stretches for miles along the seafront, passing both touristy areas with restaurants and hotels, and quieter areas with lust-worthy private villas. There are a few small temples or museums to visit, but mostly I just go for long walks along the seafront, or find a quiet and shady spot on the beach to sit and read, while people bring me smoothies with little umbrellas in.

Quiet part of the seafront walkway

As you might have guessed, there's a good mix of places to eat, from expensive beachside cocktail bars, to Western cafés offering smoothie bowls and brownies, to local hole-in-the-wall restaurants selling spicy fish stew, babi guling, or mixed rice. Yes, there are a few chain restaurants, but there's also tonnes of good, small places to eat, and a refreshing lack of the burgers-pizza-noodles-friedrice identikit tourist restaurants.

A few suggestions of places to eat:

Warung Nasi Ayam Bu Weti, on the north end of the main drag. Very popular place for spicy mixed rice, with limited seating so get there early for breakfast.

Soul on the Beach - Western restaurant and café on the northern half of the main beach. Their tables are very close together so I would prefer not to eat here when it's busy, such as at meal times, but I've enjoyed stopping off here in the mid-afternoon quiet period for a delicious brownie. There's another location, Soul in a Bowl, off the main drag in the southern side of town, but I've never been to that branch.

Warung Babi Guling Sanur - hole in the wall place on the main street, opposite the McDonalds. Not the best babi guling on Bali, but still pretty enjoyable. Because of the noisy main street location, I typically get it to take-away, and eat it relaxing on the balcony of my hotel room.

Sindhu Night Market - taking over a square at the north end of the centre, this market is as popular with locals as it is with tourists. It's also just about the cheapest place to have dinner in Sanur. A packet of rice and vegetable curries from one of the stalls will set you back 15,000 - 18,000 IDR (or about 1/6 or 1/7 of the cost of a brownie and coffee at one of the waterfront cafés)

Finally, I have to say something about Warung Mak Beng, a place at the northern end of town famous for fried fish and really spicy fish soup. It's hugely popular, so even outside of meal times you'll have to queue for a seat. I ate there once, and found it tasty, but I did get sick afterwards, so I'd suggest being a bit cautious (hopefully I was just really unlucky).

Watching the sunset over the volcano

Fish fish fish fish fish! Jemeluk Bay in Amed

My first snorkel experience was a handful of years back, at Jemeluk Bay in Amed (on Bali's north coast). Never a strong swimmer, I'd wanted to learn to snorkel for a while, but was slightly intimidated by the idea of doing it in deep water, a long way from land. But in Amed, the reef is just off the shore, in fairly shallow waters. Obviously I had to try it, right?

I was entranced from the very first - thousands of small, brightly coloured fish. Fascinating shapes of coral. Even all the idiots standing and sitting on the reef didn't put me off (although I did spend a fair amount of time crossly telling people to get down off the reef, and mostly being ignored by arseholes who seemed to think it was their god-given right to destroy the reef they'd come here to see).

So when I was crossing Bali again on this trip, I definitely wanted to return to Amed, and re-experience the same wonder.

I saw my first lion-fish!

The reef at Jemeluk Bay is still a wonderful snorkel experience, even if it's still covered in idiots trying their hardest to kill it. If you get a chance to come here, do so. And can the local tourist association please hire reef life-guards to kick people off the reef, before the reef dies and takes your tourism industry with it?

I don't have an underwater camera, and typically don't take my phone to the beach, so I'm afraid I have no pictures of the reef. Sorry!

Sunrise over the beach at Jemeluk

I see no ships: a failure to snorkle in Tulamben

On a previous trip to Bali, I'd been at Amed on the north coast when Mount Agung started rumbling (which meant I had to reconsider my plans to swing by Tulamben, directly below the volcano, to try and snorkel the site of the USAT Liberty). 

The volcano in question (Mount Agung seen from a bemo on the main north coast road)

So this trip, as I was passing along the north coast of the island on my route from Java to Lombok, I decided I was definitely going to get to Tulamben, to attempt to snorkel both the Liberty and the Coral Garden sites.

Best laid plans of mice and men....

