"Indonesia- Jewelled archipelago" Indonesia by mallyak

Indonesia Travel Guide: 18,775 reviews and 48,027 photos

Mother natures Blessings and Curse

A spectacular land of natural beauty, the country has more beaches than any other country in the world.Our visit close on the heels of the terrorist attacks in Bali and the earth quake in Jogyakarta had some shaking their heads .When our Garuda flight circled over the Island before landing at Denpasar, introduction to the to this natural paradise of lush rain forests , soaring volcanoe peaks and sandy sea coasts had us gaping at this awsome land scape.
Sadly this beautiful country has been struck by natural disasters but what was amazing was the people of this country went about their daily life with never ending smiles and optimistic about life in general.
One thing I noticed was the close similarities between Indonesia and India , 2 diverse countries with numerous problems but knit together by the very diversity and resilience of its people.......

BALI/UBUD-peaceful and tranquil

Family at prayers-

We chose to stay in the village of bali far away from madenning crowd and did not make a single visit to the touristy KUTA.Ubud was beautifully laid back , very clean and perched on the gentel slopes .It is considerd the centre of "Cultural tourism'Its getting a bit crowded though , and dificult to walk without being constantly asked "transport?" by the locals .Our "no thanks" was always reciprocated with a gentle smile "perhaps another day?"There is an amazing amount to see and perhaps the 5 days we chose was not enough......

YOGYAKARTA :Cultural heart of central Java

The local muslim girls were eye catching

This cultural heart of java pronounced "Jogja'is an intelectual centre.it was a great contrast to Bali and more like an indian city-crowded,chaotic , dirty , dusty.... that why we loved it so much.The lack of the "touristy" touch was another very nice thing about Jogya unlike in bali were tourists seem to be more prominant than the locals. The local muslims were very friendly and for the first time in my life I had the feeling of being a celebrety bollywood actor with calls of " Hi Amitabh Bachan/ Sharukh Khan"!. Bollywood is HUGE here.
Yogya has noisy chaotic traffic but behind the main streets , a short stroll to the Kampungs , life is serene and unhurried... Oh yogya, a love affair has started.....

Pros and Cons

Pros:Great atmosphere, culture and people
Cons:5 days
In a nutshell:Must visit for the die hard back packer

Last visit to Indonesia: Feb 2007
Intro Updated Aug 15, 2007
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Reviews (10)

Borabudur and Prabhanan Things to Do (9)

The delta guest house offered us a private car to vist the great sight sof borabudur and Prambhanan for Rupiah 450, 000... more travel advice

Steeper and steeper, but still crops are grown - Indonesia

Deing plato and the beautiful hot... Things to Do (9)

This plateau is 2,000 meters above sea level providing a cool and refreshing atmosphere. The oldest surviving Hindu... more travel advice

Local Damsel in the Charming Hijab at Taman Sari - Indonesia

Pasar Ngasem and Jln Malioboro Things to Do (9)

West of the Karaton, known as a local bird market Pasar Ngasem , selling different kinds of colourful birds, bird feed... more travel advice

Pendopo at Kraton-Chandeliars and sumatran Ladies - Indonesia

Kraton/Taman sari Things to Do (9)

At the center of Yogyakarta lies a city within the city: the Kraton. Built in the middle of the 18th century, this... more travel advice

Hotels (1)
feel at home at Rumah Roda

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Comments (19)

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WStat Jun 8, 2010 at 11:59 PM

Hi Kashi! Your beautiful pictures trigger wonderful old memories of Bali! Sorry, that we cant meet in Vienna, but let me know, when and how long you will stay in Bratislava! Greetings Willy
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jumpingnorman Mar 16, 2009 at 10:55 AM

The rice-terraced fields look so much like those in the Philippines! Norman :)
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junecorlett Mar 5, 2009 at 7:02 AM

We have an out-door hot water shower at the dam. It is wonderful. Reminds me of when we go to the "bush" in SA, the same there..feel part of nature.
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lynnehamman Feb 27, 2009 at 4:40 PM

Kashi- I have been to a few of these places you write about. Brought back good memories.Ubud is lovely. That Guest house sounds ideal.Thanks for sharing.
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angiebabe Jan 19, 2009 at 4:55 AM

Hi again, might get to Indonesia one day!its the outlying areas that mostly attract me - and interesting re the food for tourists!such a shame that the local cuisine can be missed by the tourist for the adaptations that apparently they require!
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cuppadamoksha Nov 18, 2008 at 12:11 AM

if you drop into Coorg it will be best time to plan a VT meet here :) I hope you can make it. We can have a barbeque over a bonfire at my estate .
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aussiejen Nov 4, 2008 at 3:13 AM

Ubud is one of my favourite places, have been there twice this year!! We had a great time in Jogja and Borobudur too.
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vee01 Oct 23, 2008 at 3:40 AM

Nice descriptions of Yogaykarta (means city of happiness. root linguistic.- ayodhya).Well indian,hinduism,and java ..hmm i think they're related to one and another.Ask the world ancient historian.. =vee=
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easterntrekker Sep 24, 2008 at 1:20 PM

Mallyak fabulous pages!! I hope to get here some day!!
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kilat May 19, 2008 at 7:01 PM

If you also like trains: go to Ambarawa (Java). It is a museum with old (Dutch) trains, gou can even make a trip. Beautifull old stations for a desa high in the mountains.