Bali, Indonesia
We both were looking forward to Indonesian food. I like it a lot, and my friend likes it even more since she’s originally from Indonesia and misses it. So, the first thing we did after arriving and checking into our bungalow in Bali was to search for a nice restaurant to get some local dishes. Satay was my choice.
The next day, we went out exploring. Our accommodation was in Uluwatu, in the South of the island. It’s less crowded there and still has excellent facilities. Also, there are lovely beaches and temples same as everywhere in Bali. It was just a short stay since our goal was to reach Labuan Bajo. But our stay in Bali got extended involuntarily. The airline didn’t notify us about a earlier scheduled departure time and we missed our flight. Luckily they could rebook us just for the next flight a day later. So we stayed one more night in Bali, at the Hilton hotel just next to the airport.
Komodo Island, Indonesia
We arrived in Labuan Bajo and wanted some days of rest. So we booked a lovely cottage up the mountain with a beautiful view. The Indonesian people are so friendly, I’m always really impressed. The resort staff welcomed us with a welcome drink, and everything was smooth for the next few days.
Our mission was also to book a trip to the famous Komodo island with these huge lizards. Our trip was so spontaneous that we only booked the flight, and luckily, I already had 2 weeks of vacation planned ahead so I was able to join my friend on this journey.
On our mission to book a trip, we wanted to go to the tourist information in the centre of the town. Since we couldn’t book a taxi from our place, we got two separate scooter and told the driver to go to the tourist office. Both agreed and each driver drove us to their shop of preference (with a cut on bookings probably). We both arrived in different tour guide stores and they’re trying to sell us their trips. Since we’re both experienced travellers we both took this opportunity to our advantage and gather as much information and especially the prices. Then we left to meet for lunch. During lunch we could compare the offers we gathered in piece and negotiate with the shop owners. In the end we made a very good deal. Especially when we asked other people about what they paid, we paid half of them. In the end everyone gets the same service on the boat.
We were leaving for our 3-day / 2-night boat adventure in the Komodo National Park—a very famous trip with many tour operators. We had a fantastic crew. They cooked very well, and my friend was again in the “food heaven”. We got a beautiful double cabin with A/C.
The boat trip passed different islands, viewpoints, beaches, and snorkel spots and continued to the famous Dragon Island. We enjoyed all the stops and had great discussions with some people on the boat while sailing to the next stops, and since my friend could speak Indonesian, she could also integrate the crew members into our discussions. Their English was very basic. Only the tour guide had a decent level of English. There was also an intern on board. He’s from the main island “Flores”, where Labuan Bajo is located. He has never gone to a beach or swimming. This trip was, for sure, his biggest adventure so far. He also rarely saw tourists despite his studying tourism. Being part of this trip and experiencing everything made him visibly very happy. Sometimes, he needed to help on the boat, but we made sure with his boss he came with us to the beach snorkelling.
Then the big moment came: we arrived at Dragon Island. No one lives permanently on this island. There are some rangers and some restaurants for food during the day, that’s it. People need to be careful about the lizards. They’re very dangerous and can kill people. That’s also why tourists are not allowed to enter the island alone. We split into smaller groups and went into the forest with the rangers. There are multiple routes to go. The chances that we would see the “dragons” were very high, and we saw them very quickly—impressive creatures, like they’re left from the dinosaur age. We asked the rangers many questions and enjoyed the walk in the national park while spotting multiple “Komodos”.
After the famous island, we headed back to the main town. It took us quite a while, and we made multiple snorkel stops on the way again.
When we arrived back in Labuan Bajo, we had an entire evening to enjoy. Since most people from the boat stayed the night in the town, we also met for dinner again and enjoyed the last evening. Next, it was time to say goodbye and board the plane. I flew with my friend to Surabaya, where she’s originally coming from. She left to visit her family, and I moved into my new Airbnb in the city.
