Indonesia Summary

Indonesia was awesome. I would rank my best experiences as follows:

1. A trip to Nusa Penida island, including snorkeling with giant manta rays and sea turtles,

2. Walking along the rim of Mount Bromo volcano,

3. Exploring the Prambanan temples near Yogyakarta,

4. Spending a peaceful day in Medewi watching the ocean, fishermen, surfers, and the sunset,

5. Touring the temples of Ubud, the Monkey Forest, and the rice terraces.

The people of Indonesia are very friendly. They are happy to talk about their lives and share their thoughts—if they speak at least some English. To be fair, many still do not. If you’re looking for a driver for a longer trip, I definitely recommend finding one who speaks English. It’s best to talk directly with the drivers, because when booking online we experienced a situation where an English-speaking driver was promised, but in reality his vocabulary was limited to just a few words.

In terms of crime, Indonesia felt quite safe—especially when getting around with BlueBird app taxis. We didn’t experience any scams. We only encountered a few overly eager locals on the streets who were very keen to become our guides, but once we clearly said “no,” they left us alone. Most souvenir sellers were also quite polite and did not aggressively push their goods.

However, it is not very safe that many accommodations lack fire alarms. If one member of our travel group hadn’t been awake in a hotel room in Jakarta at 4 a.m., smelled smoke, and alerted the staff—who then called the fire department—who knows what might have happened.

Traffic is a bit crazy, especially in Jakarta, so we decided not to rent scooters to get around ourselves. Still, on the island of Bali this seemed to be a popular activity among tourists.

Volcanic eruptions are something you always have to take into account. At any given time, there are supposedly 3–4 volcanoes actively erupting in Indonesia. Because of a volcanic ash cloud, we had to cancel our trip to the islands of Flores and Komodo and instead spend several days in Jakarta, where there wasn’t all that much to see.

Indonesia is very large, and in two weeks you don’t actually see that much. Ideally, you would need 2–3 months to properly explore the world’s largest archipelago. There is so much incredible nature, fascinating culture, and picturesque ruins. After all, this is a country with a population twice the size of Russia’s. Including the sea between the islands, Indonesia covers an area nearly the size of Europe.

For me, what made the Indonesian experience especially memorable was our group of four travel companions—we were always laughing together. Maybe one day I’ll end up there again.

Until then: selamat tinggal!