Indonesia

January 15, 2024 – post 4 months in indo reflections

What a change since I last wrote here. When I left for Indo, I had no idea that it would turn out the way it did. And in fact, while it turned out in the best way possible, it led to a complete change of plans than when I left home for it 4 months ago. When I left 4 months ago, I thought I’d travel Asia for 4 more months (after already having done 7 months in Latin America), and be finally ready to go home, get a job, and settle down a bit. I had a boy at home I was completely sure and excited about coming home and giving it a go with, and felt ready for a more stable life and an income again.

Welp, 4 months later, it turns out I only just made it out of Indo as opposed to doing Asia, and instead of returning back home to the boy I felt sure about giving it a go with before, I instead unexpectedly met another amazing boy that I spent 3 months traveling with. And instead of going back home to the place that I loved and finding a job, my roommate decided to also start traveling and so we gave up our lease, put our things into storage, and no longer have a home. And without a home to go back to or a boy that made me feel, for the first time, ready to settle down, I’ve apparently decided to keep going and figure this thing out abroad, at least for now.

It’s funny how life works out. Especially the life of a wanderer, which I’ve always been at heart. As much as you want to plan how things will work out, you just never know where life will take you. You never know who you’ll meet - literally who might be behind the next door you walk through - what adventure you unexpectedly find yourself on next, what serendipitous opportunities present themselves.

These months in Indo traveling with Max, the new boy, were also unforgettable. It had long been a dream of mine to have a partner who could be a great travel and adventure buddy. And exactly that he was. We got along so perfectly well, life was so easy together, decisions were all easy, and we had the same idea of how we wanted to see and experience travel and life. We both loved off-the-beaten path experiences, finding local culture, and were so down for adventures where we had no idea what we’d find. On top of that, we got along perfectly day to day and shared similar views on life - the little things and the big things. And, we could enjoy all the types of moments together. The funny moments, the serious moments, and the quiet moments. It felt simply like a perfect partner for that time.

These 4 months in Indo were a learning even more about how many unexpected and unplanned twists and turns life can bring you, and to be better at expecting the unexacting and taking it all in stride. Though it may have thrown my life for a loop, I’m still so, so, so incredibly grateful for this time and these experiences.

August 20, 2024 – one month into indo reflections

After 7 months around Latin America, I returned home to take a break for a couple of months. Originally when going around Latin America, I had planned to end my trip around summertime and land back home in San Diego. But during the trip, I was inspired to finally check out Southeast Asia, and decided that I’d take a short break at home and then completely turn the chapter and head there.

I’d honestly never really been interested in exploring Asia very much in my life. I think part of it is perhaps that East Asia is a culture I’m so familiar having grown up in a community that was 70% Asian and Indian, and also being Asian myself. And Southeast Asia somehow also never really appealed too much - it somehow felt like an overdone backpacker route with beautiful beaches, but culture that never particularly interested me much. And most of what I travel for is the culture.

But after having spent 7 months in Latin America, plus several other trips to Latin America in the years prior, I finally felt like I wanted to experience something completely different. And that was Asia. And so wanting to follow the dry season around southeast Asia, I decided to start in Indonesia.

Honestly, going into Indonesia, it was already something I wasn’t the most stoked for. Yes I was excited to see somewhere completely new that was known to be beautiful, but from what I’d heard about the travel style of Indonesia, it didn’t feel totally me. It would be an adventure country where there was lots of beauty to be explored, lots to do, and lots of moving around from one place to another. Whereas my style of travel is usually slower - to stay at places longer, to try and ingraine into local life, to build communities and routines, and really just to soak it all in and be there.

And so I write this 7 weeks into my Indonesia trip, sitting at Loka Cafe in Kuta, Lombok, and I can say that my Indonesia experience has been: more or less what I expected going into it, but also filled with so many moments of gratitude for even just being here, able to be on this trip, able to be traveling so long in general, and experiencing so much freedom in my life.

It’s more or less what I expected in that until I found Kuta, Lombok, it felt like a constant stream of moving from one place to another. Experiencing one thing and then moving onto the next. Doing this and doing that. There had been places and days of chill, but it seemed like Indonesia was just a place where one does a lot. It’s also evident through the people you meet. In Latin America I felt like I had met so many like-minded people. More like-minded people than not. But in Indonesia, it felt like for the most part, most the people I met felt so different from myself. There were a lot of young people and first-time backpackers that just hadn’t developed a sense for themselves and for what’s important to them in life, something I really appreciate when meeting other backpackers. It felt like everyone just wanted to do and see things. People were always talking about what they were doing today and what they were doing tomorrow and where the next place they were going was. And it was few and far between that I met people that also didn’t have a strong sense of a plan, or that were also interested in going slower and exploring on their own, getting off the beaten path that every tourist / traveler does here.

