The Bali Guideline Boat Trip, Why three days on a boat was the best thing we have ever done:
I have to start this post by saying this trip is the best thing we have ever done! It was worth every penny and uncomfortable moment! We have Instagram to thank for this trip, we saw @thebaliguideline was advertising a boat trip around the Komodo Islands, after seeing the unbelievable pictures we were sold so booked on. The trip started back in Denpasar airport, where we took a flight out to Labaun Bajo, as the trip starts in the harbour there.
The morning of the boat journey we were picked up by a taxi arranged by the tour company, the car was late which didn’t help with our excited nervous jitters. On arrival at the harbour, we were greeted by the crew who helped us with our bags to a small speed boat which took us to the boat we would be staying on for the next three days.
We clambered aboard and met the other people on the boat, we were surprised to see only four other people on the tour. This tour date for some reason wasn’t booked up, so luckily we blagged ourselves a private room with double bed and air con on the top deck! We had paid for a dorm room sharing with two other people but because this tour was half the size of the usual tour everyone had their own room.
STOP 1
Our first stop was Kelor Island, it was paradise. The Islands sands were beautifully clean and white and the sea was the most blue I have ever seen. Then our guide Erwin, told us we’re going to climb to the top of the hill, a steep rubbly incline with the promise of a great view seemed like a big challenge in the heat. The seven of us scrambled up the hill with the encouragement of Erwin, “Do it for Instagram!” and the view was certainly worth it. After the walk back down some took a swim in the invitingly clear sea.
STOP 2
After lunch on the boat our next stop was Komodo Island. An Island where only Komodo Dragon’s live, a few keepers live on the island to protect the Dragons too. We were taken on a tour around the Island by two tour guides each armed with a big forked stick. Komodo can be very dangerous so you have to be cautious not to get too close, their venomous bite can kill you, and as we saw they have a very strong flick in their tails. It was amazing to see the animals in their natural habitat so up close, rather than in a zoo.
STOP 3
Next we got back on the boat and stopped at East Nusa Tenggara where we parked up for sunset, and saw the most incredible sight; thousands of bats fleeing their home in the mangroves to hunt in the dark. The locals call the Bats ‘Flying Foxes’ and I can see why because of their huge ears and pointed faces.
STOP 4
Post dinner we headed for a stop to park up for the night, somewhere with less current. The crew put the anchor down in a popular spot for boats to park up, as its inland, we didn’t feel like we were on a boat it was so gentle.
We had a few Bintang’s and chilled on the top deck with the others and starred up at the stars. I’ve never seen anything like it, out at sea theres hardly any pollution, the sky was so clear we could see the milky way. I will always remember this, it was unbelievable!
STOP 1
Padar Island, at about 6 am the boat started on our journey, you will probably seen Padar on Instagram, with its unique shape created by the rocky coves and crazy blue seas it is truly a photographers paradise. The walk to the best views isn’t too hard, it’s fairly steep but there are natural steps which made it much easier, the walk in the heat is well worth it when you see the views. It’s more touristy than any of the other islands we visited, but it is expected with the scenery!
STOP 2
The Pink Beach, the sand here is made pink by the coral that gets crushed in the current wand washed up on the beach. Our tour took us to a less popular pink beach, so we were the only ones there, it was idilic. It is also a great spot to snorkel, I hadn’t done much snorkelling before and I’m not the strongest swimmer, so this was a good introduction for me. We didn’t have to swim far before the coral came alive with hundreds of tropical fish.
STOP 3
Takar Makasar; A tiny piece of sand, the shape reminds me of half a ying yang symbol, I walked from one end to the other in about 3 minutes, it is very tiny. Calum flew his drone here which made for some incredible shots! It was very busy when we arrived, but the tour boats wait around until people leave to let another group on.
STOP 4
Manta Point; we had been told before stopping here thats it is possible we may not get to see the Manta Ray, although as we got to the point it was clear we were going to see them. There was a group swimming around the boat. Here the sea was rough so we had to jump into the water and let the current take us away form the boat (two of the boat crew were out in the speed boat to make sure we were safe). Calum and I stuck together as I’m not the strongest swimmer, but within minutes we saw one coming toward us with its huge mouth open and swam right underneath us less than a meter away. They are like birds of the sea, so graceful and gentle. I still cannot believe we were able to do this!
STOP 5
Gili Lawadarat, Our last stop of the day was the amazing hilly island, its another touristy spot, as its great for watching the sun set. We walked up the hills to get to the various view points, one of the best had a tiny peak which could fit about ten people at the top. We moved to a bigger more comfortable spot, to sit and watch the sun set. On the boat trip we saw the most incredible sunsets we have ever seen, colours like we’ve never seen in the sky so bright and quick to change.