Surabaya, Indonesia
I didn’t have much time to rest and find peace. Another friend was already on the way from Jakarta. It’s my 3 time in Indonesia, and I know people everywhere. Tomo, a friend I met in the capital years ago, decided to come for 1.5 weeks to meet me in Surabaya since I told him I wouldn’t make it to the “big capital”.
I booked a bigger apartment for both of us. We had two separate rooms and a big living room with a kitchen and a chill area. It was perfect for him to study and me to work in silence, so everyone had their own space. In addition, the place was also very stylish, and we both felt comfortable.
When Tomo arrived, the rainy season was just about to hit East Java. Our Airbnb was close to a big shopping mall, where we went for movies and food. We also met some local Couchsurfers and walked in the city when it stopped raining. There’s a submarine museum in the centre, where we could look inside an old one.
Malang, Indonesia
We planned a weekend trip to Malang, a town a bit South surrounded by mountains. It’s possible to reach the city by train from Malang, and since I love to travel by train, we did that. It was an approximately 2-hour journey. When we arrived there, we checked into the hostel and went for some food. Going around with a halfway local is always great. We found a food court where they had very cheap and local meals. The “one dollar meal”, as I call it. 25’000 Rupiah for food and juice. That’s approx. 1.5 USD. It’s just unbelievable to me. And in addition, it was very delicious.
Malang is famous for its waterfalls and is a starting point for trips to the nearby vulcanos (Mount Ijen or Mount Bromo). Upon arriving, we had no exact plans. We just wanted to rent a motorbike and see where it led us. Sadly, the weather wasn’t nice, so we decided not to go up to a mountain because we wouldn’t see anything because of the low-hanging clouds.
On the second day, the weather didn’t look too bad. So we left a bit further away to the Tumpak Sewu Waterfall. I had no expectations but was impressed by its size. After having a look from the top, we decided to climb down into the valley. There were way fewer people. I prefer less touristy places, and I also know why. The path is quite steep, and you must walk through small streams. I had proper shoes, while most locals just walked with flip-flops.
After our climb, clouds covered Mount Bromo, so we could barely see it. The mountains’ form looks like a volcano from a movie, with a steam cloud hovering above. We decided to drive around the countryside a bit and got lost. We ended up in a small village with quite bad internet coverage. Also, the satellite pictures from Google Maps didn’t help us to figure out which turn to take. Good again, I had a local with me. We had to ask some locals for help.
On the way home, it got dark and started to rain. When it began to rain heavily, we decided to take a break for dinner. Sadly, the rain didn’t chill down while eating, and we had a pretty cold ride back home. Luckily, we bought raincoats before, so we stayed as dry as possible. In the end, it was a fun day with many experiences.
The following day, the weather seemed the same—friendly and sunny in the morning. So we headed off to a touristy spot within the town. The “Tridi Village” has many colourful houses with a river in the middle and a bridge above it. It’s absolutely “Instagrammable.” We had breakfast there and a walk afterwards.
After the village, we rode our motorbike up the mountains to see a waterfall. On the way up there, it suddenly started to rain. We were prepared and jumped into our full bodysuit – it looked very sexy. In those clothes, we stayed for the entire day since it kept pouring.
We didn’t let the weather make our mood bad. After looking at the waterfall, we went for a walk and into a small attraction park to play games. We went to play “bow and arrow” and paint guns. After that, they had a maze with a tower next to it. One person could watch the other getting lost in the maze. It’s fun for the one in the tower since they see where a dead end is. Tomo, my friend, enjoyed it very much. We looked like prisoners who were trying to escape with these orange overalls.
After the game session, we were hungry and searched for a local restaurant in the fields. We found one with a great view and enjoyed excellent Indonesian food while drying up and charging our devices.
Then, it was already time to head back into the hostel, grab our bags, return the scooter, and go to the minivan terminal to book a ride back to Surabaya. Sadly, they were full, and we had to wait a couple of hours. We went to a bar/restaurant with artistic interiors to kill time until the bus departed.
