Tag: marina

Impressions of Bali

Since we arrived in Indonesia in November, we’ve fallen in love with this country. From the friendly islands of eastern Indonesia we moved on to the center. In between visa runs, we visited Bali a few times, staying on land and on our boat. Although our short stays are not enough to provide a definitive guide to the island, we developed impressions of Bali.

About Bali

Bali is one of the world’s most renowned vacation spots and has been called “Heaven on Earth.” We respectfully disagree. We found this paradise spoiled by overcrowding, traffic, and pollution. When we were there, it wasn’t even busy with tourists, as tourism has been down lately.

Much like Moorea versus Tahiti in French Polynesia, we prefer Lombok over Bali. Lombok is quieter and more relaxed. I know we’ve been spoiled, and after years of traveling we prefer uncrowded places. But our impressions of Bali also include some lovely places and experiences.

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Down Time in Lombok

We arrived in Lombok, Indonesia in late November. After three weeks in Indonesia getting to Lombok, we settled there for a bit and got to know the area. During that time, we went to a festival, visited some satellite islands, and enjoyed some down time in Lombok.

About Lombok

Lombok is an island east of Bali and west of Sumbawa. While its closest neighbor is Bali, Lombok is part of the province of West Nusa Tenggara. 4,607 square kilometers in size, Lombok is surrounded by several islets, a few of which we visited. It has a healthy population of over 4 million very friendly people. We spent most of our down time in Lombok in the northwest quadrant, north of the town of Senggigi, and east of the Gili islands. We also sailed to some islands on the southeast, visited waterfalls, and even rented scooters.

beach in Lombok Indonesia
A Lombok Beach
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Exploring Cairns Off the Reef

We spent a couple of weeks in Cairns, a friendly city in Far North Queensland. Best known for its proximity to The Great Barrier Reef, we enjoyed exploring Cairns off the reef. There’s a lot to do!

About Cairns

Cairns is a small city with a lot of visitors, who come for its two World Heritage sites: the aforementioned reef and The Daintree rainforest. Although Cairns’ population is only about 150K, compared to Sydney’s 5.5 million, its bustling waterfront and nightlife make it feel bigger.

Cairns has an easy to navigate downtown, which is well designed for the climate. Even in a beating sun or heavy rain, you can walk through the city protected by all the awnings and covered pedestrian pathways.

Cairns Highlights

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