In the morning, we woke up to a very rocky boat, we had never felt a current like it on this trip, the boat swayed from side to side, but the crew reassured us this was fine. We all sat up on the top deck, where we wouldn’t get so wet, except one of the other guys on the tour, slightly more brave than us he sat on the front of the boat taking in the views. We were very lucky he was there, he shouted at us to look down and we saw dolphins swimming in front of our boat. I was so happy!
STOP 1
We stopped off at a small Island (which we cant remember the name of) to go snorkelling for an hour as it was a really good location for snorkelling and it was, the sea was so clear I didn’t swim far before I came across a surplus of tropical fish. I have no idea what any of the names of the fish were, but they were beautiful so colourful. I even saw one fish catching its breakfast of a small snake (I think! If you’re a fish expert done judge me, I’m a novice!), so so so incredible!
STOP 2
The last stop of the trip was called, Kanawa, a private island, you have to pay entry for, but with our tour it was included. There is a small cafe on the beach and trees to shade under, it was so hot that day, even the boat crew were finding it too much. I did some more snorkelling here, saw lots more amazing fish and I was very happy to see a clown fish! Calum swam out a little further and came across a dark area of sea and some large fish, he got sightly freaked out and headed back to shore, he just happened to be videoing himself at the time, which made a hilarious video.
At two o’clock we arrived back in Labaun Bajo, where the tour ended. We were very sad the boat tour had ended, it was the most incredible experience, I would highly highly recommend this tour!
FOOD
The boats chef is amazing. He made us different meals with the same ingredients for lunch and dinner, we had; rice, chicken, sea food, tofu, aubergine, a vegetable dish and a fruit platter, he used the same spices in different ways to create these dishes. They were all tasteful, and there was plenty of food for all of us! Each afternoon he made us a snack of fried banana, with cheese and chocolate sauce.Yes, cheese and chocolate, don’t knock it until you’ve tired it. It is a delight! (there’s something different about the bananas in Labaun Bajo bananas, you eat them green and they’re more tangy, so good) Breakfast was a traditional Indonesian breakfast, a rice dish along with a fruit platter, a good big meal to fuel the days.
THE STAFF
All the staff on the boat went above all expectations, we were nervous about spending 3 days on a boat, but as soon as we stepped aboard the staff made us feel at ease. The captain, didn’t speak much english, but he was so friendly and relaxed, we felt in good hands. We could tell he had been working at sea for years. The other staff were always on hand if you needed anything, they were so happy and kind. Erwin the tour guide, was always upbeat, cheering us on with “Do it for Instagram!” and clearly loves his job. He always joined in with us, sat with us at meal times and wanted to know more about us and where we came from. All the staff, had huge smiles on their faces, you can tell they all are happy to be doing what they’re doing (which is a rare thing in England)!
COSTS
The boat trip was worth every penny, we booked before setting off from England, so it seemed like a big pay out, but when we were on the boat we all agreed it was a fair price to pay, we would have even paid more if we knew what was in store. The fee includes, accommodation, food (3 meals a day) and entry cost for all the places we visited. The 8 million IDR felt like money very well spent. I want to do the trip all over again, we feel so lucky to have had this experience, see such amazing sights and meet such lovely people. To find how to book the trip, contact ‘The Bali Guide Line’ on Instagram.
We figured after the trip we would need a few days to recover and get some work done, so booked to stay 4 days in Labaun Bajo.
LA BOHEME
This is where we stayed and is such a great hostel for like minded travellers, its very boho and laid back. Breakfast is included in the form of pancakes every morning (made by the staff) or mix is available all day for you to make them yourselves in the kitchen. We stayed in our own private room with a shared bathroom which actually worked out cheaper than sleeping in a dorm room, it was £14 for the both of us. The only thing we had to slightly adjust to was that none of the toilets have toilet paper, as you cannot flush toilet paper, due to the open sewerage, so you are very much encouraged to use the bum gun or you can buy toilet paper from the hostel and use the bins. The manger (?) was also on sight a lot and made the effort to talk to her guests and check everything was okay, anything you needed she would try to help with!
Labuan Bajo is a very small place, everything you need is located on the main street; shops, restaurants, travel agents and scooter hire. There are many more tours you can do from Labaun Bajo, you can see waterfalls and rice paddy’s which will cost about half a million IDR per person, but we didn’t do any more tours, we spent lots of time chilling out and working. As it’s such a small place all the locals will say hello to you with a big smile on their face and all the children would run after us and want high fives, they were all so friendly we didn’t mind at all. Labaun Bajo was a culture shock for me as I had never seen people living in such a different way than back in Europe! It is a very religious place, predominately Muslim, so there are many Mosques in the town, therefore at most of the hostels you will be able to hear the prayer calls, the earliest will be about 4 am. We enjoyed being able to relax here without feeling the pressure that we were missing out on doing things.
