Coming in to land at Singapore (after a ten hour flight from Heathrow) we weren't even sure if our flight to Bali was going to go ahead. Why? A volcano. Flights to the island were sporadic due to the wind direction blowing ash in every direction, so it was pot luck if your flight was going or not. We got to Singapore and our luck was in (more so than we knew at the time - we were the last flight of the day to make it over to the island).
Our first stop was Uluwatu, a region found on the Bukit Peninsula famous for its surf spots and idyllic little beaches at the base of cliffs. It didn't disappoint, by day we'd be on the beach and by night we'd take a trip to Single Fin - a bar where you can watch the barrels roll in to a pretty incredible sunset backdrop.
Although we made it over succesfully, the volcano had scuppered our plans of getting to the neighbouring Gili islands, so we sporadically hopped on a boat to Nusa Lembongan, an island to the south east of Bali. It's an incredible place and i'd recommend it to anyone, especially the snorkelling. Jumping in at the final stop (on what can only be described as a boat-ride-not-for-the-faint-hearted) I've never seen so many species of fish all darting around and trying to nibble me (it tickled so much I had to get out).
Final stops for us were Ubud and Seminyak. For me, Ubud was the pinnacle of the trip, offering culture, scenery and a type of person with inhernet charm that I didn't find anywhere else on the island.
Best View
Watching surfers catch barrels from the balcony of Single Fin, with a Bintang in hand.
Most interesting thing I learnt
The Balinese calendar only has 210 days.
Favourite Moment
Snorkeling off Nusa Lembongan - I’ve never seen so many different species of fish!
Most enjoyable meal
Dinner cooked by a family for us in Ubud - the dishes just kept coming!
Biggest Surprise
The Gecko that piped up during our first night's sleep. It wasn’t the last one we heard either.
Top tip
Use local taxis! They're cheaper then regular ones and will tell you some interesting stories along the way.
What did I miss? Help others by leaving a comment below!