After spending a day in Padangbai trying to get away from the very persistent hawkers (we finally caught a water taxi to an almost deserted beach but still ended up buying 2 silver rings one of which has turned Steve's finger green), we woke early to catch the public ferry over to Lombok. I think all of the tourists escaped to the upper deck to get away from the people selling watches and sunglasses - it seems you can either burn to a crisp in the blazing sun or...

With our morning of trekking up Gunung Batur behind us we headed back to the east coast to the tiny village of Amed. It is very quiet here with just one road straight in and out and doesn't see that many visitors. It is a pretty place with lots of coloured fishing boats moored up on the beach and the almost obligatory white sand and the bluest of seas. The main draw is the diving although it is a great place to just sit and do very little. We found a lovely ...

We left the comfort of our bed in Ubud to get picked up at 2am in order for us to travel to the bottom of Gunung Batur by car, and then to trek to the crater rim for sunrise.....I think we are probably nuts but it is a must do apparently?!! Gunung Batur is one of Bali's most famous volcanoes and supposedly inactive (we hope). There are lots of other volcanoes around the area but some are too high or too risky to climb. So, with torches in hand and a trusty ...

After our brief stay in Kuta we hopped in the bus to travel inland to Ubud. It was such a refreshing change even though the cries of "hello, you need transport" echoed from every doorway it was a much more relaxed and enjoyable atmosphere. You could probably describe Ubud as a bit of a haven for hippies, art lovers, yoga junkies and those who love the great outdoors. It is a very cool place made up of lots of intertwining streets and allies with lots of art an...

We left the luxuries and modernity of Singapore to fly into Indonesia, our first stop being Bali. As we landed late at night we found ourselves staying in Kuta which we had wanted to avoid for fear of it being another Phuket situation. As morning dawned our instincts were right - Steve was mobbed by desperate traders and dragged into various shops to look at a wide array of tourist tat. It is low season here so there is an air of desparation as people try to m...