Family Holiday to Bali, Gili Island and Lombok

After ages, I'm so glad to finally bring you a travel-related post. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, travel had been out of the picture for so long that I had forgotten what it even felt like. 

We recently went on a one-week island hopping trip to Bali, Gili Islands and Lombok of the Indonesian archipelago. It was a much-needed break for all of us plus a chance to get away from the perpetually gloomy/rainy weather in Singapore that had started to get depressing. 

We have been to Bali twice before (if interested you can check out the first blog post here and the second one here) but we love the Island of the Gods so much that we could go there again and again. This time we decided to combine Bali with some of the nearby islands. 

This post is going to be less wordy (by my standards) and more photo-heavy. What with a picture being worth a thousand words and all 😄

Since we had already explored Bali in the past, our original plan was to fly to Bali from Singapore and just spend a few hours there before taking a fast boat on the same day to Gili Islands. 

Our flight from Singapore was very early in the morning for which we woke up hours before the crack of dawn and drove to the airport yawning and bleary-eyed. But unfortunately for us, we happened to fly Scoot (which I'm sorry to say is a dreadful airline) and our short flight to Bali was delayed by more than two hours which made us narrowly miss the fast boat to Gili Islands that we had pre-booked, not to mention the check-in at the resort on Gili Air which had also been booked in advance. Needless to say, I was pretty miffed about the whole thing. The husband on the other hand was typically unfazed (I find that mildly annoying 😆). 

Landing in Bali itself appeared to be a riveting development for our children so while they started playing some arcane game at the airport, we sat down together and mulled what to do about our situation. We found out that there were no other fast boats to Gili Islands on that day so we made the decision to stay in Bali and travel to Gili Islands the next day. First we contacted the fast boat operator who was very obliging and immediately offered us a refund on our booking. We then contacted the resort on Gili Air who was also understanding of our situation and considerately waived off our room charge for the first day. After that, we scrolled through TripAdvisor and booked a resort that was closest to the fast boat harbor and then booked a fast boat to Gili Islands the next day afternoon. Having solved the issues arising from the flight delay, we promptly booked a taxi to our resort in Bali and were on our way. 

Bloo Lagoon Eco Village is an eco-resort that overlooks the ocean above Padangbai in East Bali. Padangbai is a busy port where most people take the ferry to/from Lombok and onwards to the Gilis, Komodo Islands and Flores. The property is located around 55 km away from the Ngurah Rai – Bali International Airport. It took us around 1.5 hours to get there but the drive was scenic so we enjoyed it. The girls were refreshed by a nap in the flight and were completely preoccupied counting the number of animals they spotted - stray dogs, cows, chickens, goats among others. They were also fascinated by the lush natural landscape and the lack of skyscrapers that they are so used to seeing in Singapore. 

When we go on holidays, we usually do considerable research before booking our stay. Since this was an unexpected and a complete on the spur of the moment booking, we had done none of that. But fortunately for us, on reaching the property we realized we had made a good choice. 

Bloo Lagoon is a great place to get in touch with the East Balinese culture via sustainable tourism. Each of the 25 imaginative, distinctive and elegantly designed villas which make up this hill top resort enjoy panoramic views over Blue Lagoon Bay and Mount Agung. 

Bloo Lagoon is an alternative for those travelers who treasure contact with nature and wish to live in harmony with it. It is an ecosystem that attracts birds, butterflies, frogs, geckos, and plants. Occasionally monkeys and monitor lizards can be spotted. Having stayed at eco-resorts in Bali before, we knew exactly what to expect and were even looking forward to it. 

We had booked two connecting villas suitable for families and it couldn't have been more perfect. We had comfortable, clean and tastefully done rooms keeping environmental sustainability in mind with breathtaking panoramic ocean views. 

Just look at this view 😍

The restaurant is in a prime location on the side of the hill overlooking Mt Agung and the ocean. The food was just about okay and service rather slow but the location made the dining experience special. We enjoyed the buffet breakfast more than a la carte dining. 

