The Perfect Storm: Sun, surf and Swedes

24^th – 25^th April 2015

The Convicts: Dane, Josh, Storm and Ben

Our first night in Gerupuk was one of fun and feasting. Dane and the guys treated us to beers as we enjoyed our shore leave. It turned out that Dane has been living in Lombok for a few years now and coordinates a few of the surf guides in town. Gerupuk is popular with backpackers due to the cheap surf schools and range of surf on offer. Breaking waves appear all around the bay from small white waves on washing over hidden sand bars to giant green waves slamming close to the rocky headland at the mouth of the bay. Dane and his Lombok son were kind enough to introduce us to a group of Swedish birds who had been having lessons in town for a few days and we made plans to meet up for a surf session the following morning.

Plenty of obstacles in Gerupuk Bay

The sheltered bay offered something of a rarity an interrupted night’s sleep and after a swift breakfast we regrouped with Dane and the girls for some surfing. Sadly a slack tide meant the conditions were pretty crap in Gerupuk on this occasion so Storm offered to treat our party to a day trip to Ekas, a bay East of Gerupuk which promised to offer true Lombok tranquillity away from any tourism.

All set for the surf session

The sail to Ekas was easy enough as the sea remained calm and the weather warm. The famous rugged coastline continued and as someone who always enjoyed Geography and Geology I couldn’t help but be impressed by the range of weathered natural structures. As we sailed close to the isle of Ekas it became apparent to all that Dane had not overestimated the area. The scar on the landscape that are so prominent on the western side of the island are non-existent leaving only small scale farming of rice, livestock and sea life. The hotels and guesthouses that can be found all over the region are nowhere to be seen although as from what Dane told it wouldn’t be long before the developers move in. What we witnessed was a scene that few outsiders ever get to see and it was all due to the Strikly Bizness. Despite the lack of tourism our first surf spot was a little crowded as the local lads wasted the day away. After my briefly successful surf in java I was confident I could move up to a hard board. It’s amazing how a combination of beer and trying to impress some chicks makes you forget your limitations and in my case it’s that I have possibly the worst balance of anyone on the planet. That being said I’m pretty confident I can face plant better than most. Whilst Ben, Josh, Dane and Storm spent the afternoon showing off their skills developed over a lifetime of living by the coast I spent the same time working on my impression of a sock in a washing machine and was quite pleased when the call finally came to return to the yacht after being pommeled amongst the shallow, rocky shoreline.

Our gang of stowaways

With the surfing finished for the day and the sun setting we sailed slowly back to town with the Bintang flowing and without a care in the world. After all the sleepless nights it was nice to finally see what all the effort was for and I can truly see the appeal of purchasing a yacht and the freedom it gives you to explore (if you have the money). For Maria, Frida 1, Frida 2 and Laura the day was a nice trip towards the end of their Indonesian holiday.

Nice end to a good day

Our last night in Lombok was a good time to reflect on the last few days and I’m truly thankful that fate and luck gave us the opportunity to return to the island and give it the second chance it deserves. Lombok remains Bali’s sleepy neighbour and I really hope the rate of development for tourism doesn’t take away the tranquil, relaxed pace of the island. Backpackers don’t visit this region for huge piss ups, foam parties, McDonalds or western influences they come for the nature, relaxation and slow paced lifestyle and I really hope that continues for many years to come.

The Perfect Storm: Deserted at Desert Point

23^rd – 24^th April 2015




Bungs Bunga Bay

I had never heard of Bunga Bunga Bay before, in fact I’m still sure the guys had the name mixed up with a Servio Berlesconi party. Despite the area having a name that a UKIP politician would give to any African nation the scene that greeted the crew at sunrise after a pretty rough first night was pretty special. The bay itself was enclosed by vegetation rich hills on three sides. The shallow natural harbour gave the sea a beautiful opal tint and the sound of small fishing boats motoring on out to the open sea comingled with the sound of the sloshing tide. The spot would have been a nice place to waste a day if it wasn’t for the unsheltered western flank. The decision to lay anchor here was solely to provide rest bite from the swelling tide and sadly the shallow bay was not all that suitable. The Strikly Bizness uncontrollable swaying left Storm no choice but to change his plans and search for a more suitable site of anchorage. After consulting Ben and Josh our colleagues set course for Desert Point on the South Eastern tip of the island.

