Lombok to Flores adventure

From Lombok I took a 4 day-4 night boat to Flores visiting the islands of Komodo and Rinca, aka The Komodo National Park, home to komodo, dragons or how we called them – dinosaurs.

There are only two “budget” boats operating this route. The well-known Perama boat reaches Flores within 3 days and costs more than $400 and Kecana tour that costs merely $150 for 4 days. Given the savings, it should not come as a surprise that Kecana boat did not have any safety measures or any decent navigation system. The food was bare minimum, we slept on the deck, the “guide” did not really speak English, but since we have not drawn, I cannot complain. At times through I was wondering if we'd ever make it. To make us feel save we were told "if waves are too big, we will wait".

We have seen komodo on both Komodo and Rinca islands, but significantly more dragons on Rinca (as everyone says!). It was the mating season so we witnessed a magnificent dragon fight for a female. There is only one female for 4 male komodo. The most fasinating way to see the fight is to have photos lined up. I was impressed! Those heavy carnivores only seemed to be sleeping in the sun. Another second they were fighting with their blood vessels flexing scarily just about 3 meters in front of us.



On the way we also snorkeled at two superb locations. Satonda National Park was maybe the best coral collection I have seen to date. Snorkeling at Red Beach near Komodo was also amazing. The beach itself is also interesting. It is white from the far, but pink up close thanks to red coral pieces.

The landscapes on the way were stunning and different from anything I have seen before. Barren islands with no vegetation, life or people are surrounded by amazing warm blue waters with colourful corals. Some views:








Labuan Bajo is where we ended the trip. The place did not reveal anything special to me except for lack of decent budget accommodation. An expensive hotel outside the city was a nice change after 3 days without fresh water on the boat - we enjoyed the pool for $5/day.



Did I mention the earthquake? Yes, it happened while we were having dinner, but it was weak, not even our plates fell.

My advice is to book an ticket in advance to get out of Flores the very moment you arrive (in high season ppl get stuck there for 10 days). Unless, unless you dive. I heard diving is AMAZING but difficult around Laub Bajo (very strong currents). It costs $80 for two dives.

KOMODO TRIP album on flickr with more dragons and views

Next stop was Sulawesi with a day layover in Kota.

Dragons in action, Rinca Island, Komodo National Park, Indonesia

more to come shortly

Lombok

I was lucky to get an individual tour of Lombok behind the adventurous, as he calls himself, travelmaster. Still undeveloped compared to the Gili Islands and Bali, Lombok felt like real Indonesia – Muslim, poor and beautiful. Three days on a bike (btw, my ass still hurts a month later!) and I began to discover this island - the green rice and tobacco fields, wild beaches of the north and south, waterfalls by the Rinjani, sunset over Bali, photogenic locals and hyperactive kids screaming “Hello Mister, where you going!?”, the worst roads ever in Southwest Lombok and an amazing cafe Ashtari.

Here is my "favourite" old lady that we caught by chance before sunset.



Other amazing photos on flickr.

Hopping the Gili Islands, Indonesia

Gili Cat speed boat from Bali to Gili costs ridiculous $60, but if that was the only problem.

High season on Gili Trawangan and I wanted to kill myself how much I hated it. So many people, so much development, so little beach and quietness. I definitely did not understand what the hype was all about. Koh Phi Phi seemed like a paradise right there and then.

The next day I took a public boat to the next island – Gili Meno. I was happy I moved. This was more in line with what I was looking for. Quit and very tranquil Meno with its beautiful beaches won my heart over for the next 4 days. I met two sisters from Moscow, so the days went by very quickly, perhaps even too quickly. We took a snorkeling trip around the island and saw the turtles. The corals were not that great, so I just hope people who dive at Gilis are not disappointed.

In two days families with kids arrived to Meno, so kids-haters beware!

I heard Gili Air is the compromise of the party Trawangan and the quiet Meno. Still with magic 8 to 9 hour daily sleep, sun baths and swimming activities in the perfectly warm days (breeze + no humidity) I was getting my rest.

I stayed at Kontiki on Gili Meno. Good value for money.

More photos of Gilis


On another note.

Now I had time to read my Indonesia guidebook. Because of Bali tourism, arranging travel from Bali is easy. However, travelling between different regions of Indonesia appeared to be much more challenging, it requires significant amounts of time and best arranged on the spot. Thus, risks must be taken of flying into, say, Maluku, looking around for ferries that take ages (and sink?) or flights that fly couple of times a week. When I read Lonely Planet off-beaten path routes requiring 6 weeks to 2 months, I thought they were kidding or planning long breaks in-between destinations. No, that is just remote Indonesia. Given that 30 days is the longest tourist visa on arrival, I can’t see those areas (Papua, Maluku, Katinkalan) developing any time soon.

