Well we arrived back home safely to find all was well with family back here in UK.
Indonesia is a huge place with so many differing sides. We only manage to scratch at a small part but we both thoroughly enjoyed it.
We flew at Qatar airways and would certainly recommend the airline to anyone going that way. The service was excellent and food some of the best we have had. Even the stopover on the way out for 5 hours in Doha was not too bad, the airport is very new and modern but being a muslim country it does not serve alcohol.
We arrived in Jakarta and went striaght to our 1st nights hotel. We had chosen one very close to the airport as we didnt intend to stop very long. We had flights the next day to Bali. The FM7 Resort hotel is a modern airport style hotel but had a nice pool and a good restaurant so just what we needed.
The holiday started properly for us the next day with the flight to Bali and the hotel in Sanur. It was a gorgeous place, just back from the beach and just of the main town centre road. The walk to the beach took about 3 mins. We were led to believe that Sanur is quite sleepy, I suppose it is compared to the bustle of Kuta and Seminyak (which we managed to avoid completely) but it was busy enough for us. no nightclubs but lots of restaurants both on the beach and in the town part. Our hotel , The Puri Gopa is an older place built in the Balinese style with rooms around a central pool. The restaurant was used for breakfast and in the evenings we went out for dinner.
We managed trips to Ubud to see the Monkey forest and Temple plus a nice walk through the countryside and rice fields. During the middle of July Ubud had held the largest cremation Bali had seen for many years, one of the royal kings had died earlier this year so a special celebration was held. Two members of the royal family plus some 80 residents of Ubud that had dies in the previous years were cremated. We were there in August and all the stands were still in place along with the flags etc. It was very colourful. A cremation in Bali is not quite the same as here, they use it for celebration.
The Monkey Forest was also very good with the temple in the valley being very special. We also went to Buddhist temples at Bangli and the Mother temple at Besakih. Both of these have fantastic architecture and were very spiritual. The trip out to see the volcano and lake at Gunang Batur followed on from the temples. The lake was beautiful, appearing through the trees down in the craterr of the old volcano. When we drove further round the old crater rim you realised how big it was with the new, active Batur Volcano growing in the middle. It was quiet when we were there but had been very active as recently as the 1990s.
Bali is probably the most tourist area in Indonesia, easy to find all sorts of varied food from local fare to Anything from around the world.
After Bali we flew to Labuan Bajo in Flores for the diving. The airport is little more than a small airstrip with fairly new buidlings but sheep and goats wander along the runway and locals use it as a road to parts of the area. A warning siren goes when a plane is about to use the runway. Labaun Bajo is a small but very busy port and is the main gateway to Komodo National Park and of course the islands of Komodo, Rinca etc.
We were met at the airport, transfered to a local minibus (read old van with wooden seats and full airconditioning coming through the rust holes in the floor. We thought the idea of putting a wing on the roof to keep the back down at speed along with the bald slick tyres worked well.) and transfered to the port via a small office to fit out with wet suits, and dive equipment. The small speed boat whisked us across the sea for about an hour to get to the Mona Lisa, our home for the next week. The boat was moored just of Rinca when we met it and stayed there for the night. The boat was wonderful, a wooden hulled traditional Pinisi schooner. It has 6 double cabins all en suite. The crew of 8 including a dive master were there to look after us. When we arrived there were 4 other guests on board only 2 of which were divers. They were with us for 2 days then they departed and left just Jan and I on board for 2 days before another couple joined. You cant say it was overcrowded. The diving was fantastic. We had heard about the wonders of the area plus how difficult and technical some of the dive could be, this made Jan a little nervous to start. Our first dive was an easy check out dive, no current and not to deep. Plenty of coral and small fish to see. This dive was really for us the get correct weights and for the dive master, a young American guy to check us out. The next dive was in current and we soon found ourselves being swept along the bottom, some 20 metres down at fast speed trying all to keep together. Jan did not really like that one as it was the first time like that. Again their was plenty to see including a Manta ray off in the deep blue. It was to far away to see well but we neednt have worried as we would see plenty more later.
We dived at such places as Batu Bolong, Crystal Rock and Castle Rock, all small rocks in the middle of channels, some visible from the surface others just under. The current at these varied from strong to alsmost slack at certain states of the tide. Frequently we were briefred before diving as to what to do, where to go and how to hang on. Often it was a case of finding a hand hold on a rock, grabbing it and holding on in the current watching the fish. We saw White and Black tip reef sharks, Lion Fish, loads of Turtles including one dive where they just wanted to follow us and come up very close. Great for photography. On a dive at Crystal Rock we had heard Dolphins but not seen them until right at the end when we saw the pod. They all quickly dissappeared except for a mother and baby that just swam round us up close to inspect us. We were the zoo animals trapped by the air equipment, current etc and they had come to watch us.
