The Final Two Weeks

After the massive push to get to Denpasar in 4 days, I was really happy to have reached Bali, the legendary island of amazing food, parties, beaches, and tranquility. I initially planned to stay in Denpasar, not really knowing anything about the place, but quickly realized that it a haven for “schoolies”; Australians on a school break looking to get as wrecked as possible. I stayed the first two nights in a pretty nice resort, but then moved and got hosted by an Indonesian Couchsurfer. Once I met him and went out with his friends, the whole experience became much more authentic.

After a few nights at his place, I decided to rent a scooter and go across the island to stay in Lovina Beach for 5 days while I worked on finishing some assignments for my M.A. While in Lovina, I didn’t do much other than chill at the beach, work on my assignments, and occasionally go to the pub for a few drinks.

After making it back to Denpasar I decided to buy a fast-boat ticket to the Gili Islands for a few days before making my way to Lombok and get cycling again. Because I was on a bike, I had to cycle to Padang Bai Pier, which is about 45km away. I was lucky to find a Couchsurfing host in Gili Trawangan, and spent an amazing 3 nights partying before catching a small boat across to Lombok Island. I took my time, probably because I was hungover and rode the 21km to Sengigi Beach, where I got in touch with my Vespa riding French friend Thomas I met at Mount Bromo in Java. Sengigi Beach was a great place to spend a few days and have the chance to check out Mataram, the capital of Lombok.

I finally decided to head to a Kuta Beach, Lombok, a world renown surf spot with great beaches, amazing surfing, and just a great place to chill out and spend Christmas. I met up with Thomas again, and spent some time hanging out at his guesthouse, swimming at the beach, and even spent a couple days trying to learn to surf, unsuccessfully. Thomas and I decided to meet up again in the Gili Islands to celebrate New Years Eve before I had to fly back to Malaysia and go to work. 

Three more nights in the Gili Islands, and it was time to head back to Bali to catch my flight. Back to work. 

Until next time

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Chris

Traveller. Cyclist. Expat. Over 15 years experience living abroad in six different countries. I've travelled to over 40+ countries and met countless travellers, cyclists, and other expats. As a passionate cyclist I've had opportunities to bike tour in some truly amazing places. While definitely not an expert at bike touring, I'm passionate about sharing bike touring stories and helping others learn hacks, tricks, and techniques to improve their touring experience. I look forward to you joining me on this journey of learning about and becoming a better bike tourist.

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