Lombok, Indonesia
Next, I’m off to my favourite island in the world, Lombok. It’s my second time there, and I was looking very much forward to visiting again and exploring more. I will stay for a month and explore every part of the island.
Sembalun, Indonesia
The first week, I stayed in the central city, Mataram. Most people live there, but it’s not very touristy. A friend of mine took me on a day trip to the island’s Northern part on the weekend. We did a lot of driving in just one day. It’s very far. But it was worth it. We could see so many beautiful things. First, we drove to the East and saw the highest mountain, “Mount Rinjani,” peaking out of the clouds to our left. Then it started to go up the hill. We drove into the forest and saw many monkeys on the way. Arriving at the highest point, we had a beautiful view down into the valley and the village of Sembalun. It’s the starting point of most tracks up the volcano—a tropical mountain village for climbers and hikers.
Down in the village, we stopped at a shop owned by a friend of my friend. He’s selling climbing gear, and we had some small talk and snacks there. It was fun. Then, we headed to another viewpoint (Bukit Selong) within the village to see the green fields from above. Next to the viewpoint, there’s a museum village with old-style clay houses. Some local kids played a simple game with sticks and stones in the garden. I never saw this. So my friend asked them if we could try to do that too. We tried our best but failed to the amusement of the kids.
Tiu Kelep Waterfall, Indonesia
After that, we had another long drive ahead of us. We had to drive to the Northern tip of the island and down to the ocean again. After following the coast for a bit, we turned left up the mountain again to arrive at a village with two beautiful waterfalls, to which we hiked for around 30 minutes. No one was at the last one. It’s a hidden spot as of then. On the way to the waterfall there’s a waterslide. Some locals were sliding down and having fun. It looks sketchy but very sharable. I started to see it on Instagram quite a bit since I passed that spot.
After we visited the waterfalls and got some food, it had already gotten dark. We still had to finish our loop and drive around three more hours to reach the big city again. So we had to do this by night. At some point, we stopped at the side of the street at a fruit market, and for the first time in my life, I tried durian. It is a fruit famous for its awful smell, but it’s not too bad when eating. I couldn’t eat it daily, but it was surprisingly good.
Mataram, Indonesia
After exploring on the weekend, the work week started again, and I booked a pretty fancy hotel in the city centre of Mataram. Sadly, no co-working space was around, so I had to work from my room or the hotel lobby. One day, my friend invited me to come to her office to work for a day, which I did to be able to leave my hotel room for a bit. A typical week as a digital nomad. Different work environments every couple of hours. It’s not the most ergonomic, actually. That’s why I prefer to stay in co-working spaces, but sometimes it’s impossible.
In the evening, I met some new friends in Mataram and went for food in different restaurants. There are a couple of options around since it’s a city with half a million inhabitants. Also, in the North, there’s a touristic village called Sengiggi, which has some fabulous restaurants, like a very nice Italian place (Pasta Pojok). I couldn’t believe that there’s such a good Italian kitchen in Lombok, and it is. Also, a couple of very good pizza places are around the island.
Tete Batu, Indonesia
The following weekend, I made another trip to the island’s centre. I booked a hostel for just one night and met another backpacker friend from Germany to explore the area called Tete Batu. Up there, there is a lovely place with hostel vibes but private bungalows. In the evening, they have live music and a small restaurant with nice food. I was craving Gado Gado and had a fantastic one. Overall, there are very good vibes at this place.
Close by are some natural swimming pools and waterfalls, which we visited during the day. It’s a quiet and nice getaway in the rice fields. The full area isn’t that touristy; there are just a handful of backpackers like me and many locals. It feels so real. To reach the waterfall (Air Terjun Sarang Walet), we had to follow a path and later walk up the stream. At the end, there was the waterfall in a canyon. It was quite special and beautiful.
