Sometimes travel gives you wild, adrenaline-filled adventures.
And sometimes… it gives you something quiet, gentle and unexpectedly powerful.
Our morning on Serangan Island was exactly that.
We took the girls to the Turtle Conservation & Education Centre, one of the few places in Bali that actually does turtle rescue properly not the touristy “take photos with turtles in a tiny pool” kind of place. This one focuses on real conservation: rescuing injured turtles, protecting eggs, raising hatchlings, and releasing them back into the ocean when they’re strong enough.
No flashy signs. No big commercial setup. Just people doing good work.
Which, honestly, made us trust it more.
Adopting a baby turtle 🐢
When we arrived, one of the staff explained how they collect eggs from unsafe beaches and incubate them. Some turtles are injured by boats or fishing nets and need to heal before going back to the sea. They showed us tanks full of squirmy little hatchlings, and the girls were instantly hooked.
You can sponsor a baby turtle to help support the work they do so we did.
In return, you get a certificate with your turtle’s ID number… and something even better:
You get to release it into the ocean.
Georgia was chosen as official Turtle Guardian.
They placed our tiny hatchling in a little coconut bowl with seawater, and she carried it like it was made of gold. The pride in her eyes was unreal.
Boat ride to freedom 🌊
We hopped on a small boat and headed to a quiet stretch of beach away from the crowds. The water was clear, the sky was ridiculous, and everything felt peaceful.
We lowered the bowl down in the sea and let the turtle out.
It paused for half a second… then absolutely legged it toward the waves.
Wave 1: we thought it would flip upside down.
Wave 2: it was a professional swimmer by now.
Wave 3: gone. Off into the big blue like it had somewhere to be.
Georgia cupped her hands around her mouth and yelled,
“GOOD LUCK LITTLE TILLY!”
Not going to lie, I felt that, For a moment, the world stopped.
No noise. No rush. Just this tiny life beginning its journey.
It was simple.
It was short.
And it was one of the most beautiful things we’ve done on this trip.
Totally worth it.
Back to town… and back to reality 🛵💸
After the release, we headed back into town for lunch and a wander around the shops.
And this is where Bali reminded us it has two personalities.
Bali can be:
🌴 spiritual
🌸 stunning
🌊 chilled
Bali can also be:
💰 “That sarong is 850,000 IDR”
💰 “Special price, just for you my friend”
💰 “Yes the same hat is cheaper in London but don’t worry about it”
Some shops were fair.
Others were straight-up bold.
We had a laugh, dodged a few “tourist tax” traps, and picked up a couple of bits anyway because… Bali.
Lunch was good, the heat was intense, the girls were happy, and we headed home with that perfect mix of heart full + wallet slightly offended.
Why this day mattered ❤️
This wasn’t a big adrenaline day.
No crazy hikes. No epic rides. No fireworks.
It was better. It was meaningful. It was hands-on.
It gave the us a real connection to nature. And it reminded us why slow travel days are just as important as the big ones.
Sometimes adventure is climbing a volcano.
Sometimes it’s helping a baby turtle find the sea.
Both change you in different ways.
And that’s the magic of it!
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