Indonesia

We have been to Indonesia once so far, for two weeks in September 2025. We spend the first week in the east of Bali and near Ubud, the second on Lombok, with a trip out to the Gili Islands.

We fly from Zurich via Doha to Bali and land in Denpasar at 8 in the morning. A driver takes us to Amed in the east of the island. From there we ride the scooter to the Berina Rice Terrace, and the next morning we go up to Lahangan Sweet for sunrise, looking out at Mount Agung, the highest mountain on Bali. Afterwards we visit the Tirta Gangga water palace. Snorkelling with locals, we see sea turtles and an underwater temple.

On the drive to Ubud we stop at a coffee plantation and get to know the luwak, a civet. We stay in Tegallalang, north of Ubud, and from there visit the Monkey Forest, a stretch of forest with Hindu temples that is home to long-tailed macaques. Then a driver takes us to Padang Bai, and a fast ferry runs via Gili Trawangan to Lombok.

In Medana in West Lombok we stay in the most beautiful hotel we have ever stayed in, right on its private beach and with an infinity pool. At Nipah Beach we see baby turtles at the Turtle Sanctuary and six sea turtles while snorkelling, and at Gili Meno and Gili Air three big ones. On the way to South Lombok we visit a weaving village, and Annina tries weaving herself. The surf beach of Selong Belanak is too crowded for us, so we take a dirt track to a secluded beach, the last slippery stretch on foot. From the hill of Bukit Merese near Kuta Lombok we look down on empty beaches, and on the same day we cook Nasi Goreng in a private class.

For day trips we always rent a scooter, which we book via WhatsApp. With our suitcases a scooter is out of the question, so for the airport, the ferry port and changes of hotel we book a car with a driver. The driver to Padang Bai arrives 20 minutes late, but then overtakes every car and scooter, and we reach the ferry on time. At the secluded beach the waves are too strong for swimming. During the day it is 27 to 32 degrees, and in Ubud it rains heavily once. At Lombok airport Flightradar shows our flight to Jakarta as cancelled, but luckily the report is wrong. Via Jakarta and Bangkok we fly back to Zurich.