Bali stories, four days in Ubud

Three hours of sleep, 4:20 am wakeup call and I am on a 6 am flight to Bali, half dead. What Indonesia? Why? Just put me to sleep.

Nevertheless, I opened my 2 kg Indonesia guidebook to read where I was going. Having been told multiple times NOT TO STAY in Kota, I figured I would head straight to Ubud (Kota was not too bad 2 weeks later, actually). I skipped the whole southern Bali with its surfing vibe for more Balinese inspired Ubud and surroundings.

An official taxi costs $19.5 for an hour and half ride to the center of Ubud (for the simplicity purposes I will mention all prices in dollars, US$1=Rps10,000). I chose to stay on a quiet street Jalan Bisma, romantic hideaway west of Forest Monkey road, next to my very own rice paddies. My advice would be to leave bags at fancy Café des Artistes and shop around for rooms. Rooms costs from $15 to $35/night. However, Bisma street is a 15-minute walk to the bulk of restaurants.

I fell in love with Ubud before I even reached the center. Streets of galleries and beautiful houses plot a dramatic entrance to town. For the first time I have experienced Balinese architecture and style with its attention to detail and embodied peacefulness. It made the city unique and I would say the most special I have seen in Asia. I spent the rest of the afternoon wandering on Main road towards Monkey Forest and beyond. Every house had a temple inside the beautiful yard behind exquisite doors with sculptures of mystical animals at the doorsteps. Streets beyond the center are quiet and wonderful. I cannot recommend enough taking time to stroll.

That’s exactly what I did for 6 hours the next day. Equipped with Lonely Plan’s recommended walking tours and a map of Ubud’s surroundings I walked through amazing Campuhan Ridge to the small village of Bangklang Sidem and Payogan. Learn how to say “Selamat Pagi” (Good morning) as everyone nods at your appearance.




I then also toured artists’ village of Penestanan. Every house is a residency of an artist with his very own exhibition that seems to be unattended most of the time. After being lost for a couple of times I finally reached the Sayan Terraces (hotel) where one can hike down to Ayung River. Next door is Four Seasons Hotel with an amazing pool at the drop of the hill. If I had extra $600 (standard room rate) I would not mind a night there.

My third day I spent touring north-west part of Bali. I left Ubud at 7 am with a private driver ($30/day) and luckily was the first one to arrive to Lake Bratan and its Bedugul temple. Up and down the slopes we reached twin lakes of Buyan and Tamblingan and then the coffee plantations of Munduk. The highlight of the trip was the rice terraces at Jatiluwih. They are so amazing that tourists are being charged $1 to drive through them. Further climbing up Mt. Batukaru through some narrow roads and tiny old villages untouched by the development happening in Ubud/Kota, we reached lonesome, mysterious covered in green moss Batukaru temple. What a contrast was Tanah Lot Temple where I arrived 2 hours later – surrounding shops and vendors take more space than the Temple itself. It’s tourism at its worst. Too bad, the temple off the coast in the waves of Indonesian Ocean is impressive.

Bedugul Temple



Rice Terraces at Jatiluwih



Batukaru Temple



Tanah Lot Temple


Taxi drivers in Ubud start to annoy me. It is impossible to walk by without being offered transport service literally every 15 meters. iPod helped a bit.
Fourth day and last in Ubud I went to the east Lake Batur.

It’s time to leave Bali behind. Next week I am winding down on Gili Islands, the white beach paradise with famous dive sites.

40 more pictures on flickr

Mt.Bromo, Java, Indonesia

Two weeks before coming to Bali I spent one weekend in Java, witnessing sunrise over Mt.Bromo. It was worth the trip, but maybe not the Friday night spent in horrible Surabaya. NO decent budget accommodation was found and we spent a night in one of the worst hotels I witnessed in my life. Cockroaches were there too.

The viewing platform is easily reached by car early in the morning if you stay overnight somewhere in the vicinity. It was fully packed with Indonesian students due to the summer vacations in the country. The fight for the view was severe, but the foggy view over volcanoes is stunning. After the sunrise we head down to the valley to hike Mt. Bromo – over three hundred steps (??) to see the smoking mountain.







The pictures are on flickr.

Vietnam

Part One, the south – Ho Chi Minh City

Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) airport is brand new and quite impressive. Our pre-arranged visas through Vietnam Visa took about 20 minutes to get. ATM, getting dong and becoming milioners (having dollars have proven to be more useful), cab, and we are in Pham Ngu Lao, the backpackers universe of HCMC. The basic room costs $10, a slightly better goes for $15, a hotel room for $25 and up.

