Bali, Rote, Komodo … Sand, surf and wildlife on repeat

The rest of our time in Indonesia was spent exploring islands, surfing, snorkeling, swimming, and seeing more wildlife. The wildlife in this country was the big draw for me when I initially suggested we come here. We were not disappointed, and everything else was like icing on the cake. I have to acknowledge that Indonesia isn’t the easiest country to travel in; we did have to push our boundaries a bit in terms of daily comfort. The roads aren’t in great shape in many places, there are lots of bugs and critters (especially at night), farm animals roam the streets and there is a lot of litter, including on many of the beaches. Plus, it can be hard to escape the heat. Still, the people we met were all extremely friendly and kind, we ate some delicious food, took in the most incredible views and swam on the most spectacular beaches. We visited remote places where we were all on our own. All this made up for the minor discomforts.

The kids went from jumping off rocks to jumping off boats, their surfing skills improved and their skin turned a shade of brown I have never seen before. I’ll try to summarize the three weeks (or so) we spent island hopping in one of the world’s most beautiful countries.

We spent two nights on a boat exploring several islands off Laban Bajo, including the famous and unique Komodo Island. There were 10 other guests on the boat (from France, the UK and Hungary), along with a chef, captain, photographer and several other crew members.

We are our meals all together on the deck of the boat.

We spent our days snorkeling and visiting the islands.

We saw tons of beautiful fish, turtles, stingrays and baby sharks (do do do do do 🎵).

The boat itself was so fun and entertaining.

We woke up early one morning (4:45 am) for a hike to see the sunrise. The kids were not happy about it and still remind us, but it was worth it.

And we walked around Komodo Island and saw Komodo dragons, including a baby. This is not the baby (it scurried off to quickly to get a pic).

After the boat trip,we took a flight and a ferry to Rote (pronounced Rotay or Rotee if you’re Aussie), where we stayed in two different places — an Airbnb in Nemberala and a cliff top resort in Boa. Rote is a lesser known island and was described to us as what Bali was like 30 years ago. It’s not very developed, but there is a significant expat population and a lot of tourism amenities. It’s a surf town and has a real laid back feel.

Both places we stayed in were beautiful and gave off lovely island vibes. They were also partially open to the outside and therefore a bit buggy and loud, especially during nighttime thunderstorms (of which there were several). We slept under mosquito nets, showered with cold water, and used small fans to keep cool at night (not very effective with mosquito nets but better than nothing). But we could also hear the waves crashing outside our bedroom and we were treated to the most breathtaking views and sunsets.

It’s the kind of place where the power and internet go out intermittently and it’s hard to find simple things like milk at the grocery store. On the flip side, it’s extremely safe — people leave their belongings out in plain view — and we felt welcome and relaxed. It was gorgeous.

Looking out from the entrance of our Airbnb:

Homeschool inside/outside:

In Nemberala we took surf lessons from a group of young, friendly instructors, who cheered us on and helped us advance to the next stage of surfing : we used hard boards and surfed bigger waves off shore in deeper water.

They were so enthusiastic and excited to see the kids progress.

Jon and I also made progress.

We were sad to say goodbye to our instructors.

We didn’t rent motorbikes like most tourists, so we walked several kilometres every day in the hot sun to get to the beach, restaurants, grocery store (which had a very limited supply of food) and the market (which was once a week). On the walks we met the locals and watched the cows and goats graze alongside us.

We also went on a boat trip to go snorkeling, which turned into an impromptu fishing trip.

The boat guys use fishing lines, bait and hooks (no rods). Somehow it’s very effective.

We also celebrated Jon’s birthday in Rote, thanks to a secret trip to a local bakery that made us a chocolate cake.

We left Rote with very mixed emotions.

Our time in Indonesia was bookended by two trips to Bali. At the start, we stayed in Sanur, on the east coast, where the waters are calm and we could walk the promenade along the beach for several kilometres. The kids discovered a turtle sanctuary and we settled into island life.

At the end of the trip, we stayed in Kuta, on the west side, which is very touristy and known for its surf. It was really nice to return to civilization, including warm showers and fewer bugs.

But Kuta was crowded and busy. The streets are jammed with cars and motorbikes and the beach was also really busy with surfers. It was also full of garbage, which is so sad. I picked up as much as I could but it felt like an exercise in futility. It made us appreciate the tranquility of Rote despite the inconveniences and discomforts. I think we learned in Indonesia that sometimes it’s worth it to go off the beaten path and to allow yourself to be a bit uncomfortable in order to experience something truly unique.