Another experience was again after a very fast dive between 2 islands and again seeingf sharks and Manta we exited the water into the speed boat and were on our way back to where mona Lisa was moored when we say Manta in the water in a shallow area. This was a good feeding ground and there were several feeding so we put snorkles and fins on and went in after them. I had the camera and got some great film of them swimming up close and amongst us.
Jan certainly got a lot more relaxed and soon learnt to use the current although sometimes I found that trying to hold on to a rock while being swept backwards was a bit scarey.
We usually managed 4 or 5 dives a day starting before breakfast and finishing often with a dusk or night dive. Our last afternoon on board was spent on the Island of Rinca as we were unable to dive due to flying the next morning. Rinca is one of the 3 places where Komodo dragaons can be found in the world. We opted for a hike in the hot sun with a guide. Soon after landing while walking to the samll village we came across our first Komodo Dragons and they were as magnificent as we had been led to believe. As it was still hot they were all laying in the shade trying to keep out of the sun. Our guide took us through the scrub and trees finding mainly female Dragons (Ora to the locals). The females were guarding nest sites in the scrubby trees in the valley. They are not dragons really just the world largest lizard, up to over 3 metres in length. They are dangerous, they only eat meat and go for Buffalo, Deer and wild Pig. Although not venomous the bite is very toxic with germs and bacteria so it is a good idea to keep well away.
As the afternoon wore on we had seen buffalo and deer and the guide took us to a water hole where we found an active male wandering about. It was good to get some pictures while tryng to keep out of his way. As we walked further in the hills we saw more, some very close. It was a great experience being there with them.
The next day we took the speedboat back to Labaun Bajo and the flight back to our hotel in Bali again. You get some idea of this part of Indonesia from the plane when flying over many many islands, all brown and parched as it is the dry season, and most uninhabited.
After a night in Bali we took another plane, this time back to the main islan of Java and a city called Yogyakarta or Yoggya for short. This was very different from the first part of the holiday. The temperature seemed a lot hotter being in the city and no sea breeze, it was dustier and more polluted as well as being a lot busier. We stayed in a hotel called Istana Batik Ratna just of the main street of Malioboro and in the area know as Sosrowijayan with its maze of small alleys and lots of small restaurants. The hotel was fine, not as good as Bali but it had ensuite and aircon plus a nice pool to get into after being out all day. The street called Molioboro is the main shopping street full of market stalls and big department stores. You can buy everything from fake watches to well fake anything. Everywhere you go people want to take you so bikes with carriers on the front, bikes without, horse drawn transport, motorbikes and takis all vie for your business. The call of transport, taxi follows you everywhere. You can tell thse people as they are dressed a little scruffily, next come the guys in suits, they make a beeline for you then start walking alongside you. After a day or two Jan and I started counting them down from 30 seconds. It went something like this:-
30 secs Hello where you from -London- I know London I have a friend in Guildford it is a nice place very expensive- Yes it is very nice. 20 secs How long you in Indonesia for - 1 month - Where are you going - 10 secs We are walking and looking at your very nice city - You walk?- yes we like walking. 5 secs You come with me I have an Art Exhibition (or Batik Exhibition) it is a special Government one, Special prices- No thank you we are walking- I will take you there it is just down here- No thank you(next minute or so is spent walking and ignoring the guy). This went on non stop while walking the top end of Malioboro. No one would speak to Jan all the talking was done through me. This caused us a lot of merriment when it came to teenage girls. They used to come out of school often with heads covered as they are Muslims but they were so happy, They used to walk up behind us and say "Hello Mister How are you?". When I turned round to say hello back they just stood and giggled.
Saying all this Yoggya was one of the most friendly places and we happened to be there on Independance day and saw lots of the celebrations.
Whilst staying in Yoggya we went to Prambanan Temples, damaged slightly in the 2007 Earthquake but very beautiful as well as Borobodur, probably much better known but both on the World heritage list.
Both of these temples were magnificent, spiritua;lly as well as architecturaly. When we arrived at Prambanan we seemed to arrived at the same time as coachloads of school children so it was really busy but within an hour everyone seemed to have gone and left it to us and a few other tourists.