Nestled in the midst of the greenery is a lovely free form swimming pool with a fun water slide. Morning yoga classes are conducted which looked interesting but I decided not to join in because I realized I didn't have suitable attire (exercise is never on my agenda while on holiday 😛). 

There was a mild mannered dog on premises called Luna and our twins went berserk, following her everywhere and (presumably) bothering her in the process.  

We went on a nature walk within the resort and were delighted to see the fresh organic produce grown there. One of the workers directed us towards an indoor trampoline located in the vicinity which was a bit of an unexpected surprise. 

A charming place to stay, relax, and forget about the rest of the world. Our short stay at Bloo Lagoon Eco Village actually made me feel grateful about the flight delay 😁

From the Padangbai port, we took the fast boat to Gili Islands which took around 2 hours. I was a bit apprehensive about this journey because our twins have terrible motion sickness. Any kind of moving vehicle, land, air or water can trigger it. But it turned out that my worries were unfounded. 

Until the boat was well along its way, we stayed inside but once passengers were allowed on the upper open deck, the girls and I immediately made a beeline for it. The sun was blazing but there was a pleasant breeze blowing and the gorgeous views were great distraction. Music was played at some point which livened things up. As enjoyable as it was, one thing I must impress upon is the importance of applying sunscreen. I slathered the girls with it liberally but I didn't extend the same courtesy to myself so I got sunburnt (something I realized only the next day 😛). 

The boat first stopped at Senggigi on Lombok and then made its way to the Gili Islands. First stop was Gili Trawangan, the largest and most popular of the Gili Islands. 

The third stop was our destination - the more family-friendly Gili Air. We had booked a room at The Beach Club Gili Air Scallywags Resort and a cheerful staff member was there to escort us to the resort. 

As we made our way towards the resort, I was dismayed to see the obvious damage to the coastline and piles of debris on the beach which (I'm assuming) can be attributed to the lingering effect of the 2018 earthquake along with effects from destructive hide tide. 

We had booked the two-bedroom family bungalow at Scallywags. The two adjoining rooms although small were comfortable and equipped with everything we needed. The outdoor ensuite bathroom was comparatively large. The resort was right in front of the beach and the staff were incredibly nice and helpful. 

The twins had a fantastic time at the beach. There were daybeds for us to relax while we kept an eye on the little ones. The beach had black sand, a mind-boggling variety of seashells and lots of little crabs running around. We could see Lombok across the waters. As it was low season, there weren't many people and we felt like we had the beach all to ourselves. 

As the sun started to set, we were able to literally admire the beach in a completely different light. 

Dining was by the beach. At night, the fairy lights hanging above white wooden picnic tables and chairs gave the place a magical feel. The food was nothing to write home about but it was the ambience that made all the difference. 

While on Gili Air, I spent a good chunk of the day exploring the island by foot. Cycling is a great option too. Once I checked out the different resorts and the stretches of beach in front of them, I was happy with the choice we had made. With a relatively nice beach right in front of us, I knew we'd be going many more times. 

There are lots of places on Gili Air to grab a bite. Sitting by the side of a turquoise beach, eating a hearty breakfast and enjoying tropical fruits made us feel so utterly relaxed. 

Our next stop was Lombok. Scallywags efficiently arranged for a private speedboat to take us to Lombok at the time of our choosing which was convenient. We bid adieu to Gili and prepared for a new adventure. 

The speed boat ride was fun and took barely 10 minutes. 

Once we reached Lombok, we were received by a soft-spoken local driver who took us to our resort that was located about half an hour away. On the journey, looking out the window, I noticed the similarities in the landscape between Lombok and Bali. I also noticed the many differences. Bali is majority Hindu while Lombok is mostly Muslim and this is visually apparent. Bali is peppered with ancient Hindu/Buddhist temples and home-shrines. The distinguishable religion and culture on Bali help in creating a sense of mysticism and spirituality to the island. Also, Bali is a tourist haven with hordes of scantily dressed tourists everywhere you look. Once you arrive on Lombok, you can discern that it is much more conservative, you will hear the call to prayer from mosques and the island on a whole, feels relatively uncrowded.