But also in so, so many moments, I felt just pure gratitude and contentness just for being here. And especially in the moments where I felt like Indonesia might not be exactly my place, I tried to constantly remind myself of this.

Yogyakarta, Java

August 4 - 10, 2024

I flew into Jakarta since the cheapest flight in was to there, and was grateful my friend gave me the advice that I’d want to gtfo out of there immediately. He was right. Jakarta is a huge city, extremely populated with scooters and cars on the road. And just walking onto the road felt very unpleasant with the noise of hundreds of scooters around you and nobody else just walking around. I stayed one night and took a 6 hour train to Yogyakarta the next day.

I arrived in Yogyakarta having heard great things about it - that it was people’s favorite city of Java, rich with local culture, art, and music, but still melded with some western influences, like restaurants, cafes, and bars. And exactly this it was. I arrived having originally booked 2 nights, and ended up extending to 1 week. I really, really liked Yogyakarta.

There were things to do, like seeing the absolutely beautiful temples of Prambanan and Borobudur, but I also found it a really nice place just to walk around and chill, and soak in the local culture. I especially liked that it was a blend of local Indonesian culture with western travelers. Bars were filled with drinking, dancing, and talking together, and live music at the bars played both western covers and Indonesian music.

Streets of Yogyakarta were filled with street art, and if you sat at any given bar at night, you’d hear live music coming from at least 1 (oftentimes 2 or 3) places at the same time. Prawirotaman street was my favorite, day and night. There were cafes and restaurants by day, and restaurants and bars filled with live music by night. Just strolling around it painted a lovely and lively scene.

I stayed at Losmanos hostel, and perhaps this experience is what also made a big part of my experience in Yogyakarta. I think people play a big part of the experience, and especially if you meet very cool locals abroad. This hostel was owned by two local brothers, Aldy and Aldo. Two really cool guys whose vibes I think made a big part of my experience. They took the hostel out to the bars or restaurants almost every night, and it was such a nice way to experience local recommended restaurants and the types of places they’d go to for a night out. And, just so nice to hang out with cool locals as if you guys were just regular old friends.

Perhaps one of my favorite nights and times in Yogyakarta was when I’d been there already 5 or 6 days, and I went out to dinner with the two brothers and one other guest who had been staying there on and off for 6 months. It really felt like dinner with a nice and small group of friends with a very chill and good vibe. Another one of my favorite times, was going to a local art exhibition & party, since one of the hostel owners was a local artist. It was such a cool experience being able to be somewhere so local - our group from the hostel were the only non-local people - and also to experience something like the street art scene in Indonesia. Was an amazing meld of things to be able to experience.

Yogyakarta is also where I met Marion, who also helped this place feel like a home. We were bunkmates and discovered we had the same travel style when it was the both of us everyday going up to reception and extending our stay, because we liked to travel slow and hadn’t felt ready to leave yet. While we didn’t hang out a ton throughout the week, our vibe was great and seeing her around the hostel everyday and sometimes for a night out, made the whole place feel that much more homey. We’d eventually meet back again in Kuta, Lombok, 1 month later :).

Malang, Java

August 11 - 14, 2024

Malang was an interesting experience. Normally I really don’t like going on tours and having the typical touristy experiences alongside hundreds of other tourists, but Malang was a place for this. It was the kind of place everyone goes to visit the same mountains and waterfalls. Though, with some proper warnings and with the people I met, we were able to make our own experience that ended up 1000% times better than what people typically do.

In Malang, people typically do the Tumpak Sewu waterfall (either the biggest waterfall in Java, or in all of Indonesia, I forget), Mt. Bromo, and Mt. Ijen. Ijen was closed when I was there so it eliminated that option, and I was lowkey grateful for this. I had debated doing the waterfall as I’ve seen dozens, or even hundreds, of waterfalls in my life and I don’t find them to be the most awe-inspiring scenery. Still, a friend said it was really incredible and worth doing, and so I did it.

While the waterfall itself is actually magnificent, huge, and stunning, the experience of being alongside hundreds of other people around it took away most of its magic. In the end, I thought it was for sure not worth the money (600K IDR / $40), and not sure if it was worth even seeing at all. But, one good thing that came out of it was the group of people that I had met doing it.

