After hiking Mt Rinjani I was ready for some serious island time. Andres had spent the last few days on the Gili Islands getting to know the place and we planned on meeting at Gili Meno – a little piece of land that has the reputation of being super quiet and the least inhabited of the three islands.

With no paved roads or cars you need to get around on foot or by horse and cart. You also need to bring your money with you as there are no cash machines and only two places with internet. Shoes are definitely not required.

It all sounded perfect to me.

I arrived stinky and sore from the hike to a very chilled Andres – he’d been paddle boarding, swimming and eating his way through the restaurant options and I knew instantly that we’d want more than the three days we planned on staying.

The water is so incredibly clear so time spent being in it, reading a book by it and watching the sun rise and set pretty much dictates life for most tourists – we were no different.

The bonus being that there was also just enough local places to get really great food – plenty of seafood, lots of fresh fruit and these tasty calorie packed chunks of deep fried banana. I figured after three days of eating noodles and sweating it out on the hike I could eat as much as I liked!

There isn’t any party action or night life going on at Gili Meno and the entire island can be walked around in less than an hour. You’ll see locals going about their daily life, fisherman throwing in lines and the general vibe is very much about taking things slow. Sun shaded restaurant tables line the waterfront where you can sit and read sipping ginger tea, fresh juices or Bingtang beer. There is also a distinct absence of hassling compared to Lombok – people will pass by offering handmade jewellery and local fabrics but it doesn’t feel too much and most of them are just up for a chance to practice their English.

As the sun sets a couple of restaurants put out their daily catch so you can order whatever seafood appeals to you to be freshly barbecued. Working your way through the calamari, prawns and fish options could definitely take some time.

Gili Meno also has a good range of places to stay – a couple of more upmarket places and a lot of budget options, including home stays. For $15 AUSD per night we had a great bungalow with a fan, cold water and a comfy bed. You don’t need much when the whole environment is beautiful.

We spent three nights on the island before we felt like we were ready to shift somewhere with a few more people around. In that time I’d managed to chill down to a whole new level, relishing the lazy walks through the village and back and forth to the few restaurants serving up tasty traditional food.

I didn’t imagine that the other two Gili islands could compare, but I was definitely wrong…
next stop Gili Trawangan!

Kris

I like to think I’m not competitive, but friends who know me warts and all would probably disagree. I’ve always been a happy loser when it comes to a variety of stuff – like team sports, drinking games and life threatening leaps of faith. But when it comes to hiking I’ve had my own kind of inner competitiveness going on, and for those people that love hiking mountains you’d agree, that getting to the top is the whole point right?

Over the years I’ve hiked a whole lot higher than Mount Rinjani and for a lot more days to get there. I’ve felt the buzz of the Nepali Himalayas at high altitude and the feeling of losing my breath in the high peaks of South America’s Andes. This hike would be different and I knew it from the start. I had set my own mission to get to the crater rim – if I happened to feel amazing I would hike the extra six hours in the dark up treacherous volcanic rock to say I’d made it to the summit.

It seemed that along the Rinjani trail every person I met was asking the same thing “Are you doing the summit? Have you done the summit?” I felt the collective hype and kept walking.

When it came to camping on the second night, cold and exhausted with a thick fog of cloud as my view I knew for sure that I didn’t really care about getting to the top for once. I would sleep in until 6am while a few people from our group (waking at 2am) sweated it out doing “the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life.” Happy in the knowledge that me and my bung knee were chuffed enough with our effort and almost identical view from the summit (only 700 metres lower).

Not to mention finally realising that sometimes it’s not about reaching the top, but relishing the point in life where you can say – “good job you, let’s not fall off a cliff in the dark at 4am just to know we tried.”

I do admit to reading way too many reviews from people that freaked out and turned back attempting the summit – lots of mention about loose rock and sheer cliff drops – but maybe I’ve stopped taking so many risks as I head in to my mid forties, maybe I’m finally listening to my body, or maybe I’m just not pushing myself hard enough. Whatever it means, I know I’m doing whatever feels right in the moment and the only person I have to agree with is myself.

