Admittedly, calling Indonesia the most spectacular country is quite bold. We visited four islands (not counting the ones in Komodo National Park) out of 17,000+ islands in this remarkable archipelago, and are awestruck by its diversity. Java, Flores, Bali, and Gili Trawangan are all so different that they might as well constitute four countries in and of themselves. Between these islands differences in culture, way and pace of life, religion, food, landscape, and natural beauty are striking and easily noticeable. We have constantly found ourselves thinking about the other 16,996+ islands we didn’t have a chance to visit. One could easily spend years exploring Indonesia and barely scratch the surface. It is hard to imagine another country with such splendid diversity.
That said, travel in Indonesia is not without its frustrations. The constant touting, bargaining, hard-selling, and the feeling of being ripped off made us want to pull our hair out from time to time. At various instances, each of us became so frustrated that we felt like we didn’t have the will to continue traveling. At other times we were so overwhelmed by the generosity of the Indonesian people and intensity of the natural beauty that we wanted to move there. Perhaps, it is this bittersweet element that makes Indonesia such an enchanting travel destination. We know that we will soon forget the challenges and we will be left with only shining memories of this nation of islands.
Leaving Indonesia marks a real transition in our journey. We have now been on the road for a little over three months (seven more to go), and, following a brief stop in Singapore, we will leave Southeast Asia. Over the next few months we will explore India and Nepal. First on the agenda is a month-long trek in the Everest Region. I have been fantasizing about hiking in the Himalayas for more than 10 years now. In a way, visiting the Nepal Himalaya as part of this trip is like fulfilling a dream within a dream.
Saying goodbye to Indonesia, we hope you enjoy these stats and a few of our highlights and lowlights.
By the numbers
Days in Indonesia: 56
National Parks/Natural Areas Visited: 5
World Heritage Sites Visited: 4
Stomach Illnesses: 1 (a bug caught Rachel on OUR LAST DAY)
Flights: 2
Train Rides: 0
Boat Trips: 4
Bus/Shared Taxi Rides: 18
Average $ Spent per Day (excluding flights): $82
Cheapest Hotel Room: $15 a night (at 4 places along the way)
Cheapest Dinner (for 2): $5.40 (at Hotel Silverin in Bajawa, Flores)
Photos Taken: 4,253 (an average of 76/day-yikes!)
Best’s
Best Day
Nick: Seeing our first Komodo dragons then snorkeling over the absolutely pristine coral at Pink Beach. All of this was topped off by watching a splendid sunset on top of our boat.
Rachel: The day we walked around the Sidemen Valley and came home just in time stay dry and enjoy a huge thunderstorm from our balcony
Best City/Town
Nick: Sidemen Valley, Bali (I want to live there someday)
Rachel: Sidemen Valley, Bali
Best National Park
Nick: Komodo National Park
Rachel: Komodo National Park (Bromo is a close 2nd)
Best Meal
Nick: Tomato, garlic, chili pasta we cooked for ourselves in Ubud (I just loved cooking for the 1st time in more than 2 months)
Rachel: The first time I had Gado-Gado in Java- boiled vegetables, tofu, tempeh, and a boiled egg all smothered with gingery peanut sauce, and of course rice crackers on the side!!!
Best Wildlife Experience
Nick: Stalking Komodo dragons and then being pursued by said dragons while taking photos (Snorkeling in Komodo National Park is a close second)
Rachel: Watching a large turtle sleep on a dive in Gili T
Best View
Nick: Bromo National Park from Gunung Penanjakan (the best view of my life, so far)
Rachel: Sunrise over Bromo National Park from Gunung Penanjakan (tied for best view with the Fitz Roy Range in El Chalten, Argentina)
Best Surprise
Nick: Trekking to Belaragi Village, Flores (runner-up: Sidemen Valley, Bali)
Rachel: How good the food is in Indonesia
Best Hotel/Hostel
Nick: Sawah Indah, Sidemen Valley, Bali
Rachel: tied between Sawah Indah in Sidemen Valley and our villa on Gili T
Place to which we’d most like to return
Nick: Bromo National Park in Java
Rachel: Sidemen Valley, Bali
Most Fun
Nick: Partying on Gili T with Kyle
Rachel: Ditto, Kyle put the fun in Indonesia!!
Worst’s
Worst City/Town
Nick: Labuan Bajo, Flores (oppressively hot and humid with prolific trash everywhere and the stench of rotting fish mixed with the smell of garbage)
Rachel: Labuan Bajo, Flores; rotting fish and trash leave a lasting impression
Worst Meal
Nick: Fruit Salad in Maumere, Flores (you’re probably thinking, how bad fruit salad can be? The answer is, pretty bad when it is heavily salted and seasoned with white pepper.)
Rachel: Dinner at Arabika at the Ijen Plateau. Just exactly how does it take one and a half hours to make noodle soup from a package (think Ramen)?
Biggest Waste of Money
Nick: The trek to Belaragi was a pretty poor value for the S
Rachel: $5 I paid for an offering basket that should have been $0.50, my bargaining sense was absent at that moment.
Most Disappointing Moment
Nick: Our boat for the Komodo National Park trip
Rachel: Three minutes into a shower and the water turned black with mud. Hidayah Homestay, Moni, Flores
Worst Hotel/Hostel:
Nick: Hotel Bintang Wisata, Bajawa, Flores
Rachel: Hotel Bintang Wisata, Bajawa, Flores (I think there was a mouse living in the mattress)
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