One girl had done the sunrise Mt. Bromo tour that everyone does and had warned us that she didn’t really enjoy it and wouldn’t recommend it. She was the first person I had met that said this, all others having said that it was incredible. And having learned about her travel preferences being similar to mine and hearing what she did and didn’t like about it, I agreed that it sounded like something not for me either. It was a 12am wake-up, 3 hour drive offroad in a Jeep (so you couldn’t really nap again in the car), and then you arrived at the sunrise spot at 5am alongside hundreds of other Jeeps, and in order to get a spot to view the sunrise, you had to wait outside in the freezing cold for 2 hours. Then at 5am came sunrise and sure it was beautiful, but having hundreds of other people squeezed right alongside you all taking the same photo, took away the natural beauty and peace of it. And when it came time to descend the mountain, they sat in 2 hours of traffic with hundreds of Jeeps trying to make the same descent. While Bromo supposedly had an iconic view and was a “must-do” of Java, I had decided that all of that made it net not worth it and that I wasn’t going to do it unless I could find a way to do it less touristy.

Enter the group that I had met during the waterfall tour. We asked around if a sunset tour was possible because everyone only did sunrise. The tour companies said it was possible but that it would need to be a private group, that there was no public option. And all 5 of us from the waterfall group decided we were down to do this. So the next day, we had our own private sunset tour of Bromo, and I must say, it was absolutely magnificent. Maybe one of the most beautiful views I’ve seen in my whole trip so far.

Our trip was perfect. We stopped along the way at another waterfall and also to climb into the crater of the volcano nearby. At all of these stops, there was maybe only 5 other people with us, instead of literally a thousand. And we could take however long our little group wanted at each stop, truly feeling like a make our own adventure day. When it came time to ascend to the Bromo sunset point, there were also only 5 other people alongside us. We were warned that sunsets at Bromo can be tricky because it can oftentimes be cloudy in the afternoons, but we were rewarded with absolutely perfect weather and clear skies, and an amazing and peaceful sunset view of Bromo with just our little group.

Two people in this group were 21 year old Danish boys, and despite our age difference, they have actually been some of my favorite people I’ve met on this trip, with a vibe very similar to mine. It was only these 2 boys that got it when I was slightly annoyed about how touristy of an experience the waterfall was and that I wasn’t a huge fan of traveling and seeing things that way. We’d later again meet up at Nusa Lembongan and when I didn’t have enough cash on me, they covered a meal for me to which I said I’d repay them when we met up for a beer sometime in Copenhagen. So nice to meet new friends you would be excited to meet up with again if you’re in their city!

Malang itself was a much bigger city than I expected. For some reason I went into it thinking it was a small town, but it ended up being a decently bustling city, but still with a cute town center, that felt even bigger than Yogyakarta. It wasn’t a place I would like to stay too long, but it was a very decent city to experience for just a few days.

Uluwatu, Bali

August 14 - 19, 2024

Uluwatu were some pretty great and special times in Indonesia. They were days when I had a small friend group with a great vibe, when I experienced blissful surf with friends, when I had a nice little travel romance that doubled as a nice friendship, and when I ran into a childhood friend that I hadn’t seen in over 10 years who then perfectly joined into our little friend group.

The first couple days in Uluwatu I honestly wasn’t so sure if Bali and Uluwatu were the place for me or not. In the end, the answer was not, but still, I had a really nice last few days. During the first few days, I struggled to meet people I really connected with. It felt like everyone I met was young and a first-time traveler. More of the vacationer type, rather than the traveler type. Conversations were all about their travel plans – what they had seen and what they will do – the typical conversation you have with everyone that you meet, and nothing particularly interesting to me.

But after a few days there, I finally met the first people that I really got along with. One of them was my hostel roommate, a Portuguese guy named Fabio. And the other was Maggie, also an Asian-American girl, from Hawaii. I met Fabio in my dorm room and we got to talking about surfing and clicked immediately. And Maggie we met during our first night out. We spent 3-4 days together in Uluwatu after we all met, and it was really nice little friend group for the time.

The first night we went out, Fabio tried to make a move on me in a reggaeton club. I dodged his kiss saying that I liked him a lot as a person and intended to be friends with him during the time there, and that I didn’t want to make things weird. But over the next couple days, the connection would be really nice and the vibe really good, that I decided to give in and just embrace the time together and enjoy it for what it was. I still remember him saying to me that first night: “You’re really cool. You’re a really, really cool girl.” I liked that he recognized my vibe like that, and I felt equally back. We had a good vibe together. What was really nice about this travel romance was that we were able to have a thing together but also be good friends who enjoyed just talking, surfing, and enjoying normal company together. It didn’t have to only be romantic, it could also be like good friends.

