Island Hopping in Bali -Indonesia

                  Island Hopping in Bali -Indonesia. Elsie Gabriel

An island of enchanting possibilities, Bali an island belonging to Indonesia, which beckons every traveler who longs for island getaways. Several islands are enclosed with blue lagoons, you wonder which island to travel first! Lets start first with the Lembongan island.Come dive with me under the ocean waters, off the coast of this small unspoiled Lembongan island, home to seaweed farmers in Indonesia. The sight of corals and coloured fishes envelope you, as you become one with nature underwater! It is sheer Nirvana!

If you want to pamper yourself then, cruise the spectacular waters of Bali to beautiful Lembongan Island with Bali's Hai Cruises. After lunch, join a guided village tour of  the Lembongan island. The cruise offers an array of water sports activities, including banana boat rides, pool volleyball, snorkeling, semi submersible coral viewer and glass bottomed boat tours. Other water sports options include a parasailing adventure which will take you high above the water for a birds' eye view of the island and then with scuba diving experience life beneath the waves in this vibrant ocean channel. And after all this, the international buffet lunch is endless!! Heaven!
For me, Life is surely a beach! Have you ever realized that a beach is so well contained, looks soft with white sand all around and yet strong enough to protect the inland from the ocean; filled with little turtles, star fishes, shells and crabs all very fascinating creatures you don’t really find elsewhere?  The Beach really turns me on!
My hearts desire to see about fifty beaches or more before I die, which is slowly but surely coming true. The island hopping trip to Indonesia last vacation was a high in itself, very different from the beaches I have been to in L.A., San frisco, Mauritius, Lakshwadeep, Coral Islands, Malaysia, Orissa and Kerala! Come take a break and share my trip from beach to beach!

Being in Bali is like being in a stationary time machine, where past and present coexist without any hints of contradiction. I planned to go on the offbeaten tracks and schedule my own itenary and tow the road less travlled! So, Island hopping from Turtle island to study marine turtles, to Lombok island for snorkeling trips to Gili island and on to unspoiled Lembongan island on the Bali Hai cruise for the thrilling submarine safari which is home to seaweed farmers was fulfilling!
Yes, Bali has been described truly as the ‘The Hidden Paradise’! This Island of Gods is situated approximately on latitude 8° South and longitude 115° East. Bali and the neighboring island of Lombok are the most westerly of the Little Sunda Islands and part of the 13,700 islands that make up Indonesia, the largest archipelago in the world.
The Benoa beach is a good way to kickstart your interaction with locals and learn the history of the beach, flying gigantic dragon kites and talking to local fishermen about sea tales is what we did.
After parasailing, I took a boat trip to Serangan Island which is also known as Turtle Island as for many years it was nesting ground for the Green Sea Turtle. Locals used to catch the live turtles as well as their eggs for consumption and unfortunately this exploitation resulted in the near elimination of all turtles in this area. In 2004 with the aid of international funding a Turtle Conservation and Education Centre was established on the island and the government imposed a strict ban on turtle trading. With local help, the aim of this conservation centre is to nurture the growth of newly hatched turtles and release them at an age where survival rates are quite favourable. The fishermen of Serangan now try to safeguard these ocean creatures to prevent extinction.

Next was Lombok, which is the island located directly east of Bali across the 1300m deep Lombok Strait. Lombok has stunning bays with white sand beaches. Just take a drive north of Senggigi, the likelihood is you won’t see anyone on the beach. The south coast of Lombok also has great untouched beaches. Lombok Island has a lot of beautiful beaches and volcanoes which makes its landscape very diverse. Take a trip to the traditional weaving village of Sukarara and see how cloth is hand woven for their everyday sarongs. You will be amazed by the variety of pottery made in the Penujak Village and its designs are quite unique.

Lounge on the Kuta Beach and soak up the sun. The kids had a blast spending hours with baby starfishes, crabs, coloured fishes and sea urchins prancing around in the water.  If you are feeling adventurous, climb the promontory for spectacular views of the bays and beaches. This visit will let you interact with the local people and also enjoy the diverse topography of Lombok Island in Indonesia.
In the Gilli Islands, there is no shortage of small local boats willing to transport you, from island to island and back to the mainland. Sitting on a boat piled with vegetables and fish being transported by locals to fetch a price at the hotels nearby wasn’t exactly my idea of traveling but giggles and sign language fascinated my conversation all the way to my destination alright!The universal language of friendship is your SMILE –use it!! Otherwise, none of boats has any kind of safety equipment and the waters around the Gili’s can be choppy. Regardless, they are a handy form of transport and make exploring the islands easy.

From the popular tourist hotspots of Bali and Lombok to the white sandy beaches of the tranquil Gili Isles, Indonesia's archipelago is bursting with culture, dramatically rugged coastlines and bustling nightlife. The little known Gili Islands are a collection of three unspoilt havens, sitting off the north west coast of Lombok. Gili Trawangan, Gili Meno and Gili Air are all strikingly beautiful with vast swathes of pure white sand and evian-clear waters that boast stunning coral reefs.

With a variety of special flights, boat transfers and ferry services available, an island hopping adventure is a fantastic way of experiencing Indonesia's intriguing diversity.

Like I keep telling myself, beaches and water bodies strengthen my bond with nature. With this environmental tour of Indonesia Island hopping trip it was sheer rejuvenation !

 

Fact sheet on Bali-

There are direct and indirect flights to Denpasar which is  Bali’s international airport. The Indonesian Rupiah is the local currency. You can expect pleasant climate,day temperatures between 20 to 33 degrees Celsius or 68 to 93 degrees Fahrenheit year-round. From December to March, the West monsoon can bring heavy showers and high humidity, but usually days are sunny and the rains start during the night and pass quickly. From June to September the humidity is low, and it can be quite cool in the evenings. During this time of the year, you'll have hardly any rain in the coastal areas.People are very friendly.Truely an island Mother Earth has pampered!