Flores: This Indonesian island is the gateway to Komodo National Park. You may not have heard of it, but I’m sure you have heard of Komodo with its infamous, prehistoric Dragons. Seeing Komodo Dragons was a bucket list item for me and had been for quite some time.

​Our journey along the Flores coast from Labuan Bajo into Komodo National Park was one of the best boat trips we have encountered, only Raja Ampat could rival its beauty. Whilst passing lush green, hilly islands, dolphins playfully jumped alongside our boat, teasing us with a flash of their dorsal fins in the turquoise and deep blue water. 

It felt like we were entering a special paradise, one which should be kept secret from everyone else.

But we weren’t here just to see the Komodo Dragons … we were here to dive with manta rays!

Greenpeace says “Plastic is everywhere. It’s in our oceans, eaten by our fish and even in our sea salt. Plastic has invaded our natural world”.

The world has a plastic problem. Every day on my Facebook feed I see news reports and graphics showing how devastating and far reaching the effects are. This problem is 100% caused by human activity. It is humans that have done this to our world.

Tens and thousands of animals and seabirds die each year from entanglement, ingestion and suffocation.

If fish are eating plastic particles, chemicals from the plastics remain in the fish, then we eat fish. Humans are inadvertently ingesting plastic particles in the food we eat.

The 2018 World Oceans Day Action Plan is “Preventing plastic pollution and encouraging solutions for a healthy ocean”

We have lived on the paradise island of Gili Air, Indonesia for over a year, and have seen with our own eyes how plastic has affected our oceans, and our world. 

But all is not lost. I am humbled by the dedication and commitment of islanders and organisations who are trying to make a difference. Trying ... and succeeding. They are proof that if you work together, if you make changes, if you educate (and are prepared to learn) and more sustainable methods are taught, you CAN make a difference.

If you are a cat lover, what is better than a cat café? A cat island, and that is what the Gili islands are! No dogs are allowed so cats roam free, but how do you keep a cat population from spiralling out of control? Have a cat clinic, that is how!

As an animal lover, especially cats, volunteering to help our furry friends was puuuuurfect for me. Every six months, the non-profit animal welfare project Cats of Gili run a free cat clinic to spay/neuter the islands’ felines. During our time on Gili Air, I was around for two clinics and was honoured to help.

The experience was humbling, tiring, emotional but very rewarding. There was a wonderful community spirit as volunteers gave their time, islanders donated what they could, and I was in the thick of it.

Let me share with you my experience of volunteering at a cat clinic, and show how such a small act can provide such a huge impact.

If you are planning a visit to Gili Air and looking for a home from home, Family Hideaway Gili Air is a luxury villa perfect for you.

Family Hideaway Gili Air is a new luxury house, and already a hot topic of conversation on the island. I was very excited to visit this luxury retreat, it was a shame we could only spend one night there.

We immediately felt at home and were surprised at how quickly we settled in.

But why? What was it about this 3-bedroomed luxury villa that made us feel so comfortable?

​Maybe the answer is already obvious.

The GIli Islands: ever increasing popularity, these three peanut sized islands are synonymous with paradise. There are very few sand islands in the world where no motorised vehicles are allowed, but these idyllic dots are just some of them.

But the secret is out. No longer an off the beaten track destination for those seeking a slice of heaven on earth. Who hasn’t heard of the famous three Gilis: Gili Trawangan, Gili Meno and Gili Air? 

Dotted around the coast of Lombok, there are actually 26 other GIlis. “Gili” means “small island” in the local Sasak language.

Known as “the secret Gili Islands” or “the other Gilis”, we have made it our mission to visit as many as we can! For our wedding anniversary, we decided to visit Gili Sudak and Gili Kedis. Due to the time of year, we had the island of Gili Sudak all to ourselves.
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How many places in the world have you visited where you can make that claim?

Travel and food go hand in hand. Obviously. We all need to eat, and trying new foods in different countries is part of immersing yourself into local cultures.
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We have spent a year in Indonesia and everyone says “oh I love Indonesian food”, so it only seems natural to put together this post of the must try Indonesian dishes.
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Not everyone enjoys spicy food, myself included. Sy is the opposite end of the spectrum and loves a dish so ridiculously hot, it awakens his sinuses and burns his belly. Indonesian dishes cater to both our tastes.

If you are visiting Indonesia, you must try some of these delicious Indonesian dishes. Here's a tip for you; if you are in Java, download the Eatigo App and not only will you discover Jakarta restaurant deals, but you can get up to 50% discount off your total bill!

Salamat makan (enjoy your food).

There are a few pink beaches around the world, two of which are in Indonesia.

Two pink beaches in Indonesia? Yes! The most famous is in Komodo, but we discovered another when visiting Kuta, Lombok, and decided to visit on a day trip.

Pink Beach or Tangsi Beach to quote its correct name, is located in a small village called Sekaroh, Jerowaru on Ekas Peninsuala, a remote area of Lombok’s east coast so it’s not an easy place to visit. If it’s difficult to reach, then this off-the-beaten track beach will mean we will have the place to ourselves! Who wouldn’t want to visit a largely undiscovered hidden treasure?

So is Pink Beach Lombok worth a visit? (and how is a pink beach made???)

Lombok is Bali’s larger but lesser-known neighbour. With far fewer tourists, it has many secrets and one of them is its wonderful waterfalls.

Two of the most popular are Sindang Gila and Tiu Kelep, both are stunning and a must-see. I love waterfalls, I don’t mean a small trickle of water dribbling over the side of a hill, I want plumes of white water crashing down into rivers and over rocks.
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And that is what I got when I visited Sindang Gila and Tiu Kelep.

Raja Ampat is synonymous with scuba divers for being one of the most elite places to visit. With its warm temperatures, crystal clear waters, pristine coral gardens that seem to go on forever and literally millions of fish that cloud your vision in a single dive, it’s no wonder people want to visit. Other water based activities for non-divers are snorkelling, kayaking and freediving, and lets not forget the stunning nature surrounding his archipelago.

It is, however, notoriously difficult to reach which is a good thing, after all, if paradise is to remain that way, you don’t want it to be easily accessible. It is also expensive in comparison to other Indonesian destinations due to its location in the far east of the Country, next to Papua New Guinea. Is it possible to visit Raja Ampat on a budget?

Let me help you visit this slice of heaven on earth for only a fraction of the cost.

​As you cruise through Raja Ampat Marine Park, you are surrounded by the clearest, most crystal waters imaginable. Cobolt blue gives way to translucent jades and greens, if these waters were gem stones I would definitely buy them. The clarity is second to none and at times, the surface was so smooth it looked like glass.

​Dotted around are jagged karst limestone islands, little islets covered with lush trees, some have pure white sand beaches with palm tree fringed shores and others looked like they were floating on the surface. The views are simply stunning,

Raja Ampat is one of the world’s most famous regions for amazing scuba diving, freediving and snorkelling. We had heard stories of pristine coral gardens and prolific marine life so thick it blots out the sun, and that is why we wanted to visit.

We wanted to find out for ourselves if these stories were true or largely exaggerated.
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Boy oh boy, what an experience we had!