I was fortunate enough to travel to Indonesia for a month in September of 2014. While there, I had some of the most incredible experiences of my life, visited some of Bali’s top resorts and tried amazing local dishes. I was able to fully immerse myself in the culture, see a variety of wildlife and visit breathtaking beaches. It was dry during my visit which is typical weather for that time of year, with only 15 minutes of rain toward the end of my trip; perhaps an omen that my journey had to end sometime.
I took a pretty athletic approach to this trip, taking part in several lengthy hikes and bike rides. In total I hiked to the summit of four mountains, the most notable of which was Mount Batur in the Bali Highlands. My guide and I started at the village at the base of the active volcano after noon in order to avoid the crowds. We were truly the only people on the mountain with no one else in sight. They say that if you hike Mount Batur, you have to be prepared to throw away your shoes at the end, for they will become completely ruined by volcanic ash. This was certainly true, as there were inches of ash all the way up the mountain; it was like walking through sand. When we reached the top of the volcano, my guide surprised me with some food and a bottle of champagne. The volcano was active, and we were able to cook the dish of chicken and rice within the thermal steam vent.My guide surprised me with a fresh meal cooked over a volcanic steam vent, complete with a glass of bubbly that I sipped while watching the sun set.
Trekking back down the mountain was like skiing down volcanic ash, but we made it back safely. The afternoon and evening were incredibly memorable.
Beyond climbing several mountains, I continued my active adventure by spending hours snorkeling two of the worlds top reefs; the Menjangan Island and Lombok Island. I was lucky enough to see hundreds of colorful fish, a shipwreck and beautiful coral. I even spotted a lion fish and spied the elusive barracuda.
There was a great deal of culture to experience on my trip, and the Island of Java gave me the best taste of local life. Audley set me up with a private and exclusive guided tour of a rural village, where I was the only tourist for miles. When I arrived, I was greeted by a local family who warmly opened up their home to me and showed me their way of life. I was then brought on a bicycle tour through the rice paddies, where I witnessed the process of harvesting rice and tobacco crops. Our route eventually led us to a local elementary school, and as we were biking by we saw the children outside for recess.
We stopped to say hello and all the children abandoned their recess to greet the “Westerner.” They gave me high fives and eagerly took photographs with me.
We always recommend bringing candy or school supplies to give the students as they are so gracious and excited. That whole day was a great immersion into the culture of this tiny town.
Later on in my trip, I visited the Borneo Rainforest. I arrived on a private, brand new Klotok boat, and I spent the day exploring the rainforest and feeding orangutans at Camp Leakey—one of the most famous orangutan feeding stations. I even spotted a baby crocodile!
I spent the night on a rice barge in the middle of the rainforest, sleeping under the stars with just a mattress, a mosquito net, and the endless sounds of the howling orangutans, gibbons and grey monkeys singing me to sleep.
The stay on the boat was incredible; it was a fairly basic boat, but the crew was sure to cater to my every need, and I enjoyed relaxing and drinking a Bintang Beer while the crew pointed out the wildlife along the way.
No journey to Bali is complete without a trip to the beautiful beaches, and I was able to visit a variety of gorgeous coastlines ranging from volcanic black sand to crisp golden sand. My favorites had to be the laid back beach towns of Sanur and Jimbaran, two peaceful retreats dotted with quaint beachfront properties.
Matt specializes in travel to Southeast Asia for Audley. To read more about him and his past travels, check out his previous story, Meet Matthew Mclean.
© 2026 Audley Travel
.jpeg?auto=webp)
.jpeg?auto=webp)
.jpeg?auto=webp)
.jpeg?auto=webp)
.jpeg?auto=webp)
.jpeg?auto=webp)
.jpeg?auto=webp)
.jpeg?auto=webp)
.jpeg?auto=webp)
.jpeg?auto=webp)
.jpeg?auto=webp)
.jpeg?auto=webp)
.jpeg?auto=webp)
.jpeg?auto=webp)
.jpeg?auto=webp)
.jpeg?auto=webp)
/1x.jpeg?auto=webp)
/1x.jpeg?auto=webp)
/1x.jpeg?auto=webp)
/1x.jpeg?auto=webp)
/1x.jpeg?auto=webp)
/1x.jpeg?auto=webp)