After seven months, five spent working and two spent zooming down the east coast, it was finally time to leave Australia. Next stop, Indonesia.

We were ready to get back on the road, to witness different cultures, hear unusual languages and eat unknown foods, and were also excited at seeing James' parents a year after seeing them last, in Bolivia, March 2009.

We flew in to Bali and spent the first few days adjusting to the heat, tasting the exotic foods and being in awe of the vibrant and rich culture that exists. Brian and Caroline arrived and we caught up over the year of not seeing each other, whilst relaxing in our own poolside villa for a few days with indulgences only a holiday can afford (a holiday within a holiday for James and I) - shopping, posh nosh, sun-baking and multiple massages (of which Brian had three in 24 hours!).

A few days in and for a change of scenery, we headed inland to the small town of Ubud, known in Bali as the island's cultural centre, full of art and temples. This town carries a more relaxed vibe, the like you expect from tropical Bali. Our time here was spent milling around the town, meandering alongside rice paddies and mountain biking through local villages, in an effort to soak up the culture of the Balinese.

The Balinese are a warm, friendly and inquisitive people, full of smiles and questions, young and old alike. It was very humbling riding through the countryside witnessing the village elders bent over double rapidly planting rice, knee deep in water and mud, offering us a smile and a wave as we rode past. Visiting the villages illustrates that the people are content with life, a simplistic way to live with very few riches and modest living conditions, it makes you question the western way of living - a life of abundance, convenience, demand and desire.

During our travels we'd heard of some idyllic islands off the coast of neighbouring Lombok, called the Gili Islands. So this was chosen as our next stop. Approaching the islands on the boat was pretty spectacular, paradise awaited with crystal clear seas lapping the white sandy beaches, palm trees swaying in the breeze and not a high rise hotel, motor vehicle or stray dog in sight, really refreshing. After a few hours sweating in our search for some accommodation we hit the jackpot, with a couple of beautiful villas on the beach. For four days we swam and snorkelled in the tropical waters, sunbathed and ate delicious seafood, whilst being ferried around the island by horse and cart, the only mode of transport. We felt quite fortunate to witness the islands in this state of underdevelopment, an international airport is currently being built on the main island of Lombok and so in a few years the high rise hotels, motor vehicles and inevitably mass tourism will envelop them and they will undoubtedly change dramatically.

Our days of island paradise were over and we headed back to Sanur in Bali for the final days with Brian and Caroline. As a newly engaged couple they treated us to a lovely hotel with a number of swimming pools and a private beach, what a great way to end the holiday on a high!

Three weeks in Bali disappeared quickly, owing to days on end of relaxation, Bali is the perfect place to unwind and enjoy a tropical environment. Brian and Caroline continued on their own adventure to Java while James and I boarded a plane bound for Thailand - country number 15 - the land of smiles.