Bali Bali Bali Bali Bali

I'm a bit upset with myself... It's been in the works it all this time, yet I haven't even mentioned my plans for my January vacation!


On January... umm... 3rd? I'll be flying via Taiwan to Bali and from there, on to Gili Trawangan, a tiny island off the coast of Lombok. I'll stay there for about 10 days, but am spending a full month in Bali/Lombok.... possibly meeting up with Nina too at some point. But other than that, it's going to be a solo trip.

Gili Trawangan is an island with a population of about 600 people, no motorized vehicles, no ATMs, not even police! It's nothing but white beaches, bungalows and lots and lots of scuba diving.

See the whole reason why I am going there is to get my PADI diving certification up to Advanced Open Water (currently, even though I have done 4 scuba dives, I have not done so as a real live diver).


Today, finally, I booked in 10 nights in a bungalow on a beach with scuba lessons and dives every single day. Sound cool so far?

Hmmm... let's see what the website has to say:

...surrounded by white sand beaches and vibrant clear waters. The diving is year round and the fringing coral reefs that surround the Gilis support a phenomenal array of marine life that will captivate scuba divers of all levels....


...It’s just a short commute of about 60 metres from crisp white bed linen to clear blue water via the inclusive breakfast....

...We also provide for many inactivities such as our on-site masseur, relaxing in our hammocks, by the pool or chilling in one of our berugaks...


...This is probably the most popular site because of the sheer variety of life seen here on a single dive. Reef sharks are found basking in the canyons, cuttlefish, stingrays, tons of turtles in the shallows, and every full moon it is a favourite hang out for a school of huge bumphead parrot fish. Some large rays sometimes pass by as well as schooling trevelly....

...Apart from the tourist attractions like temples and waterfalls, and the usual beach activities like sunbathing and snorkeling, you can go fishing, horseriding, water skiing, wakeboarding, and there is a surf break to the south of the island for the experienced surfer...

Meh. I guess it will be okay for a few days....