Lombok, Gili, Bali in 10 Days

This begin in the middle of Desember 2015, i decided to do travel to Lombok enamored with one of beach photo from my friend, Mawun beach. Lombok is famous for its beaches

which is still very beautiful and natural. Beginning of the journey i just want to go to explore in Lombok, i booked one way only cause i don't when i have to come back and where i have to come back, this is my first time i do not plan a trip, just follow my heart. the day is getting closer and i still don't know where is the first place i have to visit in Lombok, so i decided to book motorcycle include the guide to escort me around Lombok. First plan i will go to north, to kuta beach, tanjung ann, and the spectacular beach, Mawun. i planned to go to Lombok then Sumbawa but after search information about accommodation  transport and etcetera i cancel my intention to visit cause i want have relaxing holiday not rush and just focus on one, Lombok.

I still don't know where i have to sleep tonight, i could rent lodging or hostel but i'm looking for friend i want to make friend so i asked someone in Couchsurfing to hot me for 1 night and there is someone who let me stay in her place.

First place i visited are Desa Sade or Sade Village is a traditional house from Sasak tribe. Interestingly, the villagers had a peculiar habit that is mopping the floor with buffalo dung.Yore when there is no cement plaster, Sade Sasak people applying buffalo dung at the base of the house to made floor keep clean plus you can smell buffalo dung in the same time.

Next trip i visited Kuta beach, Tanjung Ann beach, Seger Beach and Mawun Beach. Just the fro the beaches today. In Kuta beach often held Bau Nyale ceremony every year. Word Nyale came from Sasak Language it mean catch and Nyale mean marine worm who lived in the rock holes below ocean surface.

Which is a long time ago there is a princes named princes Mandalika, The king (her father) famous for his wisdom so that people very love him. Princes Mandalika live in royal atmosphere until she grew up. She grew up become a beautiful girl and dazzle, the beauty spread to all over Lombok so the prince of the various kingdom want to marry her. Knowing that she become upset cause if she pick one of them there will be discord and fighting. After thinking long, she decided to invited all prince and people to meet in Kuta beach. The invitation welcomed by all prince, and they come flocking to the location. After said her intention that she will accept all prince and people she jump into the sea all people try o find her but not found. After a while emerges colorful worm they believed that was incarnation of princes Mandalika.

Seger Beach

Kuta Beach
In behind me that was princes Mandalika statue

Tanjung Aan
On the left is white soft sands, on the right grey sands

Tanjung Aan 

Tanjung Aan 

I only spend a short time cause i can't wait to go to Mawun beach

Mawun beach

I only spend time moment cause i want spend more time in Mawun but unfortunately the weather was a bit overcast. It was nice beach whtie soft sands and less of tourist. In Lombok i use Couchsurfing online to find someone to allowed me to stay in they place. i ask someone one day before i leave if she can provide me to stay in her place for one night? and she allowed me stay in her place. i met with her mother and her sister theay are very nice to me, give me a place to sleep, feed me well. In the next day they taking me to her friend party. 

Bus Party in Kuta Beach
Me, my host, her sister and her friend.

In the next day i headed to Gili Trawangan, this is my second time went to Gili but i will spend maybe 2-3 day in Gili then toward to Bali. Christmas season is not crowded like as usual. 

Gili Trawangan

In there i rent hostel with cost 100k rupiah i didn't know if that was Hammock but for 100k include breakfast and gym facility it's worth it.

Cozy place on hamock

Ayam Taliwang / Taliwang Chicken typical food from Lombok. Super spicy !!! 

It was so much fun met new people from all around country and hangout with them. At the beach me and my local friend have lunch together we made grilled fish with spicy sauce and sour, we caught our self at the sea. It so yummiiiii...

Free food, good friends, nice view, nice moment, what a wonderful life..

Lunch at the beach with friends in Gili Trawangan

           Last night in Gili T

"Don't forget to smile cause you don't know who is falling in love with your smile  :)"

A lot of my friend ask me with who i go with? i said "I just go by myself" bunch of question comes up to the air, example :

"Wow.. Really?, your not scared?" 

Yes.. it is true, i am not scared cause i've been looking a lot information about where i want to go to, and which areas should be avoided and save for solo women traveler.

"Your not worry to get lose?"

Nope, cause i've been looking more information and if i am not sure about the way just ask to people, i still live in Indonesia when everyone use Bahasa as native language like me, hahah...

and use your intuition about good person or not to ask.

