Indonesia

Thinking of heading for this vast archipelago for maybe a month early next year, after my appetite was truly whetted by a week in Lake Toba, Sumatra a few months back. Any tips or must-sees? I'm generally more interested in cultural experiences than beaches (though a bit of beach action is certainly not unwelcome), so prob more along the lines of Sulawesi or Guinea than Bali. I'm likely to be travelling solo.

Shit, this wasn't meant for ILM.

bump

i want to go

can u tell me of a good cheap retreat/detox beach place? thanks

Still almost certainly gonna go, but circumstances point to me being able to extend the trip to three months! May check out the Philippines as well, and maybe visit some friends in Oz if my carbon footprint can take it, thank you very much Air Asia.

My sister caught dengue fever in Indonesia, aka "bone-break fever". Get vaccinated, if you can. It's no fun.

It's all but booked - going in the first week of Feb, back mid April.

Went for a wedding a few months ago. Jakarta is massive, felt bigger than Mexico City or Sao Paulo despite being about half the size. Crazy traffic, threat of terrorism always looming (eg, hotel where rehearsal dinner was held was bombed 2 weeks later).

That said, a few hours outside of Jakarta are really amazing cultural experiences. I did a tour of traditional fabric weaving (ikat) and dyeing (batik) in Bandung which is about 2-3 hours southeast of Jakarta. The music of Sunda (about 1-2 hours west of Jakarta) is home to maybe my favorite music in the world, Sundanese gamelan:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7V5UncUNcCU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jyMHo9BfQyo

Bali is really beautifuls (esp out of season) as long as you stay away from Kuta. I stayed in a beach village about an hour west of Kuta called Beraban which was really amazing (and epic EMPTY surf):
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2475/3768509880_f04b8c2cbe_b.jpg

Ubud and the mountains to the north of Kuta/Denpesar are also really gorgeous, but can get really touristy in the towns.

Thanks Steve, useful advice. Definitely going to try and make it to the Philippines as well, anyone been there?

Jaxon recently went. I'll ask him to chime in.

One week to go.

so, anyone got more info about Sumatra or Java? my stepfather will be visiting in December.

Sumatra: only been to Lake Toba in the north, which is lovely - chilled backpackers, chilled locals, just chilled all round. Apparently it was once a traveller party destination to rival Ko Phagan, but it's fairly quiet now. I've heard there's not a huge amount for the more casual visitor in the south of the island, and a really frustrating infrastructure to boot.

Java: I did the tourist trail in seven days and had a really fun time: Jakarta-Bandung-Jogjakarta-Mount Bromo. Could've happily spent longer doing it, but I'd latched onto a group who didn't have much time. The must-sees are Jogja and Bromo.

hey thanks! any info on Sulawesi?

Nah, didn't go there! Heard it's great though.

https://twitter.com/vinncent?lang=en

John Roosa is an associate professor of history at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, and author of a seminal book on Indonesia in 1965. After reviewing the new documents and their media coverage this week, he told me that much “of the U.S. foreign policy establishment viewed it as a great victory that they were able to sort of ‘flip’ Indonesia very quickly.” Indonesia is the world's fourth-largest country by population size, and its communist party was the world's third-largest, after China and the Soviet Union.

Roosa added that a major problem with framing the events of 1965 is that it's often claimed the United States simply “stood by,” as the bloodbath occurred, which is incorrect. “It's easy for American commentators to fall into that approach, but the U.S. was part and parcel of the operation, strategizing with the Indonesian army and encouraging them to go after the PKI.”

I wrote that we fail to appreciate the significance of 1965, and how US-backed mass murder served Washington's goalshttps://t.co/2kXtu2SW12

— Vincent Bevins (@Vinncent) October 20, 2017

Will be going in March. Visiting a friend on Borneo (West-Kalimantan), with whom I'll be staying/travelling for about a week.
Will then have another two weeks for/by myself. Contemplating whether to stay on Borneo or spend some time in Java (as I'll probably be travelling via Jakarta) as well. Any suggestions from locals/travellers?

I'll probably be there on business next month, for the first time.

Given the choice of a weekend in Jakarta or a weekend in Surabaya, what would be more interesting?

Jakarta's not all that. I didn't spend any time in Surabaya itself, but it's near Mount Bromo which is cool. Yogyakarta could be another option.

Thanks! I have a bit of a weird itinerary (Bangkok - Surabaya - Manila) and the Bangkok-Surabaya leg is over a weekend so there's some flexibility. Mount Bromo looks very interesting.

You could always nip to Bali as well. Can't go wrong with Bali (unless you stay in Kuta).

I was thinking about that as you can fly from Bangkok to Denpasar but idk if I could swing a weekend in Bali on the company dime.

I think I am going to fly to Jakarta and take the ridiculously luxe nine-hour train across Java. I haven’t been on a properly long train ride in ages and they have seats that put BA’s business class to shame.

The Argo Bromo Anggrek train is excellent, fwiw. Everyone I’ve spoken to here thinks I’m mad for not flying between Jakarta and Surabaya but it was a very pleasant way to spend the day. The scenery isn’t particularly dramatic but it’s quite soothing sitting in a reclining seat, in your own little booth, and watching the rice fields whizz by.

idk if I could swing a weekend in Bali on the company dime.

It turns out I can in February. Is there anything interesting to do around Nusa Dua or it it mostly resort stuff?

There is a sea turtle preserve/hatchery just up the road. Was taken there at the end of a diving trip and it outclassed my expectations.

Oh wow, that sounds amazing,. Thanks,

I guess I mean... online reviews will say it's the worst thing in the entire world, and I felt like it was not horrible! But yeah if you're visiting out of season it might seem like not the best idea.

It looks like i have three free days in Jakarta next month. I passed through briefly last year but barely left the hotel as it was pouring with rain. Are there any particular highlights?