Selong Belanak, Indonesia
Before it got dark, I had to put the big backpack on the motorbike and drive all the way to the South. It took me around 3 hours to reach in the dark. I continued my habit of booking an entire week and moving/exploring on the weekend. Since I had a motorbike, I was very flexible, and driving for long with my luggage wasn’t an issue. He was heavy but fit perfectly on the back. I was wearing it as usual and all the weight was placed on the backseat of the motorbike. So it felt like having a passenger on the bike. I was able to drive for hours with that setup without issues.
My new accommodation was a stylish bungalow on the hill with a great view. The interior was very minimalistic, with a balcony and a big bathroom. As part of the small resort with a couple of bungalows, there’s a restaurant. They have very good dishes, nicely picked and executed. So I ate almost every day there. I had a great and regular food schedule since it was so easy to eat there while working.
Along the southern coast, there are a couple of big construction projects in the making. I was interested in checking them out, and I had some connections who gave me a tour to explore some of those big upcoming resorts and visit finished or villas in construction.
Gili Kedis, Indonesia
The following weekend was already coming again. Time passes so fast when things are good. This time, I wanted to go a bit North again to a few small islands. The route from my current accommodation went through untouched areas, and I wasn’t sure how good the road would be. To my surprise, it was just bad at the beginning, and I ended up driving on many very new concrete roads. I booked two nights at a hotel right at the beach. It was pretty empty. This area is even less touristy than the place on the weekend before. Close by, there are some tiny islands which I wanted to check out. But first, I arrived, rested a bit and went for a ride more to the East.
The next day, the so-called Gili islands were on the list. A friend from Mataram joined me for that. So we got a boat and did the three-island trip (Gili Kedis, Gili Nanggu & Gili Sudak). The islands have beautiful, untouched beaches, and they are tiny. Some have just a restaurant/cafe on them, surrounded by white sandy beaches.
Kuta Lombok, Indonesia
After a sunny and peaceful weekend at the beach, I returned South. This time, I went to the central tourist spot, Kuta. There are many options for accommodation, fantastic international food, and a nice little co-working space where I stayed for 2 weeks. I worked focused and went around to some nearby viewpoints with local friends in the evening. Overall, it was a great time. I like the area so much. There’s a race track to the East of Kuta—the Moto GP Grand Prix of Indonesia. A couple of weeks before, it was just taking place. The race track has a beautiful view and is located just next to the beach. It’s possible to see down to the track from a viewpoint next to it.
One day, I remember very well. It was a bit of a cloudy day. My friend who came on holiday to Lombok left back to Surabaya. We wanted some nice food and looked for a pleasant restaurant in the island’s centre. When we headed there, it started to rain like crazy. It often happens that there’s a lot of rain around the airport, which is very local. So we arrived totally wet at the restaurant to figure out it wasn’t open. In March, there’s Ramadan, so a lot of local places are closed during the day. So was this. We were aware of the fact but completely forgot since Kuta is very touristy and works a bit differently in that sense. We tried to find an alternative close by but couldn’t find anything. The only option was the airport. There, we saw KFC, which was open. It was not really what we had in mind before, but we were so hungry by now and wet that we just wanted food and to stay inside. Covered behind curtains, we had our chicken nuggets. It felt so illigal.
Gerupuk, Indonesia
I wanted some peaceful days out of the busy centre of Kuta while still being able to go to the co-working place in Kuta during the day. Gerupuk, a surfer village a 15min motorbike ride away, was the perfect location for that. I found a bamboo villa on Airbnb at the mountain top with a nice view to the bay and a private swimming pool. The road to that place was a bit of a challenge, especially because it had just rained the night before. The road was slippery because it wasn’t made of concrete and also steep. After I made it up, the owner, a Swedish surfer, was waiting for me. I felt at home at the place right away and continued with some work. The internet was very fast to my surprise. I asked the owner how this happened, and he said they had done direct fiber access a couple of years ago. He also wants fast internet since he lives next to my Airbnb in another bamboo house. The architecture was really nice of those cottages/villas. They’re build in old fashion, but pretty new with a big private garden.
