Having my fill of Balinese culture and even more so of gloomy rain, I figured it was time to treat myself to a few days of the superb snorkeling and white sand beaches that Bali is famous for. Waving goodbye to the monkeys, I hailed a sharp-looking silver taxi and made my way out of Ubud to the coastal town of Candidasa, where I arrived with a giant sigh of relief at the Amarta Beach Bungalows, a collection of simple yet cozy bungalows overlooking the sparkling Indian Ocean. The bungalows each came equipped with a porch for relaxing, more electrical outlets than you could ever want to charge any appliance you might ever have (more important than you'd think), and most impressively an inside/outside toilet and shower (it's the little things in life). I spent a blissfully relaxing and inactive two days in Candidasa, snorkeling in the bright blue water in the afternoon and enjoying a good book over a leisurely dinner in the evenings. On my second night I got to chatting with a trio of Australian guys about my plans for the remainder of my stay in Bali, and before I knew it I had not one but three escorts to the much-touted Gili Islands the following day.
On day ... well honestly I'm losing track of the days here ... we made an early morning departure from Padangbai to the serene and visually stunning Gili Air Island. Contrary to the popular saying that life is all about the journey and not the destination, travel in Asia is generally something to be tolerated (with varying degrees of patience) until you reach your destination. Our trip to the Gili Islands, three idyllic white-sand islands off the northwest coast of Lombok, was no different. Our exhausting journey encompassed a stuffy and nauseating 7hr boat ride on a public ferry, a bumpy 2hr van ride, a 1hr mini-bus ride, and finally a blessedly short motor boat ride to the island. Once there, all was forgotten as we enjoyed a front row view of the brilliant sunset that sent streaks of pink, purple and orange across the darkening evening sky.
Life on the Gilis is a tranquil suspended moment in time, where one can escape the annoyances of the outside world -- you won't even find fresh running water in the shower, let alone cell phone reception. We stayed in a bare-bones cottage across from the beach, outfitted with mosquito-netted beds, a fan, and a hammock. I found out the hard way that the shower water was actually cold and very salty, but when you're lounging on an exquisitely beautiful tropical island, showering from a bottle of drinking water seems like a small sacrifice to make. On day 2, after a complimentary breakfast of fresh papaya and banana pancakes, our Guest House host took us out in his glass-bottom boat for a day of snorkeling. We visited four of the best diving sites in the Gilis, each one better than the next -- electric blue water teeming with scores of fish in vivid rainbow hues, giant sea turtles, and heaps of colorful coral. Day 3 was spent lazing on the bright white-sand beach, swimming in the warm crystal blue water, and ordering iced chocolates from the beach-side bar.
My stay on Gili Air came to an end far too quickly, but I'm craving a proper fresh-water shower, and Australia awaits! I'm onto my next adventure, with visions of bright blue water, white sand and colorful fish dancing in my head.
On day ... well honestly I'm losing track of the days here ... we made an early morning departure from Padangbai to the serene and visually stunning Gili Air Island. Contrary to the popular saying that life is all about the journey and not the destination, travel in Asia is generally something to be tolerated (with varying degrees of patience) until you reach your destination. Our trip to the Gili Islands, three idyllic white-sand islands off the northwest coast of Lombok, was no different. Our exhausting journey encompassed a stuffy and nauseating 7hr boat ride on a public ferry, a bumpy 2hr van ride, a 1hr mini-bus ride, and finally a blessedly short motor boat ride to the island. Once there, all was forgotten as we enjoyed a front row view of the brilliant sunset that sent streaks of pink, purple and orange across the darkening evening sky.
Life on the Gilis is a tranquil suspended moment in time, where one can escape the annoyances of the outside world -- you won't even find fresh running water in the shower, let alone cell phone reception. We stayed in a bare-bones cottage across from the beach, outfitted with mosquito-netted beds, a fan, and a hammock. I found out the hard way that the shower water was actually cold and very salty, but when you're lounging on an exquisitely beautiful tropical island, showering from a bottle of drinking water seems like a small sacrifice to make. On day 2, after a complimentary breakfast of fresh papaya and banana pancakes, our Guest House host took us out in his glass-bottom boat for a day of snorkeling. We visited four of the best diving sites in the Gilis, each one better than the next -- electric blue water teeming with scores of fish in vivid rainbow hues, giant sea turtles, and heaps of colorful coral. Day 3 was spent lazing on the bright white-sand beach, swimming in the warm crystal blue water, and ordering iced chocolates from the beach-side bar.
My stay on Gili Air came to an end far too quickly, but I'm craving a proper fresh-water shower, and Australia awaits! I'm onto my next adventure, with visions of bright blue water, white sand and colorful fish dancing in my head.
Candidasa:
Gili Islands:
1 comment:
OK, now there's a stop we're going to have to make someday. Hopefully aboard a 48' sailboat.
Love hearing about all the underwater snorkeling you've been doing. Sounds amazing - especially looking outside the window and seeing the last of the snow melt from our recent Seattle winter storms.
It's about 34 degrees and the good news - if you can call it that - is that the next storm will come with good old Seattle rain instead of snow.
Send some SUNSHINE this way quick!
D.
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