Travel and hiking adventures
Ah, dear Oberoi Lombok, where shall I start? Perhaps with the scent of plumerias in your lush green gardens, which will stay in my memory forever? With the massage, that almost made me fall asleep 3 times in one session? Or with the picture-perfect breakfast setting? No matter where or how I start, the Oberoi Beach Resort Lombok review cannot end with anything other but a perfect 10.
Following a business trip to Singapore in September 2018, we decided to visit Lombok as a part of our belated summer vacation. With a good climate, cheap prices, and direct flights from Singapore, Lombok seemed like a perfect alternative to its overcrowded neighbor Bali. Unfortunately, less than one month before our departure, a series of destructive earthquakes happened, and we had some doubts about whether it was safe to travel to Lombok. The situation got stable a couple of days before our departure, so we decided to take a risk and go anyway. This decision turned out to be one of the best ones in my travel “career”, and it led to another Lombok visit in September 2024.
I was avoiding visiting Bali for decades, because chasing the crowds is just not my cup of tea. However, the island is known for its beautiful nature and is conveniently located near Java, which had been on my bucket list for a while. So, in September 2022 we combined a trip to Bali with the highlights of Java and thanks to the post-pandemic period we got quite lucky. In this post I will share top 10 things to do in Bali with tips and alternatives that will help you save money*. I’ll also write a few travel hacks to help you avoid crowds in popular places.
Indonesia enchanted us 4 years ago, when we were one of the few tourists in Lombok just days after the then devastating earthquake. As soon as the pandemic situation calmed down, I started planning our new trip to Indonesia. Java was on my bucket list for a while so we decided to combine a trip to East Java with vacation in Bali. In this post I will tell you about our East Java trip from Jakarta to Ijen, including a 5-day itinerary. Day by day, I will take you from Jakarta to Yogyakarta, Bromo, Ijen and finally Banjuwangi, where we took a ferry to Bali.
Bali is the most famous Indonesian island when it comes to tourism. It is full waterfalls, rice paddies, temples and affordable villas with private pools. While popular with backpackers and digital nomads, it is also a desired destination for families and honeymooners. But is Bali really worth the hype? Are there any bad things about Bali you should know before you book your “dream vacation”?
Bali is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world, hence thousands of rooms and villas are available for different budget levels. There are only 2 relevant questions you should ask yourself before you book a hotel in Bali. First, where to stay in Bali in terms of logistics, travel plans and personal preferences. And second, how much money you are willing to spend for a perfect vacation. In this post I’ll write a review of the Anvaya Beach Resort, which is located in Kuta.
After spending 4 amazing nights in Jeeva Beloam beach camp, we were excited to visit another member of “Jeeva” family in Lombok – Jeeva Santai villas in Mangsit. To be honest, I was hesitating with my reservation until the very last moment, deciding also between Qunci villas, Puri Mas resort, Katamaran hotel or Jeeva Klui villas, but my gut told me to go with Jeeva Santai. After the terrible Lombok earthquake some of these resorts were badly damaged, however Jeeva Santai villas managed to stay intact and safe. So once again I got a confirmation that I have to listen to my inner voice more often 😊 I pre-booked the villa online and you can get 15€ off your next booking […]
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