We had booked our stay at Qunci Villas on Lombok, a beachfront hotel on Mangsit Beach, near Senggigi offering peace and tranquility in a stylish, tropical setting. 

For the next few days we had Qunci’s Two-Bedroom Pool room called Qima all to ourselves. 

The pool units are located in beautifully landscaped sections of the property, peppered with swaying palms and lush tropical plants and are a tasteful mixture of modern architecture combined with the architectural style of Lombok and Bali.

I loved the manicured grounds with tall palms and lush foliage. 

My husband and I also appreciated the design aesthetics and the amazing artworks and sculptures featured throughout the property.

We were delighted to see three individual pools, offering unsurpassed oceanfront views looking across the Indian Ocean to Mt. Agung, the tallest mountain in Bali.

The minute the girls caught sight of the pristine beach, that was it. Wild horses couldn't have dragged them away! 

The black sand is the product of the many eruptions of the active volcano of Mount Rinjani which looms in the distance.

And I must talk about the FOOD. The food we had at Qunci Villas was the best we had on this holiday. It was phenomenal. The variety, the portion-size, the quality, the presentation, everything was impeccable. For a change, I ate a lot of fresh salads and enjoyed a few different types of local food. The Nasi Goreng was so good that my mouth is watering just thinking about it. 

I would look forward to breakfast every morning which to my surprise was not buffet style but had so much variety that I honestly did not miss it. I saw a few guests enjoying their breakfast right in front of the beach but that would have been rather hot and uncomfortable for our liking. We settled on enjoying the amazing views from the cool comfort of the restaurant.  

And dinners were a totally chilled out affair. The restaurants are open with direct access to the grounds which is great because children can keep themselves occupied with nature, flowers, insects and beach views. On one night we enjoyed a traditional Balinese dance and storytelling performance. I had so many cocktails that I wouldn't be able to keep track even if I tried. Also, we all may have OD'd on desserts 😄

I would be remiss if I did not mention Lombok sunsets. They are stunning. This was captured on the first day at Lombok at Qunci. However, in all honesty, what detracts from this experience are the numerous touts who appear at this exact moment and relentlessly pester the hotel guests to buy their wares. Oh well!

One of the highlights of our Lombok trip which I really want to write about in detail is our memorable day trip to Tetebatu. 

While we were conversing with the amiable driver who brought us to Qunci Villas, he was talking about how the lack of tourism due to the pandemic has hurt Lombok. He talked about the local culture, customs and cuisine. When we were asking him about the sights worth seeing in Lombok, he asked us if we would be interested in checking out the countryside, visiting a small village and getting an insight into the rural lifestyle of the locals there. He mentioned that doing this would help support local families. We were intrigued and expressed our interest so he arranged it for us. 

It took us around 2.5 hours from our resort to reach our destination. The Tetebatu walking tour enables visitors to discover the area’s hidden gems. We had two guides named Jusi and Afzal who were friendly and spoke English. It was a cloudy day and it had been drizzling so we had umbrellas just in case. They guided us through lush landscapes, showed us different types of homegrown produce (coffee beans, cacao, vanilla bean, banana, pineapple, nutmeg, chillies, leafy vegetables among many others) and cattle that they raise for food. 

We encountered many of the locals on the way and as soon as they noticed we are of Indian origin, began talking about Bollywood (Shahrukh Khan and Kajol in particular) and mouthing certain popular Hindi dialogues. Little children ran out of the houses to wave at us accompanied by an exuberant 'Hi!'. It was heartwarming 😊

Then our guides explained to us how rice is grown and harvested. As rice is our staple food, I was glad that our children got to see how it is grown and hoped they would gain a newfound appreciation for this humble grain. 