And with Maggie, I appreciated our deep talks about life and our ability to just chill and exist around each other. She was also Asian American and I think there is maybe just something inherently shared and understood about that experience, that made us able to relate automatically and be easy with each other. With both Maggie and Fabio, I felt like we could all be easy around each other and just exist together easily. It was a really nice and relaxed vibe, but also with fun nights out and shared surf experiences.

Another crazy thing that happened in Uluwatu was running into a childhood friend that I hadn’t seen since I was 13! I was trying to rent a surfboard from a little shack at the beach when suddenly someone recognized me. It was such a crazy coincidence to run into someone like this - someone I hadn’t seen in so long at such a random place - that I really couldn’t believe it. After then, Omer, my childhood friend, would join our friend group for the time in Uluwatu and it was such a nice and crazy experience to be partying and surfing alongside someone that I hadn’t seen in so long, just like nothing had happened at all. It was also so nice to catch up with someone after all this time and see that you were still on the same page about life despite there being this huge gap in time. I think there’s something about people that grew up together, that you will always share a likeness simply from having spent your formative years in such a similar environment.

Those days of Uluwatu were special to me mainly because of the relationships with these friends, but also in how rare it was for me to share these special moments of surf with people. The four of us paddling out together at Dreamland Beach was one of my favorite moments of Uluwatu. I remember sitting on my board looking out and just thinking about grateful and blissful I felt in that moment. Being surrounded by good friends and good people all just purely enjoying the surf and the sunshine together. I don’t have many friends that surf back home, so to me, this moment of being able to paddle out with friends and share the experience together, was rare and very special. And also, just the fact that I was surfing with a childhood friend completely randomly 15 years later when we didn’t grow up in a surf town!

On our last night together, me, Maggie, and Fabio enjoyed a nice Italian dinner together, where Maggie said “now this is the *real* family dinner” (alluding to the fact that the hostel had family dinners together every night). It was such a nice feeling. Such a nice and cozy vibe with the three of us, and also one of my favorite memories of Uluwatu. After 3 full days of partying, surfing, and just hanging out together, it was a really nice way to close the time out. That night, we all splurged as a special treat for our last dinner. We shared appetizers and got fancy cocktails, and Fabio treated us all to a nice bottle of wine to share.

Afterwards, we had our last night out together at Single Fin. It was all 4 of us with Omer, and it was a packed party. It was a great time that night and I felt such gratitude for this little group of 4 that formed. That last night together before falling asleep, Fabio said to me “I’m really glad I met you.” It made me smile :).

It was a bittersweet goodbye with Maggie and Fabio. Maggie had called us “mom and dad” throughout our time together because she was quite a bit younger than us, and it was very fitting and cute. When we were sitting on the couch together waiting for my Grab to leave town, she came and hugged us both and said “Last group hug! I’m saying goodbye to mom and dad!” The three of us really had a nice and easy vibe together. We were all very chill on our own and with each other, all with a similar vibe. The time with Fabio was also really nice. It was nice to have spent time with him as a friend in that group, and also someone I had a romantic thing with. Someone I could laugh and have fun and talk about anything with, but also someone I wanted to kiss and hug at the end of the day.

And with that, we all said and waved goodbye. Until next time in Portugal or the US we said!

Kuta, Lombok

August 29 - September 7 || September 11 - 23 || September 29 - Oct 2, 2024

I really, really liked Kuta, Lombok. I arrived after 1 month of pure travel and felt honestly exhausted. I normally don’t like to move from place to place so much, but I accepted the fact that Indonesia was going to be more of a typical backpacker experience and embraced it for that time. Nevertheless, after 1 month on the move, I was very ready to take a break and find a place I could stay in for a while. Friends had told me that Kuta would be the place, and I arriving really hoping that they’d be right. And as it turns out, they were. I arrived planning to stay 1-2 weeks and then seeing how I felt, and in the end, I liked it so much that I stayed for 1 month and even came back to visit a couple times.

What made Kuta so nice was the vibe of the town itself, the lovely hostel I stayed at that felt like home, and the wonderful group of friends I made there. Kuta is a small town that somewhat revolves around a chill surf vibe. I like that there’s a couple central streets with warungs, shops, restaurants, and bars. Basically a little mini downtown area where life takes a place. I’m always a sucker for those.

I also liked that there was a mix of local warungs and Western restaurants, and that in the people themselves, there was at least some mix of locals and travelers, whereas compared to Bali it felt like all Westerners. The vibe of the travelers here were also much more my vibe. A very chill vibe, where people were social and went out, but also just surfed or went to cafes and kicked back for the day. It felt much more relaxed and easy, which I really appreciated.

