Day 272: Three Weeks in Bali Complete! — Off to New Parts of Indonesia

Getaway day, departing from Villa Idanna this morning. After three weeks in Bali we’re headed east to the Island of Flores. 

We said goodbye to Nengah and Wayan and headed to the airport at around 10:30.

Margaret and I were both a little nervous about this flight. It was a small-ish prop plane and operated by Wings Air which has had a less than stellar safety record. And ever since that Cambodia flight a few weeks back, Margaret is officially terrified of flying. Not a great fear to develop when staring down three months of travel. 

But of course we survived. 

There was barely even a bump during the 90 minute flight and the views were stunning. We got a heads up from Pedro our Indo / Australia travel agent to sit on the right side window. So glad we did. 

We were met at the airport by Marino, a friend of Pedro and our guide / buddy for the next 10 days in Flores. 

The Bayview Gardens Hotel is only five minutes from the airport. We have two neighboring rooms built into a hillside with balconies facing the harbor and Flores Sea. A simple spot that’s clean and welcoming. 

Upon arrival we were treated to a ridiculous sunset — Top 5 of the year which is really saying something. Electric orange sunset as two different minaret towers signaled the call to prayer (we’re in Catholic/Muslim land now…left Hinduism behind in Bali). 

Pedro set up a dinner at 6:30 with Graham, the Kiwi owner of our hotel. We went to The Happy Banana for sushi, ramen and great stories from Graham. We loved the vibe of this place. 

We’ve built up some travel toughness this year but I’m not ashamed to admit that I was looking forward to a comfy sleep in an air conditioned room after four sweaty nights at Villa Idanna. 

The rooms weren’t connected so once again I shared a room with James — this time we were in twin beds. No complaints!