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Bali's Popular tourist Destination
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I have always been fascinated by the places in Indonesia. It was my childhood dream to set foot on the magical island of Bali, stand close to a volcano, and explore the islands of Sumatera and Java. I thought it would be a dream just like any other dreams when you wake up to find emptiness surrounding you. But, my dreams came true.
The rapid growth in air industry and the many low cost carriers have made many it possible for dreams to come true. So I pack my bags and go places.
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| Bali to Surabaya By Lion Air |
With the grace of Allah, I was able to see the hidden wonders of Indonesia. I have been to Bali, Jakarta, Medan and Bandung several times. Apart from these places I have also been to Padang, Pekan Baru, Solo, Semarang, Surabaya, Yogyakarta, Bukit Tinggi and Batam.
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| Shangri-La - Bali |
I have seen Mount Merapi in Yogyakarta, Mount Sinabung and Mount Sibayak in Brastagi, Medan, Tankuban Perahu in Bandung and Mount Agung in Bali. Each mountain has its own tale and its two faces- Beauty and the Beast.
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| Balinese girl welcoming at Hotel Shangri-La , Bali |
I have also seen the other side of Indonesia. I’ve learnt that every country tends to have its unique fixations.The capital of Indonesia is an eye sore city not for tourists. Indeed, the traffic in the Indonesian capital is epic.
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| Traffic jam or ' Machet' is chaotic in Jakarta |
I have seen poverty written all across Indonesia. I have seen the elderly and children sleeping along roadsides, I have seen children walking the crowded streets selling anything from newspapers to cigarettes.
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| Plenty of street children in the streets of Jakarta. |
On rainy days, children make few rupiahs by lending umbrellas to people caught in the rain. Youths with guitars, called street singers jump into moving trains, buses and ‘angkots’ or van taxis. They pass the hat around after rendering a song or two. I had a chance to talk to one street singer in Yogyakarta on why he has chosen this profession. His answer was straight and sincere. “Many university graduates fail to get jobs, and I think it is not a sin to be a street singer. No use going to school if in the end we can't get a good job," He said that he ran away from home at the age of eight.
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| Umbrella children wait in the rain for customers |
Indonesia is a vast country of sprawling archipelago, which has much to offer; from natural beauty, historical heritage to cultural diversity. The low cost airlines actually have made it possible for people like me to travel to places, which were once out of reach.
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| Landing in Semerang |
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| Tanah Abang- Jakarta |
My most memorable trip was to Borobudur, which I have always wanted to visit. It is a 9th-century Mahayana Buddhist Temple in Magelang, Central Java, Indonesia about 40km from Yogyakarta.
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| Borobudur |
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| Borobudhur |
I visited this magnificent temple on a hot humid day. The journey to Mangelang from Yogyakarta was full of interesting sights. You will pass stretches of craftsmen and sculptors creating magic from their fingers.
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| Lava and destruction from Gunung Merapi on the way to Borobudur |
The fury of Mount Merapi has left many dents along the way. Once I reached Borobudur, I was drowned in the beauty of the craftsmanship of the temple.
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| Sculptures can be seen along the route to Borobudur |
Not far from Yogyakarta in Central Java is Prambanan a small out of the path town. Here there is a 9th-century Hindu temple in a huge compound. The architecture is one of its kinds in the world.
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| Beautiful view from the top of Borobudur temple |
Solo is a far cry from Jakarta and this city has less hustle and bustle. Solo or Surakarta as it is known has a unique railway station from where you can get fast trains to Yogyakarta.
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| Railway station Solo |
Solo is well known for its batik industry and I did purchase a beautiful batik paining from the original painter for an unbelievable price.
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| I bought this beautiful painting |
Yogyakarta/Jogja is well known as one of the main tourist destinations in Indonesia. It is referred to as an Arts and Culture City, which is also the gateway to many, interesting places in Indonesia. Horse carts are seen all over the city and it is clean and well kept.
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| Horse cart in Yogyakarta |
Semarang is another town about 80 km from Solo. If you are to travel by road, it might take more than 3 hours and the worst part is that, you have to act as shock absorber in the taxi.
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| Semarang |
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| Semarang airport |
Padang, the capital of West Sumatera is sandwiched between the mountains and the sea. This once-humble fishing village is the modern face of Minangkabau culture and the cuisine the region gave to the world.
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| Padang Airport |
I really loved the Padang cuisine and I feel it has the best food in the country. Sadly, when I visited this town, it was still bleeding from an earlier Earthquake.
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| Minangkabau architecture in Padang |
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| Padang Food is delicious |
It looked scary and I opted to go to Bukit Tinggi instead.
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| Bukit Tinggi |
Bukit Tinggi has not much and the journey to the peak exhausted me to venture any further.
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| Jan Gadang Bukittinggi |
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| BKT. TINGGIThe next morning I was on my way to Pekan Baru by taxi, which almost took 6 hours. What was interesting was that I had to cross the Equator and this made me proud as I had already crossed the first line of longitude in Greenwich. |
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| Masjid di Indonesia |
Pekan Baru, the capital of Riau is a modern town and there is not much for a tourist except the coasts. It is a town for one to relax and watch the world go by.
