The beautiful Indonesian island of Flores is growing ever more popular year on year. Some visitors choose to fly into Labuanbajo, explore world-renowned Komodo National Park, then jet back to Bali; others opt for a rushed overland tour with a private car and driver. Adventurous budget travellers, meanwhile, fly into either Labuanbajo or Maumere, hire… Continue reading How to See the Best of Flores in 14 Days
Sumatra has a mixture of people from many different backgrounds and religions that live side by side, all with a joint admiration, respect and fear for the other inhabitants of the island: the volcanoes! These gigantic original residents quietly watch over the land, coastal beaches, buzzing cities and of course, dense jungle. Within the jungle… Continue reading 10 Unmissable Places to Visit in Sumatra
Gunung Bromo and the Ijen Plateau are two of Java’s biggest highlights, attracting thousands of travellers every year. Many people opt to join a tour, either covering these places separately or choosing a combined option. Whilst tours can be good for those with limited time, they can also be very costly and don’t allow freedom… Continue reading How to do Gunung Bromo and the Ijen Plateau without a Tour
Two cities that aren’t really cities; the terms megalopolis and metropolis are more apt for the gigantic urban jungles that are Jakarta and Surabaya. Situated at practically opposite ends of Java, they make for convenient starting or finishing points if you plan to begin at one end of the island and finish at the other.… Continue reading Jakarta and Surabaya: Two Cities You Shouldn’t Miss
Yogyakarta is Java’s most popular tourist city; it is also central to the island’s artistic and intellectual heritage. Blending modernity and tradition, Yogyakarta is where you’ll see the Javanese arts at their brightest and traditions at their most visible. The city is still headed by a sultan, whose kraton (walled city palace) remains central to… Continue reading Your Complete 4 Day Guide to Yogyakarta
Bali is a magical island in the Indonesian archipelago that has come to be known as the 'Island of the Gods'. It is not hard to understand why. From golden sand beaches to misty volcano peaks and shimmering rice paddies, Bali is a very special island that is all too easy to fall in love… Continue reading How to Spend a Month in Bali: Island of the Gods
Whilst we were in Sumatra, one of the things on our list was to see orangutans in the wild. We knew the best place for this was the Gunung Leuser National Park, accessed from Bukit Lawang. Getting to Bukit Lawang We travelled from Medan by minibus for a reasonable 25,000 IDR each (£1.25 for us… Continue reading Encountering Orangutans in the Sumatran Rainforest
Indonesia is a huge country, comprised of around 15,000 islands, of which only 6000 are inhabited. Sumatra, the country's third largest island, is a land of fabulous food, towering volcanoes and of course, the ubiquitous orangutans. Coming from Australia, we finally arrived in Sumatra’s capital, Medan, a dirty, dusty, busy city where no sane person… Continue reading Quick Guide: Banda Aceh and Pulau Weh
OLLIE AND LYNETTE ON THE WORLD 