Anchorage close to Desert Point

It took perhaps an hour to relocate and satisfied the ship was not going to capsize Storm set out the day’s agenda. After a hearty fry up with vegemite (naturally) we lowered the dingy o explore desert point. The area is famous with surfers for some of the largest waves in Lombok and as keen surfers Ben and Josh was keen to get stuck in. Sadly the conditions were not favourable due to changes in the tide but we were able to make use of the snorkels and fins. We had last snorkelled in the Gili Islands where we had a great time exploring reefs overpopulated by tourists. The great thing about Desert Point is that although the reefs are in no way as large as in the Gilis, they are pristine and untouched. Being landlocked in central England for our entire lives certainly made us feel inadequate amongst the lads who thrived on or in the ocean. Storm, Josh and Ben are all used to free diving which enabled them to get up close with the reef life.  After a few hours we returned to the small bay where the Strikly Bizness was waiting and made landfall for the first time since leaving Bali to grab a bite to eat in a small fishing village. The locals were pretty surprised to see tourist which was nice to see. When we visited the island after the Gili’s we were restricted to the tourist traps and never really felt we saw the “Real Lombok”. After a bit of asking around we managed to find a nice elderly lady willing to cook up some fish and rice. As we tucked into a ”nice” meal of un-gutted fish served with rice and banana fritters Josh caused a bit of a stir when he paid with a 100,000 IRP note. Awestruck by the payment the locals offered to put on a cock fight with their prized chickens and even let Josh spend the night in the village with the elderly ladies daughter (which left Josh a little awestruck too). Sadly we were on a mission and therefore a tight schedule and as the evening drew in we all knew it was time to move on.

Getting ready to snorkel at Desert Point

Consistent with the prior evening he heavens opened as we left Desert Point which once again left us with a shite night passage. The only consolation was that the trip around the South Eastern tip of Lombok to Blongas Bay would only take a few hours tops. Confident I would avoid the call up for watch I set about making the most of a slightly calmer sleep in my cabin. The cockroaches were final starting to recede now that the bombs were doing the job and I had final found a way to wedge myself in the bunk with some spare clothes. stale, warm air remained pungent and uncomfortable and there was no way of removing it as the bad weather meant all hatches had to remain closed but despite this I managed a few hours of uninterrupted rest. That was until I realised I was time for my watch and we hadn’t laid anchor.

The short trip had meant the agreed watch schedule had changed and after giving me the desired bearings Storm left me at helm with Ben. Neither of us were keen to be up. The precipitation was the kind that was neither heavy nor cold but retained an undying energy that crushed all prayers for even the slightest break in weather. We gritted our teeth and bared the misery for a whole hour and half before the rain began to die. The unpopulated coastline in this part of Lombok made the night feel much darker than during my first shift but even with the vale of shadow it was still possible to make out the silvery reflection of moonlight on the cliffs and headlands. As we turned towards the mouth of Blongas Bay our vision was helped by the electric lights on the wooden pontoons laid out by the local seaweed and lobster farmers. Satisfied we had a clear path Ben picked out a path towards safe anchorage and pressed our vessel forward while I set about sticking to course using the light between the sails to hold the line without looking at the compass. No sooner had the ship reached parallel with the two headlands Ben and I suddenly spotted an object floating amongst the gloom on the Portside. “What the hell is that?” Ben said. It kind of looked like a box or a chunk of floating Styrofoam at first but slowly grew into a much larger structure. Suddenly aware of what it was Ben suddenly turned to me and screamed “pontoon portside, hard turn to starboard”. As he hastily moved to my side I turned the helm as quick as possible away from the obstacle whilst Ben slowed the engine down to allow the ship to idle along. By this time the others had quickly woken from their unsettled sleep and assumed positions at the front of the yacht to relay information to Storm. It took over an hour to creep into Blongas and by the time we found safe anchorage away from any pontoons I was well and truly knackered. If we had hit just one floating platform it may have had devastating consequences to our voyage and even resulted in injuries to the rest of the crew but taking the risk to attempt such ventures and overcoming challenges is all part of taking the step away from convenient, tedious travel.