I still spent the third day walking about seven hours downhill through rain, slippery mud and general volcanic gorgeousness – grateful to know that with an extra six hours in the same day, I would have been crippled for a whole lot longer than I was!

Would I do it again – absolutely.

Kris

For all the wonderful people I met on this trek that busted their pelotas climbing the Rinjani beast – all the way to the summit – WELL DONE! I appreciated your buzz just as much when you returned for that hot cup of tea as if I’done it myself .

For the previous entries about the Mt Rinjani hike you might want to read day one and day two.

The second day would see us trekking all the way down to the volcanic crater lake for a soak in the hot springs and then back up again to camp on the other side of the rim. Basically about six to seven hours of walking. I was worried that after the effort of hiking the first day of Mt Rinjani that I wouldn’t be able to walk without a lot of knee pain.

Hardly anyone slept more than a few hours the first night - either from the cold or just general discomfort. The surprise for me being that I got up and walked around a bit for a stretch, no sign that my shit knee had been punished the day before, in fact I felt surprisingly good and ready for the down hill start. Thank Christ.

I can only put it down to bringing my own sleeping bag and keeping warm. Even though the trekking companies include tents, sleeping bags and a very thin ground sheet for you to sleep on, the quality of the gear is a little shabby. Because it gets really cold at the top of the volcano at night and the ground is a hard base of volcanic rock it’s actually difficult to get much sleep. I really wished I’d bought along my own sleeping mat after the first few hours of tossing and turning but the discomfort does force you out of bed before sunrise and the stars are incredibly clear right about then.

We set off downhill after a breakfast of super buttery banana pancakes and egg toasties. The cliff drop is steep and there are metal railings to hold on to along some of the way, regardless, it’s a very steep and slippery descent and you need to take it slow. Some poor girl tripped and died less than two years ago and it’s not the kind of place that you can easily get air lifted out of.

I set a cracking nana pace and focused on my feet, looking up occasionally to see the changing perspective of the crater. Eventually we made it to the lake after passing through a forest of pine trees, continuing down in to a valley of lush green until we reached some waterfalls. Huge waterfalls that dramatically pound the rocks right above a natural hot spring.

The hot springs are crowded, but so is the trail, people madly getting their sweaty trekking gear off to relish the heat flowing in to little natural pools. Even though you know you’ve got a tough, stink inducing climb all the way back up after lunch, the heat is kind of magical for aching limbs. We spent about an hour washing off the filth and then headed back to the lake for lunch.

Unfortunately the lake highlights the urgent problem facing Mt Rinjani right now – pollution. There are piles of rubbish all along the trail from people cooking – gas cannisters, plastic rubbish, water bottles and general filth, but around the lake the situation is very much in your face.

Stretching our legs eating veggie noodles in the sun, we were optimistic about the fact that we only had to make it to camp two, and from there we would be sitting right below the summit!

But the post lunch hike up was actually relentless and people were feeling the lack of energy after a sleepless night, a hot soak and a carbo loaded lunch. We pushed aside the thought of a lengthy siesta in the sun and started to hike. It rained for a couple of hours so we couldn’t see much, right when the trail turned in to hard rock, a sharp trail that could only be ascended with a whole lot of rock climbing and arm pulling action. It was really, really tough and along the way I regretted my decision to not bring a stash of Snickers bars.

Lidewei and I motivated each other to the camp site and when we got there the rain set in again. We couldn’t see a thing through the heavy white cloud, which meant we spent the night sitting in our tent chatting and trying to sleep, contemplating the 2.30am start required for the push to the summit – only 700 metres higher up but adding an extra 5-6 hours to the final day.

Could we do it, did we even want to?

Kris

For the other entries about the Mt Rinjani hike you might want to read day one and day three. I’ve added a few more images from the day here:

I seriously doubted I could do the Mount Rinjani hike about four hours in on the first day. My backpack was soaked through with sweat, I’d drank litres of water and still wouldn’t pee for another 24 hours – so complete was my exhaustion. My face felt swollen from exertion and my shit knee was throbbing like a bastard, although I’m not sure why bastards are particularly known to throb.