Getting to Tulamben involved 3 bemos (first from Lovina to the western side of Singaraja, a second bemo from the western bus terminal to the eastern one, and then finally a third bemo from there to Tulamben), each one requiring hard negotiation as the drivers typically ask tourists for 2-3 times the standard fare. The total trip was about 2hrs travel time, plus a bit of waiting each time I changed bemos. It's times like this when I wished I drove.

I tried to snorkel the Liberty that first afternoon I arrived, but conditions weren't great -- the tide was in meaning the wreck was deep, and the visibility was poor, so I could essentially only see a large shadow from the surface. There was also a very strong cross current, meaning I was having to swim hard just to stay above the wreck. Within a short amount of time, I was exhausted, and called it an afternoon. I went for a walk around the area, had some nice food in an unassuming little hole-in-the-wall restaurant, and ended up relaxing at my hotel pool, chatting to other guests.

Sunset over the arid Tulamben countryside

The following morning I tried to snorkel again, but this time the conditions were even worse. A stiff breeze was blowing 1m waves, and I stood on the rocky beach and watched multiple groups of divers trying to enter and leave the water, forming human chains to try and prevent being swept off their feet by the waves (and failing as often as they succeeded). I never even got wet that day.

The following day I left, to seek more sheltered bays over in Amed, further east along the coast. So, I still haven't seen the Liberty.

Maybe next trip....

Tulamben beach - you come here to dive or snorkel, not lie on the beach

Singaraja

Singaraja, formerly the seat of the Buleleng Regency and the Dutch colonial capital until the 1950s, is an easy and worthwhile day trip from Lovina. The town boasts plenty to keep you occupied for a day - the downtown / waterfront area has temples, statues, and attractively crumbling colonial buildings. Wander away from the waterfront, and you'll find a 17th century royal palace (Puri Agung), and plenty of good eating options.

To get to Singaraja, bemos run along the main coastal road, and you can flag one down anywhere along the route. My bemo from Lovina only went as far as the bus terminal at the western end of Singaraja (just over 2km from the centre and the waterfront area), but it was easy to grab an ojek to take me the rest of the way (I used the Gojek app). I think the local price for the bemos is about 10,000 IDR each way; the driver on the way in asked me for 10,000. The driver on the way back asked for 30,000, and was quite annoyed when I told him the first driver had only asked for 10,000!

My first stop in town was Pura Segara Buleleng, a somewhat dishevelled but attractive pebble-covered temple on the waterfront.

Pura Segara Buleleng, on the waterfront

A quick wander further along the waterfront takes you past the enormous and ugly Yudha Mandalatama monument (think big statue wearing a loincloth and waving a flag), and an attractive and welcoming small Taoist temple (Ling Gwan Kiong), where old men will happily show you around and tell you all about the Chinese community in Singaraja.

Ling Gwan Kiong

Heading inland, you'll pass streets of picturesque crumbling colonial buildings, then a large temple complex at Pura Jagatnatha (sash and sarong required, and expect to be sulked at by the old ladies if your donation for entry isn't large enough). It was quiet when I visited, but as the most important temple in town, I know it can get busy at certain times.

A long walk along tree-lined streets further inland takes you to Puri Agung Singaraja, the palace of the former ruler. It's a modest palace, with open air rooms filled with antique furniture and historical photographs. I found it very interesting. Please note: if coming under your own steam, the palace isn't signposted from the street. I've included a couple of photos of the entrance below, to help you find the right place (I must admit I initially walked past it, before realising I'd gone too far and had to double back).

One of Puri Agung Singaraja's open air rooms

The main door to the palace, visible once you go through the gates (pictured below)

The gate from the street for the palace - when walking up Jl Mayor Metra, the entrance is about a block north of the intersection with Jl Veteran.

Just around the corner from the Palace, Museum Buleleng boasts a fascinating collection of artefacts and what I believe is the world's only library dedicated to lontar (palm-leaf) manuscripts. If you time it right, one of the staff members should be able to show you how they are made (expect you may get a hard-sell, as the staff member who showed me around also translates some of the manuscripts into English, and wanted me to pay $80 USD for a PDF of the translation of one of the books. I demurred).

If all that wandering about and history-gazing hasn't worked up and appetite, you're a better person than me. Nasi Babi Guling Merdeka, near Pura Jagatnatha, offers big plates of porky-goodness.