I stayed at Botchan Hostel, a place that I loved and that really felt like home. The vibe, the people, the place itself, the banana pancakes for breakfast – they all made for a perfect little home base. My first week there was really wonderful and one of my favorite times in Indonesia thus far. I met a really great group of friends that week and it felt like coming home each time I returned to the hostel. Whenever I came back, there was always someone around to chat with and figure out evening plans with. The friend group that week was me, Chris, Max, Valentine, Luke, and Frederique, a nice group that came together at the hostel. Crazy enough, Chris was actually a friend I had met on my first day of this entire year of travels, all the way back in El Salvador in November 2023! He happened to be in Indonesia at the same time and came out to Kuta to meet me! Was seriously such a nice treat to see a friend from traveling, and a whole year later on the other side of the world.

Meeting Max and Valentine also stood out to me. We were chatting in the pool one day and I remember just getting along with their vibe right away. Both seemed like very chill people with a sarcastic and witty sense of humor similar to mine, and travel styles also very similar to mine. Usually the similar travel style alone, means I will almost always get along with someone. And, another thing that stood out was how I could be comfortably quiet around them. Usually when you meet people they are always talking and wanting to fill the silence with conversation. While I appreciate this to some extent, I even more appreciate when I find people I can feel easy around in silence. A rarity.

The week was so nice. We sometimes split up for the day - sometimes some of us went surfing on our own while others took surf lessons. But at some point throughout the day, we always managed to find each other back at the hostel and hang out altogether as a group for the night. I was having lunch with Chris one day and I remember telling him that I was really just trying to be present. Trying to enjoy it and soak it all in that week because I knew how special it was and that it was going to end soon. How special it was to find such a good group of people that all got along so well and had such a nice vibe together.

Another most important part of that first week in Kuta was meeting Max. A boy I’d end up having a really special thing with and traveling together with for 4 months. But the inception story was in Kuta.

That first week, we’d had a nice vibe together in the friend group and had been sharing scooter rides and perhaps subconsciously growing closer to one another that way, but there hadn’t been an overt vibe between us until one night. Finally one night after a night out at Surfer’s Bar, one of the bars in town that everyone goes out to, chemistry became obvious and we officially got together. I remember that it felt really, really nice to be with him that night, just cuddling and enjoying the moment together on the yoga deck outside at Botchan. We snuggled and hung out there for hours together, and eventually returned to our own dorm rooms for the night. I remember how nice it felt, almost like a little date, that ended softly and innocently back into our own rooms. Something different from the typical hookups that I’d experienced while traveling.

Later that week, the rest of our friends left one by one. First Valentine, then Chris, then Luke, then me and Max, and Frederique stayed past us. It was a bittersweet goodbye to each one, as each friend was really a nice part of that week. And while the week was so nice between both the friend group and having a little thing going on with Max, Max and I were very excited to finally have some time just to ourselves once everybody left. One thing that was really nice about us was that we had similar travel styles and plans: both open-ended with no particular time limit and no particular plan. Usually in travel flings, someone is on a timeline. Someone is going from one place to the next and is leaving soon, but this time it was neither of us.

And so after everyone left, we took a little trip to Tetebatu, a nature-y jungle area 1.5 hours away in Central Lombok, and really had the most magical time there.

I loved Kuta so much that I even wrote a whole travel guide here. I hope it helps in planning your adventure there :).

Tetebatu, Lombok

September 7 - 11, 2024

Tetebatu was a dream. I’m not sure what your dreams are, but I’ve long dreamt of having a travel and adventure buddy that wants to see and experience the world the same way as I do, that I get along effortlessly with. And I feel like I experienced this with Max in Tetebatu for the first time.

Things started off wonderfully with our accommodation in Tetebatu. We both were in the mood for some peaceful time in nature and booked a bungalow for 2 nights. It ended up being a perfectly amazing and spectacular bungalow in nature, that we completely loved. It was called Selatan Rinjani. There were only 2 bungalows there, and you had to walk down a steep path through the jungle for 5 minutes to reach it, and when we were there, there was nobody else there and it felt like we were completely secluded in nature all by ourselves. It was perfect.

The owner Danny was also a very nice guy. I felt like his welcoming and chill vibe, coupled with the outdoorsy feeling of the whole space, created a really nice atmosphere there that we both enjoyed very much. What started out as a 2 night stay ended up being extended to 4 nights. But the last night we unfortunately had to move to another bungalow, as Danny’s place was full.