To say it’s a challenging hike is an understatement. The volcano is Indonesia’s second highest, one of the 127 active volcanoes dotted throughout the archipelago, and it’s considered the toughest hike in the country. The first day is 2100 metres straight up through unforgiving tree roots, heavy rain at times and a rocky climb, often through viewless cloud. Eight hours of gruelling effort to get to the rim of a volcano – a place that is suddenly all worth it as soon as you see the view!

But I’ll back up.

After a 5am start from Senggigi beach I jumped on a bus that drove through dense green to the North of Lombok – arriving in a small village to meet my little group of fellow trekkers. I was worried I’d be hiking with a semi-professional German outdoor team, and that I’d be dragging my 42 year old arse all the way up from the back of the group.

Fortunately I couldn’t have dreamed of a better bunch of people to be hiking with. Four Dutchies and an Austrian guy, all at least 20 years younger than me on average, but some first time hikers, one with a genetic knee impediment, and two guys way fitter than me. But I’m happy to say I was never behind more than about half an hour.

I was to be sharing a tent with Lidewei from Utrecht – a girl built like a Nordic Viking with a smile like sunshine. She had been travelling solo through Australia, New Zealand and now Asia. I liked her immediately. Especially because she had hardly any knee cartilege, a crappy pair of grip-less sneakers, and had never hiked before, in other words, she was perfectly matched to my pace. She would be my motivator and vice versa when all we wanted to do was stop and eat chocolate.

Some moments throughout the first day I had to remind myself how much I wanted to see the volcanic crater, how much I wanted to know what it feels like to swim in hot springs within it’s peaks. At other times I just had to keep putting one foot in front of the other and focus on the moment, breaking up the day by metres and hours, believing that it would all be worth it.

It absolutely was. To stand on the edge of the volcanic rim, looking down at the smoking core and watch the clouds float by, I knew in an instant that it was worth every drop of sweat.

I was elated, buoyed by the thought of what it would be like getting deeper in to the crater tomorrow…

Kris

For the following entries about the Mt Rinjani hike you might want to read day two and day three.
Here’s a little of what the first day rewarded us with:

All my life I’ve found it incredibly hard to stay in one place.

Yeah, yeah, first world problems and all that. I’ve lost count of the number of houses I’ve lived in and I seem to be always craving new environments, new cultures and new foods to shove in my fickle mouth. Anything new.

In fact routine has always scared me or quickly bored me and I’m not even sure what fuels the desire for change – that I may be too old to travel one day, that I could die at any moment, that I might miss out on something. I’m not sure if I’ll ever work out what makes me wander, if I’ll grow out of it, or even if I want to.

With only three weeks for this visit to Indonesia I look at the map and imagine exploring about 15 different places across Bali, Lombok and the Gilli Islands, with lots of time required to get from one place to the next. I dangle maps in front of Andres’ face and tell him about all the ‘stuff’ there is to see in one place or the next. “I just want to relax” he says. “Stop, read books, sleep in, you know, make no plans and not move much.”

“Really?” “But there’s SO much to see, and we might never come back here.” I think out loud.

I have to admit that Andres is possibly the most up for adventure person I’ve ever met, ready to slum it if the budget requires, very comfortable with a little luxury when we can afford it and always open to any cultural experience that others might find offensive. He’s always the one that helps me stop a little longer in a place when we are travelling long term and really get to know it. He’s also the person that has pushed me to do the things that have scared me along the way  and made me  glad about them in hindsight.

But he works a whole lot harder than me and really needs a break this time.

So we’ve made it to Senggigi beach on the island of Lombok, I’ve paired down my destination list to only shifting every three days and still I feel restless. I want to fill up each day with trips to villages, visits to see the local artisans, distant waterfalls and anything else the area has to offer.

I wake up early, I wait rather impatiently for Andres to sleep in, read his book leisurely over breakfast and gather the energy to explore a little slice of the coastline with me on motorbike. I realise I’m a nightmare.

There’s only one thing to do – leave Andres in peace on an island while I spend the next three days in constant movement exploring a volcano that I’ve been dreaming about for a while – a hike that involves a very steep climb to stop at hot springs and volcanic lakes that sit in the crater. The plan being to exhaust my wanderlust a bit with a small group of strangers that are up for the same thing.

