It’s time to revisit another past trip…in March 2013, I visited Bali for the first time. For many Westerners, Bali is one of those must-go, bucket list destinations, with its white sand beaches, legendary sunsets and laid-back charm attracting hordes of tourists each year. Fortunately for us in Singapore, paradise is less than three hours away by plane. With the advent of budget airlines, Bali is one of the most accessible and popular holiday destinations among Singaporeans.

For this trip, I managed to persuade my buddy to come along with me. We were fortunate enough to have nine days to spare, of which three of those days were spent at Gili Trawangan, one of the three tiny islands that make up the Gilis, located off the neighbouring Lombok. Gili T is a charming island where there are no motor vehicles, and the sunsets are perhaps even more stunning than those on Bali.

This trip was meant to be a totally relaxed and stress-free one. We did a bit of everything – chilling by the seaside and cafes, walking through rice fields, cycling on Gili T, drinking beer and feasting on local delicacies. Oh, and we also climbed Mount Batur to see the sunrise. Now, that was not exactly very relaxing, but the view was certainly very rewarding.

As the trip happened seven years ago, I shall not attempt to write long, drawn-out posts, but instead, I will let the photos and the accompanying captions do the talking. Perhaps the Bali of today no longer looks like this anymore, so treat this as a time capsule of my wonderful nine days there during March 2013. Enjoy!

DAY 1: 7 March 2013, Thursday
Singapore to Bali, transfer to Ubud

After several drinks, we headed back to our hotel at 11:30pm. And that’s the end of Day 1. More to explore in Ubud tomorrow!