Leaving Desert Point

As with Bunga Bunga Bay, Blongas retained that same Lombok feel. The early morning mist burns away quickly here as the intense beams of sunshine highlight the beautiful turquoise bowl. The pontoons that caused so much stress to us the night before were now occupied by the local seaweed farmers. Storm and the gang were still keen to find a decent surf spot on Lombok’s south coast and despite the hype Blongas didn’t really cut the mustard with this group of beach bums. The harvesting of the seas fruits meant that many of the breakers were either obstructed or not large enough for decent surfing. Once again this meant another short stay as our sights turned to a bay that we were familiar with Gerupuk, East of Kuta. Exiting Blongas in daytime was a hell of a lot easier and by 3pm we had passed Kuta and arrived in Gerupuk bay. Jono and I had visited Gerupuk briefly a few weeks before when we explored the region on scooter. We knew the area was exceptionally good for surfing but had also informed Storm that like Blongas the bay would not be the easiest to find safe anchorage due to an even greater mass of pontoons. Thankfully we had a secret weapon as a good friend of Ben’s was in Gerupuk and knew the region like the back of his hand and after an hour or so of dodging buoys, pontoons, shallow sand bars and small boats we finally made landfall outside a bar with Ben’s mate Dane waiting with the booze.

The Perfect Storm: Setting Sail for Bunga Bunga

20^th – 23^rd April 2015

April 20^th:

     Jono took a look at his ringing mobile. The call was from an Australian number and Storm was at the other end of the line. He apologised for not getting in touch sooner but delays at work had knocked his plans back a few days. Storm was due to land in Denpassar at around 6pm that very afternoon along with his good friend Josh and asked if we were still keep to join them on the voyage we could meet up at Linga Longa Bar (a now regular watering hole) in the evening. Relieved that our prayers had been finally answered we agreed to ignore our planned flight to Darwin in favour of meeting up for beers (Liverpool FC were playing that night anyway, so we didn’t want to miss that).

     Storm touched down at 6pm and me us at Linga Longa two hours later. As skipper Storm introduced us to fellow crewmember and joint owner of the Strikly Bizness, Josh. In typical Ozzy fashion Josh broke the ice immediately by asking “How’s it going you pom bastards”. Naturally we responded with the typical riposte of “not bad you filthy, inbred, convict” and from that point we knew here was a crew we would get on with. Despite the naturally sporting conflict (which we were always going to lose thanks to the current state of English cricket) one thing we have noticed with Australians is that unlike our American cousins they have managed to retain that old British sense of sarcasm and piss taking which means that neither party takes offence no matter the extent of line crossing. The evening of April 20^th 2015 will always bring up memories of celebration and hope for us. The uncertainties of the previous day had dissipated and in our beer filled stupor both of us knew we could well achieve what seemed impossible a month ago. The boat was pushed out (excuse the pun) and to compliment the alcohol Storm arranged for a real Balinese meal. The dish of Babi Guiling is listed in the Lonely Planet guide as cuisine to try before leaving the island and needless to say the spiced suckling pig roast was the perfect feast on our last night in Indo. For once Jono never needed to use his now familiar and overused catchphrase of “I’m still hungry”. Oh yeah the only low of the night was that Liverpool lost, typical.

The Strikly Bizness anchored at Bali Marina

 April 21^st:

     On the day our visa extension officially expired we vacated Yulia 1, said farewell to the resident “guard” dog, had some breakfast at the Swastika Restaurant (I really think the name isn’t doing the owners any favours) next door and grabbed a cab back to Bali Marina. Storm & Josh were already supervising the clean-up operation in preparation for immigration and there was plenty to do. The Strikly Bizness had been at anchor in the marina since January and the previous owner had kindly left the ship with a plethora of perishable food stuffs which ultimately meant we had the joy of clearing a cockroach infestation. Josh and Storm left Jono and I, now known as the “soap dodgers” to the cleaning while they set to sorting out the important immigration paperwork.

     With the guys away we also had the opportunity to settle into our new living quarters which consisted of a cramped bunk bed. To be honest this was the best we could hope for as our room was the only part of the ship void of the resident roaches and I kind of reminded us of the cabin room we lived in for five days on the Trans-Siberian. The way we saw it was we were only going to use that room to sleep in and we were likely to spend most of the day on deck enjoying the view and sea breeze.

The marina would be a picturesque place if it wasn't for the islands only landfill located on mangrove habitat.

 

     Storm and Josh returned a few hours later looking a little pissed off. It turned out the Indonesian authorities would not be able to let us leave due to some bullshit about a new form, meaning we were unlikely to set sail early the next morning. Conveniently the delay’s meant that we would have to pay a day more for our visa overstay and Storm would have to pay additional fees too and although the officers assured us they have a no bribe policy, they couldn’t confirm where the fees were going. I’m not Sherlock Holmes but I guess the final destination of that cash would probably be their back pockets. Sadly delays are something all travellers have to expect in Indonesia and we had little choice but to except it and move on.