Borobodur was also busy but this one usually is. By luck we had chosen a Friday to go so lots of men were at prayer which made it a litttle easier to get round. To understand about Borobodur you really need to look it up and find what it is about.
After each of thse trips, which were undertaken by hiring a driver for the day we drove back via the countryside to see the sights. Yoggya is overlooked by another highly active Volcano, Gunung Merapi but we could never see it due to the haze, mist, pollution in the air and cloud on the mountain. We decided the next day to take a trip up the montain to small village again by taxi. We then climbed further into the forest in cloud and on the slopes of the volcano. Still no site of the top. We have to believe it is a figment of the locals mind, it does not exist, or at least we have never seen it.
At night Malioboro the market stalls go and are replaced by stalls selling street food. lots of them all cooking away after having set out their rstaurants. The locals love it but although I wanted to Jan and I felt it might not be a good idea with lack of hygiene. Up until our last day in Yoggya we had both been fine with the food, no problems if jsut a little overdone on fried noodles or rice for breakfast, mid morning snack, lunch, dinner and supper. That last night in the hotel I was bad, Something I ate did not agree with me and we had originally thought about taking a bus the 3-4 hours across Java from Yoggya to Semarang. That was changed and we once again hired our driver and car. Bad news was all I wanted to do was sleep in the back with the air con on full. Our driver had gone down with the flu and he wanted to drive with the heater on full. We met half way with no heat but no air con. We got over to Semarang in one piece though.
We thought Semarang was a bit like Slough, best seen from a rear view mirror but we were only there for a night and to catch the plane the next day to Kalimantan (Borneo). We stayed on the recomendations of Lonely Planet in the Old Town. The hotel was fine, newish or at least refurbished but the town was a dump. We had to find our way to the new town to pay and get our aircraft tickets. Cash had to be paid and this would be the norm for the rest of the stay in Indonesia. You get 18000 Indonesian Rupiahs to 1 GB Pound approx so we found ourselves often carrying several million Rupiahs around in money belts tucked in places you dont want to go. I million Rupiah being about £58.00. The old town was totally run down and looked as though it was falling down. As I was still not too good Jan ordered room service in the hotel and I slept. The next day was a lot better and again we found ourselves waiting at another small airport for the flight to Pangkalan Bun in Kalimantan.
Up until that time we had seen no rain, a lot of Indonesia was very dry almost drought with the dry season. In the mountains it was a lot greener but stil very little rain. The plane was delayed leaving due to torrential rain in Pangkalan Bun. When we arrived it had stopped but there were deep puddles everywhere. We flew in over the rain forest seeing large areas stripped clear by loggers. Pangalan Bun is another small airfield but again we were met and taken by car to Kumai, a port on a large river where once again we transferred to a small boat called a Klotok. This time it was 3 crew and just us as guests. We had chosen to spend 2 nights on the boat and 1 night in a lodge in the rain forest. Cabins did not exist. The top deck had a tarpaulin cover over part of it, the front was 2 bench type seats to laze in, towards the back was a small area you stepped down/over where the cook worked and beyond that was the toilet facilities. Thses were open to the air but privacy maintained by a plywood screen up part way. The toilet was vry good, a pink porcelain bowl as we would have here. That is the end of the similarity as next to it was a large bucket full of water you used to flush the toilet with. This just emptied straight through the slatted floor into the river (complete with crocodiles) Tp have a shower the crew started a generator and dropped the hose into the river. Now we have described to bathroom the bedroom was a mosquito net slung under the tarpaulin, matresses brought up and the crew made our beds, top deck open to the jungle. Go on I know it all sounds bad well you are wrong it was great, you wake with the sound of the gibbons calling each other and other animals all around. Even the rain doesnt worry you, it is the rain forest so we expected it.
We left Kumai and the larger ships travelling along the main river for 30mins or so with dolphins following before turning of along a much smaller tributary. We now were into the rain forest proper and Tanjung Puting National Park where we hoped to find the Orang Utan. As we didnt get to Kalimantan until mid afternoon we motored on the Klotok until about 5.00 pm and mooored up at the side of the river in the forest. Around were Proboscis Monkeys as well as Macaques. Crocodiles were to be found in the river.
The food was excellent and just cooked on a couple of small portable petrol cookers. Twice I had Lobster, Not one but 2 each time. We are sure that they had got the food before being told that Jan was vegetarian. Jan also had great food, loads of it, usually some form of tofu or Gado Gado, a vegetarian dish with a peanut sauce.