I’ve been trying for the past few days to observe the little things, the colour of nature around me and the routine of Indonesian life. There have been some beautiful sunsets, one of the few things that easily arrests my wandering attention, forcing me to sit and stop and observe. But maybe I like sunsets so much because they are a fleeting example of how quickly and dramatically everything can change.

I know one day I’ll have to stop, then I’ll be able to sit and recount all the incredible places I’ve been.

Kris

We did manage to drive the full length of Lombok from North to South and all the way up the middle on a motorbike (easily the cheapest way to get around and explore the island yourself for about $5 AUSD per day. Senggigi Beach is definitely the pick of places to stop.

How about you – do you still get restless when you wander?

We’ve just spent a few days on a beautiful island off the coast of Bali’s mainland – Nusa Lembongan. It’s not most people’s typical idea of an island paradise but it holds all different kinds of earthy charm. Lengthy white sand beaches are few and far between, there’s a distinct lack of glitz going on and there is the constant smell of seaweed drying in the sun as you poke around the rural villages.

85% of the locals are seaweed farmers, spending their days in the harbour wading through the water and loading up their boats with a crop that is destined to be a thickening agent for icecream. So much so, that almost everywhere you look you’ll find an ocean of traditional boats and the comfort of knowing that no one is really hassling you for your tourist dollar.

We spent our time in the cheapest part of the village, away from the few luxury resorts that are nestled around the secluded bays further south, and even after our brief visit we would still choose to stay at the main harbour, mostly because of the stunning view across the ocean to distant volcanoes.

Also, because we were facing west we were treated to spectacular sunsets while the locals spent time harvesting their precious algae, away from the glare of the midday heat. Watching a working harbour added to the meditative charm of simply staring out to sea and appreciating the changing beauty of the light. The kind of place that helps you feel like you have some kind of insight into typical Balinese life, away from the more popular tourist strips like Kuta.

The main draw card for us, besides a chilled and cheap local vibe, was all about the action happening under the surface. We arrived in season to appreciate some of the best creatures of the sea, and now easily our favourite – manta rays! Watching them glide while madly pumping our legs to keep up will remain the highlight of our visit to the island.

There is something so graceful about an animal that propels itself forward with an effortless flap of its entire body, something sinister looking about their steel like rod of a tail and gaping open ‘face’, and something arresting about their sheer size.

The water around the island is also a safe haven for a huge amount of beautiful coral and gorgeous tropical fish so it’s a really popular spot for divers. Unfortunately my budget didn’t stretch to the $70 AUSD required for a two tank dive but I didn’t feel like I missed out on anything. The morning we spent on a small boat, dropping our snorkelled faces in to various spots around the island, the water visibility was a crystal clear 20-30 metres. I had the pleasure of hand feeding schools of exotic fish while floating over perfect reef at a place aptly named Crystal Bay.

Even if you’re not in to the underwater action a lengthy boat ride around the island will reward you with views of a very underpopulated coastline, waves crashing in to sheer cliff drops and secluded uber blue lagoons, as well as a sleepy expanse of mangroves on the east coast.

It’s also the kind of place that you can easily take off along unpaved roads on a motorbike, free of shoes, a helmet and road rules, dropping in to local restaurants in search of the perfect piece of calamari or spicy noodle dish.

For us, Lembongan is the ideal starting point from Bali to island hop your way on to Lombok, the Gilli islands and beyond!

Kris

Take note: There is no ATM on the island so you need to bring as much cash as you think you’ll need with you. There are so many options for surfing lessons, diving, fishing and snorkelling trips it’s an easy place to part with more dosh than you planned.

Bali is apparently awash with beautiful Hindu temples so we wanted to kick off our first cultural experience with a popular shrine – something with a little nature thrown in. One that stands out on the must see list is on the very south coast of the main island. Built in the 11th century, Pura Luhur Uluwatu is one of nine directional temples that are intended to protect the good people of Bali from evil spirits.

Clearly the spirits said nothing about monkeys.

The sea temple location is stunning in itself, perched on a dramatic sweeping cliff, it’s a place that inspires reflection even for the non-believers like me. Add to that the local tribe of monkeys and it’s a great place to spend a couple of hours enjoying the vibe.

