2013 Indonesia, Lombok, Kuta, Ancove

On the way to Sumbalu from Mataram, Elly's plan was to take us down to Kuta beach and An Cove. It was probably around 10 am by the time we left, and we were soon at the summit where we stopped and enjoyed some photos with a group of wild monkeys, much smaller than the ones we'd seen in Ubud, and much less aggressive.
After quite a long drive we found ourselves passing the new international airport and fairly soon into An Cove, which was a beautiful spot, pretty much unspoilt and popular with a fair number of surfing fraternity. 



We found a nice shade tree and picnicked on some at the night before's leftovers and other bits picked up on the way. We went in for a swim and attracted a lot of attention from a large group of local Muslim girls on a school trip who did their best to start some sort of conversation.
At one point we got completely mobbed as the all ran in and I ended up with a couple of them hanging off me in desperation as they'd gone beyond their depth. Combined with the undertow it was a bit of a struggle but I managed to get them in where they could stand up, and they were very apologetic.
Interesting experience, mobbed to a dozen or more teenage girls, fully dressed, including hijab, in the Indonesian ocean!

Apart from that we spent time swimming with the girls and Elly's son, while she stayed on the beach with her friends and uncle.
We got out once the little stingers got a bit much. Not sure if it was sea lice, or these little fluffy brown balls, but it's similar to a small ant bite, so not so much painful as a bit irritating.
Drying off, we watched the local wild dogs scrapping, often viciously, as they competed for an scraps of food. Most looked very wormy and half starved.
Aside from that it was sad to see rubbish strewn everywhere. Indonesians tend to just drop it wherever that have finished something.
We packed up and left to head toward Kuta, along the unbelievably pot holed road, across the half broken and unmarked bridge to the main road.


Kuta wasn't really what I expected.
It seemed like a very small settlement, not very prosperous with quite a lot of young children hawking their handmade bangles and bracelets very persistently.
We only stayed briefly, looking at people probably 1 km out in the sea where it stayed very shallow out to the reef.
We could see big rollers further out bursting spectacularly over the rocks on the headlands, belying the nature of the surfing attraction there.
Apart from that I couldn't see a reason to stay there.
We headed to Sumbalu and after a meal and conversation we all went to sleep quite early.