Once the first shock from endless flow of mopeds ended, I fell in love with Vietnam. I cannot even explain why. Maybe because touristy stuff and local go together in Vietnam. Next to the westernized café there will be Vietnamese street restaurants where locals squat on tiny chairs and tables. Maybe because Vietnam is so rich in cultural heritage. There is taste and style in a lot of Vietnamese things. It’s a pleasure to stroll through souvenir shops and find unique textiles, ceramics, jewelry and other hand made stuff.

We walked around, had coffee and pastries in a numerous cafes scattered around the city. We bargained for some beautiful souvenirs. We ate at a fancy Hoi An restaurant tasting gourmet Vietnamese food for about $30 per person (no alcohol). We visited the Reunification Palace and walked around China Town’s beautiful and empty temples.
Finally, we went on a one-day tour of Mekong Delta. In retrospect I would recommend to do minimum a 2 day trip with an overnight in the village as it takes at least 4-5 hours to get to interesting and less touristy parts of Mekong Delta.

Part Two, the north – Hanoi and Ha Long Bay

A couple of weeks later we headed off to Hanoi in the north for three and a half day get-away. The first full day we spent exploring Hanoi on foot. I enjoyed Hanoi even more than Ho Chi Minh City. The Old Part of Hanoi is compact with cute streets where shops specialize in different items. One street sells silk, another - eye glasses, the third – kitchen ware, etc. Getting lost and finding the way back in the 40 degree heat and 90% humidity was definitely an experience. A lot of textile from Sapa is being sold in Hanoi. Pictures of tours into the valley are also all over. Next time I would love to go trekking in the Sapa Valley.

We stayed in backpackers perfect guesthouse – Charming Hotel. For the price of $15 you get a small renovated room with a new bed, A/C , TV, amazing shower, free wifi and a decent breakfast. No wonder they were so busy. Highly recommended for simple lodging.

The next day we were picked up at 8 am to go to Ha Long Bay where a boat for 2day/1night tour was waiting for us. We booked Oriental Sails for $85 per person. Again, we were lucky because the boat was only 2 years old, the food was great and the stuff was friendly.

Ha Long Bay is touristy, but it is gorgeous. Thousands of tiny islands-cliffs stick out of Southern China Sea. The main activity on board is sunbathing and relaxing (our timing with super humid weather made it unpleasant after a few hours). Besides that we visited an Amazing Cave, fishing village and did kayaking at sunset. Indeed, great experience.

Vietnam is on my radar screen for more returns!

Flickr album here

Koh Phi Phi trip

We flew into Phuket airport, 400baht ($13) and one hour we are at the pier to board a boat to Koh Phi Phi Island. Information on internet is misleading. It claims there are only two ferries at 8:30 and 13:30, but we appeared at about 11 am and caught a boat straight away. Advise – take a taxi to pier, buy a ticket, and go to the nearest mall if you have more than an hour to wait. Also don’t buy a return ticket. You never know how your plans change and most importantly, tickets from Koh Phi Phi are cheaper (450bht vs 600 we paid).

At Koh Phi Phi we immediately caught a long tail boat to Long Beach for 200 baht, no point to negotiate if you are two, prices are fixed. There are 7 hotels on Long Beach with the most reasonable (price/value) bungalow at 1500 baht/night ($50/night). Koh Phi Phi is no longer a backpacker destination. They have been priced out to Koh Lanta or Railey Beach. I would say go to Koh Phi Phi with a budget of no less than $120/night for accommodation only. Then stay at nice resorts, hire a long tail boat and enjoy the island. But is it mind-blowing?

Long-tail boats looked more romantic on a picture, beach felt better on Rawa Island. The only truly amazing thing to do on the island was to take a private long tail boat, leave early in the morning and tour the surrounding Phi Phi Leh and the island itself.

We were blown away by the beauty of lagoons and bays (Loh Samah Bay and Phi Phi Leh Lagoon), secluded wild beaches and stupidity of people who went on tours with 20 other people cramped on a speed boat. Private long tail boats cost only about 2000 baht a day.

The first day we went to Maya beach where Di Caprio’s movie Beach was filmed. Nice! Early in the morning we were the only ones there. Then snorkeling at Loh Samah Bay and swimming in Phi Phi Leh Lagoon.

The second day we went around Koh Phi Phi to Monkey Beach, Nui Bay, Bamboo Island and Mosquito island.

The afternoon we spent wandering around the village, sipping cheap fresh fruit juices. Eventually bored we changed tickets to go to Railey Beach, close to Krabi. That’s where the party is! Lonely Planet is outdated as Railway East has developed into backpacker enclave with quite a few nice modern villas. For 1250baht we got a cute looking bungalow. During the day we hiked to the northern Tonsai beach where herds of young people were climbing up the hills. Just to watch them is breathtaking.

