Indonesia travel is full of surprises. That’s why it’s one of our favorite places. At some point, you’re traveling around the country, maybe it’s on the Flores road trip, or attending a Torajan funeral on Sulawesi for someone that’s been dead for five years, or when you’re staring down a Komodo Dragon, or when the orangutan in Kalimantan decides to get so close you could reach out and touch them, you realize this place has a special kind of magic.
The Indonesian people are wonderful, helpful and patient at every turn. This goes a long way when you’re trying to guide a partially blind man around a country with challenging terrain. Many situations are faced with a smile and the people laugh easily. Making friends is easy, even when language can be challenging.
Sure, there were frustrations, and sometimes more red tape than seemed necessary. That’s part of why Indonesia surprised us. One minute the place is driving us crazy, the next I realize we’re driving through a tropical paradise. So, it takes a little getting used to.
We specifically went for the more adventurous things and less for the touristy places, like Bali. I’m sure Bali is great, but we’ll have to catch it next time.
Indonesia is also very affordable. Street food and local warungs (simple restaurants) are excellent and cheap and accommodations rarely exceeded $15-20/night for a private room. We splurged on the private houseboat tour in Kalimantan (Borneo) to see the orangutans and it was worth every penny (and not truly that expensive when you consider the private crew and chef).
At some point we’ll be going back. There is so much to see and so much diversity within Indonesia it will take a long time before we’ve seen it all. We hope you enjoy reading and watching about our adventures there, and the ones to come in the future.