I stayed in the villa for a couple of days and worked there more than expected from there. I rarely returned to Kuta since I enjoyed it so much up at the bamboo villa, and the infrastructure was excellent. For food, I sometimes went down to the village or cooked something for myself. When I needed to refresh my mind I went for a walk in the hills next to the my place, which has amazing views or went for a swim in the pool with a nice view as well. So that was complete happy life for me. Productive and in a nice surrounding.
On my last day, a friend from Singapore joined me. It was her first time in Lombok, and she booked a private car to go around the island. In the meantime, I was focused on work. Later in the evening she arrived and we went for some local food, she was really craving it since she’s from Indonesia originally and in love with the food.
The next day, it was time to say goodbye to this beautiful spot, and we crossed the island to visit the other main touristy place, the Gili Islands. 3 small islands just in front of the coast of Lombok. Part of Lombok as well, but it is very easily reachable from Bali and filled with tourists from there. I drove with my scooter into the city of Mataram to return it after a month of great service, while my friend took a taxi and picked me up there. Then we continued the journey to the islands.
Gili Trawangan, Indonesia
After we arrived in Gili T, we checked into a lovely resort with a private pool. There are three different islands; each one is unique on its own. Gili T is famous for parties, Gili Meno for couples and honeymoons, and Gili Air is a bit more peaceful than Gili T, with some expats living there. An interesting fact about those islands is that there are no cars or motorbike. Only electric bikes, bicycles or horses are allowed. So it gives a very different feel to the island.
For me, it was the weekend, meaning no work for 3 days. It was part of leaving Lombok and moving to Bali. The island is perfectly placed in between for a stop, where you can relax at the beach and enjoy great food. On the first evening, we bought some dishes at a local food market. The next day, we went snorkelling at Turtle Point. The water was very clear and blue, and seeing turtles is almost a given. We didn’t find any until we were almost about to leave. Luckily, one appeared in our area. They’re very chill and don’t care about humans. They just do their business on the base of the sea.
Ubud, Indonesia
Next, we took a speed boat to Bali. Two hours later, and two more hours by bus, we arrived in Ubud, a city a bit North of the crowded area of Bali. My friend had an early morning flight from Bali. So, when we arrived in Ubud, we went for food and wandered around for the last evening.
I stayed in Ubud for a bit in a co-working/co-living. Ubud is probably the birthplace of this movement. The first proper place for co-living counts back to this location. Bali is famous for its digital nomads and many co-living places all over the island.
But first, what always happens to me when arriving in Bali – „Bali belly“. I got sick and was knocked out for 2 days. I don’t know why I have always had these problems in Bali, and I couldn’t identify the cause other than fried food. People told me it could be oil. In the last few days, I have been to proper touristy restaurants, but there is no guarantee that I will not get sick of food. It’s famous in Bali and always frustrating, especially since it’s so touristy. You could think the problem is solved. Sadly, it isn’t, and many friends I know have the same experience. It was even more surprising for me because I already stayed a couple of months in South East Asia, and my stomach was used to it.
Amed, Indonesia
The last weekend in Ubud, I planned a big road trip with a school friend from Switzerland, who was travelling around South East Asia. We rented a scooter and explored the Northern part of Bali. The distance is quite far. The more North you go, the less touristy it gets. We both enjoyed that a lot. First, we got a recommendation from a local friend to visit a beach in the North East. It was an excellent recommendation. It’s a quiet beach with some restaurants on it. Sandy beaches with shallow water. It was just amazing to float in there. My friend and I talked for around an hour, chilling in the water and just relaxing.
Afterwards, we continued to a famous temple. Many people take pictures there with a reflection. It’s a bit hilarious, and we had great fun while watching the tourists queuing for hours to make their fake pictures. In reality, the temple looks quite dull, and they use a mirror to make it look like water with a reflection. Don’t believe what you see on social media.
