INDONESIA- Off to the Island(s)

Hello from Kuala Lumpur,

... yes, that's right, I am already in Malaysia! But for now, let's talk about the last wonderful days I spent in Indonesia.

The last entry I wrote was in Ubud. There we relaxed a bit before we embarked on a night hike to Mount Batur. Every day, hundreds of people hike up this mountain and it looked like the mountain was adorned with a continuous string of lights, as each person holds a flashlight while climbing. After a total of 2 hours, we reached the summit just in time for sunrise. We sat right at the crater of Mount Batur, overlooking Mount Agung. From there, we could even see Mount Rinjani on Lombok, which is the second highest volcano in Indonesia with a height of 3726 m! We were surrounded by volcanoes!

Mount Agung

The colors in the sky became more beautiful with each passing minute, and with the first rays of the sun, we also started to warm up a bit. It was quite cold and windy up there. After the sun rose, we walked along the edge of the volcano crater for a while. It was steaming and you could feel the heat from the volcano! The tour guide told us that you can even cook eggs in the small caves where the steam was coming out. Unbelievable! Melli put her hand in there. It was really hot - we weren't tricked :D

However, I was still so tired that I couldn't fully perceive all the impressions. Well, what can I say, traveling can be a bit tiring too #firstworldproblems :D

Mount Batur

This was BEFORE it jumped onto my backpack... I had a water bottle in the outer pocket. Rookie mistake :D

Nevertheless, it was a wonderful experience! And when I look at the pictures, I realize what a great experience it was! When else do you stand on an active volcano and wait for the sunrise?

There wasn't much time to rest because the next day we headed to Nusa Lembongan. Nusa Lembongan is a small island not far from Bali. We rented a scooter and first went to the mangroves. Yes, that's right, there is a mangrove forest there! We took a little boat tour there, and even though there were other boats around, there were moments when you could listen to the silence and the echo within the forest for a brief moment.

Nusa Lembongan- Mangroves

Afterwards, we visited some coasts and viewpoints and booked a snorkeling tour for the next morning.

Nusa Lembongan- Blue Lagoon

It was a manta ray tour and we actually saw a manta ray!! Unfortunately, it was mainly at the bottom and a bit far away, but when one of us dived all the way down to the ray, you could really see how huge this creature is! I estimate at least 1.60 m. Of course, I also tried to get closer to the ray, but what felt like diving 4.0 meters was probably not even 50 cm :D

Unfortunately, my ray selfie is not presentable :D

Besides the ray, we also saw a beautiful reef with a wide variety of corals and fish at another location! It's incredible what colors Mother Nature produces. I could have watched the fish forever! But at some point, I had enough of the too tight and leaky snorkeling equipment^^

In the afternoon, Melli took the boat back to Bali and I spent two more nights on Nusa Lembongan. I used the time to take more surfing lessons. Unfortunately, I was a bit too hasty and my talent seems to be limited to baby waves :D. Meaning: it didn't go as well as expected. My strength was gone after the first 5 minutes. Maybe it wasn't the right time either, because I was really tired from the past few days and didn't feel very fit. But I won't give up and will make another attempt at the next opportunity :) As they say, there are always setbacks on the way up :P

Nusa Lembongan- Secret Beach. There was hardly anyone here!

Morning crossing from Nusa Lembongan to Nusa Penida

On the neighboring island of Nusa Penida, I spent a day at the pool to recharge my batteries a bit.

The next day, I set out on my first scooter tour without Melli! I had already heard that the roads are in very bad condition. Luckily, I had ridden a scooter occasionally before, otherwise I would probably have turned back and spent a second day at the pool. But the journey was absolutely worth it!

Sitting on a tree (away from the tourists) with music in my ears, I daydreamed at the sight of the coast and the sea. And I realized that such moments are even more intense when you're alone!

Before the sun set, I wanted to go to another viewpoint. The path there was even worse, but here too, the efforts were immediately forgotten when I saw the sea and the coast! On an observation platform made only of branches and sticks, you could see incredibly far into the distance! Here too, I sat for a while, trying to absorb all the impressions and simply enjoy!

Unfortunately, the difficult conditions got the better of me on the way back, but apart from some minor scrapes, I wasn't hurt any further :) Nevertheless, I had a wonderful day!!

Perhaps the most beautiful parking lot in the world!

Due to its proximity to the airport, I spent two more nights in Kuta, Bali before I boarded the flight to Kuala Lumpur!

Bali- Pura Tanah Lot Temple

Melli and I are reunited now and very excited about what awaits us in Malaysia!

(... I do miss Indonesia a little bit :)

See you soon

Best regards!