Trudging through narrow and sometimes non-existent paths through fields of squelchy slippery mud isn't a walk in the park and I was pleasantly surprised (and a wee bit proud) to see how at ease our Singapore-born and bred girls were. Not once did they whine about being tired or the walk being difficult or messy. Whenever they encountered fresh water streams, they just rinsed off their Crocs and continued on. Speaking of footwear, my Keds on the other hand were so utterly ruined that I had to dispose of them after we went back to the resort 😆

Our guides took such good care of the girls and made it seem like a thrilling escapade. 

We started walking towards a waterfall called Air Terjun Sarang Walet which had a rocky slippery path. Again, the agile and daring duo managed it with ease while I made a herculean effort to keep up. 

We heard the waterfall much before we saw it. Even though small, it roared and how! It was located inside a cave which we were told previously housed a colony of bats. The girls were excited to be in this dark mysterious secluded little cove so we spent some time wading in the cool water. 

After that our guides took us to see the rice terraces. We saw the different stages of the plantation growth. This part of the tour was extremely slippery and at some point, both my husband and I took a major tumble and got our behinds muddied. But after the initial mortification wore off, we had a hearty laugh about it at each other's expense!

We then started walking towards the black monkey forest. On a clear day we might have been able to catch a clear view of Mount Rinjani but since it was so cloudy on that day, we had no such luck. However, we were able to spot at least a dozen shy and elusive black monkeys. 

After more than three hours of walking, we came back to the home of our guide's uncle where they offered us a simple menu. We opted for Lombok coffee, a fresh fruit platter and a local kuih type of dessert. The girls who love fruits thoroughly enjoyed the succulent homegrown mango, banana, pineapple and oranges. 

There were lots of stray dogs around and my dog-obsessed daughters made friends with one of them called Mayonnaise. 

This day trip was such an enriching and wholesome experience. We encountered different terrains, got heaps of fresh air, learned about farming practices, met genuinely friendly people and enjoyed local hospitality. Every penny we spent on this trip was well worth it. 

I even came away with 10 homegrown vanilla beans for a mere S$9. Home cooks and bakers in Singapore will know that we can only daydream of such prices on our overpriced island!

The weather during the last two days of our time in Lombok was cloudy with intermittent rain so we could not appreciate the sunset as much. But I still think this picture is arresting. What do you think?

One morning we visited the Kerandangan beach. We found a secluded and quiet spot on the beach and spent a memorable morning. We found some unique seashells here. 

When on holiday, I generally don't miss an opportunity to go to a spa. It isn't something I do often and so when I do go, the experience is that much more enjoyable. After days of humidity, swimming in different pools and going to the beach, my hair looked dry and lackluster. Qunci has a really nice spa called the Qamboja Health Spa so while the girls were in the pool with their Dad, I made an appointment for a head massage and hair treatment. As I expected, it was wonderful and my hair got the TLC it desperately needed. 

To make things easier on our return journey, we flew from Lombok to Bali, spent a few more hours in Bali before flying back to Singapore. 

And just like that one blissful week passed by. When I look back, I'm glad that we enjoyed a range of experiences as a family and staying in different kinds of places ranging from a traditional eco-stay to a rustic beachfront hut and a luxury pool villa added a nice touch of variety. It was the first time in more than two years that we never once thought of Covid-19. We never wore masks nor did we have to worry about catching anything on this holiday because honestly, we didn't some in close proximity to that many people. In Lombok, we hardly saw any tourists. I think it is unprecedented for us to have gone five whole days without seeing a single Indian face outside of our own family members 😝

It was an absolutely incredible holiday and we created some fond family memories. 

I hope you enjoyed this blog post as much as I enjoyed writing and more importantly, reliving it. 

Indonesia is a beautiful, vibrant and diverse country. Even after multiple visits, I will continue to look forward to go back some day 💜

Cheers,

Megha