Gili Trawangan – 
We have a rich breakfast today – omelette with mushrooms and the leftover croissants from yesterday – and them I’m off for diving with Manta Dive. My last scuba dive on the Gilis… The diving spot today matches the name of the diving base: “Manta Point”. Unfortunately, it is not exactly the season to see Mantas, but we can spot some Whitetip Sharks. At the end of the dive I know for sure that I will miss the Gilis.
Our time here was running way too fast. Too bad. Back in the bungalow, we pack our things and have a snack at Manta Dive. The sandwiches are delicious as usual.
We have booked the “Partyboat”-Watertaxi again, but there is not enough room on the upper deck this time, so we get us some seats on the lower one. Less rocking here and it is a lot more quiet and dry, so you can have a little nap. We have a short stop on Lombok, and some time to strech our legs. Lombok is supposed to be what Bali was about 10 years ago: A relatively pristine, not too touristy paradise. It doesn’t seem that way at the harbor we have anchored, having a shipyard and a sawmill nearby, but I will someday revisit Lombok. Won’t be the last time I travel to Indonesia.
Padang Bai –
Late in the evening we reach Padang Bai. Though we were told that there are also transfers to Tulamben, the organizers have just some shuttles to Kuta to offer – and we are quite a lot of people. Great. It gets “sardine can”-cozy as we have to sqeeze ourselves into the – as usually – small Subarus.
Kuta –
The guy at the steering wheel is driving like a madman. I am really amazed that nothing happened yet. Although everyone in the car seems absolutely beaten, nobody is able to take a nap, since “Speedracer” prefers to flash his lights at other cars, hit the horn and try quite risky overtaking maneuvers. I decide to look for a hotel via Agoda so we won’t have to waste our time with that after our arrival. The Dakuta hotel and its pool looks really inviting – and although the stomach is already growling, I’m rather looking forward to have a saltwater-free shower than dinner. Since it is already quite late, we decide to have dinner at the hotel and look for diving in Tulamben and paragliding tours while eating.
