Our last Southeast Asian stop was Lombok Kuta. Kelsey wanted one last beach/surf day before leaving the region. Lombok was Kelsey's surfing goal: the waves are relatively easy but more than a pure beginner. To surf in the gorgeous bays, you load up with your board on a boat & are hauled out to the breaking point; definitely a unique experience. Also very hard to put your leash on in open water.


We had less of an easy ferry transfer but ultimately sorted it out. We hadn't been screwed over on transport since probably Guatemala, so it was time. The first transfer, as told only on arrival, would be more than a two-hour wait, so we arranged a taxi. The second transfer involved a chain smoker who went through a massive puddle & sprayed Kelsey in the face with dirty street water. Fortunately, the expected sickness from ingesting puddle-water never occurred so all was well. 


Lombok had a very weird vibe of extraordinarily nice (and expensive) restaurants and shops (looking at you Rip Curl official store), but also remaining devastation by recent tsunamis & extreme poverty. Tourism always comes with an impact on the local communities; when the tourism dollars are going directly into foreigners' hands with such clear needs of the community it makes you feel like crap for contributing. Lombok Kuta could be an amazing place & we really hope it's able to reach a better balance both for the locals & for the environment. 


Listening To