Am I the only person who becomes so loyal to nice hotel staff that I feel like I'm breaking up with them when I have to check out and get nervous about telling them I'm leaving? Anyone with me on this one? I know it's silly, but the guys at Ilham were so nice, I felt really bad leaving. They tried to persuade me to stay but luckily I had already paid a deposit at the Exile so I held firm (I may have given in otherwise and dragged out the relationship longer). ...

Unfortunately, as with most good things, it had to come to an end (at least for a bit). After a few great days in Singapore, I left Peter in Singapore to set off on my own to Bali. To be honest, I wasn't as excited as I had been in the past for this trip. Yes, I wanted to explore a new place, but I was a bit sad to be doing so without my favorite travel companion and didn't quite feel like making new friends either. As with everything, there are pros and cons...

Honestly, up until Day 2, I was a bit disappointed in my decision to come to Gili and was tempted to turn around and head back to Nusa Lembongan since it was a bit too crowded and touristy for me. Please keep in mind that this is all relative. It's still no Cancun. When I say it was too crowded for me, you have to realize that the island is comprised of only dirt roads for horse carts and bicycles. There are NO motorized vehicles on the entire island and "d...

GILI Trawangan Island, Bali, May 17-24th The Gili Islands are 3 islands off the coast of Bali, near Lombok. "Gili" is a bit redundant as it literally means "little island," but it is so widely used that the names have stuck and are used to refer to the 3 islands off of Lombok: Gili Trawangan (the biggest), Gili Air (smallest), and Gili Meno (middle). Seeing as how I wanted to "get away" I wanted to to go to Gili Air. Unfortunately, my boat didn't go there (...

The following day, Esti and I ate breakfast together at another local spot—just a front room with plates of food already set out for you to choose buffet style. I am pleased to say that Balinese food is very vegetarian friendly! Lots of vegetables, rice, eggs, and tofu! I may be the only vegetarian who does NOT like tofu typically, but the way they cook it here is actually good! My favorite is called "tempe." After eating, we walked to the main road togethe...