Nusa Lembongan

Having not heard much about this island apart from the fact it's meant to be beautiful, I couldn't wait to explore what it had to offer.

My first impressions when I got there that it was far less touristy than the hustle and bustle of mainland Bali. This aspect of the island I really grew to love as I felt as though I wasn't just following the crowd. I met up with Pernilla again after her quick trip to Singapore and we checked into our hostel and met our other room mate Joe who ended up spending our duration of our island time together. Esme, a girl who I had met on my Mount Batur hike, and instantly got on with was also meeting us on the island.

The first evening was predominantly a wild goose chase in search of an ATM with the whole island having only 2, the first one having run out of cash which sent us in to panic mode for a brief moment. Eventually we found one and then stumbled upon the beach it was near, known as Mushroom Bay, and sat down to watch the sunset.

An early rise was in order for the snorkelling trip planned that day. Having gathered a little group of us made up of Pernilla, Esme, Joe and myself it turned out to be an unforgettable day with some amazing sea life. To this day it is still the best under water life I have seen.

During the trip we stopped off at 3 sights and the coral was stunning as well as all the fish. The first snorkel stop we even saw a manta ray which was incredible! We followed it round for about 30 minutes until it wondered off and we couldn't keep up with it. The animal was so majestic and one of my highlights of my time in Bali. The next location was Crystal Bay and It certainly lives up to that name. The water was so clear I was in disbelief. Below the surface was even more breathtaking. The coral and fish were all colours imaginable and created the most vibrant environment the swim in.

The last area was just as beautiful as Crystal Bay, however we were getting exhausted having been out for 3 hours so we decided to call it a day and return back to land for a big lunch. After filling ourselves up we found a spot that was in a prime location for sunset and sat to watch the sun go down, a beer in hand.

Our last day in Nusa Lembongan was spent at one of the better known beaches known as Dream Beach. Another area that lived up to its name as it was certainly a dreamy day. The water was so beautifully blue and was a lovely place to just relax in the sun. We had dinner overlooking the whole beach before returning back to the hostel for a few beers and game of cards.

The next day it was time to say good bye to the island we had enjoyed so much as well as saying farewell to Joe and our other roommate Mason who we had spent the previous night with.Read more