Trip Resumed, feels like a long time ago when trip abandoned due to Covid

At last back where we had to leave off in March 2020, even the same hotel. We were originally planning just 2 days in Bali before heading to Flores and then Raja Ampat but due to Nyepi (Silent) day we would not have been able to stock up on things we needed so had to change flights to an earlier date.

Not a problem, easy to fill the time. A day trip out to walk Campuhan Ridge was a lovely walk but a little short on birds, Elephant Cave and Monkey Forest were really interesting.

Some great views and incredible statues in the Monkey Forest

Met up with some friends from Adelaide that now live in the Gold Coast, very enjoyable time had and great to share stories.

The Ogah Ogah parade the night before Silent Day was also interesting and the paper mache models that they make just incredible. Apparently only takes one month to make (I would have guessed most of the year). Massive and very ornate.

Shops, atms, restaurants start shutting from lunch time the day before Silent Day and on the day itself, no flights, no check in or out of hotels and no leaving the hotel. People in general are supposed to be indoors and quiet. Not so the place next to us which was using an angle grinder and crashing around at 7am – it did stop though so I think they were told off.

In our hotel in the evening, all lights are turned out as per the rules and curtains must be drawn with only dim light, candles were provided. Of course some tourists were far from quite and the security guards made more noise and lots of light with torches trying to shut them up…….

Flores Island – straight to the mountains, fantastic scenery and (apart from the incredibly steep walk from restaurant to room) was a lovely place to stay.

Flight fun – our companion on this trip needed to delay a few days, off course has to happen when almost no internet, after trying and failing to contact the airlines to change the flights we approached the lodge staff. (I had to change as I had booked them). Seemed helpful, said he would contact someone, hours later he had done nothing…… He then got the boss of the group on the phone who said he would sort, but he needed information. We emailed it to the staff at the lodge to forward – took about 18 hours for him to do so. Crazy. The flights did not get sorted, seemed to be no way to cancel or change the date of one person on a booking for 3, we even went to the customer service in town once we got there, also with no luck.

As part of the flights stuff, I checked all our flights to find one said “Booking cancelled”, again could find out nothing, customer service said was OK but seemed odd. A day later 3 flights said cancelled. Thankfully once in Bali we went to customer service there which was great and she printed out the flights again and confirmed definitely OK – no idea why still on “manage booking” they say cancelled though.

While in the mountains a day trip for birding was great but we missed the lakes and waterfalls due to inclement weather.

One interesting or annoying depending on how you view things is that the wifi in the restaurant even though patchy at the best of times sometimes would not work at all. Discovered that the staff take the router away to use themselves, they do bring it back if you ask though. The last afternoon and night was seriously heavy rain and thunder so when we left the next day a few metres down the road, the road was flooded and there was a massive waterfall above and below the road, luckily it did not stop the traffic but it was destroying the road surface, just down the road from new roadworks.

Down into the main town, one night in very average hotel (not even any drinking water at breakfast) was worthwhile to suss out the boats to the islands. The other thing we found disconcerting about this hotel was that the 10 or more staff always in corridors stood to attention every time you walked by.

We were quite surprised by the number of Mosques in town as island is 80% Catholic.

Our hotel for the next 3 nights was most probably the cheapest for the quality we have had anywhere, just lovely. Huge rooms, amazing grounds, beachfront and fantastic staff. $55 per night with breakfast included.

At this point the old phone Steve brought with him decided to pack up – great timing, he had thought of bringing both but did not, luckily not hard to purchase a cheap phone in town.

Trip to Komodo includes 6 stops (if you have 4 people or more cheaper to do private trip and if it was a busier season would be will worth it). Luckily for us still only a fraction of tourists compared with pre Covid. Padar island first and a hike up the top with incredible views. Deer on the beach and spinner dolphins in the bay. One couple who were late for pick up came out with a full size suitcase? For a boat trip?. Found out later as girl changed clothes for every stop (and more) for her selfies. Crazy.

Next to Pink Beach, the snorkelling here was much better than expected, although it was a drift so hard for photography.

On to Taka Makassar a tiny sand spit, luckily only one other boat. Incredible colour water and a turtle just one meter off the shore in the clear shallow water.

Even more selfies and different attire, now 2 girls at the change of clothes for more pics lark.

Next stop Komodo Island. The dragons where huge, much bigger than expected, 2 on the beach (maybe conveniently tamed for tourists?) but a walk through the forest found a youngster and one on leaving at a far beach away from tourist area. Deer also on this island and could be good for birds if you were allowed time – need private boat and go early.

One of the things we were missing on Flores island was diet coke – none to be had anywhere, it was on menus but out of stock in supermarkets and restaurants – until Komodo island where all there is are small stalls. Stocked up on a few cans and made a stall holder very happy.

Manta Point was our next stop and after a really short time we were told to jump in – 2 or 3 Manta Rays swimming around us – amazing, they did not care about the people at all. The only thing disappointing was the way some of the tourists behaved trying to touch the Ray.

Last stop of the day was to Kanawa Island a nursery for many many fish. Again though some tourists trying to catch them (and succeeded) to take them out of the water for photos. Not surprising many places are shutting down to preserve the reef. Not hard to just look and not touch.

The water at all these stops was so clear it really was so much better than I was expecting – little rubbish too (not like the main island of Flores).

Would be great to spend some more time on Flores, lots to see and do but distances large and slow, maybe another time.

Next Raja Ampat.