     At days end the final member of our crew arrived. Ben, a good friend of Storm’s would be the 2^nd in command during the voyage. Like Storm, Ben has also circumnavigated the world sailing and would talk us through the daily tasks on board. Ben had been on holiday with his girlfriend for the last week but decided to take the more exciting and enjoyable route home. He also showed unnecessary praise and interest in our own travels. For the first time on our travels our boasting rights seemed a little flimsy with two round the world sailors and adventurers on board but the guys were kind enough to acknowledge our travels as an achievement few people strive for let alone complete. I was beginning to think that the celebrations were a little premature as we still had quite a big barrier to cross.

April 22^nd:

     We all awoke bright and early to crack on with the remaining tasks. After a marina breakfast we cleared the ship of unnecessary, rotting and pest ridden crap before heading out for the BIG SHOP. Judging by the final array of shopping items it seems the old stories of sailors surviving for months on mouldy bread & rum weren’t complete bullshit. Sure there are a few modern comforts today to complement the rum and bread such as pot noodle, beer, eggs, vegemite, bacon, tea, coffee and water but the foundations still remain.



Finally setting sail even if the sails aren't set

    With the big shop complete and on board Jono and I had a little bit of time to relax whilst Storm, Josh and Ben set about completing the necessary immigration forms, again.  Once again we thought it would be a quick and painless procedure but naturally it took around six hours. In the end it wasn’t our expired visas that was the issue. It was the yacht documents apparently. For a second time in two days the guys had to negotiate a fine based on pure guess work even though there are listed fine’s online. The problem is that because the fines are never listed at the immigration offices the staff can play fast and loose with the truth claiming recent changes have occurred. Finally though after almost a whole day of delays with the “clean” cops paid off we were given the all clear to set sail at around 1700 hours. This meant that our planned day voyage to Lombok in the sun was now an overnight trip. Not ideal when you have no sailing experience but at least the guys had the experience to help us through.

    We had around an hour of sunlight left as we edged out of the marina and the day’s heat was slowly beginning to die, although with virtually no breeze you hardly noticed. With Storm at the helm Ben and Josh issued everyone with their lifejackets and talked us through the safety briefing and ship rules. The ship rules were pretty simple:

1.       Do as Storm and Ben do.

2.       Try not to fall in the sea.

3.       Drink and eat as much as you like, when you like.

4.       Make sure you stay awake when on watch (probably strongly linked to how much you follow rule 3).

5.       Have a laugh and enjoy the trip.

     The safety briefing really brought the trip into perspective and kind of added to the slight sense of danger. I strongly feel that adventure is very closely linked to the extent of risk in a journey and that is the real difference between overland travel and taking flights. On flights the safety briefing is carried out by permanently tanned hostesses waddling around pointing unenthusiastically toward the exits because they know that the majority of passengers aren’t paying the slightest bit notice. The passengers are reading newspapers and books bought from the newsagent’s, others are enveloped in a game of Angry Birds or Candy Crush, some are just asleep or wondering how long before they can order a gin & tonic and it’s because there is no sense of danger or excitement. Sure there have been a few high profile incidents of flights crashing or being shot down but these are few and far between. In stark contrast our safety briefing was just as simple but we both hung on every word because at the end of the day if you ignore the rules or failed to listen you inadvertently put the lives of other crew members at risk. We all hoped that the voyage would be calm and without incident but after ten months of relatively straight forward public travel this shit was getting real.

With the sunset behind us we set course to Bunga Bunga land

    Once out into the between Bali and Nusa Pendia and with the setting sun bathing the island in a golden sheen Storm finally announced the watch rotation. Storm and Ben would rotate together to ensure there was always an experienced sailor on watch. Josh, Jono and I were on a four hourly rotation in the following order:

Josh: 10 -2 (am/pm)

Jono: 2-6 (am/pm)

Ross: 6-10 (am/pm)

    As it was early evening I took the helm first alongside Storm whilst the other cooked up some dinner and cracked open a few beers. It was an easy watch really. In this part of the world the weather is generally calm early evening and with no breeze we were forced to use the ships engine. Our course towards Lombok meant we sailed around the southern shore of Nusa Pendia hugging the intimidatingly steep and high cliffs. The calm conditions changed as the ship passed the southern tip of Nusa Pendia as we hit a northerly breeze and strong current which pushed the Strickly Bizness south away from our goal. Unable to head straight against the elements we had to zigzag a little to edge forward.  

