Lombok, Indonesia
In August 2023, I spent a week in Lombok and it was pure raw-island energy: an overnight hike at Pergasingan Hill with cool ~14 °C nights, unreal sunset views and a very humbling sleep under the stars, followed by waterfall hikes at Tiu Kelep Waterfall, a visit to a bat cave, time at a dramatic black sand beach, a proper “oh wow” moment experiencing a real earthquake, and rounding it off with a hands-on cooking class plus snorkeling—rugged, grounding, slightly chaotic, but incredibly memorable.