Indonesia has been on my list for over a year and I am so glad I finally made the trip! It is definitely a destination to put on your radar. I only saw a little bit of this country, but all of the sites were incredible. I spent a little over a week and stayed in Bali and Labuan Bajo. Next trip I will stay longer and I already have a list of new places to see! My trip to Bali and Labuan Bajo was just the start to exploring this country. There are a lot of adventures in Indonesia.

Labuan Bajo

My first stop on my trip was actually Bali since there were no direct flights to Labuan Bajo from Sydney. So I flew in at night and the next day I flew from Bali to Labuan Bajo. It was an easy 6 hour flight from Sydney and a shorter 40 minute flight from Bali. However both flights to Bali and Labuan Bajo were delayed, so plan some wiggle room in your trip! I decided to head to Labuan Bajo first since I wanted to get my hiking done at the beginning of my trip and relax in Bali for the end of my trip!

I went in December, which is Indonesia’s rainy season. The weather wasn’t too bad, but I just wasn’t able to do any of the mountain or volcano hikes this trip. Once I landed in Labuan Bajo, the biggest advice I can give is not to book a tour straight from the airport! They will overcharge you. Instead, find a tour guide once you’re in town. There’s plenty to explore on the island, but I had my heart set on a Komodo tour. I decided a day would be enough, but you can also go on 2 day or more trips on a boat!

I chose a day tour with one of the local boats. My day tour started and ended with a 3 hour boat trip through so many gorgeous little islands. We hit Padar Island first, then after our hike we relaxed at Pink Beach, and finished the day at Komodo Island! We also went to Manta Point on the way back and saw manta rays.

Padar Island

This was the main inspiration for my trip. This island and landscape is incredible and the view is even more so. Now, I wasn’t really in shape during this trip but I could still make the hike up, even though I felt it the next day! Just take your time up, the stairs are steep, but the view is like nothing else I’ve ever seen. You can see a unique feature of three bays; the one on the right is a rich white, the bottom left is a black sand, and the top left is pink sand!

Pink Beach

This beach was absolutely incredible! The only other time I’ve seen a beach this beautiful was at Dry Tortugas in Florida. I could not believe how magical it was. I felt like I was in a pink paradise.

Labuan Bajo is definitely getting ready to be the next tourist destination. A huge bridge and hotel by the water were being built. Next trip I will make it out to hike Mount Kelimutu, which is on the East Side of the island. For Flores, I want to go on more than a day tour of the islands and I would like to either spend the day or night at Pirate Island! I just didn’t have enough time this trip! One thing I was surprise about was all the litter. So next trip I want to get involved in helping clean up around the island (this is a problem in Bali as well).

Bali

My return trip from Labuan Bajo back to Bali went smoothly. There was only a 30 minute delay or so for the flights (I get the sense that flight delays are common in Indonesia). I was excited to explore Bali even though I went during the rainy season. One of my guides told me that it only rains a little during the rainy season, but if you want to hike or see any of the mountains or volcanoes, it’s better to visit during the dry season. Even though I didn’t get to do any hiking, I loved my trip to Bali.

The main thing I did was a super touristy tour of Ubud. I decided to take a guided tour since this was my first visit. This way I was with someone who knows the area so they can give me suggestions on places to see and where to eat. Also, if I needed help I would have a local with me! Even if you do your own custom tour (Get Your Guide offers these), it’s easier your first trip in to suss up the area.

My day tour included popular tourist spots such as the Lempuyang Luhur Temple (the ‘Mother Temple’ of Bali), Tirtagangga Water Palace Gardens, rice fields, a Bali swing, and the Tukad Cepung Waterfall. I had such a great time. Bali is so beautiful and definitely worth all the hype it gets.

Nusa Penida

The main thing I was excited about doing in Bali was exploring Nusa Penida, Bali’s little island. If you are going on a day trip, you can choose from either the East Coast or West Coast tour. The West Coast tour is more popular as you will visit Kelingking Beach with the famous dinosaur head island.

However, I was absolutely set on touring the East side of the island. I wouldn’t take no for an answer! I visited booths near my hotel to find a place that would allow a solo traveler to go on one of these tours (usually the minimum group is 2 people). And I did not stop until I found someone who would take me to the East side. Here are the reasons why:

Thousand Island Viewpoint

This was the reason I had to go on the East Coast tour! Look at this view! It was breathtaking. This trip is an easy hike down, going back up to the parking lot is a little tougher. There are a lot of different spots you can take pictures from and they are even starting to build tree houses you can stay in!

Diamond Beach

Diamond Beach was a close second to Thousand Island Viewpoint. There is a steep walkway carved out of the rock. My tour guide and I didn’t go down, but I will definitely explore this beach next trip. Stunning.

Atuh Beach

My picture doesn’t do justice. This is the perfect place to relax. It’s a gorgeous beach with a magnificent view and beautiful waters. Most tours end here and you have a few hours downtime to spend at the beach. My tour guide wanted to take me to one more spot on the West Coast (Kelingking Beach, mentioned above), so we only stayed for lunch.

When I go back to Bali, I will do a 2 or 3 day tour of Nusa Penida so I can explore the entire island. Nusa Penida is such a gem! To get to the island on a day tour you take a fast boat, and if you get motion sickness be sure to take medicine! The trip is only 40 minutes, but it’s a little bumpy (more so on the trip back to Bali). This was definitely my favorite place that I saw in Bali. I will also be sure to be a little bit more in shape next time! The stairs are steep, but definitely worth the views.

This was such an incredible trip that I will never forget! I saw so many different landscapes, each unique and beautiful. One thing that I love is that fact that my friends who had been to Bali before were asking me how I found all of the places I did! On one of my future posts I will write about how I find places to visit and how I plan my trips. *Hint, bloggers, Pinterest and Instagram may lend a lot of help! Next trip I also want to visit the caves in Uluwatu, go to the Monkey Forest (I need someone to go with me since I’m not a huge monkey fan).

Next trip:

I’ve only just started to explore Indonesia, so I will definitely make another trip back and stay for longer next time. So far, in addition to the other spots from Bali and Labuan Bajo listed above, I also want to explore Java and visit the Borobudur Temple, Ijen, and Mount Bromo. And I want to make a trip to the Rajat Ampar Islands. What’s your favorite thing you’ve done in Indonesia that I need to add to my list?