 By the time I handed the helm to Josh and settled in for the night the ride worsened. With waves splashing onto the deck we were forced to shut the window hatches to the dorms. The motion of the yacht combined with stuffy, diesel fumed surroundings needless to say my first night at sea was a little unsettled but a lack of sleep was nothing compared to Jono’s first watch. The poor sod had the graveyard shift from 2am to 6am and had to work hard to fight against the tide. His only one consolation was that he and Strom managed to reach our first anchorage point at around 4am on April 23^rd on the shores of Bunga Bunga bay in South-West Lombok.

Slow boat back to Bali

8^th-11^th April 2015

     We left Kuta in convoy with Alberto. He was on the same scooter he had been renting from Bali and we caught a cab. The journey is pretty straightforward and the newly built bypass connecting the south coast and east coast to the islands international airport means that visitors are presented with the best maintained stretch of road we have seen in Indonesia so far. The views aren’t bad either with fertile rice fields laying under the shadow of the islands volcanic creator Mt Rinjani.

Lembar may be a dump but the surrounding bay is breath taking

     The main ferry terminal of Lembar is the gateway for all supplies in and out of the island. Most overseas backpackers and holidaymakers opt for the much quicker but overpriced fast boat connection from the Gili’s but if you’re on a limited budget or want to transport a scooter from Bali the slow boat is your best option. It takes around 4 hours to reach Padang Bai and for 40,000 – 60,000 (£2-£3) a ticket (a little more if you have the scooter) you can’t go wrong. As the name suggests the ferry seems painfully slow at times but if you’re like us and in no hurry it’s quite a pleasant trip during the day. The communal lounge area has an effective A/C and the not so soothing soundtrack of Indonesian pop tracks playing full blast on a loop. Feeling a little peckish then approach one of the many food vendor selling super noodles and fizzy pop.

Lembar bay is dotted with small atoll like islands

Word of Advice

When you reach the terminal in Lembar avoid the guys at the front gate offering to sell tickets. Many of these chaps are “wolves in sheep’s clothing” and plenty of travelers have been conned into parting cash for a false ticket. Just politely ignore them and continue walking towards the toll gate (there is a booth for pedestrians on the far left).

Back to Bali

     For the second time on our travels we arrived at the now familiar ferry village of Padang Bai on Bali’s South East coast. After a quick bite to eat we parted ways and said our final fair wells to Alberto as he set off for Kuta before grabbing an early morning flight to Kuala Lumpur. We wish you all the best and your travels bud and hope you enjoy The Asian loop as much as us. We opted for a quick one night stop at Padangbai to take advantage of a good fill of freshly caught tuna steak at a locally run warung and grab a Bintang in the shack bar by the market square (they have a great, overly friendly but utterly useless guard dog that reminded us of our border collie “Zac”).

The not so stunning beach in Sanur



Miner birds are popular pets in Bali

Orvile as we called him was outside our room most days

    Thursday 9^th April 2015 we arranged a cheap cab to the popular holiday resort of Sanur and our first impressions weren’t great. For months we have done our best to seek out destinations that would make our mates back home ask “why the f**k did you go there?” but Sanur seemed the sort of generic “holiday paradise” we detest. As Bali’s first holiday destination (now seen as a quiet alternative to Kuta) Sanur is dominated by large and often unsightly hotel complexes that act like a black hole swallowing up any remnants of culture, history and open space and turning it into a bleak, unidentifiable entity. In fact if you took a photo of the beachfront and asked a room of people back home to identify the location you would probably receive answers like the Costa Del Sol, Corfu, or even Bournemouth on hot day. It’s little wonder that the place is overrun by package holidaymakers wallowing like hippos around a watering hole, eating the same crap they enjoy back home and treating the locals like second class citizens. Rant over!

    

Jono working on the blog, I think?

Despite its flaws Sanur still retains a sense of tranquility if you have the time to find it. We booked into Yulia 1 Guesthouse at the northern end of the main strip and it was a real oasis. The owner is an avid collector of birds and the traditional Balinese home complex is awash is birdsong all day long (if this is the sort of thing that annoys you try somewhere else and relax to the sound of traffic from the main road). The free breakfast is disappointing but with so many cheap restaurants around its best to opt out and save a few quid a night. Our cheap fan twin room was more than suitable as we spent most of our time chilling by the pool anyway.

