So after many hours and many cans of Fanta, we arrived at the Lombok port of Bansal, waiting for our final short boat crossing and trying to find a bin for some Oreos wrappers collected over the journey....

We new we were close as the offers for excursions to the moon, magic mushrooms and marijuana could be heard from all angles. We hoped we weren't about to re-experience Kho Phi Phi......

The local "t-total" crackhead called Lunar who only sang when he spoke, didnt massively curb our concerns.... Still, he looked happy, and if you can beat them, join them may have to be the tactics we adopt..

Luckily, as the boat approached the third and final island, as the sunset in the West over our home for the next few days, our fears were removed and we were filled with admiration for the beautifully clear aqua water and stunning beaches met by the light forest of the inland areas. Horse drawn carriages was the only means of transport and the island was just full of a few restaurants spotted around on the beach front and a few local bars selling some of the most stunning seafood and coldest Bintang we have ever seen.

The island truly felt exclusive still. If you closed your ears to the odd American and Posh boy Brit, the illusion of being deserted on your own island is still very much alive.

We met a really nice Ozzie girl who we linked up with and found somewhere cheap(ish) and clean(ish) to stay for the next 4 nights.

The Gili experience was full of long walks, games of black jack and getting to know the two Ozzie girls we met along the way..

We all took a boat over to Gili Air for the day, which is the smallest and quietest of the three islands.. even though it has the highes population of locals (around 2,000) the island is the closest to empty as ive ever seen. It was evenmore beautiful and untouched and had a real charm (and wind) around it.

We spent the day mainly eating and drinking (can you see the theme yet), while getting sand blown in our faces while on the beach. The boat journey back was very choppy and returning home to Trawangan felt good.

We drank Sangria, we laughed a lot, we ate some of the nicest food we have both had since arriving and topped it all of with some decent sunbathing days.

All in all, it felt like a little mini holiday within our big year long adventure.

We had our first experience of early moonsoon rain on our last day, an hour of mental carnage rain, then back to 40c, blue skies and ice cream.

Katie found a new love - coconut icecream.

Im waiting to find Oreo icecream.

We just headed back to Lombok, hoping to travel to Kalimantan (Indonesian Borneo), but just found out it takes 3 days in total. So we are just currently trying to work out Plan B, probably spend some more time exploring Lombok, then finding a cheap flight from KL to the Malaysian Borneo instead, which we will go to in a few months.

So, now to sign off, say goodbye and plan what will come for us tomorrow.....

Just to rub it in, people at home started the school term yesterday...

Peace and Flip Flops

Nic and Katie xxx