Not Lovin' Lovina

Lovina collectively refers to a few beaches to the west of Singaraja. The area is definitely more touristy than Pemuteran, with every second building given over to chasing tourism money (selling taxi services, snorkelling trips to Menjangan), as well as all the guesthouses and homestays.

TBH, although the farmland around Lovina was pretty, I didn't like the vibe of the area as much as Pemuteran, and I found the beaches to be nothing special (I tried snorkelling over quite a large area, and found nothing but sea grass and the odd sea urchin), so I ended up only spending two days in Lovina (one day exploring Lovina and the beaches, and one day visiting Singaraja).

The sunsets were nice, though....

Pemuteran, eventually

I'd planned to get up to the northern and NW coast of Bali on my previous trip to the island (in June 2018). However I'd cut that trip short due to a run of bad luck (unseasonal and unrelenting rain, blisters on my feet from walking around in wet shoes, one of those blisters becoming infected, getting food poisoning, and finally catching a cold). 

So when I crossed through Bali in September 2019, on my way from Java to Lombok, I knew I had to rectify that omission. 

Grey sand beaches at Pemuteran

Crossing into Bali by ferry from Banyuwangi in East Java, you arrive at Gilimanuk, at the far NW tip of the island. From there, you can catch a bus along the north coast road, which will take you through Pemuteran, on the way to Lovina and Singaraja.

Pemuteran is a small town, a few quiet streets on either side of the highway, with a mix of small guesthouses, small restaurants, and a few mid-sized beach resorts. It's very relaxed in feel, away from the crowds and hassle of the southern Bali beaches.

The beach is thataway!

The in-town beach has a man-made reef (wire frames which have been seeded with coral), giving some good snorkelling, and there are plentiful tours to the dive and snorkel sites at Menjangan and the national park. (Unfortunately I don't have an underwater camera, so I have no pictures of the reefs.)

I wasn't certain how long I would stay there - I figured maybe two or three days, but ended up staying five. It was just such a nice, relaxed place to hang. Every morning, I would wander down the shady lane that led from my guesthouse to the seafront, and find a shady place on the sand to settle down with my book and snorkel. For lunch, wander the back streets and find a veggie curry or a rice bowl. Repeat in the afternoon.

It was nice.

Scenery in Pemuteran, sandwiched between the sea and the mountains

Surabaya, baby!

Surabaya doesn't see a lot of Westerners.

I know this, because I've been asked to pose for 8 selfies in the past 24 hours. Because security guards and traffic cops keep grinning and waving at me. Because old women doing their shopping in the wet market stop to stare and shout "Hello, Mister!" at me (not a Mister, but I appreciate the sentiment).

The town centre has good pavements (so you can walk confidently on many roads, without worrying about falling into an open drain, tripping over broken paving stones, or bumping into parked motorbikes). The streets are often lined with flowers and trees, and there are many attractive old buildings to admire.

Arab quarter

Old meets new (meets cancer-stick advert, ptooey!)

There's a 1950s Soviet sub to scramble through (remember to duck), an evocative Dutch cemetary now used for grazing goats, and a small museum dedicated to Dr Soetomo (one of the founding members of the Indonesian nationalist movement, that worked towards independence) - drop in. The friendly staff will be delighted to see you.

Dunno what bunny topiaries have to do with Soviet subs...

Mmmm, cozy.

When you're done with exploring and history, there are modern shopping malls filled with brand names and iced lattes avaiting you.

Spot the goat

Food-wise, there isn't a particular "eating district" but there are restaurants and food stalls scattered across the city, from tiny coffee carts to Pizza Huts (often next to each other). Local specialities include rawon (a curry made from a type of black nut, which has to be pretreated for days or weeks to make safe to eat), and rujak cingur (a dish of blanched and fresh vegetables, fruit, tofu, cold rice cakes and almost-tasteless chunks of gelatinous cow nose, doused in spicy peanut sauce).

A note to Westerners: they seem to like their chili here. When I ordered rujak cingur, they asked me how much chili I wanted in the sauce. I said just a little spicy. They responded: "Two chilies?" I countered one would be sufficient, which they told me meant "not spicy". The resulting dish was so spicy it made my eyes water. It was good, but I was very glad they'd only included the one chili.

The cow nose is at the back

For tourists, this is a small big city - you can comfortably explore it in one day. But it's a pleasant town, and worth breaking journeys across Java here.

But I'd eat around give the cow nose.