INDONESIA: RECIPE OF A SUCCESSFUL TRIP

RECIPE: INDONESIA

Preparation time:

30 days on spot (or 31 depending on the immigration scale), meaning 7367 kms travelled.

Cooking time:

119 hours spent in 36 different transports.

Ingredients:

• 2 planes (internal flights)

• 2 trains (tourist class for the apprentice cooks, eco class for the professionals)

• 2 ferrys

• 9 local buses

• 5 minivans

• 1 bemo

• 1 pick-up (for more taste, in the trunk...)

• 8 Grabs

• 1 motorized rickshaw

• 5 scooters

Seasonings:

• Too much fried noodles and rice

• A lot of soto ayam (preferably accompanied by locals: firefighters or both bride and groom, your choice to make)

• 1 snorkeling session (at least)

• 5 fresh waterfalls

• 1 good sunburn (do not forget a big tube of sunscreen)

• 1 scooter’s flat tire

• 3 mountains' ascents: Pananjakan (2775m) to overlook the Bromo volcano, the caldeira of Tengger (2300m), and Pergasingan (1600m) to admire the Rinjani volcano

• 1 wake-up call at 2:45am in a freezing weather (keep in mind the headlamp and the many layers of clothes)

• 32h of bus worthy of a nightclub

• 1 pseudo volcanic eruption

• 1 ton of plastic picked up from the balinese rice fields

• 10 orangs-outans in their natural habitat

• To choose:

  • one frontal collision between two buses on a mountain

  • one deliberate abandon by a local in the middle of the jungle for underestimating the tip

• 2 murders of asian cockroaches

• 1 broken Go Pro

• 1 swimming varan

• 1 session of rafting on big wheels

• 1 forgotten laundry bag

• 1 fine of 120€ for having overstayed 1 day (if possible, try to avoid throwing all the banknotes to the head of the customs officer)

Method (overview):

• JAVA

Visits of Borobudur’s & Prambanan’s temples Morning trek to contemplate the sunrise over the Mount Bromo’s region

• BALI

Volunteering experience (cleaning of rice fields) in the north: for the full story, it's HERE.

Blemantung waterfall

Our stop at Ana’s villa Snorkeling session in Amed

• LOMBOK

3 days motorbike loop including...

Stokel & Kelambu waterfalls

Hike to see the Mount Rinjani

Access to the semi-private beach of Telone

• SUMATRA

Maninjau Lake

2-days trek in the Gunung Leuser national park to meet wild orang-outans

The bill (for 2): 1188€

Positive feedbacks:

• An infinite choice of itineraries thanks to the islands' diversity and their respective particularities (landscapes, culture, religion, food...)

• The possibility to discover not so touristy places that are still authentic

• One of the two only destinations in the world (with Malaysia) where we can observe wild orang-outans

Negative feedbacks:

• Oppressing atmosphere because of behaviours towards tourists

• Continuing scams in negotiations (we are backpackers, not billionaires)

• Time spent in transportation (>100H)

To go further and read the recipe's full details, click HERE !