Blogs from Indonesia, Asia - page 10

Well a whole week in Bali! Absolute bliss and we have survived! Lots of stories of phones and bag snatching going on but as always we are very vigilant. Let me start with the procedure to get out of Aus, if you are organised it is not difficult, we decided to go to the airport 2 days before travel, Sunday night and get our PCR test with histopath set up at each airport, very easy and quick got swabbed, said it may take 90minutes for result, ours back in 30 with stamped certificate, $79 each, then home to relax. If this is required ongoing I would suggest country people go to airport and stayover night before. Nothing worse than stressing re PCR especially if you have early morning flight. We had a very easy check in, ... read more

Indonesia Supper at sunset on Tuban Beach on Bali Cathay Pacific - a Thai International pool partner - hosted us from Hong Kong to Bali. There we were guests of the Kartika Plaza on Tuban Beach, in a brick bungalow with a thatched roof. We had an early supper so we could later attend the Ketjak (monkey) dance...just as exciting as the colorful Barong dance the next night. The dining room faced West to the Ocean and - at just 10 degrees south of the equator - sunset lasted 'forever.' Rose wanted to enjoy the unspoiled white sand beach in front of our hotel, but Ron - who escorted two tour groups to Bali - kept her busy visiting the many interesting sights on the island. Tuban was adjacent to Kuta Beach...the favorite of hippies and ... read more

Within an hour and half drive from Jakarta, tucked behind the new-to-be-developed compound of Trump Development in Lido, lies Bodogol National Park. It’s one of the 54 national parks in Indonesia. I was pleased to see a lush green forest covering the area of 20 hectares which are relatively untouched by the weekenders from Jakarta. Despite its proximity to Jakarta, Bodogol was relatively unknown; perhaps, it’s not easily accessible. The road heading to the park was not paved. It’s a muddy and gravel road, passable only by motorbikes or 4WD vehicles. As we drove towards the park, not only our eyes were rewarded by the sight of greenery, but also our lung was pampered by the oxygen-rich fresh air. Forest has been my sanctuary and my refuge to keep my sanity intact. I could live not ... read more

http://www.heygo.com 19th March - Sunset at Parangtritis Beach What makes Parangtritis particularly special is that it is not only an enchanting holiday spot, it’s also a sacred place. According to legend, when you come here you are entering the domain of Kanjeng Ratu Kidul, Queen of the Southern Ocean who is not known for being welcoming to newcomers. For this reason, the Javanese will not wear green, especially yellow-green around here as it’s believed that this attracts the Queen. We saw rose petals scattered on the beach, these are where people have made an offering to the mythical Queen. The roaring Indian Ocean currents here are very rough and strong so swimming is very dangerous and not recommended. Parangtritis Beach is also said to be a haven for paragliders and thrill seekers. It is a free ... read more

I was always drawn to white sand beach, and when the idea of going to Kei, South East of Moluccas islands, was presented, it was hard to resist. The Moluccas islands are also known as the Spice Islands, which attracted to Portuguese to come to the islands in the 16thcentury for nutmeg and clove trading. Flying from Jakarta to Tual took half day as I had to transit in Makassar for two hours. After being aboard on a propeller plane for two hours, I finally arrived at Langgur Airport, where my guide was waiting. The airport is located at the Northern part of Kei Kecil, and it took about 15 minutes to reach the capital city of Kei, Tual, located in Dullah island. The two islands, separated by Rosenberg strait, are connected by Watdek bridge. After ... read more