Gili Islands - Paradise on a stick

If you'd have told me i wouldn't have believed you, I guess sometimes you just have to do something to really get it.

Who would have thought we that just a short trip from Bali lay islands that boast something  for everyone, and I really mean that.

They are called the Gili Islands and there are 3 of them. Depending what you are looking for and what you like you can get it here, but before I get to that let me share some of the standout and unique points we got just by being there for a few days.

No motorized vehicles, that's right, no cars, motorcycles or scooters! What you do get instead are bicycles and pony drawn carts. Seriously, we felt we'd gone back in time before Henry Ford, I every now and then expected to see a Penny farthing and people stepping out wearing top hats and 3 piece suits. Fortunately I didn't eat any of the local "magic mushrooms" or maybe I would have :-)

No dogs... This was bizarre given Bali is riddled with them, however I was happy given it made the evenings really quiet with the sound of an odd cat.

Cobblestone roads around the island we were on, Gili T for short, the biggest of the 3. You can cycle around it in a couple of hours, we'll far less if you wanted to as it's only 7km in diameter.

Island style living and in quaint bungalows is the go here, and there are more to choose from than you can imagine. For most times during the year I'd suggest you'd just show up and find one that suits you however at the top of the peak periods I'd book ahead just in case.

Clean, white and relatively deserted beaches right around the Island gives you the feeling that you could be on any of our planets most renowned tropical Islands. It certainly does have that kind of feel, just at Bali prices. Food is sensationally fresh and with just about eve choice you can think of from exotic pizza to freshly caught crayfish to scrumptious deep-fried egg plant and sour cream dip. You name it, it's here as is half of Europe...

There is a fabulous spread of entertainment, a 24 hr bar selling magic mushroom mixes, makeshift movie house playing local copies of DVDs where you lie on pillows and chill for the evening to live music, Reggae and all night boat parties.

For the avid adventure goer there are many options, I'll do my best to go through them.

The biggest has to be snorkeling and diving as there is plenty of coral reefs just off the beach on all 3 Islands. Beautiful turtles live in this area and they were the first large animal life we saw when we ventured out with our snorkeling gear just 10 meters from the beach, it was such a gift. The marine life is great, it's not the Great Barrier however it's right up there.

For the surfing enthusiasts there are some great waves to keep you occupied every day, and a groovy Rastafarian bar aptly called Surf Bar overlooking the best spot on the main Island.

There are big game fishing charters, surfing lessons, local daily runs to the adjoining 2 other Islands and if you're lucky like we were, and there is some big sports event on like the Rugby World Cup, there are "sports bars" like the Irish pub that set up big screens for the games and supporters seem to creep out of the wood work to join you for the games.

There is a turtle conservation and rehab centre that nurtures baby turtles to a level of adult hood in order to give them a better chance of survival in these all creatures infested waters... They have their breeding and nurturing ponds out in the open for everyone to see and visit.

Something that really stood out for me was the way that even though we didn't know anyone one the Island before we got there we had made many friends by the time we left if for no other reason that we just kept bumping into them literally 2 or more times a day as the main area of the island is only a few hundred meters in length so there is almost nowhere to hide unless you really want to and in that case you pack your goodies and head over to the 2 smaller and less inhabited islands, Gili Meno or Gili Air. More about them on our next trip as we decided we were loving Gili Trawangan (Gili T) too much. Oh, what I can say is that our honeymooning couple decided to do the more secluded option to Gili Meno and loved it... They have some beautiful photos they shared with us when getting back to Vision Villas.

Getting there and coming back can be an issue as there are many providers of boats... It is really important to get onto a boat that is safe, fast and reliable. We used Gili Cat as they are literally the best operator, thanks Gili Cat for getting us there and back in super fast time.

I give it:

Off the richter scale: 6 (Just so much to do, the options are almost endless, not big extreme adventures however many exciting ones)

Value for money: 10 (for a few hundred dollars, including stay, food, bike hire, gear etc.)

Scenery: 9  (An awesome surrounding)

Cultural: 7 (We connected with many locals as there isn't much place to go so they recognise you really quickly)

Family: 10 (The best would be Gili Meno or Air however they are all brilliant for families)

To note: It takes about 2 hours on the Gili Cat to get there or back from Padangbai and 4-6 hours if you take the ferry to Lombok and catch a local ferry to Gili.

Check out our facebook page to see some of the other cool adventures we are getting up to.

The Gentle Giants of Bali

Im kinda excited about today as Roz and I am off to see the legendary Elephant Safari Park here in Bali, created by Nigel Mason and home to the largest herd of rescued Sumatra elephants in the world.

We plan to leave at 10am and the trip takes us over an hour from Vision Villas. Instantly we start driving into the facility we get a sense of what's been created here, the reception area is spectacular! We connect with a park guide and he takes us through to the main arena.

I'm kinda overwhelmed by the facilities as I can feel what this has taken to build and know a little bit about the history and the effort it took to get these animals here and out of harms way I also feel the passion and love for these creatures.

We're introduced to the Park manager and she is just as passionate about what they are doing as everyone else we meet. We get to do a few things that clearly are not on the standard program and have the most sensational experience with one of the baby elephants. I'm amazed by how smart and well trained they are, even at just a couple of years they know how to interact with us, and play too mind you.

We are then lead to an area to interact and feeding the giants, it is just extraordinary how safe I feel around them and with all the little children running around, feeding and playing with them, their trunks are so aware of whats going on and who they are interacting with. They are really intelligent and we have a ball playing with them, this is something else.

Now it's our turn to get up on our own graceful creature. Her name is Roxy, and she is stunning. The elephant guide has been here 12 years and he previously was in Sumatra for 12 years working with them, he clearly has a passion for these animals too. We go for a beautiful walk around the grounds and end up finishing in the massive bathing pool. Wow, I didn't expect to go that deep, we're just about swimming. What a magical experience, and how grateful are Roz and I to have come to this hideaway sanctuary in the heart of Bali.

This is a must see adventure, the facilities are stunning, the staff are caring and loving, and the elephants are unforgettable. We're looking forward to spending a full day here next time.

I give it:

Off the richter scale: 3 (It was exciting for me to be this close up)

Value for money: 10 ($40 access to the park)

Scenery: 9  (These facilities are world-class and are an amazing spectacle)

Cultural: 5 (We connected with many locals running the park and really got to know them)

Family: 10 (You bet ya, it would be better if they like animals)

To note: It takes about 2 hours if you are traveling from areas like Kuta to get here so you need to start early and expect to leave late. Their restaurant is fabulous so staying for the day is easy.

What else: The group also run, if not the best river rafting and mountain biking tours in Bali, you can package a full day out and get a lot of these things all done in one outing.

Check out our facebook page to see some of the other cool adventures we are getting up to.