My month-long trip to Indonesia was incredible – I did 2 weeks in Bali and 10 days in Borneo. I was anxious about being away for such a long time, but wanted to try it.

My tendonitis injury is still a problem and I wasn't feeling too optimistic about the trip. I had to make the decision to cancel the hiking tours I had chosen as they would have been too strenuous. I felt disappointed, but I was still determined to make the best of my time in Indonesia.
I arrived in Bali and spent the first 6 days alone. I love the freedom of solo travel and deep down, I know I prefer it to group travel. I stayed in a perfect hotel and spent time swimming in the pool, chatting to other visitors and greeting the long tailed macaques who were stealing food from the hotel bar. I joined day tours and hiked Mount Batur. Although the hike was challenging at times, I was able to go at my own pace and I summited the volcano.

For the rest of my time in Bali, I was part of a 10-day group tour. I was unsure about it, but knew there was more to see and experience in the un-touristy areas that I wouldn’t find on my own. A group tour is a great way to meet others with similar interests and I have made many friends from around the world by doing these trips. But on the other hand, I have had some very bad experiences of discrimination when travelling in a group. It’s always a risk. On this occasion, I was very fortunate with the tour company, our tour guide and my fellow travellers. There were 12 of us and we all got along so well. This group were supportive and compassionate with regard to my disabilities. I felt included, I was trusted and could trust others, and I did not feel like an outsider who was different to the group in any way.

Like Hanoi, Bali centre was very busy. There were a few other solo travellers in the group which seemed to make me feel more comfortable. When I arrived at the hotel and saw a woman sitting alone, I asked if she was part of the same tour, and we hit it off right away. We both had injuries, so we could relate to each other's limitations during certain activities, and we had a lot of fun and meaningful conversations throughout the trip. On a free day, we visited the Monkey Forest sanctuary together and I had several macaques jump on me. One of them bit into my water bottle and caused it to break, but I didn't hold it against them!

The group was very supportive of each other and what we wanted to do, and the tour guide made sure that everyone had the freedom to do what they liked. One time, I went swinging over the rice fields, even though the guide didn't recommend it. I had a lot of fun, but no one else joined me. When we had free time on an island, some of us from the group stuck together and helped clean the beach by picking up litter. I was astonished by how well we all got along and couldn’t have felt luckier with how wonderful everyone was.

We went to a long list of sights, including the wonderful Gitgit Waterfalls, where I got fairly wet. We went to the Gorilla Cave and quadbiked around the waterfalls which was great fun! We also visited areas like Sanur and Sabur. One day we snorkeled and came across some green turtles. One woman told me “I wish I’d had a waterproof camera to take a photo of you, I could see you were sooo happy!”
I noticed how people talk more on these kind of tours. I’m used to hiking trips, where we’re focused on a goal and don’t have time to chat, too tired to get to know one another. But trips like this one are far more social. We learnt so much about each other, over the drinks and activities we did together in our free time. We shared plenty in common, and were all so determined to enjoy ourselves to the full.
The only time I felt slightly anxious was when we were divided in a neighbourhood to stay in a guesthouse with locals. However, I made very good friends with a security dog. Shockingly, it was while I was here, feeling worlds away from home, that BBC Somerset called me to do a radio interview!

I got to climb Mount Batur again, this time with the group at 4am! Although I loved my solo hike, reaching the summit together with others felt more achievable, and celebrating and enjoying the beautiful sunrise with them was even more fulfilling.
It was tough saying goodbye to everyone after having so much fun together. It was incredible how well we all connected. It felt like we were friends and I’m hoping to keep in touch with the people in the group, but know it will be hard.

After the tour, I had a few days to myself. I went on a day tour that included water gliding, jet skiing and the banana boat. It was all incredibly fun, and I think I enjoyed jet skiing the most. It felt amazing to be doing adrenaline sports again. I also took a few solo walks around town, feeling confident and safe. However, I was also nervous in anticipation of my next destination – Borneo.
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