Nusa Ceningan, Bali, Indonesia
After 3 days of beautiful free luxury it was down to earth again with basic cheap accommodation. As nice as the luxury is at times I almost prefer the cheaper digs…only at times though mind!
There is a certain quality of experience that you get at small, cheap family homestay’s that you don’t get at up-market luxury resorts. The family homestay up in the mountains of Java is a prime example of this. £7 a night, evening meal and breakfast with the family and very basic accommodation, but being able to spend time with the locals like this is priceless and not something you get when staying at a high-end resort. Anyway the 3 days of luxury were very welcome and few and far between. It’s been a treat but time to move on.
Nusa Ceningan is a separate island to Nusa Lembongan but I’ve always really thought of them as the same. They are close enough to be connected by a small 100 yard bridge and there feels no difference in the experience that you get from both. The locals and travelers alike flow back and forth over this bridge all day long and both islands are very small. It’s easy not to notice that you’ve moved from one to the other.
That said we decided to spend our last couple of nights of island life over on Ceningan just for a change. The place we stayed at The DaFish was a decent enough and cheap option. Ceningan is even smaller than Lembongan and where we stayed was away from the main places near the bridge and set up on a small hill further round the island. It was a beautifully quiet place to spend our last couple of days.
We got ourselves out and about a bit even though we have explored both islands several times before. There really is something special about both these islands. The first time I came here was in 2002, just over 17 years ago and they really haven’t changed that much at all. Yes there are a few more places to stay now but they are still beautifully quiet and relaxed islands. It’s a nice slice of island life that is different to say small Thai islands. Just a different feel.
Every day since we have been here has been easy going. Some nice food, lazing around reading books and finding a nice spot for sunset and a beer at the end of the day has been our main activities. I know it’s a hard life!
We have really enjoyed our 2 months in Indonesia this time. It’s the first we have had a full 2 month visa and it was great to explore somewhere new with Java while we had more time. Not so nice to be in a bike accident but you take the rough with the smooth when traveling. Our last 2 full days of island life really hit home how much we like it here and how we need to find some way to be able to make our trips to Indo and in particular Bali more sustainable.
It is a part of the world that we feel very comfortable in. Despite the heavy tourism and over crowding of certain areas in Bali we still know where to find the quiet places. Where to slip into local life and avoid the hustle and bustle of the non-stop parties of Kuta. How to live cheaply and also we now know people here who are more than happy to help us out. I have a feeling we back to Indo and Bali again before the end of this trip. It just get’s under our skin so much and feels painful when we have to leave, I guess that says it all.
With our final two days over we reluctantly caught the ferry back over to Sanur. We had one night in Sanur before flying back to Malaysia. One final night to enjoy the beautiful Balinese food and people.
With our flight at 11:35am the next morning and being about an hour away from the airport we had to be packed up the night before and up early for breakfast. That still didn’t stop us enjoying a few last Bintang’s in Bali though.
So, until next time Bali…and trust me there will always be a next time for Bali, I bid you farewell. Yet again you have been the same amazing place with amazing people that I first enjoyed 17 years ago. We will be back hopefully sooner rather than later.