Our first day, we went for a walking tour through rice fields with a local guide who lived right next door and was super kind. While we’re normally both not huge fans of tours and prefer to explore on our own, we wanted to actually learn something about the rice fields and so we thought that going with a local guide this time would be a good way to go. And so we strolled around these rice fields for a couple hours just enjoying the scenery and chatting with the guide, and what a nice walk it was! I hadn’t been in such peaceful and quiet nature yet in Indonesia, and this, as well as getting to know the local guide, was such a nice experience.

It was also the first time that Max and I had to figure out and make decisions about things together - this walking tour thing - and I remember just how easy and effortless it was. That everything I was thinking, he was also thinking, and how naturally we were on the same page as each other. It was a rare and nice feeling, being so much on the same wavelength as someone and just being able to move about life easily.

Tetebatu also housed one of my favorite memories of Indonesia – dirtbiking with the locals. Max used to ride motocross and after passing a sign one day that advertised dirtbiking, we decided to stop by the next day and see what we could find out. We spoke with the owner who said that if we wanted to go that afternoon, he could call up his friends to get a group together and we could go for a ride through the jungle. We both looked at each other and just smiled and nodded in agreement. Both super down for this adventure. Me because I was a huge adventure sports fan and just loved the idea of the experience (I wasn’t going to drive though, just ride passenger). And Max of course because he would get to find an adventure and also actually drive through the jungle himself!

We turned up at the bike shop that afternoon with not much of an idea of what to expect, but it turned out to be a huge showing with over 20 people joining. Still then, we had no idea what to expect for the ride itself. Andy, the owner, pointed to me who I’d be riding up with and then told Max to follow him on a different route. I took off with my ride along with a few other dirtbikers and we rode through the jungle for about 20 minutes before arriving at the top of a hill. Finally then, I realized what was happening. The other half of the gang that went with Andy, would arrive at the bottom of the hill and would just run laps attempting to do the hill climb for the next hour!

The dozen or so of us up top made ourselves comfortable and watched for then next hour as the boys attempted the hill climb over and over and over. I remember sitting back and just looking out all around me thinking I feel so content and happy right now. Adventure sports and its crowd really makes me feel happy and at home, and I just found myself beaming at how ecstatic I was to be there in that crowd, in that moment.

I watched the hill climb eagerly. People failed most times, but every so often, there was a successful attempt and big cheer from us in the crowd. Max’s first few attempts I felt nervous for him. It looked like a daunting hill and these locals who do this everyday, still failed most the time. I just hoped he’d be okay and wouldn’t end up in the clinic! But after watching the others for a long time, checking out the hill from the top vantage point, and a few failed attempts, he finally successfully made it all the way! Hooray!!

That whole afternoon, really was just such a vibe that I really enjoy. And I thought it was so cool that we got to enjoy that together, and that we both found equal enjoyment in that type of environment. I really was thrilled to be sharing in and enjoying this adventure with someone who felt equally ecstatic about it.

Another big thing in Tetebatu was getting over my huge fear of riding a scooter. I had ridden one for the first time a couple years ago in Mexico and fell off and broke my arm. Since then, I’d been terrified of getting back on a scooter and had avoided one for my whole first two months in Indonesia. But finally in Tetebatu, with enough encouragement to myself and support from Max, I decided to take my first dirtbiking lesson. It was honestly such a big moment for me and conquering such a huge fear. But I figured it was as good an opportunity as I would ever have to learn to ride a dirtbike. We were already in the perfect setting, we knew the people, and the price was good. And so after wrestling with the decision all day between my interest and my fear, I finally decided fuck it, I don’t necessarily want to do it, but I’m going to do it. And so I did it. I took the first lesson on a dirtbike! The first 20 minutes I was wrecked with terror but by the end of the lesson, you wouldn’t believe that I was having a blast with a smile on my face and just casually biking in circles! It ended up being such a fun experience and I was so happy that I was able to get over the fear and just do it, and actually find something I really enjoyed out of it. The next morning, I was already thinking about when I could do it again, haha.

Finally though after 4 nights in Tetebatu, we felt finally ready to leave. And so we went back to Kuta where we’d stay together for the next 5 days, and then he’d leave and I’d stay by myself for another 5 days. Tetebatu really though, was like a dream and one of my favorite times in Indonesia. To have experienced a travel romance like that with someone that I traveled with so well and got along with so effortlessly, was really a dream come true of mine.