I could sit and watch the monkeys for hours, they are so human like, intelligent and cheeky. Apparently they do a good job of regularly relieving tourists of their possessions so I strapped my bag on tight and got as close to them as they would let me. All they managed to steal was a little piece of my heart.

I wanted to share some of my favourite shots from time spent observing the little furry guys. Here’s hoping they give you a smile!

Kris

First stop in Bali - we needed a place close to the airport for our midnight arrival, preferably near the beach and preferably cheap. Come on down Jimbaran Bay! The biggest attraction for us being that the area boasts the best seafood in Bali.

While Andres slept off his recent lengthy night shifts I took an early morning walk around the central food market. Outstanding smells include sweet frangipani, spicy satay roasting on coal fires, over ripe bananas, wafts of lotus incense and the ever present smell of the locals favourite – sweet clove cigarettes. Unsure of how appropriate it is to take photos of people I’m starting off with a few food shots of the produce that stood out to me the most.

Having said that, I wasn’t quick enough to capture the creatures that arrested my attention in the meat section. Even though I’ve seen quite a few unrefrigerated meat markets around the world I wasn’t prepared for the scurrying rats that I first mistook as large pigeons. They looked extremely well fed – so well fed I’ll be doing my best to talk Andres out of eating much meat. Sticking to freshly caught fish that we can see arriving on boats to the bay might be the safer way to go.

The big attraction of Jimbaran has to be the restaurants that set up before sunset along the length of the white sand beach. Choosing where and what to eat first being the only quagmire. So here’s a visual taste of what the vibe is like from a Southern Balinese fishing village, a place that we can guarantee rates highly on the taste buds!

Kris

You’ll have to forgive our lack of seafood photos from dinner – they may have been the best chilli prawns I’ve ever eaten and everything was devoured too quickly for a photo!

We are super excited to be heading to a few beautiful islands that make up the incredible archipelago of Indonesia. We’ve wrangled some cheap flights from Australia to Bali and have three weeks to see as much of the natural beauty of the region we can squeeze in. In particular the islands of Lombok, the Gili’s and Bali.

We are dreaming of temple visits, surf lessons, spicy street food and a challenging hike to the summit of an active volcano – Mount Rinjani. Not to mention the opportunity to understand the combination of Hindu and Muslim cultures, living on what we imagine, is an island paradise.

Bali is an island that has remained low down on my list of desired destinations. It’s never appealed to me due to the masses of Aussies partying up an embarrassing storm of inebriated behaviour in Kuta (think American high school students during spring break at Playa del Carmen in Mexico). But over the years I’ve heard about the rest of the islands charms – away from the cocktail bucket bars. The low cost of travelling in Indonesia also rings a few happy bells.

So we’ve worked out a rough loop of a direction and booked the first nights accommodation, the rest of the time we can wing it – looks like we’re ready for you Indo – with minds wide open…

Kris

Stopping in Dunedin for a couple of days, Andres’s face lit up when we realised that our backpackers was right next door to a working brewery. Housed in a beautiful old building from 1876, the site also boasts it’s own natural spring that is used to make all the traditional ales and beers. Actually, Andres was excited about the beer and I thought touring the historic space would be cool – the beer definitely being a bonus.

We signed up for a guided walk through the Speights Brewery, a place with tours booked out until well in to the evening; visited by groups of men kicking off bucks nights, buses of thirsty tourists, and a whole lot of backpackers. We were joined by four English lads eager to get the explanation over and the half an hour of ‘pour yourself as much beer as you want to taste’ begins.

The record of 19 small beers in half an hour is held by a young Aussie woman on a group tour. Andres didn’t manage to break the record, not in half an hour anyway!

The beer of course is delicious and way more affordable than drinking the incredible pinot noir in local bars. Needless to say we got to know New Zealand beers on tap a lot sooner than the wine.

Right next door to the Brewery just happens to be a gorgeous old restaurant and bar serving up the same range of beers, a wicked pub menu and comfy fireside leather lounges to get settled in. Naturally after the tour our taste buds were hooked.

If you’re in Dunedin it’s definitely worth making time for some extra tasting at The Speights Ale House!

Kris