By Emma Phillips, Singapore Management University, Singapore.
With exams and the first semester coming to a close, one of the main things on my mind was the fact that after spending every day with new friends from all over the world I would have to say goodbye to a large majority of them.
Here is how we spent one final week together on the most spoken about Indonesian island, Bali.
Day One
On this morning the majority of us decided to get up early and rent scooters in order to drive to Ubud for the day. We went on a big swing, visited some monkeys in the sanctuary and saw one of the many waterfalls.
At the end of the day, we headed back to the villa to chill ready for an extremely early start the next day.
Day Two
At 00:30 a couple of cars picked us up to drive to drive us to Mount Batur. This an active volcano situated about 2.5 hours from where we were staying. It is a popular hike for many tourists in Bali as you reach the top in the early hours of the morning to watch the sunrise.
Although the hike was challenging it was an exceptionally rewarding experience. Our tour guide was amazing. Not only did he do the entire hike bare foot, but he also played guitar and sang songs to keep our spirits high.
Day Three
On our final day all together lots of us decided to head to the beach. Bali is a very popular place for surfing, so with very little instruction I rented a surfboard. I swallowed half the ocean and didn’t manage to stand once, but it was a fun experience nonetheless.
In the evening we all reunited and headed to Finn’s for one final evening together. We danced, A LOT.
Day Four
After saying lots of goodbyes, myself and some others travelled to Nusa Penida. This is a small island just off Bali, famous for is beautiful beaches and cliffs.
Day Five
This was a day of exploring. We decided to rent scooters and drive to a couple of famous spots on the island.
First, we went to Kelingking Beach. This is one of the most famous locations in Nusa Penida, therefore it was slightly crowded. Nevertheless, the attraction provides one of the most beautiful views of the island’s coastline where steep cliffs meet crystal blue waters.
We then attempted to locate a natural spring but had no luck. However, this adventure did lead us to a secret gem. Yet another enchanting view of the coastline, but no tourists in sight. There were even some swings which allowed for some great photos!
The next stop was Tembeling Beach. The highlight of this was the natural pool. However, the scoot down to this beach was steep and bumpy. If you have the chance to visit, I suggest letting a local drive you down for a small fee.
Finally, we went to Broken Beach to catch the sunset. A perfect way to end the day.
Day Six
In the morning we met up with some other friends on the island for a snorkelling trip. We stopped off at various locations but the most impressive was Manta Bay. Some manta rays can have wing spans of more than five metres.
In the afternoon we went to Diamond Beach. One catch with the beaches in Nusa Penida is that there is often a steep climb to reach the bottom. This climb seemed easier than that of Kelingking so a couple of us went in the ocean.
To end the day, we all met up for dinner at Penida Colada where there was live music. It was a beautiful restaurant on the beach where you could dance and even do karaoke.
Day Seven
On the final day of the trip, myself and one other friend decided that there was still more of Ubud to explore. We went to Alas Harum in the Tegalalang rice fields where we walked around and relaxed by the pool.
My week in Bali was one I will never forget. I cannot think of a better way to celebrate our time together. Thank you for all the memories and I’ll see you over summer.