West Lombok, Lombok

September 23 - October 5, 2024

Rinjani, Lombok

October 7 - 9, 2024

Bira, Sulawesi

October 13 - 18, 2024

Selayar, Sulawesi

October 18 - 26, 2024

Selayar was a bit of a dream. An adventure and an unexpected honeymoon vibe all in one. The fact that we found paradise inadvertently and in a place almost nobody travels to, was all of my favorite things in one. In many moments I found myself looking around in awe and just trying to soak it all in, because I knew that we might not find the same kind of off the beaten path but also paradise experience, for the rest of the trip.

When we arrived, we spent our first few days in Benteng, the main town on the west coast of the island. We thought it’d be a good idea to be in civilization while we get situated, and that it’d be a good base to start our exploration of the island from. And it was! The first few days were nice. There was a day of exploring by scooter, a day of exploring by boat, and a day of just straight chilling and recuperating after our days of adventures.

Day 1, we rented a scooter and just took it all around the island. It was so nice being with someone that has the same sense of adventure and not having to plan everything. We set out with just a few recommendations we had gotten from a local the night before and then just made stops along the way whenever we felt like. We found a beach that looked nice on google maps and tried to make it out that way, but after 15 minutes of off-roading and never really arriving, we settled for a stop in a tiny area along the coast and then turned back around. Then when we got hungry we found the next cafe on google maps and headed there, and on the way we drove through random little villages and at the cafe itself, we found what was actually a very very nice spot to eat and relax at for a bit. On the way back our timing ended up matching decently with sunset, and we just pulled over at a nice spot along the beach and watched the sunset while trying our first local Pop Ice. Overall, was a really nice day of exploring.

The next day, we decided to do a boat trip day. On the street during our first night in Benteng, we had met a local super nice local who gave us a few recommendations of what to do around Selayar. One of them was to visit beaches on a nearby island and so one of our days, and so we decided to have a beach exploration day! We asked around our homestay and texted around a few random contacts to see how we could find a tour to the island that day, and eventually we reached the contact of a boat captain that said he was available to take us out that day! We went to the island with just the information of a few spots the local had recommended, and it turned out that we would find what felt like a complete honeymoon vibe and perfection that day.

We stopped at 4 different spots that day around the island, and each one surprised us by being better and better than the last, and all with such a different vibe that really complemented each other and made the whole day perfect. The first stop was at a small secluded cove beach where we chilled, ate snacks, and sunbathed at for a while. I remember thinking I could stay there a while because it was already quite nice, but we decided to limit our time because we weren’t sure what else was coming and wanted to be able to explore all the spots on the island. It turned out to be a good decision because of how amazing and diverse everything else was!

The second stop was at a large, vast beach lined with palm trees and wild jungle in the back. We swam for a while there in the pristine, crystal clear waters and looked back at the expansive beach lined with palm trees, and thought to ourselves that wow, this is really paradise. Cozumel, Mexico was the last place I had felt such paradise, and this was the only other time I had had this thought. After a while of swimming, Max couldn’t stand the sun anymore and I reluctantly also got out of the water. To the next spot we go.

At the next spot, we also arrived at a beach. I thought okay nice, a similar type of beach, also nice. We were about to go for a dip again when the boat captain asked us if we wanted to see the goa. At the time we had no clue what this meant but said yes, sure, we were happy to explore whatever there was to see on this island. (We’ve now learned Goa means cave haha). He led us through the jungle on a path for about 20 minutes, and we had no idea where we were going or what to expect. Finally at the end, we arrived to what was a simply spectacular cave. Probably the coolest cave I have ever experienced. We swam in there for another 20 minutes, this time enjoying the nice cool water as a refreshing break from the warm ocean water. It was simply amazing, that we had no idea where we were going, and to have arrived at such an amazing place.

When we returned back to the boat, we started heading back towards the main island of Selayar, but with one last stop on the way. We stopped at a beach with some arch rock formations around, and with a rock jump spot. Swimming through the rock arches and closer and closer to sunset time, was simply amazing. We cuddled and kissed in the water as we drifted around the rocks, and it really felt like it could be a honeymoon.

All the stops together were really perfect. A perfect complementing to one another. With some beaches, an adventure cave, and a nice, romantic ending to the day. We went back on the boat right at sunset time and got to catch a nice sunset from the boat as well. Overall a perfect day with perfect timing.

In Selayar, we also found our favorite restaurant that we went to eat at every single night. It was a cute local spot right on the water with low tables and bean bags to sit on on the ground. We ate seafood there each night which was always perfectly cooked and a good price, and got mango and taro smoothies. It really was one of our favorite and most consistent restaurants we’ve had probably in all of Sulawesi.

