Bye Bye Bali – Photo Bomb #2

Bye bye Bali! *sniff*

Thank you for waiting until we left you before letting Mount Agung fully erupt and close down all air traffic for travelers.

That was really big of you.

Despite erupting volcanoes and rainy days (due to the rain season) towards the end of the chapter, Bali was a great way to begin this digital nomad experience.

Not just because the weather is always warm and the cost of living is cheap; more so, because the digital nomad community in Bali is so large and well developed.

Bali shows first-time digital nomads like me the remote-working ropes while at the same time building confidence (you really do got this!) by being so inherently digital-nomad-friendly.

I can definitely recommend this Indonesian isle to any other first-time digital nomads, just for the perfect remote work environment alone.

But also, of course, because Bali as a destination is Just. That. Amazing.

A statement proven to us on our numerous trips around the island. There is so much to do here, so many places to see, so much adventure to be had…

Here’s (another) recap of all the cool things we did and saw.

Water, Water, Water

Bali, as previously mentioned, is an island. But it’s not only surrounded by water. There’s also quite a bit of H2O actually on the island.

Perfect for a “Wasserratte” (German for water rat, i. e. someone who luuuuuurves water) like me. 🙂

Rafting

I got my first taste of the abundance of aqua when we went rafting on my very first weekend in Bali with the Tribe.

So. Much. Fun.

Waterfalls

Yep, we got to splash around in the pool at the bottom of a waterfall on our weekend camping trip with The Getaway Camp (awesome trip, by the way! If you’re ever on Bali and want to explore more of what the island has to offer inland, look them up!).

And this water was heavenly cool! Most “swimmable” water in and around Bali has the temperature of bath water. It’s not super refreshing. The water from these falls was actually fairly cold. Wonderful!

Yes, that’s a snake! A dead one, but as you can see, Luis did fish it right out of that pool…

Snorkeling

We went snorkeling first on Lembongan Island, where we saw a manta ray, and a second time on the Gili Islands, which is turtle territory and where we saw several turtles.

I really need to buy a waterproof action camera for such occasions…

Beaching and Boating

Beach walks, canoeing, and riding on speed boats between the different islands surrounding Bali…

With the sun in my face, the wind in my hair, and awesome company…

Exactly my type of fun.

Camping, Partying and Singing In The Rain

Yes, we also got wet from above. But that didn’t slow us down one bit. 😀

Authentic Local Flavor

The awesome people from The Getaway Camp also took us for an authentic experience of Balinese life.

Thank you for allowing us into your home and for letting us ogle your rooms, admire your pets and livestock, and eat your amazing food!

Jungle Hiking

Temples and spiders and leeches, oh my!

Yes. Leeches. If, like me, you thought they lived in swampy mud, think again. They sit on the bark of trees, waiting for warmblooded beings to pass or brush by. I managed to stay leech-free, but not everybody was that lucky. There were a couple of bloody ankles and toes by the end of the hike.

Apparently, despite glomping onto their unsuspecting victims from above, leeches do prefer to attach themselves to people’s feet and ankles…

Despite these bloodsucking, hermaphroditic worms, Bali jungles are a wonderful experience with their dense flora, intriguing fauna, and hidden temples.

Gili Islands

We spent our last Bali-weekend in Paradise. Literally!

Bali’s beaches, while wonderfully sandy, are lava-black rather than white, making them less of a honeymoon destination than you might assume.

Unless you head to the Gili Islands, located off the coast of Bali’s island-neighbor, Lombok. Turquoise water, white sandy beaches, reefs with beautiful tropical fish and turtles…

I’ll just let the photos do the rest of the talking:

 

Bye bye Bali

Thank you to WiFi Tribe for making this the most amazing first chapter I could have hoped for!

Thanks also to WiFi Tribe/Julia Kallweit, Dan Sloan, Katherine Anderson, Morla Angelina and Andrea Ottolina for contributing your photos to this blog post! 😀

And thank you Bali, for being… well, Bali.

We sure are going to miss you.