Return to Indonesia

Surfing
The Indonesian archipelago is one of the to surfing destinations in the world. The best time to surf is from April to September with the best waves generally found on islands facing south and southwest, including Sumatra, Java, Bali, Lombok, Sumbawa, Flores and Sumba. While Bali has a lot of great places to serf, some well known surfing beaches, such as Ulu Watu tend to get overcrowded. To get away from the crowds you can join an organized trip to isolated areas. Surf camps such as those at Lagundri Bay (Nias) or Cempi Bay (Sumbawa) offer basic accommodation and simple food. Windsurfing is particularly popular on Bintan Island and Sanur and Nusa Dua beaches on Bali.

Diving
With over 50,000 miles of coastline you can bet that Indonesia has some great places for diving. In fact, it is reputed to contain 15 per cent of the world's coral reefs. Hard as it may seem, in spite of the obvious opportunities, Indonesia's diving industry is still pretty young, though the number of companies offering courses and excursions is rapidly growing.

On Java island, the best diving is on the west coast, where three volcanic islands mark the remains of the Krakatau volcano (which last erupted in 1883). Bali's tourist stronghold in the Kuta, Nusa Dua and Suar triangle offers easy and moderate diving, with easily accessible reefs. Tours to more remote (and less busy) areas are available.

On the northern tip of Sulawesi island, the Taman Nasional Laut Bunaken Manado Tua is a national marine reserve with particularly steep coral walls; international air connections to the island facilitate access. Further north, the lesser-known Sanggihe-Talaud and Togian islands are reached by live-aboard dive boats. 

Take Bone Rate, in the south, is the world's third largest atoll while the Tukang Besi islands have featured extensively in the films by the French underwater explorer Jacques Cousteau. Nusa Tenggara's most popular sites are the three Gili islands near Lombok, whose calm shallow waters are ideal for beginners. 

Maluku consists of approximately 1000 islands and has only recently been discovered as a top diving destination. Southeast of Ambon, the Bandana islands are accessible by air and offer a number of sites suitable for beginners and experienced divers. The major resort in the Sumatra and Riau islands is Bintan, easily accessible from Singapore. 

Perhaps some of the best, clearest and most colorful dive sites are in Pulau Sikuai off the Padang coast (western Sumatra) and Pulau Weh off Banda Aceh (northern Sumatra). Irian Jaya also offers good diving around the famous Mapia Atoll (where dolphins and killer whales can sometimes be spotted) and the waters of Cenderawasih Bay off the western end of Bird's Head peninsula.

Ilala Yacht Charters provides exclusive sailing and diving holidays throughout South East Asia and the Andaman Sea and the Andaman Islands. They also provide opportunities in Thailand, Malaysia, Burma and Indonesia. Their luxury, air conditioned charter yacht offers you spacious comfort, good food and service, and privacy. The yacht is designed for up to 8 people for comfortable relaxation and enjoyment. You can find additional information at the Ilala Yacht Charters website or by email. mailto:yacht_ilala@hotmail.com

Climbing
The island of Sumatra is perhaps the best location for climbing in Indonesia. Gunung Padang, near the island's capital, is a small black basalt cliff reached via a river-paddling trip followed by a trek through rainforest. Further inland, Bukittinggi offers challenging cliffs overlooking rice paddies. The dramatic canyon rocks in nearby Harau National Park are still largely unexplored and should only be attempted by experienced climbers.

Caving
Indonesia is also quite popular for caving with the most accessible caves being on the island of Java and include Luweng Jaran, stretching over 125 miles beneath the Gunung Seuw mountain range; Gua Barat, which has the longest underground river system in the southern hemisphere; and Gombong, whose stone towers rise some 132 feet above sea level. On Kalimantan island, Mangkalihat offers a rarely visited underground world of giant limestone corridors. Even less explored are the isolated caves near Wamena on the remote Bird's Head peninsula in Irian Jaya.

