Gili Trawangan, Lombok. 26-06-10.

Breakfast at 8:15 for the 9am fastboat to the Gili Trawangan, largest of the three Gili Islands. It is beautiful here and has a really fun vibe. We check into our bungalow before hiring bikes and going for a cycle around the one mile square island. There are no motor vehicles on the island so push-bikes and horse pulled carts are the only transport option. It is a welcome break from spending most of the last few days driving and in hectic towns centres.

Many of the sea front eateries display the days catch for your picking. We had an incredibly delicious and fresh meal of grilled gambas, prawns and tripley at a paraffin lamp lit table on the beach before heading over to the Horizontal Bar to take advantage of their beach ‘beds’ and bonfire.

As we sipped on our triple strength cocktails the group in front of us leapt from their seats urgently calling a waiter and a great deal of commotion ensued. We were later informed that the group had found a scorpion on their lounger.

Tirta Gangga, Bali. 25-06-10.

We breakfast at our homestay before crossing the road for a morning stroll around the Water Palace. It seems less enchanting by day but beautiful no less. We return the car to Kuta, passing through Bebandem and Sidemen in the pouring rain before being driven to back to Padangbai where we will catch our boat to Lombok. We watch the slap-stick first half of Portugal vs Brazil over dinner in a local warung before bedding down.

Ubud / Tirta Gangga, Bali. 24-06-10.

An early rise for a delicious breakfast on the terrace which will set us up nicely for today’s walk. We chose the Campuan Ridge Walk that takes us over the river valley of Sungai Wos and Sungai Cerik and offers awesome views of the rice paddy fields. In the afternoon, we drive to Sukawati to visit the renowned produce and art markets before taking the coastal route east to Tirta Gangga. We are whacked so after a moonlit tour of the Water Palace by a deaf and dumb guide, we settle for a movie in our hillside, family owned bungalow.

Ubud, Bali. 23-06-10.

A drive to Ubud and into a totally different climate and landscape. We drive around the rice paddies north of Ubud before sitting down to lunch at the Lotus Café. We discover that the Puri Saren Palace sleeps guests and on our visit, the guide confirms a free bungalow. We book in. The surroundings are spectacular and we have a beautifully ornate and extravagant veranda next to the residence of the Ubud Royal Family. After tea on the terrace, we go to the Pura Desa to be seated for one of the nightly performances of the traditional Balinese Baron Dance. The music is entrancing, the vocals eerie and the performance equal parts beautiful and comedic.

We return to our terrace for some more tea and pass the evening making grand plans for our future.

Bukit peninsula / Seminyak, Bali. 22-06-10.

Another drive, this time taking the scenic route via Nusa Dua to the Ula Watu Temple stopping by some interesting local shops en route. There are so many shops dedicated to religious offerings. Local women weave trays from banana/palm leaves and fill these with coloured hydrangea petals and other flowers, for locals to buy and add to with coins, biscuits, rice and incense amongst other things. These 'canang', offerings to the Gods (featured in yesterday's post), are placed outside homes and shops, in cars and at the parking points. They are also piled atop one another on statues at road intersections and at temples. Along with these, the locals take to the temple baskets of fruit, vegetables and various decorative objects as a symbolic offering before returning home with them.

At the temple, we see lots of fat monkeys, either over-gorged on visitors bananas: male, or with babies in tow. There are also spectacular views of the cliffs and waves below.

With light fading we make our way down through the Uluwatu cave to the waves below. With a new, double overhead swell Gunnar: paddles out to join the crowd. Dieny: enjoys sunset beneath the cliffs with a book and a bag of groundnuts.

We sup at quirky and delicious Ozzie spot Sea-Circus and a toast to entering our second month as a married couple.

Bukit Peninsula, Bali. 21-06-10.

This morning, we pack our bags set to relocate to the Mystique hotel. Drive south down the bukit peninsula to the infamous Surf spot Uluwatu, but small swell and crowds mean we drive north dotting the coast to look at beaches and bays. We stop for the afternoon at dreamlands. Gunnar: goes for a paddle to feel out his new board. Dieny: stretches out on a lounger and watches the local kids play in the shorebreak.

On the drive home, we stumble across a streetseller preparing pork ‘sata’. Satay is a popular roadside dish and amongst the safest to eat for visitors. The street vendors do not compare in quality, quantity of choice or in number to those in Thailand but this one is truly delicious. We arrive in Seminyak and check into our Will recommended bungalow for a relaxing evening.

Kuta/Legian/Seminyak, Bali. 20-06-10.

A great breakfast at Un’s, named Dreamland after a local surf spot. A drive around Kuta, Legian and Seminyak through heavy traffic in search of a surfboard. Two become three as we welcome a board into the traveling party. We browse in a few of the many stores that line the streets before settling for a meal back at Uns where the walls are mounted with signed photographs of dozens of pro-surfers taken during their meal here. The unusual avocado and chocolate shake is a hit.

Kuta / Seminyak, Bali. 19-06-10.

A three thirty rise for our taxi to the airport and flight to Bali Denpasar. On landing, we taxi to Kuta and the renowned surf hangout, Un's. We are lucky to get a room in this oasis of calm in the middle of the Kuta madness as it is fully booked out for the month ahead. Dieny: sleeps off the beginnings of a bug. Gunnar: Goes to meet with Will, a friend of Halla’s, resident in Bali, for a breakdown of the best way to spend our time here.

Will books us into his restaurant, Sarong for the most incredible meal and delicious cocktails. We toast Will’s wife Wati, on being out, and looking incredible, less than a week after the birth of her third child. After dinner, we join Will, Wati and some friends at the bar before heading off to Hu'u, a restaurant/bar and pool with beautiful fairy lit outdoor seating and private wicker pod.