Locals taking advantage of the cooler temperature at sunset

     Our decision to visit Sanur wasn’t entirely due to recommendations from the Lonely Planet guide, we were here on important business. For a while now our plans to reach Australia has been dependent on our efforts in finding a boat and most of our research had been devoted to sites like findacrew.com and crewbay.com. Sadly the number of yachts heading from Indonesia to Australia seemed nonexistent. We therefore had to turn to more traditional forms of getting the word out. Twenty minutes south of Sanur is the main marina in an area known as Benoa. We had been advised to try around here by Tom Foster a fellow overland backpacker we met in Jakarta a month earlier. After a frustrating search asking local workers who seemed less familiar with the harbor layout than us we stumbled across the aptly named “Bali Marina” and placed a poster on the notice board. Bali Marina is the main anchorage point in southern Bali for private yachts and it was our hope someone looking for volunteer deckhands would stumble across our details. Luckily for us the posters weren’t required in the end as Tom (now in Sidney, Australia) was contacted by a yacht owner who had noticed his poster on the same noticeboard a few days earlier. Tom was kind enough to send the skipper our way and after a brief email we arranged to meet up at “Linga Longa Bar” for a few beers. The skipper introduced himself as Storm at which point I couldn’t help but shout “pull the other one mate. I know were a couple of land loving poms but even we’re not that gullible”. It turned out that Storm Henderson had recently purchased the yacht “Strickly Bizness” in Benoa and was looking to return to Bali in one weeks’ time with the intention of heading to Brome with a few experienced sailing mates and they required two deckhands. It was fair to say that Jono and I were hit by disbelief. Never in a million years did we think an opportunity like this would come along, but here was a guy crazy enough to want to complete amateurs as part of a five man crew. We had little option but to jump up and grab the opportunity with both hands.

 



Sanur hosts a famous kite festival every year and most locals
had their favourites in storage

     After a night of celebrations we left Storm with the guarantee that he would call us in a week on his return to Bali to sort out the relevant arrangements. With seven days to kill we headed west to the notorious holidays destination of Kuta, Bali.



Scooter around Kuta (Lombok)

5th- 8th April 2015

     Our first few minutes on Lombok didn’t quite go to plan. No sooner had we stepped onto the soft sandy shoreline we had lost money to a simple but effective ploy. The local horse drawn carriage taxis mass in the car park all too aware that at regular intervals throughout the day naïve foreigners are looking to pass swiftly through the village and onto popular destinations on the island. Information regarding where tourists find the minibus station is vague at best and they use this to their advantage. We were corralled onto one of these carriages and told the station was a long walk away so we needed a taxi. A transaction of cash was naturally expected and after a little haggling we got the cost down to a couple of quid. The “long” journey to the station turned out to be an 800m trot around the corner at a pace that would make a snail caught in treacle seem fast. So if you do make the small ferry crossing from the Gili’s to Lombok and you have the physique to complete a short walk don’t make our mistake and walk to the station yourself.

Kuta Hotel is a real Oasis amongst the hustle and bustle

     Two hours was all it took to reach the southern village of Kuta. It’s fair to say that the place is a little rough around the edges. The boutique hotels and basic family run guest homes are nestled amongst scrappy looking warungs and pothole ridden streets strewn with loose rubbish. It may leave you thinking what the hell the fuss is all about. After a quick sweep of the range of accommodation on offer we splashed out and checked into the aptly named Kuta Hotel. The place is owned by a couple of Spanish guys and offers large, clean, comfy rooms, an awesome swimming pool and a great buffet breakfast. If you’re on a budget you will want to give this place a miss as it is a the higher end of the price spectrum in town but you don’t need to look far as there are plenty of cheap and cheerful guesthouses dotted along the same street.

The south coast of Lombok is dotted with rugged but sheltered bays

     Kuta isn’t the real reason why backpackers flock to the south coast of the island. It’s the areas reputations for stunning coastal scenery, beaches and surf that keeps people coming back and the best way to find your inner beach bum is to hire a scooter and explore and your own pace. Almost every guesthouse has scooters to hire in town if you haven’t already brought a bike over from neighbouring Bali. Rentals are extremely cheap at an average of 50,000 IRP (£2.50 a day). Make sure you check the brakes and give the bike a ride around before committing and ensure they also provide you with a decent helmet. The locals don’t seem to care but there are plenty of potholes around and accidents do happen. Sure you look a bit stupid but you wouldn’t want the last memory of your travels to be sat in the emergency room of the nearest hospital.