BIRD & WILDLIFE IDENTIFIED:

Birds:

Asian Emerald Dove
Barred Buttonquail
Black Backed Fruit Dove
Dark Backed Imperial Pigeon
Black Faced Munia
Black Fronted Flowerpecker
Black Kite
Black Naped Fruit Dove
Black Naped Monarch
Black Naped Oriole
Blue Tailed Bee-eater
Brahminy Kite
Brown Capped Fantail
Brown Throated Sunbird
Cattle Egret
Cinereous Tit
Collared Kingfisher
Common Sandpiper
Crested Tern
Dark Backed Imperial Pigeon
Dark Crowned White Eye
Dollarbird
Eurasian Tree Sparrow
Flame Breasted Sunbird
Flores Crow
Flores Green Pigeon
Flores Hawk Eagle
Flores Minivet
Flores Monarch
Flores White Eye
Golden Rumped Flowerpecker
Green Imperial Pigeon
Helmeted Friarbird
Javan Munia
Javan Pond Heron
Java Sparrow
Large Billed Crow
Leaf Lorikeet
Lemon Bellied White Eye
Lesser Coucal
Olive Backed Sunbird
Pink Necked Green Pigeon
Red Cheeked Parrot
Ruddy Cuckoo Dove
Rusty Breasted Whistler
Sacred Kingfisher
Spotted Dove
Striated Swallow
Sunda Honeyeater
Sunda Pygmy Woodpecker
Sunda Zebra Finch
Tenggara Swiftlet
Thick Billed Flowerpecker
Yellow Spectacled White Eye
Yellow Vented Bulbul
Wallacean Cuckooshrike
Wallacean Drongo
Wallace’s Heleia
Wandering Whistling Duck
White Bellied Sea Eagle
White Browed Crake
White Rumped Kingfisher
Zitting Cisticola

Butterflies & Moths:
Chequered Swallowtail Butterfly
Common Barron Butterfly
Common Sailer Butterfly
Orange Tipped Pea Blue Butterfly

Insects
Broad Handed Carpenter Bee
Blue Banded Bee
Collared Carpenter Bee
Common Green Bottle Fly
Red Percher Dragonfly
Orb Spider
Scarlet Skimmer Dragonfly
Slender Skimmer Dragonfly

Fish
Anchor Tuskfish
Banded Goatfish
Banded Humbug
Black Back Anemonefish
Black Back Butterflyfish
Black Eye Thicklip Wrasse
Black Lip Butterflyfish
Black Patch Triggerfish
Black Spot Surgeonfish
Black Vent Damselfish
Blue Bridle Parrotfish
Cigar Wrasse
Clark’s Anemonefish
Dot & Dash Goatfish
Firetail Dottyback
Fiveband Wrasse
Flagtail Triggerfish
Foxface Rabbitfish
Greencheek Parrotfish
Hawaiian Triggerfish
Horned Bannerfish
Horseshoe Surgeonfish
Indian Redfin Butterflyfish
Jarbua Terapon
Keyhole Angelfish
Latent Slingjaw Wrasse
Masked Rabbitfish
Neon Damselfish
Neon Fusilier
Orange Lined Triggerfish
Pacific Bullethead Parrotfish
Palelipped Surgeonfish
Pink Anemonefish
Red Breasted Maori Wrasse
Sailfin Tang
Scribbled Rabbitfish
Spiny Chromis
Spiny Puller
Spot Banded Butterflyfish
Square Tail Mullet
Squid
Threespot Dascyllus
Threespot Humbug
Threestripe Whiptail
Triangular Butterflyfish
Vermiculate Angelfish
Yellowstripe Goatfish
Zigzag Wrasse

Reptiles
Boschma’s Gliding Lizard
Flat Tailed House Gecko
Komodo Dragon
Lesser Sunda Dark Throated Skink
Sun Skink
Tokay Gekko

Wildlife
Bottlenose Dolphin
Ghost Crab
Javan Rusa Deer
Javan Spotted Deer
Long Tailed Macaque
Oceanic Manta Ray
Plantain Squirrel
Spinner Dolphin

THINGS TO DO

Bali
Temples
Elephant Cave
Monkey Forest Reserve
Campuhan Ridge Walk
Artwork
Hiking
Shopping

Flores
Snorkelling (6 stop day 1.500K IDR
Diving Trips/Liveaboard
Hiking
Birdwatching at Mbelling Mountain Lodge
Volcanoes

WHERE TO STAY

Our favourite places where
Puri Naga Beachfront Cottages, Legian Bali – 500K IDR, Near beach, great grounds and large rooms
Palm Beach Resort, Kuta Bali – 300K IDR, Close to airport, restaurants and beach
Puri Sari Beach Hotel, Flores – 500K IDR, On beach, huge rooms, great grounds
Mbelling Mountain Lodge – 700K IDR, Great views and setting but steep climb to room

WHERE TO EAT

Bollywood Mazala, Kuta – not cheap but lovely food
Any busy stall that takes your fancy

COSTS

RESTAURANTS:-
Stalls 20 – 30K
Restaurants 50K plus

HOTELS:-
Backpackers from 60K
Double room from 250K

CAR HIRE with Driver:-
500 – 650 IDR per day, well worth it and the most convenient way to travel around.

ALCOHOL:-
Beer – 25K Baht upwards in a shop
Beer – 50K plus in restaurant
Coffee – 20 – 40K
Spirits – 200K for local in bottle shop

Bali & Flores, post Covid

Trip Resumed, feels like a long time ago when trip abandoned due to Covid

Birds:

THINGS TO DO

WHERE TO STAY

WHERE TO EAT

COSTS

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Trip Resumed, feels like a long time ago when trip abandoned due to Covid

Birds:

THINGS TO DO

WHERE TO STAY

WHERE TO EAT

COSTS

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