Due to slow internet connections here in Indonesia where I am updating the blog, I am uploading pictures only to flickr. Please see turquoise lagoons here.

10 days LEFT in Indonesia

I am sitting in a nice cafe with wifi in the middle of another country in Indonesia. It is called Kuta, Bali. It is the surfers' paradise with waves that seem not to end, millions of surf board shops, restaurants, bars and population of average age 25, white fit male that just stepped off Billabong advertisement. Rio is nothing compared to Kuta. Jeffrey's Bay was never found on the map...

Why am I here? It's been 17 days since I arrived to Indonesia. I saw the other Bali first (Ubud and the temples), relaxed on Gili Meno, discovered Lombok, made my way on a crappy boat to Komodo & Rinca, Flores islands to see some dragons and nice corals. Today I flew back to Bali to connect to Sulawesi. All the seats were sold out, so I got stuck for the night here. I left my backpack at the airport and decided to enjoy the civilized world before I head back to the real Indonesia. I am actually enjoying Kuta's vibe for the night.

I have all the gritty details as always but... I have been hoping to update my blog, but Indonesian internet is not cooperating with me at all. I cannot upload any pictures and it's been killing me. One day...

Yogyakarta, Indonesia

Another weekend trip that happened ages ago and I only got around now to post some pictures. We went to a city on Java Island of Indonesia that I have never heard of before. Yogyakarta is close to two UNESCO sights but still has not developed into a touristy enclave like Siem Riep. It is quite authentic - you will get plenty of sincere smiles and questions. For especially brave ones I would recommend to spend an afternoon in the bird market near the palace. Animal right activists would be very upset to see all those cute animals locked up in inhumanly tiny cages next to each other.




The highlight of the trip was the magnificent Borobudur, ancient Buddhist temple from 8th century that is built in 9 terraces with special stupas on top and Buddha in each of them. Early morning makes the vistas romantic with fogs hugging the valley and hiding the volcanic Mount Merapi in the far. Another hour and the temple is swamped with local tourists in groups, and so are we. I must be appearing on hundreds of pictures. Lesson learned- never say YES to a picture unless you are ready for hundreds of them. But seriously, school kids were super cute and shy and we were only happy to pose in not-touristy Java.








The next stop was the partly destroyed by 2006 massive earthquake Hindu temple Prambanan. I have to admit that the midday heat took away our ability to admire this beautiful temple.



The day ended with an amazing two hour massage at a local place for about $10. Not a bad weekend trip at all!

Yogyakarta set on flickr

Cambodia - Siem Riep, Angkor Temples

Another short break from studying and we go to Cambodia - to visit the ancient temples of Angkor Wat.

Some similarities between the India and Cambodia are visible in faces, the language, state of the infrastructure and even cuisine. We reach Siem Riep, a little paradise for tourists. Hard-core backpackers might be disappointed. Fancy hip westernised cafes align the main streets of Siem Riep. Isn't it nice - a cheap getaway with similar quality of food and service. Where is Cambodia do I ask?

It is 15 minutes away - floating villages of Tonle Sap Lake are among the poorest populated areas in the region. One can argue about the ethic aspects of a tour to such a village but I found very interesting. We took a boat and floated around the lake at the sundown, visiting one school and a crocodile farm.






The next two days despite the 35C heat outside we diligently spent exploring Angkor, the remains of Khmer Empire. As they say there are over thousand of temples in the area, the opportunities are endless. One can spend at least a week exploring the main temples inside the park area. Even though I am not a history fan, I was fascinated by the colours, shades, shapes, sculptures, details and the setting. If not for the mass tourism in place, I would have named it the most sacred place I have been to. But we were lucky in the morning when our group of friends would be the only one making noise in the silence of the jungle. Breathtaking, indeed.

Here are the most famous (and visited) temples in Angkor:

Bayon - 51 temple towers with faces on each of the four sides keeping watch






Ta Prohm or how we called it "the tree temple", where Tomb Rider was filmed and the secret was out






Classic - sunrise over Angkor Wat, the architectual masterpiece in fine proportions





Sunset on the top of Bakheng Mountain


and many more temples...

The set of flickr is here.

Rawa Dreams

After an intense week we packed our bags and after a few hours of sleep on FridaY night woke up at 5 am to leave for a small paradise called Pulau Rawa in Malaysia. The island is tiny - it took us 30 minutes to circle it in a kayak. The water is unbelievably clear and the sand is really white.







INSEADers are hyper active and during 30 hours on the island we managed to snorkel, kayak, play beach volleyball, polo, Frisbee, hike, swim, jump off the jetty, get sun burnt. I personally could have used more hammock time with a book.

12 hours of sleep Saturday night helped and I am back in a 6-hour sleep mode in Singapore.