Salamat Detang! (Welcome...to our Indonsia diary) This adventure was action packed so put your seat belt on, here is our Intrepid Indonesian adventure in brief! 31st July: Arrive in Denpasar, Bali. Taxi to Kuta, spend 4 nights. Stay at Melasti bungalows - good tv, 2 poolsair-con -lovely. Explore lively and tourist freindly town of Kuta and no thankyou we do not want 'transport', 'hair braid', 'manicure' or 'leather jacket' though asked many times. Ate at Bubba Gumps, tried local food saw the Kuta sunset, shopped -lovely jewellery and paintings! Had a massage, went to beach, went to Hard Rock Cafe- amazing. 4th Aug: Ubud, Bali Chilled for 2 days and met tour group and leader, good mix of people though all girls except tour guide Andy and trainee Yudi (Our very own Indonesian Jack Johnson!). Ubud lot quieter than Kuta, very relaxed and scenic.Visited night market for local food and out for drinks, local walks, traditional balinese show and trad food, bycicle adventure -uphill not so good!SAw lot's of rice paddies, villages and scenery, lot's of 'Hello's' friendly people! Visited Monkey forest and had traditional food. 9th Aug: Sideman, Bali. Visited Sarong making factory, walk uphill to temple overlooking hills and valley then to nearby river for lunch presented neatly in a bamboo leaf. Drive to Kedison, walk to lake nr Mount Batur (huge dorment volcano!) 10th Aug: Kedisan, Bali. Very early start -3am!! Climb Mt Batur for Sunrise, walk in line with tourches in dark accompanied by guides and water sellers, who also asisted us (thankfully) in both ascent and descent! Very Exhausting!!!! Saw sunrise, amazing views over Lombok straight (next Island) and over valley. Visiting ot relaxing hot springs by lake, lunch in restaurant overlooking volcanoe! Drive to Segara Bukit saw tradiatioanl Bali dancing and a down pour of rain! 11th Aug: Segara Bukit, Bali. Yummy banana pancakes again for breakie! Then catch a long boat out to Menjanan Island for a snorkel and a sunbathe. We spend the night in Lovina where we have a lovely room and celebrate Amelia's 30th -oops 24th Birthday, after group meal we have a jug or 2 of cocktail and head out for a dance. Amelia gets out the old dancing shoes! 12th Aug: Lovina, Bali. Amelia's 24th Birthday! Amelia wakes to piles of cards and pressies lovingly sent out and a few baloons for good measure. Hung over, wanting pampering time Amelia rest by the pool with vicky, Lorraine and the other troops plod on with local walk through coffee and clove plantations then very refreshing/chilly dip in a waterfall before a very spicy local lunch. Then head to buleleng hot springs (merky owater that makes you orange with sulphur). We return to the ladies of leisure rest and have dinner at walk to a local womans house called Ibu Wayan who has prepared a huge buffet dinner -yum and not spicy! After a wish and some traditional english birthday cake we head out for few drinkies. 13th Aug, Ubud, Bali. After breakie we head to Pura Ulan Danu temple on lake braten have goodbyes with drivers as is last leg of Bali tour. Also got to see processions of balinese kids in practice for independance day celebrations. Then shopping in fantastic bedugal market. Tired we arrive in Ubud and yet again cannot resist shopping as have heard of 1km long parade or silver shops. Vicky goes crazy witht he bartering! Then out for a farewell dinner -lovely! 14th Aug, Bali to Lombok, Kuta. Up early have nasty lunch ay ferry then extremely long smelly ferry ride over to Lombok. At port we get on our funky blue bus mobile/local transport! Then a hot ride to our hotel in Kuta (quite unlike the bali Kuta!) on route we see 3 wedding ceremonies! 15th Aug, Kuta, Lombok In morning we visit 'one of the most beautiful beaches in S.E. Asia', very nice. In afternoon we drove to a weaving village, met some locals and lots of children and saw the ladies crafting the sarongs/cloths. Had another lovely buffet lunch. Back on blue bus to Tetebatu (the centre of the island) to hotel, Ok place but had power cut in eve! 16th Aug, Tetebatu, Lombok Early morning walk around rice/crop field and past muslim mosk. Then went on horse drawn carts called cimodo's to a bamboo weaving village, had rings made for us. Then local market -vey hectic and local. In afternoon drove upto Sapit village at My Rinjani east slope, stayed in very friendly guest house, amazing vews over rice paddies. Some went on village walk, though was too tired. In eve wer'e entertained by traditional dancing and music, unfortunately had to join in! 17th Aug, Sapit, Lombok. Woken by muslim prayer calls a few times then up and out early. Independance day today so lots of parades and marches, looked fantastic, though locals we're rather entertained by us, -pointing and waving at us 'tourists'. stopped at Senaru for morning walk to singang gila waterfalls -huge and freezingly refreshing! Then travel west to long boat transfer to gili meno island, lots of people selling things and trying to carry your bags for money. Very nice island, but rained heavy soon after arrival, spent evening in sheltered beach huts drinking eating and chatting. 18th Aug, Gili meno island, lombok Group of us went on snorkelling trip, then in afternoon went exploring the island, very very hot today. Sunbathed and enjoyed the island. Inm eve had group meal then sat by the sea with a cocktail listening to our tour leader and friends with their guitars, aka Jack Johnson from Indonesia. 19th Aug, gili meno to Sengigi. Travel to Sengigi, explore large but quiet town. Have dinenr together and explore loacl night life. See a hugs poster earlier in the day advertsing a pop group, we end up goign to the bar they're playing in. Fun evening, have a few drinks and a boogie. 20th Aug, fly back to Bali, denpasar. After flight we say our fond farewells. Then Vicky, Natalie, shona and us head back into where it all began -Kuta. We check out the busier side of town and shop a bit more before we leave the next day for KL