"Is it bored? cause you travel alone"

Make friend so you won't get bored. If i travel alone, sometimes i use couchsurfing to stay or stay in hostel which is many solo traveler from around the world in there you can interact and make friend with them. 

"I heard that travel alone is more expensive than travel with group?"

Depends... 

If the place many tourists, it is likely there are many option for transportation, lodge, food from the cheap price to the expensive price. 

For me solo travel or duo is more flexible than if i have to go with group, i can decided if i want to stay a bit longer or leave early or change route of my trip. I've been several times to come with a group, i did not really enjoy it because the guide will warn us "15 minute left, and we will go to the next place" all the time. 

Gili trawangan is beautiful place but after many day i knew that i have to move cause i started get bored. So i decided go to Bali with speed boat it take 2 hour and cost me IDR 350k include transport from harbour to the city. First night i spend in Kuta, place for party.. haha.. and i stayed in hostel it cost me under IDR 100/ night, yeah i try to low cost my budget i still have a few day to spend in Bali.

The next day i am getting tired of party almost every night so it's time to chill and away from crowded and i headed to Pecatu i have one friend who've stayed there a few day so i can share cost with him. I stayed in Pecatu Guest House this is a place for surfer, Cafeteria a place to hangout, at that time is Christmas Eve, we have barbecue party, beer pong games, chess competition, cards, we become friendly very easy. 

My friend Dan from England

He (guy on left) claim that he is clone of Harry Styles of One Direction.. hahaha

In the next day me and my friend want to explore, my friend suggest me to go to blue point so i go there, blue point is very close with Uluwatu very wide beach it so beautiful to see sunset in there but i forgot to take a picture. It's rainy season, sunny weather in the morning but instantly cloudy. I am glad that i decided to go to Pecatu which is nice and relaxing place.   

Big waves in Nikko beach

Nikko Beach

This is the way to Nikko beach, This beach is hidden behind a huge rock, same like if you want to go to Padang-Padang

"Time flying when your having fun" Yesss... Holiday end, i still want more holiday but i have to come back to Jakarta even i still want to stay. In the last day leave from Pecatu to Seminyak to hangout for a while with my friends i met in Gili T, cause my flight at 10pm, i still have plenty of time. They are from Ireland but work and live in Australia, they are really friendly and funny i can't stop laughing around them.

This is fun and i have a lot great experience, met new people, new friends. No need to be afraid for travel alone, but you must know and sure about what place you want to visit, get a lot information and ask friend or people who ever been there, don't be afraid to ask not everyone bad and use your intuition if you feel not safe. 

I stayed in hostel more often, cause i travel alone and that can minimize my budget and question come up from my local friend (Indo friend). Most of my friend very surprise when i tell them that i can get lodge under  IDR 150 k/night (for this price ussually include breakfast) or under IDR 100k (exclude breakfast) they not believe it, i told them i stayed in hostel. 

another question : 

What is hostel look like ?

This is one big room which consist 6, 8, or 10 bed graded mix with boy and girl but it depend the room sometimes i get 1 room for 4 person and all girl or with all boy with shared bath room. Usually they have more one bath room to avoid the queues. Suddenly all question comes up :

It is safe ?---- Yes.. It's safe

Where is your put your stuff, your not worry someone stolen ?---- Sometimes they have cupboard, just bring padlock or if they don't have cupboard you can entrust it to the receptionist.

So you sleep with stranger ? with the guys ? they are usually snore and slovenly ? your not worry about that ?---- Yes, i slept with stranger, yes i've ever slept in one room with all guys.. but not in the same bed.. hhaha.. It is safe, if they are snore just kick them ass. I slovenly sometime, so it is fine. 

I can understand they are so curious about that, cause they are rare to stay in hostel than foreign do they more prefer to stay in Villa, Hotel or Bungalow. See as me a girl and travel alone make them so amaze with me, i told them i am not the only one girl who do travel alone, there is so many girls out there do the same thing like me. 

My tips to stay in Hostel :

- Bring cable roll and plugs 3 holes, not all hostel have plugs in every bed. Sometimes they just have one plugs so you can pull that cable close to your bed to charge your phone, ipad or your laptop while you sleep.

- Bring plastic bag, flip-flops are the items are most often missing put into plastic bag then bring to your room. 

- Ear plug, sleep in the hostel is not the same like sleep in hotel because we share room with other people, if you do not want disturbed sleep because of snoring, take earplug.

"Life is not all sunshine and rainbows, but neither is it all gloom and doom.

Life is a mix of good and bad experience and that's what makes it so exciting. Defeat all of your fears and go out to see the world"