Today was our day off. A chance to offload some of the dissolved nitrogen gas in our bodies from all our diving, and so minimise our risk of decompression illness. And a chance for us to refresh and recharge.

Today our plan was to explore Labuan Bajo, and hunt for some traditional souvenirs and traditional cuisine.

There are many souvenir shops in Labuan Bajo. One of my favourites was Yos Sudarso on the corner of Soekarno Hatta and El Tari streets. This shop sells many souvenirs, including local woven fabrics called tenun ikat, T-shirts, pearl jewelry, Komodo dragon carvings, and many more.

West Manggarai also produces some of the best coffee in Indonesia. It tastes very strong, and is very special for coffee lovers.

All of us interns were hunting for souvenirs for ourselves , our families and our friends. And then we were ready for food! There are lots of food options in Labuan Bajo, but today we decided to try something different. While here in West Manggarai we thought we must try…. Italian food! And the taste was “delizioso!”.

After our rest day we are ready for a productive and challenging final week.

Italian food at Mediterraneo

Sunset in Labuan Bajo