Then, we had a big stretch by bike in front of us. We wanted to arrive in Lovina for the night, so we continued driving for a couple of hours. Somewhere on the road, we found a nice pizza place with a stone oven, where we stopped for a cozy dinner. I was pretty fascinated how we found this place in the middle of nowhere without many tourists. The food was great, and we enjoyed it a lot. With a full belly, we continued to drive in the dark.
Lovina, Indonesia
Lovina is famous for the dolphin watching. Early in the morning, there are a couple of boats leaving trying to spot dolphins. We joined this tour and drove out with many fishing boats along the coast. For me personally, there were too many boats and I wasn’t surprised that we couldn’t see anything. But our guide was a good one. Suddenly he left the group of boats full speed for a couple of kilometers and slowed down the boat. To our surprise a couple of minutes later we saw dolphins very close to our boat. We started following them quietly. Later the other boats saw it as well and came close to us. Then it got packed again and funny enough many more dolphins started to appear. People jumped into the water and the boats started following them. The dolphins seem to not care about the crazy traffic above them. The ocean is big and if they want piece, they could just leave. They’re way faster then the those local boats we were on.
Jatiluwih, Indonesia
After our early morning excursion on the sea, we jumped on our motorbikes and continued South over a mountain, through local villages and small roads. That is precisely what we liked. At some point, we crossed some lakes up the hill, where we stopped to grab lunch. Afterwards, we continued to visit a temple by another lake. To finish our second road trip, we visited some rice fields. We arrived at the Jatiluwih rice terraces later in the afternoon. It was very quiet, so we walked through them. We enjoyed it so much. I didn’t expect it to be like that. They were indeed huge, and everywhere you could see, there were just rice fields. No annoying locals trying to sell you something. The last time I was at rice fields in Bali, I was very disappointed. They were way too touristy. Good luck, not these once.
Our accommodation for the night was in the middle of rice fields. It’s not too far from our last stop. It was a small resort, and houses were rebuilt in the traditional Bali style in the middle of nature. After dawn, you could hear the frogs in the paddy fields—an insider tip I’ve marked to go another time or recommend to my friends and family. They have a small restaurant for guests there with traditional dishes. We ordered and enjoyed the food. Super friendly staff as well. The next morning we rested long and got up to grab breakfast in the resort as well. It’s just too beautiful to go somewhere else. Also there’s not much more around there. Really hidden in the nowhere.
Afterwards, we headed back to Ubud again. It was a 1.5-hour motorbike trip. I arrived in the city, had to return my motorbike and leave back South to be ready for my upcoming work week. A successful weekend road trip with a school friend I haven’t seen for so long. This made the full trip even more remarkable. He had a great backpacker spirit and was very easy going and spontaneous. Exactly my vibe.
Canggu, Indonesia
This was my last week in Indonesia. I went South to the hipp and crowded area of Bali. There are great coffee places to work from that are very nomad-friendly. It is good to work and have great food for a bit. But staying in Canggu for too long would be too much for me. Not my vibe. Although I was able to meet some friends and therefore enjoyed my stay. The time went by fast. I didn’t go to a co-working space because it seemed very full, and for some, reservations were even required weeks in advance. I didn’t do that, so I decided to work from coffee shops, which is also a completely good way to work for a couple of days.
The last evening was a surprise. A friend I met in Lombok a couple of weeks ago, who is originally from Bali, was back at her home for a couple of days, and we met again. We went for food and a drink in the party street a bit South in Kuta. It was on the way to the airport anyways for which she was driving me with her vintage car. It was a Suzuki Jimny, not sure if it already counts as an oldtimer. I was surprised she had such a car. Everyone watched us while we drove to the airport. We had a lot of fun on the way. What a delivery at the airport in this car late at night. Little stories like that will stay in my mind forever.
