Sit-com: The Honeymooners - Indonesian TV stars are born

On our last day we took a lovely walk around the island - a mere 9km diameter. The white sand was only slightly marred by the amount of dead coral caused by El Nino, but we still enjoyed it. The walk culminated in a short hike up the hill in the middle of the island with panoramic views over the whole place.

We sauntered down the hill and took up our usual posts in the swanky hotel's pool where the dive shop is based (see previous entry) and spent a sunny afternoon reading, swimming, topping up our tans and generally having a lovely relaxed day. Then two girls came up to us. We had noticed them doing some filming around the pool and had thought that they were going to ask to leave so they could get a clear shot. We couldn't have been more wrong.

They were from an Indonesian national TV company, they explained to us, and were making a news programme about Gili Trawangan and it's popularity as a destination for surfing, diving and honeymooning. Unfortunately, no-one at the hotel was actually ON their honeymoon so would we mind PRETENDING we were so they could interview us and film us doing some romantic stuff. Both of our freebie senses started beeping and so we had no hesitation in hastily replying, "sure, where do you want us" and putting on our best camera smiles.

First they set us up in front of the beach and interviewed us about our "honeymoon" - what it meant to us and why we had chosen Gili Trawangan ("well, it's a slice of paradise'" I plagiarised from the Lonely Planet (can you plagiarise vocally?)). Then we were taken to the luxury honeymoon suite where Kieran had to carry me over a flower-encrusted threshold where he deposited me on a very fancy 4-poster bed and we had to be romantic and slushy without being dirty (this is quite hard for K). In fact Kieran had the girls in hysterics with his naughty antics and it took a number of takes to get a clean and decent shot where he wasn't trying to get his leg over (but he is very good at being slushy and romantic).

Then we went home to change for our dinner. And what a dinner: a candlelit table on the beach with pink bunting, red roses and a whole bottle of real wine - A WHOLE BOTTLE (ok it was a bit sweet and shitty Bali wine but still) with a 3-course gourmet chef-cooked meal and ALL FOR FREE!!!!!! The envious plebs who weren't on their honeymoon were sick with jealousy as they watched the whole thing from the bar!

All we had to do was let them film us eating, and do the occasional slushy thing like feed each other food, hold hands, and kiss (in a restrained and non-tonguey way)!! It was just brilliant and a great way to mark our last day. But it wasn't quite over yet.

We then went for a few drinks with Chris (dive instructor) so we could brag about it to him and his friends for a few hours. Then there was the mother of all thunder/lightening storms and by the time we walked home, drenched, we had to wade through a road buried a good foot under water - what an amazing experience and a wonderful day!