Category: travel

Cycling – Targoviste to Brasov

And over some hills. Not quite cycling though mountains at this stage but the morning consisted of a long steady incline into the Transalvani range of Romania.

Mountain view - all downhill from here
Mountain view – all downhill from here

Pretty picturesque stuff but not before I visited Targoviste main tourist attraction.

Wallachia

Pre foundation of the Romanian state, this geographical area used to exist under the name Wallachia which basically spread upwards of the Transalvania mountains.

It was destroyed by the Byzantines and Romania as a self governing entity was born in 1881 when the Ottomans were expelled in the Russia Ottoman war.

Targoviste is home to the palace that used to house the ruling family of Wallachia. So, historically, a fairly important place. Before I got going in the morning, I took a look around…

The Royal Court of Târgoviște - Orthodox church
The Royal Court of Târgoviște – Orthodox church
The Royal Court of Târgoviște - view of the citadel
Dignatary - The Royal Court of Târgoviște
Dignatary – The Royal Court of Târgoviște
Dracula - The Royal Court of Târgoviște
Dracula – The Royal Court of Târgoviște

A lot of the displays were in English. No doubt I could have spent longer if I wanted to.

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Cycling – Bucharest → Targoviste

Most of it through arable, flat farmland. At least to start with.

The weather here is hot. 30deg plus. Sunshine all day.

Did just over 70 miles.

By the end of the day, things had got more hilly and the open fields had transformed into dense woodlands.

I guess this is where the bears live. I’d been warned about the dogs, not so much the bears. When I went in the bike shop on the first day. Guy said dogs are much more dangerous but if you stick to the roads, you should be ok.

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First day in Bucharest

Think I got off the train here for a cigarette en-route to Amsterdam. Many years ago. Obviously, that doesn’t count as having visited a country.

Having met so many Romanians through work, it’s long summer and the fact that I originally planned to come here before I got made redundant have meant that I ‘stuck to my original plan’ and came here anyway.

Cycling

I brought my bike, with Wizz air this time.

It arrived with only a minor injury, the front brake disk has warped. This can happen very easily just a hefty weight for a couple of hours will warp the disk. It’s happened before whilst moving the boat around. Luckily, disks are easy to pick up. Got one today for £5.50 from the bike shop. Took 5 minutes to put on.

The bike is ready to roll!

Cost £161 with the bike from Luton if anyone is interested.

Looking around Bucharest

I haven’t yet. :)

Went out last night and got picked up by a working girl who took me around all the Gogo bars in town. Or at least it seemed that way. Prices are high. Having been to Thailand, a fact I didn’t mention to the girls, it really seemed like they were wasting their time. It was fun though. I did buy my companion a few drinks and by the time we finished off, I was pretty wasted.

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Rinjani 3-day trek from Sanaru

A hiking trip for Mount Rinjani in Lombok

This guide is based on a trip I made I made this trip 24th – 27th June (2025).

Rinjani is a semi-active volcano on the Island of Lombok. At 3,729m it’s the highest peak, and towers over the rest of the island on days when it is visible.

A view of the summit obscured by cloud.
A view of the summit obscured by cloud.

There’s a 2 day or a 3 day trek option. With Rinjani 2 day trek option, you spend one night on a lower ridge see the crater lake and the active volcano, then begin your descent back to Senaru in the morning.

With the 3 day trek, you see the crater lake, active volcano, walk down to the lake and hot springs. On the second night, you will walk and camp on a higher altitude ridge at 2,800m. At 2/3am on day 3, your guide will take you and a thousand other visitors up to the summit of Rinjani ,3927m, for Rinjani summit sunrise which is quite spectacular, if you make it up! Believe me, not everyone does.

I can’t think of any reason why you would do the 2 day trek. The 3 day is much harder, but it’s so much more rewarding. 2 days is like eating half an ice-cream then having it whipped out of your mouth as you’re about to take a mouthful.

The prices I’m giving here and all the experience are from the 3 day trek from SENARU. I booked it in Bang Sal, Lombok with my homestay owner.

If you want to, you can book online.

Rinjani trek price

Prices to climb Rinjani
Prices to climb Rinjani

I paid 2,678,000rp (including card fee). This was for the 3 day, 2 night trip going to the summit and crater lake from Senaru. I believe the opening price was above 3 million. Over the course of my travels, I bartered it down to this level. The company I booked with was called ‘Go Rinjani’. Go Rinjani is one of the main tour organisers for Rijani trips.

I didn’t book it directly with the tour company, I did it with one of my homestays. The owner gave me a better price than anyone else was offering.

The price in UK pounds was £127. That includes meals for the 3 days you will be hiking. Breakfast on day one to lunch on day three. You get a tour guide; he will speak English or other languages, (you must check), will talk to you about the hike and deal with any problems or questions. You get one night’s accommodation in a homestay in Senaru and two nights accommodation on the mountain. This is in two man tents. As I was a solo traveller, I got a tent to myself. You also get a sleeping bag. You may be able to hire essential kit, like boots or a jacket from your tour company. You should check with them if you require these items.

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Kuta Beach – Lombok

Kuta Beach

Kuta Beach runs a close second to Gili Trawangan as a party, nightlife and general place to be.

Gemini says – “Kuta has evolved from a sleepy fishing village into a burgeoning tourist hub. For centuries, it was a quiet enclave shaped by the indigenous Sasak people, largely off the radar. However, following Bali’s rise as a global hotspot, Kuta began its gradual emergence, now becoming the main focus of tourism development on the island.

Surfers, from beginners to pros, flock here for the consistent waves, with numerous surf schools and rental shops and a general ‘surf’ vibe around town. Also, the proximity to 4 different surf spots within half an hour drive on the scooter makes.

So far Kuta has managed to retain much of its original charm. Visitors can explore nearby traditional Sasak villages to glimpse into local culture, enjoy fresh seafood at beachside warungs, and unwind in a setting that feels reminiscent of Bali decades ago. This blend of natural allure, active pursuits, and cultural immersion is precisely what draws a growing number of travelers to Kuta Beach Lombok.“

I’ve editing it slightly, but that’s a basic and fairly accurate description of the main Kuta Beach area.

Sasak Village

Sasak village

I went here one afternoon on the scooter after having visited the beach.

You don’t have to pay a specific entry fee, but they do ask for a ‘donation’. For that, depending on what time you arrive, you can get to watch a performance such as the one below, where the participants dress up in authentic gear and fight with authentic wooden swords!

After a few warm up fights, they got into it and really started whacking each other!

There was a winner and the crowd were encouraged to join in.

I managed to sit in on this display. Afterwards you can visit the many shops selling wares at different levels of authenticity.

I bought some coffee. It came from the hills beyond the village, (maybe). There was a lot more textiles and metal, pottery etc they were actually producing in situ.

Prices were variable depending on how hard you wanted to bargain and how much you wanted the item.

Tajuun Aan Beach

I also went to one of the beaches, the most popular one in the Kuta region, it’s called Tajuun Aan beach. It was really clean. The sea was warm. There were plenty of places to grab a drink or some food and relax on a sunlounger or beanbag. If you didn’t want to pay, you could just put your beach towel down on the beach, and there were plenty of people just doing that.

Tajuun Aan beach - Lombok
Tajuun Aan beach – Lombok

Tajuun Aan also has fairly good surf and there were many learners out in the waves practising their moves.

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