5/23-6/12: Indonesia
Indonesia was really special for me. Before this nomadic journey started, a couple of friends from back home had pledged to meet me across the Pacific and to my disbelief...they came! (I've had plenty of people mention that they want to join me but never heard from them, so I kept expectations low :P). It feels like it just yesterday that we pinpointed Indonesia AKA INDO IS A GO as the place we'd make the rendezvous, and after 6 months of planning, it became reality. Backpacking solo & with Chris is nice and all, but being in the company of a group of friends from home really made these couple weeks priceless. We couldn't have picked a better spot as Indonesia itself is incredibly diverse and one of the gems of SE Asia. One day I'd be diving in Komodo with 15+ manta rays, the next day I'd be hiking up a mountain at 2am to see the blue flames of Mt. Ijen.
Indonesia is often an overlooked by some of the more common/easier travelled countries, but it shouldn't be missed if you're backpacking in Asia. I can't wait to come back here to hopefully do my Dive Master Training!
Itinerary:
If I were to go back in time +been solo traveling, I would make a couple modifications to our itinerary. I would stay in Kuta, Ubud, Nusa for one day less - I ended up feeling restless at moments, but had friends to entertain me.
- Kuta (2 nights @ Kayun downtown backpacker hostel)
- Ubud (3 nights @ Ubud AirBnb)
- Nusa Lembogan (3 nights @ Nusa AirBnb)
- Labuan Bajo (4 nights @ Bajo View)
- Banyuwangi (Mt. Ijen) (1 night @Kampung Osig Homestay)
- Cemoro Lawang (Mt. Bromo) (2 night @random homestay)
- Surabaya 6/12-6/13 (1 night @ Ikiru Hostel)
Highlights:
- Chilling with some old friends (Tim, Johnway, Ryan, Kat, Steph +that jerk Chris +meeting Laura)
- Can you say $7 massages every single day in Kuta?
- Panty (Pantai) Dreamland and its destruction waves. Beware if you're boogieboarding!
- Meeting the Legend AKA our driver who was the most epic man in Indonesia
- Icing Steph and Tim w/ Coca-cola Smirnoff Ices
- Whitewater rafting in Ubud, screaming "BINTANG, BINTANG, BINTANG" with our guide Chris Perry (rumor has it, he's related to Katy Perry)
- Our Ubud & Nusa AirBnb were off the hook -- a refreshing change from the standard hostel bunks
- Home cooked instant noodles meals with beer and Bang everyday in Ubud
- Scootering & watching Ryan eat it on a pothole. Not funny in the moment, but memorable in retrospect
- Beerpong Indo rules = throw the ball in the pool, first one to retrieve it with their mouth wins cups
- Nasi Goreng & Mi Goreng specials... actually this could be a lowlight at some places
- Doing some INSANE dives in Komodo. Mantas, turtles, crazy currents - I doubt any dive will top these. If you're going to Komodo, make sure you dive with UberScuba
- Shouting match with a merchant while bargaining over a few bracelets (Tim's highlight of Indo)
- Meeting Mr. Sam. My hostel owner, ex-miner, tourguide of Mt. Ijen and overall one of the most incredibly authentic people I've met on this trip
- Sunrise hike up to Mt. Bromo. Hiking through the dark to find a viewpoint in the dark solo was definitely an adventure
- Getting into Mt. Bromo national park without paying the $25 entrance fee. If you're going to hike this, drop me a line and I'll send you the coordinates for the "unofficial" entrance
- Solo traveling again. It was definitely nerve racking, but incredibly rewarding when finally make it to my destinations
Lowlights:
- Taxi drivers in SE Asia that try to rip you off have no souls. I hate them. I can feel my blood boiling just typing this.
- Really aggressive people trying to rip you off in Kuta "Transport? Magic Mushrooms? Singlet?"
- Having the Sky Garden security guard steal our money we paid for shots after it blew off the table :(
- Ryan falling off his scooter/losing Ryan on his scooter (in retrospect a highlight)
- Sleeping in a tent (Bajo View) for 3 nights with humidity that would never let you feel dry
- Paying 3x more than I should've for the bus from Kuta-Banyuwangi
- + the Bus forgot about me and dropped me on a random street corner miles away
- Lots of inhaled sulfur gas from the crater of Mt. Ijen. That stuff BURNS.
- For the 2nd half of Indo, all my clothes reeked of mildew. A guesthouse "washed" them and returned them smelling worse
- Don't take the fastboat from Bali to Nusa Lembongan, that was THE most dangerous transportation I've taken thus far. Imagine a small-ish/overpowered boat slamming into concrete-like waves every couple minutes
- Surabaya was a traffic hell
