Singapore, Gili and Bali.....2 weeks of contrast

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It was great to finally arrive in Singapore after a long stint on the night train and, after some emailing in Starbucks, I managed to arrange to meet Tom and Emma for lunch.....its amazing how difficult it is to meet up with someone when you dont have a mobile, how did people used to manage on the move? A club sandwich in the financial district was very welcome after the dodgy KFC the night before and I was soon back at their apartment enjoying my first hot shower since KL and a catch up with everyone online using their broadband.

Tom had football at the National Stadium that night so we headed to a restaurant close by for some food together before he went off to his match. It was nice to know I would be taking some time out from backpacking and enjoying some finer food for a few days, even if it meant the budget was going to take a hit.

Having been to Singapore a couple of times before I wasnt too bothered about seeing some of the sights so instead spent the next morning catching up on sleep before heading in to town to meet Tom at his tailors in order to be measured up for my morning suit for the wedding in Monaco. As a result of the 12kg I have lost since March my measurements were a bit unusual for me but at least it was one more job done and out of the way before the big day.

In the evening, I met Tom and Emma after work at Marina Bay and we headed to Marina Bay Sands for drinks. The following is from wikipedia:

"Marina Bay Sands is an integrated resort fronting Marina Bay in Singapore. Developed by Las Vegas Sands, it is billed as the world's most expensive standalone casino property at S$8 billion, including cost of the prime land. With the casino complete, the resort features a 2,561-room hotel, a 1,300,000-square-foot (120,000 m2) convention-exhibition centre, the 800,000-square-foot (74,000 m2) The shops at Marina Bay Sands mall, a museum, two large theatres, seven "celebrity chef" restaurants, two floating Crystal Pavilions, an ice skating rink, and the world's largest atrium casino with 500 tables and 1,600 slot machines. The complex is topped by a 340m-long SkyPark with a capacity of 3,900 people and a 150m infinity swimming pool, set on top of the world's largest public cantilevered platform, which overhangs the north tower by 67m. The SkyPark stretches longer than the Eiffel tower laid down or four and a half A380 Jumbo Jets, with an impressive 12,400 square meters of space." All I can say is that the building looks incredible!

Sadly, I was spotted in my flip flops by the lady on the door so we werent allowed into the swankier drinks area and had to make do with the other restaurant. This was still pretty spectacular though with stunning views from the top of the building across the city....you would hope so at £10 a pint! The sun set as we drank, giving us a view of the city in the dark as well and I made sure I got some decent photos before we headed off for a big pizza nearby.

One of the few attractions I hadnt seen before was the famous night safari, up at the top end of the island so we jumped in a cab after dinner and headed up there to check it out. The $32 entry fee provided you with a ride on the park train, taking around 45 minutes as the guide talked through the various animals we drove past in the dark....illumination was provided by weak lighting over each enclosure. There seemed to be a disproportionate amount of deer and cattle with only a few decent animals like lions and rhinos. In a couple of spots we could get off and walk round some smaller enclosures and glassed areas to see smaller animals like bats and flying squirrels. I think I would have preferred a day zoo but I am not a huge fan of zoos to begin with so my view may be a little biased.

The last full day in Singapore was the main event, part one of Tom and Emma's wedding celebrations, with the local ceremony and reception. I spent the morning helping Tom get all of the food and drink we needed for the day and then we chilled out by the pool before we had to get ready and head over to the Botanical Gardens for the lovely and simple ceremony in the bandstand, watched by just a few of their friends who live locally. After the formalities were concluded we broke out the bubbles and the food and stood round chatting in the sunshine, surrounded by the greenery of the gardens. After a couple of hours we retreated to one of tom's friends apartments for a dip before heading out again to a lovely resaurant in the city, Flutes at the Fort, for a meal together. I said a few words to warm up for my proper speech next month and we toasted with some more bubbles.

We all opted for the chef's taster menu which consisted of:

Tuna and sturgeon sushimi, something tasty i cant remember, sorbet to freshen the pallete, an amazing piece of beef tenderloin and then cheese, all paired some some great wines.

The meal was outstanding and it was a great way to round off an excellent wedding day. I cant wait for the big event in Monaco....not long now!

On the Saturday it was time to head off to Bali so we had a relaxing morning and breakfast before I headed to the airport to catch my flight. The queues for immigration were ridiculous and it was gone 9 at night by the time I arrived at the place I had booked for the night, a basic room which a far cry from the luxury of Tom and Emma's apartment complex. A guy at the 'resort' asked if I was interested in going to the Gili Islands as he could arrange for the following morning for a good price. I decided I might as well carry on and get there the next day rather than hanging around so booked a spot and hit the sack.