Many locals make a living harvesting the fruits of the sea at Gerupuk

Tanjung A'an

Great spot for crabbing, Tanjung A'an

     You have two options when riding around Kuta. East to Gerupuk or West to Mawun? East of the village along the road towards Gerupuk you’ll pass the litter ridden and unsightly Kuta beach. It’s a convenient place to wander if you lack a scooter and offers good views but it won’t take long before the ever persistent kids selling crappy bracelets and old women offering to cripple you with a back massage get on your nerves. It’s only when you get 3.5km away to seger beach where you’ll find the first real surf spot. The surf is variable here but mostly suitable for beginners and intermediates. 7km east is the popular spot of Tanjung A’an. It’s all about the soft white sand here and it doesn’t take much encouragement to waste away an afternoon under the sun and maybe taking the odd swim in the turquoise bay. All the beaches along the coast have at least one warung and if you feel a bit peckish it’s never hard to find a local willing to cook up some nasi goring and throw a can of bintang your way.
 

      

The roads continue to deteriorate as you reach the fishing village of Gerupuk. If surfings your thing look no further as the shallow bay offers four surf spots ranging from suitable to beginners to advanced. Most of the locals offer lessons although you do require a ferry to get out to the breakers at a cost of 150,000 IRP (£12) for two hours. If you’re looking to stay close to the surf gerupuk has a few cheap guesthouses run by the restaurants and cafes. Jono and I gave it a miss with the surfing this time as it was low tide when we arrived but it was clear from the steady stream of backpackers that this is the best place to learn to surf in the region.

View from a headland at the secret surf spot just a few kilometres east of Kuta

     On our second day with the scooter we turned our attention west of Kuta towards the bay of Mawun. The road this side of town is a little more interesting as the warn tarmac ascends the rocky headland scarred by small quarries and scattered with tiny colonies of shacks. It’s the best place to get a great view of the low lying patchwork of rice fields and crystal waters below. You have to pay a small toll to access the track to Mawun beach which apparently goes towards maintaining the road but evidence of this is limited but the guys at the barrier seem to have a steady supply of alcohol. Mawun is another great swimming spot and I think you may be able to find a little surf if you can wrangle a local guy with a boat to get you out of the sheltered bay. It was certainly good enough to distract us away from heading further west.



Easy to see why we wasted a day at Mawun Beach

      Back in Kuta we once again crossed paths with our pal Alberto (Yogyakarta & Ubud). Being an experienced surfer Alberto had been drawn towards Gerupuk and Mawi after exploring the Bali surf havens around Uluwatu. We were in no way good enough to join him on the kind of surf he was searching for but regardless of that it always nice to bump into a familiar face and catch up on travelling tales over a few beers.

Locals here rely on the fertile volcanic soil for their staple food rice 

     Our stay on Lombok was brief but we stayed long enough to grab a glimpse of an island quickly embracing tourism and reaping the benefits of development but still manages to retain a back and beyond feel (for a few years longer at least).              

This is the story "Boney Bruvs and the Three Gili's" : Part 1 the Big Gili thats too hot

Gili Trawangan (25th – 27th March 2015)

     It took the fast boat around an hour and a half to reach the largest of the Gili Islands, Gili T (after stopping by mainland Lombok, Gili Air and Meno). Even during the low season it’s clear from the outset that the islands are the most popular tourist destination in the region and our boat was packed to the point where some people had to stand for the duration. The ferrymen seem to put safety to the back of their minds in favour of a little extra Wonga. After chatting to a few passengers the range of ticket prices was astounding. A German couple sat behind me claimed they paid 500,000 IRP (£25), a middle aged Frenchman next to me settled for 600,000 IRP (£30) but the worst deal had been made by a young Dutch guy who had been utterly rinsed at 1,100,000 IRP (£55). A lot of the tourist on board were clearly not backpackers looking for a good deal and were quite happy to take the first price offered at face value. This is fine if you have more money than sense but as with most countries in Asia, Indonesian’s expect to haggle. Jono and I bought our fast boat tickets direct from the ferry terminal for 200,000 IRP (£10) and if you want to achieve such a saving following these tips.

A great example of outboard overkill

1.      Do not buy a fast boat/shuttle bus combo ticket: These tickets seems like a good idea as it seems relatively stress free and for the lazy tourist it’s a popular option. The downside is that you are likely to spend twice as much (or worse) as the bus companies take a large commission. If you like being crammed into a minibus and herded onto the boat like cattle take this option but it’s just as easy getting a bluebird cab (on the meter) if you’re a group of three or four people.

