Java Here We Come: Surabaya

After leaving Bali, we flew to Surabaya in Java. We really packed a lot in only 4 days, and here are the highlights. Phil wrote a few posts about our time in Surabaya. You can access the first here. 1. The Hotel Majapahit Our hotel in Surabaya was so old-school fancy. It felt very luxuriousContinueContinue reading “Java Here We Come: Surabaya”

Bali, Bye Bye Bye (Bye! Bye!)

Our last stop in Bali was Kuta. We would only be there for two days and chose it because it’s near the airport and we wanted to ensure we made our flight to Surabaya on time. Our hotel in Kuta was a guest house which is kind of like a cross between a home stayContinueContinue reading “Bali, Bye Bye Bye (Bye! Bye!)”

Going Back to Bali Part 3

As I mentioned in my last post, we had to make a change to our original Balinese itinerary due to a visa issue. Instead of being able to renew our Visa online (as we had 30 more days planned), we had to go in-person, to the immigration office in Denpasar, the capital of Bali. AfterContinueContinue reading “Going Back to Bali Part 3”

Going back to Bali 2

One of our first days back in Bali after visiting the surrounding islands, we decided to book a day of site seeing. Phil writes about our full day of outings here. One of our stops was to the Satria Luwak Coffee Plantation. It was not what I expected but was a fine visit nonetheless. AsContinueContinue reading “Going back to Bali 2”

Going Going Back Back to Bali Part 1

After leaving Gili Meno, we headed back to Bali, Ubud specifically. This time, instead of a hotel, we were staying at a home stay. There are many home stays in Bali and they are a walled family compound consisting of multiple living quarters, shrines, and communal areas for the family to cook, eat, socialize, andContinueContinue reading “Going Going Back Back to Bali Part 1”

Indonesia: The Island of Gili Meno

After our young captain from Gili Air dropped us off on the beach, right in front of our accommodations (quite convenient, and worth paying a little extra to not have to lug our bags back to the port). We received a warm welcome from the staff (and a not so small lizard taking a beachContinueContinue reading “Indonesia: The Island of Gili Meno”

Indonesia: The Island of Gili Air

We enjoyed our time in Nusa Penida, but were ready to be slightly more active and explore the Gili islands after our week of straight chilling. We said goodbye to the staff at Penida View Village and Mimi (one of the owners) and off we went with the driver, down the windy, bumpy road toContinueContinue reading “Indonesia: The Island of Gili Air”

The Island of Nusa Penida

After our short stay in Ubud, we headed to the port in Sanur to catch a boat to Nusa Penida, a rugged and beautiful island off the coast of Bali, and is in the province of Bali. View of the port in Sanur The 40ish minute boat ride was cramped, hot and choppy. Luckily (orContinueContinue reading “The Island of Nusa Penida”

Indonesia: Relaxing in Bali

We left Shanghai and headed for Indonesia; first stop Bali. Bali is an island in Indonesia and also one of Indonesia’s 38 provinces. It is the only Hindu-majority province in the majority Muslim country. Indonesia is, in fact, the country with the largest Muslim population in the entire world (though most don’t live on Bali).ContinueContinue reading “Indonesia: Relaxing in Bali”