The journey the next morning involved about 90 minutes in his car to Padang Bai where a fast boast awaited, complete with 5 250HP outboard engines strapped to the back. The 2 hour trip to Gili Trawangan was suitably bumpy and definitely fast, the big engines powering through the Lombok Straight and thankfully getting us all to the islands in one piece. It wasnt hard to find a place to stay and I was soon on the beach enjoying the beautiful sunshine on the island. In some ways the island is similar to Koh Tao, with sandy beaches, loads of dive shops and a number of bars and restaurants. I was a little surprised just how much there was going on as I had anticipated it being a little less developed. I asked around a few dive shops to see what dives they recommended and decided I would try shark point later in the stay.

My Britishness came shining through on the first night as I cheered on Andy Murray in the mens singles final at Wimbledon from an Irish Bar. Sadly he couldnt deliver the win and matters got worse when I discovered in the morning that I had been attacked by some bed bugs, covering my arms and shoulders in bites. A new room was acquired which was much nicer for the same price and thankfully the bugs didnt make a return over the next few nights.

I spent my time on the island reading a lot on the beach and working on the tan, as well as exploring the island itself along the pathway that led all the way around its circumference. The sunsets were gorgeous and were enjoyed with a cold beer each night while lying in a bamboo sofa on the beach. The one dive I ended up doing was an absolute belter to a site called Shark Point. There was a ripping current so we did it as a drift dive, which was a first for me at dive number 85. The visibility was incredible and the dive threw up 2 good sized white tip reef sharks, both about 1.5m long, a number of hawksbill turtles, loads of bat fish and trigger fish and plenty of other stuff as well. It was probably one of my most enjoyable dives ever.

My 4 days were soon up though and it was time to head back to the bigger island of Bali, where I had been 10 years ago with Simon. At that time it was a very strange place to be, deserted just after the first bombing, when a nightclub in Kuta was blown up with the loss of around 40 lives. This time though the island was buzzing with backpackers and holiday makers. After the fast boat ride back I headed for the town of Ubud, in the South Central area of the island. The town is famed for its abundance of artists and galleries and is surrounded by stunning rice terraces and gorges, green definitely the dominant colour in the vivid rainforest landscapes.

Managed to find a gorgeous glass walled room over looking the main road for very little and then had some dinner in a restaurant with a local band singing some classic tunes as I ate. The first full day had an early start as I was picked up by a minivan to go to a gorge in the North of the island for some white water rafting. In stark contrast to my only previous experience of rafting, this was excellent, with 12km of strong rapids, sending us crashing along, into rock walls, under low bamboo bridges and branches and over a number of rocks. The river water wasnt too cold unlike the snowmelt U encountered near Edinburgh last time and the 2 hour trip was brilliant as we worked our way through the gorgeous scenery provided by the gorge. The guide, who spoke little English, was excellent and steered us down the river with no short amount of skill. The highlight came right at the end as we all held on for a 10 foot drop over a dam, shame no one got a picture of my face as we went over the edge!

After the excitement of the water, a change of pace was taken in the afternoon as I headed to one of the many spas in the town for a full body massage and coffee body scrub. The massage was excellent, while the scrub felt like being rubbed with sandpaper....hopefully it did my skin some good though!

The next day I headed off for a walk to explore the surroundings of the town and ended up doing a 5 mile loop through the stunning rice terraces, taking plenty of photos as I went. Sadly the heavens opened on many occasions and I got fairly soaked as I walked as I had left my waterproof with Tom in Singapore for this bit of the trip. It was still a top walk though and great to see some of the countryside havin not made it out of Kuta on my last visit here.

Sadly there was no time to head up one of the islands volcanoes though and the next day, after a morning spent in the town's monkey sanctuary, I headed down to Kuta to enjoy a couple of days on the beach before I head to Winter in Australia and NZ. I spent most of the time on the beach watching the locals surfing and the tourists trying their hand for the first time. The waves werent great for surfing though, especially a novice like me, so I opted instead for some body boarding in the pounding waves. Always a good laugh, I did get chewed up and spat out by some of the bigger waves which must have easily been over 10ft high. Kuta itself is not exactly stunning and is swamped with surf shops, stalls and bars. Still, I enjoyed the sunshine and the beachlife and made the most of my time there, knowing that the board shorts and beach towel will be getting packed away after I left.

After a last relaxing night out, I packed up and got an early night ready for the early flight back Singapore, leaving me with the opportunity to reflect on the last two weeks. Singapore, Bali and the Gili Islands, massively contrasting, with the huge towering skyscrapers and impressive architectural feats of Singapore, the quiet, tranquility of the Gili Islands and the adventure, surf and party atmosphere of Bali. I am sad to have done my last dive of the trip and it will be a shock to leave behind all of the gorgeous weather. It was a really enjoyable part of the trip and it has been great to spend time with Tom and Emma....next though its on to Perth and 10 days with more friends, I cant wait!

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