Every traveler I meet now is obsessed with Bali due to social media and Instagram hypes. I used to be one of them, I told people when I left home, ‘I’m moving to Bali’ before I’d even landed on the island.
A huge misconception people have is that Bali is a country because they in fact don’t realise that it’s just one island out of the beautiful 17,500+ islands that make up Indonesia as a country. Yes babe, there are seventeen thousand other islands like Bali which are cheaper, quieter and sometimes more beautiful.
So despite loving the Balinese and their culture I found true paradise when I left the island shores on short boat rides to the most magnificent places lying just a stones throw away.
1/The Nusa Islands
These 3 gems were my highlight of Indonesia, from snorkelling with Manta Rays, exploring extraordinary cliffs and relaxing in perfect bays, these 3 islands will steal your heart. Nusa Penida is the largest and least developed, it’s also my favourite island on this list. There are no police, no big hotels, no traffic and plenty of drop dead beautiful spots to explore. (WATCH THE VLOG HERE)
2/ Komodo and Flores
Although I didn’t have time in my 2 months in the country to reach this unbelievable area, the islands far east are where the views get better and better.
You can either take a short flight from Bali to Flores or opt for the famous 4 day boat voyage to get you to these islands. See the komodo dragons roaming wild (don’t die please) and explore the unbelievable waters of Flores.
3/ Lombok
Lombok will shortly become the next Bali so get there now before it’s too late! When I think of lombok, my highlight was exploring the ‘secret Gilis’, 3 tiny islands that myself and some friends hired a private boat to see. They are just incredible, white sand, blue waters and beautiful snorkelling.
The large island itself has so many amazing spots like Pink Beach and Kuta Lombok which is a great base to explore from.
4/ The Gili islands
In my opinion Bali is built for surfers. Being a surf addict myself I of course appreciated the waves and coastlines the island offers but if you want to relax on the beach then many spots in Bali aren’t possible.
Canggu is famous for expats and the best cafes on the island but the main beach is black sand and rocky. Uluwatu in the south is a surfers paradise but it only has one very small beach that people can laze on and it’s always packed.
The Gili islands offer great swimming spots and wonderful sea life. There are no cars so the traffic of Bali is far far behind you and bicycles are the new mopeds, which gets entertaining after a few cocktails on part island Gili T. (Please don’t ride the horse and carriage taxis, they don’t treat the animals well.)
Gili Air was my favorite of the three islands. Open-air beach cinemas, fresh coconuts for breakfast and candlelit yoga by the sea … if that doesn’t sound like paradise, what does?!
5/Kalimantan
Did you know that Borneo (the Malaysian island) is actually half Indonesian? The other side is called Kalimantan and here you can hire a boat and see the gorgeous orangutans in their natural homes whilst floating through the magnificent rainforest.
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WOW looks incredible!! I actually had Bali on my list for this year but your post has totally changed my mind. There is soo much more beauty to explore out there. Loved your video at the end, your videography and editing skills are unreal! xx
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Chloe your comment has made my day! Thanks so much for reading and I’m glad you liked my adventures. Bali is definitely worth a visit but the surrounding islands are breathtaking. Hope you enjoy your travels! Xxx
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