Whitewater Rafting
The majority of companies offering whitewater rafting are located in Bali, where several rivers - including the Ayung, Unda, Ubaya, Balian and Telega - are commercially rafted. You can also find some spectacular rapids on the Citartik River (western Java), the Sadan River (Sulawesi) and the Alas River (Sumatra). For the best rafting you should visit between November and March when the rapids are generally at their strongest.

River tours  
River tours are quite popular such as the one up the great Mahakam River on the island of Kalimantan, which is dissected by a network of rivers running from the mountainous interior to the coasts, are billed as a trip into the "heart of darkness."  Starting from the port city Samarinda, such tours last for several days (some with on-board accommodations) and continue deep into the upper jungle reaches, where tribal communities have largely preserved their traditions. This is really a great way to get away from it all!

Trekking
Indonesia has some 120 active volcanoes and numerous volcano treks are possible where you can actually see a volcano up close and personal. On Java island, popular volcanic destinations include Krakatoa (reached by a 5-hour boat trip followed by a 30-minute climb), Mount Bromo (the most visited of Indonesia's volcanoes) and Kawah Ijen (whose crater is filled by a turquoise-blue lake). 

Those preferring dormant volcanoes may head to Gunung Agung in Bali, Gunung Rinjani on Lombok island (which has hot springs at the top that are reputed to have mystical qualities), and Keli Mutu on Nusa Tenggara Barat (whose crater contains three beautiful lakes). You can also enjoy jungle trekking through the Indonesian rainforest. The islands of Kalimantan, Sumatra and Irian Jaya offer the most remote and untouched terrain. The best trails include trips to Bukit Barisan National Park, a remote and beautiful peninsula in Sumatra. Here you can walk through tropical rainforest onto a beach inhabited by turtles). Other great locations would include the Muller Mountain on Kalimantan (with a trail following the traditional jungle route used by the native Iban people); and Lake Habbema on Irian Jaya (a week-long trek to remote villages and mountains).

Eco-tourism
Indonesia has long been criticized in the past for the destruction of large areas of its rainforest through forest exploitation. The Indonesian government is now trying to correct that image by encouraging an environmentally friendly tourism policy. The growing trend for back-to-nature holidays means that numerous types of eco-tours are available. In the Tukangbeshi archipelago near Sulawesi, tourists have the opportunity to participate in coral reef preservation projects by helping to collect scientific data.

Nightlife
Jakarta nightclubs feature international singers and bands and are open until 0400 during weekends. There are also casinos, and theatres providing cultural performances. 

Dancing is considered an art, encouraged and practiced from very early childhood. The extensive repertoire is based on ancient legends and stories from religious epics. Performances are given in village halls and squares, and also in many of the leading hotels by professional touring groups. The dances vary enormously, both in style and number of performers. Some of the more notable are the Legong, a slow, graceful dance of divine nymphs; the Baris, a fast moving, noisy demonstration of male, warlike behavior; and the Jauk, a riveting solo offering by a masked and richly costumed demon. Many consider the most dramatic of all to be the famous Cecak (Monkey Dance) which calls for 100 or more very agile participants. Many of the larger hotels, particularly in Bali, put on dance shows accompanied by the uniquely Indonesian Gamelan Orchestras.

Throughout the year many local moonlight festivals occur and tourists should check locally to see if they will be there during a festival of some type. Indonesian puppets are world famous and shows for visitors are staged in various locations.

Jakarta has over 40 cinemas and some English-language and subtitled films are shown.

Shopping
I enjoy shopping for that "special" souvenir to take back home. That is easy here in Indonesia where the favorites include batik cloth, woodcarvings and sculpture, silverwork, woven baskets and hats, bamboo articles, krises (small daggers), paintings and woven cloth. At small shops bartering might be necessary. The normal shopping hours are Mon-Sun 1000-2200. Most local markets open either very early in the morning or at dusk.