Indonesia Part 2: Sunsets & Beaches
People ask me about my recent holiday to Indonesia and what my favorite part was. Truly it was one beautiful place after another. Ultimately, my favorite part was spending time with Trent and my family of 4 that moved to Jakarta 2 years ago on a 3 year government contract. We were treated like royalty everywhere we went and that felt magnificent. To see my nephews, my sister and brother in law thriving in this challenging, once in a life adventure was inspiring and heartwarming. The main purpose of our trip to Indonesia was to join our family on a fun beach holiday exploring the m
any islands of this country. Trent and I enjoyed 5 days in Bali before meeting the family in Lombok where the rest of the adventure began. We visited 4 of the 17,508 islands of Indonesia. I am sharing some highlights of that journey with you all and I hope you enjoy the stories as much as we enjoyed the experience.
The Bubble Hotel Bali is located on Nyang, Nyang beach, Uluwatu, and is a one of a kind glamping experience. You get a plot of land, with a pergola, infinity pool, swing, campfire and an outdoor bathroom. There is a queen size bed inside of a plastic forced air bubble. To get there you jump on the back of a motorcycle with just your essentials and they drive you down a steep road to the beach access. You then walk on the beach for about 15 minutes to the Bubble Hotel Experience.
The waves from the Indian Ocean are roaring and the wind is blowing, you really are out in the element here at this beach front remote location. Admittedly, I was overwhelmed at first, but Trent helped me ease into the experience with a funny swimsuit display. We enjoyed everything the Bubble Hotel had to offer; a dip in our infinity pool looking into the ocean, a beach kite flying session, a lovely beach walk, a swing on the swing, a bottle of bubbles and a gorgeous sunset view, even a night time campfire with marshmallows. In the morning we were treated to a fabulous floating breakfast in our infinity pool.The whole experience turned out to be fantastic and definitely memorable. This place was on Trent’s bucket list and I was happy to have this adventure with him. A one time one of a kind experience.
From the glamping bubble to the Nusa Dua bubble, I found my home away from home at the Magnificent Nusa Dua Beach Resort and Spa. This was the first resort built in the area in 1983 with a grand display of Balinese style and architecture. Nusa Dua is a resort enclave known for manicured beaches, calm atmosphere and 5 star hotels. It is described as a bubble because some critics say that it does not give you the “true” Bali experience. I for one loved it! The people here were so welcoming and the whole experience was so fabulous. How could I ever leave this place? Our room was decked out with gorgeous wood carved details and we even had access to a private swimming lagoon right outside our room. The grounds of the resort were also stunning with Peacocks running around and gardens to enjoy. There were several pools and also a beautiful beach front where one could enjoy dipping in the ocean. The best part was that Trent was able to book this stunning resort with his Air Canada points. Win, win!!!
Getting to the tiny island of Gili Air was like a Planes, Trains and Automobile kind of journey.
From our Bali hotel, we took a car to the airport, we jumped on a small plane to the Island of Lombok where there was a car waiting to drive us to the Lombok Marina, we then hopped on a speed boat and zipped across the water to the Gili Air Marina. Waiting for us there was a horse and cart which carried us to our beautiful villa on the North part of the island. As we clipped along in the horse and cart, travelling on a narrow paved road we toured the island. I was really impressed by how cool and quaint this little island actually was. We drove by many cute little shops, cafes and restaurants. There are no cars allowed here, only horse and cart and electric scooters and bicycles. Our villa was outstanding with 3 bedrooms and a private pool and in the Balinese style of architecture. It was only a 5 minute walk to the beach where we were treated to some spectacular sunsets. How could we ever leave this place?
Our next destination was back the way we came by horse and cart, speed boat and car to a remote resort on the island of Lombok. The 2 hour drive south across the island of Lombok was so interesting to watch from the comfort of the air conditioned car. Did I mention how hot and humid it is here in this part of Indonesia? We really got a sense of how people really live here.
When we arrived at Amber Lombok Beach Resort, there was a feeling of remoteness and heat. Then, once our host took us to the beach front open air restaurant for our welcome drink we were in awe of this magical resort. One beautiful place after another, this place was outstanding. We felt like we were living an episode of the lifestyles of the rich and famous. Our 3 bedroom villa came with a sunken living room, private pool and beachfront access. How could we ever leave this place? Again we were treated to spectacular sunsets on the beach. Even when we think we saw the best sunset of our lives, we saw another one. We were tearing with emotion at the beauty we were beholding. We were feeling very lucky to enjoy this experience together. It doesn’t get much better than this!
Our next stop of our beach holiday was Kuta, Lombok, a cool surf town with rustic and laid back local vibes. People say that this area is like Bali used to be 30 years ago. Our Hotel was right out of a Palm Springs catalog with an Indonesian twist.The most memorable part of our journey to Kuta was the day we spent at the Kleo Beach Club on Tanjung Aan Beach. Gorgeous white sand beach and turquoise waters. My nephew spent the morning surfing and the rest of us chilled on our beach chairs and enjoyed swimming and playing in the water. There were lots of interesting people watching. Beyond the kept beach of the club were locals enjoying family time during the Ramadan holiday. It was a really great vibe on the beach that day. We decided to endure one more sunset and climbed to the top of a hill and watched the sun go down over the Indian Ocean surrounding hills and beach. It was another stunner and a beautiful way to cap off our beach and sunset tour.
This 3 week trip to Indonesia was everything one could have hoped for, stunning scenery, great weather, beautiful beaches, fun with family, great company, excellent accommodations and safe travel. The people we met in Indonesia were so kind and welcoming, it really is a beautiful place to visit. I am thankful that our family encouraged us to visit and that I experienced so many new and interesting things. For Trent and Tracey it was a most epic adventure.
Happy snowy Sunday!