The next day we went further into the rain forest by the river and got as far as Camp Leakey. This is an Orang Utan rehabilitation centre wher ex captive Orangs are bought and released back into the wild. Some are a lot more tame than others, and they put food out at a place int eh forest partly to suplement the diet but also where the rangers can check on how they are doing. Their are wild Orang Utans ther as well.
When we arrived at Camp Leakey it was pouring with rain but we stopped and walked to a shelter beside the river where we were met by Princess, an Orang Utan who still likes being with people. She had two babies with her. She is free to go where she wants so is not now captive but stays around with the workers. We sat with her before walking the 400 metres to the actul camp where we saw the work that is done there to help the Orangs. At the camp were a few other Orangs plus gibbons, Macaques, Wild Pigs etc all from the forest. One of the juvenile Orangs kept trying to annoy and play with the gibbons and pigs but they just kept out of his way. He then came over to us and started playing until a large male arrived.
A walk followed well onto the forest to a feeding station where the guides and wardens alonf with some of the camp staff put out lots of bananas before calling the Orangs. Many came swinging through the trees all living in the forest, free to go and do what they want. Many of the females had young, some fathered by wild Orangs. The local dominant male arrived so we all had to clear out of his path, Thse dominant males can be very dangerous especially if you get between them and a female. It was a fantastic site seeing these large orange hairy primates up close.
The rest of the time on the boat was very similar, looking at wildlife, watching Orang Utans and generally being lazy. Although the last night in the lodge was OK I think now we would have prefered to have been on the boat. The best thing about the lodge was the warm shower so we got clean again.
After 4 days were were back at Pangkalan Bun airport for our last internal flight, this time back to Jakarta and the FM7 hotel once more.
After a night spent near the airport this time we took a bus for the 4 hour trip to Carita on the west cost of Java. This bus trip was the most frightening experience of the whole time in Indonesia. The driver was mad, completely mad. He raced others cutting other cars uop and driving others of the road. I hope we never repeat such a trip again. We did get to a town called Labuan about 5 miles from Carita where the bus finished its journey but the trouble did not finish there, as others got of lots of kids and "transport arrangers" got on. The kids went straight for your pockets and bags and the transport arrangers tried to heard you onto the proverbial old mini bus with bald tyres, more rust than metal and looking as if they should have been dumped many years ago. The kids are dealt with quickly by pushing them out the way, the transport a little more difficult as we need a mini bus. OK how much? they come out with 100,000 Rp which was he same as the bus from Jakarta some 4 hours away and now we have a 10 min journey, They joke but they do not. It comes down, slowly but not enough, 80- 70,000. The correct price for loclas is around 8000 Rp, yes I mean eight not eighty. Eventually we give up as the lowest is around 50, 000. We decide to get a lift in a new open back truck for 25,000. Jan gets in the cab I get in the back with the bag, great drive, dropped in Carita but no where to stay yet. Get out Lonely Planet (the travellers bible), we find we are alnmost outside a recommended hotel. Before we get in it though lots of people want to take us to their hotel. We choose the one we want from the book and walk over. They have rooms so it is ok. en suite with air con, not bad and as we want one for 5 nights we are actually given a discount. Unheard of in Carita, discounts, just keep following the story and you will see.
The price is 195,000 a night for the room inc breakfast.
Once sorted we decide to go for a walk to the beach, Wow was it crowded, It looked like all of Jakarta had come for the weekend, it was a Saturday. The beach looked like Blackpool in its busy times. OK a little different but thousands of people there and a lot of groups. All along the expanse of sandwere groups of people. Often each group wore a colour or "uniform", same teeshirt and trousers. Many were in the sea, jet skis everywhere, Banana boats being towed by speed boats. Most people were Indonesians so Muslims, Lots were in the sea in Jeans and tops, not many shorts, lots of women wore head scarves and even complete all in one bathing costumes from the ankle to the top of the head.
The activities happened all along the 2 mile spread of the bay and included a lot of sack racing. None of thos was children all adults. The waves were quite big so lots of bodyboarding went on. It just looked odd. Of course there is no alcohol but everyone was enjoying them selves.
Besides the ones having a good time their were lots and lots of traders all trying to seel you anything from massage to plastic teletubbies and all at highly inflated prices as we were "rich" Europeans.
This went on for Saturday and Sunday. About 3pm Sunday the raod out of town was backed up with lines of coaches taking everyone back to Jakarta. Monday we were in a different place, The beach lie looked similar, the village looked similar. What was different. Oh I know, no people, it was so quiet. Still traders around trying to sell you anything. We went to get a bottle of water and knew the price was around 3000Rp. You have to haggle for that, it starts at 10,000 and you get told as we are rich we can pay it.