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| Masjid An Nur- Pekan Baru |
Medan is not a clean city like Solo and Semarang but heading to the highlands of Brastagi and Lake Toba further away is the best option for a hungry tourist to feast the eyes.
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| Airport Medan |
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| Brastagi |
The cool climate here is welcoming from the heat of the low lands. There are plenty of local fruits and fresh vegetables here. You will never miss the sight of two great volcanoes Sinabung and Sibayak. I was in fact here, just two months before Mount Sinabung erupted.
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| Horse Carts in Brastag |
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| Fruits in Brastagi |
On the way to Lake Toba from Brastagi, you can catch a bird eye view of the famous Sipiso piso waterfall. Many tourists make it a point to stop here on the way to either Lake Toba or Brastagi.
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| Andong in Brastagi |
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| Brastagi town |
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| Sipiso piso waterfall |
Lake Toba is just breathtaking. This picturesque lake was formed by a gigantic volcanic eruption long long ago. It is best to spend a night in Samosir, an island nestling on this huge lake.
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| Lake Toba |
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| Danau Toba |
At night if you are lucky, you can see the moon dancing on the calm waters of this beautiful lake. You will be embraced by the cool blanket of the night as you drown in the serene atmosphere listening to the rhythm of the cool waters making the sleeping greenery dance and sway to its tune.
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| Brastagi |
This is the land of the Bataks and you are bound to bounce on their history dotted along the shores of this great lake.
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| Ambarita in Samosir island Danau Toba |
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| Danau Toba |
Medan town has not much to offer except the old palace and Pasar Ikan.
Medan has mixed races. Surprisingly you will see the impact of Indian influence here and there is even a huge temple in the heart of Medan.
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| Istana Medan |
Bandung is the province capital of West Java and also a shopping paradise in Indonesia. It has a pleasant climate as it is on a higher altitude.
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| Masjid in Bandung |
There are many factory outlets and you will almost see all the branded names. Indonesians sometimes call these shops real fakes. Buyers must beware - because while many of the items are actually factory overruns there are also a large number of fake items.
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| Factory outlet in Bandung |
These imitation branded garments have been crafted to copy the actual branded goods but use inferior materials and fake labels. Brands at many of the stores include: Abercrombie & Fitch, Eddie Bauer, MAG, Nautica, Fendi, Elle, Hugo Boss, DKNY, Espirit, Calvin Klein, Armani, Crocodile, Balley Apostrophe, Alfred Dunhill, Nike, Reebok, Limited, The Gap, Banana Republic, Guess, Tommy Hilfiger, Polo, Adidas, Puma, Ann Taylor, D&G, BCBG, J. Crew, Allure, Benetton, Cerruti 1881, Victoria's Secret, NY & Company, Sag Harbor, Old Navy, Ocean Pacific, Roxy, Hush Puppy, Versache, Table Eight, Cherokee, Express, Zara, Karen Scott, Sears, and Mervyn's brands. An item, which costs US $65, can be easily available for US $ 5 here. Isn’t it worth going here? I have been here at least 10 times and I t bet, you will not be able to identify the fake and real.
Apart from shopping there are many places to visit and also to taste the Sunda food.
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| Buka Puasa in Hilton Bandung |
Tangkuban Perahu is a dormant volcano 30 km north of the city of Bandung.
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| Tangkuban Perahu Bandung |
Along the way don’t miss ‘Kawah Putih ‘. This is a striking Crater Lake and a tourist spot in a volcanic crater. Jakarta is just 3 hours comfortable rain journey from Bandung
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| Kawah Putih |
Surabaya is another beautiful city in Indonesia. It is Indonesia's second-largest city and the capital of the province of East Java.
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| Seminar in Surabaya |
Surabaya has quixotic little corners of interest. Its historic Arab quarter is fascinating. Surabaya also has one of Indonesia’s biggest Chinatowns and a roster of impressive, though disintegrating, Dutch buildings. Actually I was here for a conference and missed a great attraction that is Mount Bromo due to time frame.
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| A Balinese Festival. |
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| Beach in Seminyak Bali |
Bali is close to Surabaya and it is referred to as ‘The land of Gods’. The island is full of cultures and colours at every turn. It has beautiful beaches with huge waves ideal for surfing. There is something magical about this island as it attracts you to come again and again and I have visited this beautiful island several times.
Batam is close to Singapore and a short ferry ride will bring you to this free trade zone area and the largest among the islands of Riau. I have been here twice just for shopping Indonesian goods. The island is really quiet except the harbor where the hustle and bustle is. Island hopping will take you to some remote untouched islands in the Riau islands.
Indonesia is a country housing rich culture, traditions and customs. It is a vast country with rich historical heritage and friendly people. The country has diverse cultures, languages, costumes and colours.
Travelling is indeed a way of learning, meeting, mixing and mingling. It gives you the first hand knowledge and it allows you to unwind your stress.
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| It is time to say good bye to Indonesia before I leave Sokerno Hatta Airport Jakarta to Penang. Bye |
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