2.      Don’t believe everything the tourist information desks say: Many travel desk operators will try and spin a lie that the last fast boat leaves at around midday. This is a ploy to make you choose the shuttle bus in a mad panic. After spending a few days in Padang Bai I can safely confirm that boats leave almost every hour during daylight hours.

3.      Spend some time in Padang Bai haggling for the best price: Padang Bai used to be a bustling backpacker pit stop until the bus companies started selling boat tickets. Nowadays so many tourists travel through the town quickly thus causing incomes to fall in town. It’s sad for the locals but it does mean you can haggle and achieve great discounts.

4.      Avoid the open return ticket: I fail to understand why people take this option. Most of the ticket providers will pressure you into buying an “open return” and will claim it’s the best way to reach the islands as you can return whenever you want for no added cost. What they fail to tell you is that an open ticket costs three times as much (cheapest we saw was 600,000 IRP) and if you can get a one way ticket for 200,000 IRP in Padang Bai you can do the same on the Gili’s.

     Even with half a glimpse from a portside window it’s clear to see what makes these islands so popular. Each member of this archipelago breaks through the turquoise surf like pimples of tropical flora, flanked by soft white sand beaches and enveloped by bordering reef. Where the islands differ is in their size and persona. 

     In the case of Gili T it’s larger and louder than its smaller siblings. The main strip close to the pier is populated by a plethora of bars and clubs specializing in almost solely reggae during the day and moving onto house and trance in the evening. The presence of “Tir Na Nog” Irish bar confirms that this island is dilute of any Indonesian culture unless you count the sporadic spacing of the locally owned warung cafés serving great Indo cuisine.

Oh that's where flip flops come from

     We checked into “Andy Homestay” which sat quite nicely at the extreme budget end of the accommodation spectrum (80,000 IRP for a double room). The fairly standard dingy, mosquito ridden room with little natural light and a fan with the strength of a butterfly flapping it wings wasn’t great for a good night sleep but on Gili T that’s the least of your concerns. Your main thought is exploring land and sea by whichever means you can afford. For Jono and I this meant grabbing a bike. There are so many touts offering bikes, snorkels and fins it never takes long to find a good deal. We paid 40,000 IRP (£2) to hire a bicycle for the day and luckily for us Gili T is large enough to have a decent track around its coastal perimeter. Using bikes is definitely the best way to get around Gili T and a full tour of the island will take around an hour even at a casual pace. We were a little bit dumb and forgot to hire a snorkel during our time on the island (although we did get our act together on Gili Meno & Air) and as we discovered later in our Gili tour there is nothing better than finding a quiet stretch of beach and swimming out over the reef. On this occasion we had to settle with swimming and sun bathing (it’s a hard life).

Nice view of Lombok

      The ride around the island was extremely pleasant and allowed for great views of the volcanic peaks on Bali. The disappointing thing for me though was seeing the impact of tourism on the natural environment (especially on the North and South of the island). Out of all the islands Gili T is the most developed and the entire seafront is dominated by relatively new luxury bungalow resorts. This would be fine if the island had the natural resources to match but it doesn’t. Drinking water has to be imported as the islands water supply dwindles due to the presence of hundreds of swimming pools and power cuts are a regular occurrence due to an elevated demand for electricity to run A/C systems. Judging by the amount of construction work it will not be long until all available space is consumed by unnecessary accommodation.

Just swim out to that buoy

     Despite this there are still isolated spots of beach free from hassle from restaurants and resorts. The beach on the South East side of the island is a popular spot for surfing and it’s easy enough to rent a board. The waves are breaking on the edge of the reef so you have to take some care but if your surf skills are limited like mine then you can always grab a lesson or some decent advice before heading out. The south coast is a great place to end the day as it offers the best views at sunset looking out across the Lombok Sea towards Bali with the occasional sighting of turtles coming to the surface to breath.

   When it comes to food Gili T offers every Indonesian and western dish available but our favourite bargain option can be found at the food market once evening descends and the fishing boats return with the days catch. Prices vary on the size of the cut but a typical sized helping can be bought for 40,000 IRP and the seafood was the freshest you could ever wish for. I tried some grilled Mahi-Mahi (as I wanted something you can’t find in the UK) and it was top notch.  

    
 We both had a great time on Gili T but the island does sit on the overly touristic side of the spectrum, almost to the extent where if it wasn't for the reefs you wouldn't know you were in Indonesia. You could be on a Greek Island. This is fine in small doses but its not long before we both felt like moving on to try something different. Hence the slightly obscure Goldilocks reference.