The next day it was pouring rain and we had a chill day inside our room all day long. To be honest, it was way too much time in our cramped and stuffy room, that by the end of the day, we were feeling almost sick from being in there all day. But, we had also arranged with a contact we had, a boat trip for the next day. We had watched a Youtube video of Selayar the week before, and the video recommended an ecoresort to stay at on the East side of the island (the more wild and natural side), and left the contact of the owner there. I contacted the owner about his resort as well as recommendations for other things around the island, and while his resort was too expensive for us to stay, he shared a number of other good recommendations for around the island. One of them was a visit to Bahuluang, an island made of just dried coral off the south coast of Selayar. He was going on a boat trip the next day with his guests and offered for us to join him. We said we’d love to, but that his resort was out of our budget, and did he have recommendations for another place to stay that was cheaper? He said yes, that we can come on the boat trip and he would arrange our accommodation for us and that it would cost 350K IDR (compared to his place of 1.3 million IDR). We said sounds great and that we would see him the next day.

The next day, we met up with him to catch the boat over to his place from the harbor. We had also learned just the night before that his place was only accessible by boat - lots of surprises and adventures we were finding! On the boat we asked him where we’d be staying, figuring he knew of other cheaper accommodation near him that he helped prepare for us. Much to our surprise, he said “you’re staying with me!” And so basically, he gave us a huge huge discount to be able to stay with him, knowing that it would accommodate our budget and that he also had a free room (bungalow) available. It was seriously such a kind thing to do, and something we hugely hugely appreciated of him.

And so this day, we went on a boat trip to Bahuluang, the coral island, and saw some amazing turquoise waters and snorkeled in some very lovely reefs. We made another stop at an island where lunch was prepared for us, and then a final stop at a completely blue turquoise beach. We sailed back close to sunset time and Max and I laid on the roof of the boat resting, napping, and just enjoying the breeze and the view. Another simply perfect day.

Back at the eco resort, there were 3 bungalows in total and the other 2 occupied by other guests as well. One was a Danish family, a really lovely family of 5 that we’d really enjoy getting to know and spend time with over the next few days. And the other was a German couple that was quite a bit odd, but nice enough. Our time at Selayar Eco Resort was really one of the most memorable times of the entire Sulawesi so far. It was such a nice vibe property with a kind and welcoming owner, and a nice and cool local couple as the staff that made you feel at home. The bungalows were nice but simple, and the entire property was small and homey feeling. Being such a small property with such nice and tight knit staff, you really felt like you were at home and part of the family there. It was such a nice and chill place to be.

We spent our days there swimming, sunbathing, paddle boarding, snorkeling, and even finding our own private beaches for some naked tanning sessions. There was no cell service and no internet, and it really felt like such good days of peace and freedom and chillness. I really loved those days of simplicity and peace there in Selayar. We left after 4 days and I thoroughly enjoyed those days and look back on them with much gratitude. Both in how nice it was there, but also by the way of finding it through an adventure. From a random contact off a Youtube video, to a few WhatsApp messages exchanged, to getting on a boat and not knowing really what we’re getting into, to finding a hidden paradise with such nice people at a good and kind price. Everything about it was just perfect.

Our last night back in Benteng we went back to our favorite restaurant and spent some time trying to figure out our transportation the next day. We ended up deciding the bus was too expensive back to Bira, and so we were going to try our luck at hitchhiking back to the north of the island, where we would catch the ferry. Hitchhiking the next day was quite the adventure. It was the first time we were trying to do it for such a long journey (1 hour) and with all of our backpacks. The first ride was very easy to catch - we went to the main road of Benteng and I stuck my thumb up at the first truck that passed us and they easily told us to hop in. They weren’t going all the way to the ferry port but they’d be happy to take us as far as they were going, which was about halfway. It was a fun ride in the back of the pickup truck, likely some workers working on the electrical lines. Once they dropped us off, it took actually quite a bit longer than expected to catch the next ride. Maybe about a dozen cars passed us without stopping when finally another pickup truck, a family of fisherman, stopped to let us on. The back of the truck was full of people and they had buckets of fresh fish! What a day for them. They were only going about 10 minutes further where they let off everyone on the truck, but the driver offered to take us all the way to the port for whatever price we would like to pay him. It was a generous offer and good vibe we got from the whole family and situation. And so we continued with him the rest of the way to the port, offering to pay him a bit more than what we knew was a fair price, just because we got a good vibe and were happy enough to support him some extra. And so with this final leg, we finally made it to the port and would be on our way back to the mainland of Sulawesi, and back to Bira, a town we had already stayed in for a week and liked very much :).