We booked a trip to Krakatoa with another couple. The boat costs 2,500,000Rp about £130.00 for the day including lunch. It is better to get a s many as you can each boat holds 8-12 people. Due to the lack of tourists it was only 4 of us but still a good day
It takes about 90 mins by fast speed boat out to Krakatoa and we left around 9 in the morning. It was misty at sea so we didnt see the island group until we got quite near. The first thing you see is the island of Rakata apperaing. This is one of the three parts of the old Krakatoa that was left after the 1883 explosion This happened on the 27th August and we were going out on the 26th. Krakatoa was 3 volcanoes that blew up causing the worlds loudest explosion.
As we rounded Rakata we saw the new island of Anak Krakatoa, initially formed in 1927 and still erupting and growing. It was very beautiful the shape just as you imagine a volcano should be, conical with an indented top forming a crater. It is not that big, Rakata is about 820 metres high and Anak Krakatoa is about 220 metres. We motored into the bay and towards the new island. Someone made a comment in the boat that it looked beautiful, peaceful but a little boring when suddenly the side just exploded first of all sending black plumes of ash high in the sky with boulders trailing ash trails spewing out the sides
An amazing sight and perfect timing, the sh cloud mushroomed out reaching high in the sky. This went of for a while then stopped as suddenly as it started. We went in nearer and it went again, more spectacular. After a while we sailed round to the eastern side where trees are now growing n the volcano's slopes and landed on the black sandy beach. We would be allowed to climb up to a ridge halfway up the side away from the vent. Once through the trees it was just bare ash to go up. The climb was hard with your feet sinking into the loose ash, great lumps of lava were evident everywhere as we climbed. Once at the top of the ridge there was a siesmic station supposed to be monitoring the volcano and the earth tremors it produces. This was desroyed by the recent weeks activity. Lumps of bava and volcanic rock were everywhere and had destroyed most of the units. Krakatoa had quietened down as we reached the ridge so we walked round slightly. It was very hot with no shade at all and the sun coming back of the ash beneath us. Our guide had brought up pineapples for us to eat while we waited to see if the volcano would erupt again. It was eerie waiting as we could see where the rocks had been thrown in recent weeks and if a really big eruption happened then we could be in the firing line. We wiated about an hour for it to erupt again and it did. Rocks again were flung out to roll down the slopes of the volcano. O the ridge we were reasonably safe as any that rolled would not hit us. Although you could hear it, the noise was not that great.
We then scrambled down and back to the boat. Once around the back of Rakata we all were glad of taking the snorkle equipment as we could get in the sea and cool of. A spectacular site and one not that many people see.
We then spent a few more days in Carita, walking in th hills, sitting on the beach, haggling for everything including hiring Jet Skis which were fun.
We decided that we did not want the bus back as we had heard the few other tourists complaining about their drivers and how mad they were so we booked a driver and car again. More haggling so we settle on 500,000 back to hotel in Jakarta. Then he comes up and says that was for an old minibu type. A car with Air con is 600,000. Reluctantly we agree. Next day he asks us do we mind if another comes back with us, we dont as it will reduce the cost so the driver nows says with 3 it is 700,000. No chance this time we call his bluff and tell him we will get bus. comes down to 600,00 for us but other guy has agreed to pay his share of 700,000. Carita is the rip of capital of the world I am sorry to say.
Our last lunch was very interesting. We were called back from the beach to ask us if we would like to join in with all the local people for dinner. Ramadan was starting a couple of days after we left so a dinner was prepared. We joined in. Tables and chairs were cleared away, banana leaves placed down on the floor the rice, vegetables, fish, chicken was spread out and you just sat on the floor and ate with you fingers. I did enjoy it, Jan not so as the fish, meat etc was laid with everything else. Thank you for that invite it was good.
We then left to return to FM7 in Jakarta and our last night. The next day we did go into Jakarta city for a while, not very interesting and quite pleased we had not spent time in the city.
Back to the hotel, dinner and then to the airport for the long flight home. Once again Qatar Airways were good.
The honeymoon in Indonesia was great, we both really enjoyed it. Some bits not so good but that happens every where. Now to try to start planning next years, where? no idea yet some work to do first.
More pictures will be added over the next few days I hope
Keep looking and if you feel like putting any comments then we would really likem to see them
Mike & Jan
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