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Snorkeling in Komodo National Park
Komodo National Park is famous for housing the world’s only population of Komodo dragons. The Komodo dragons—deadly lizards famed for being the largest reptiles on Earth—are the park’s premier tourist draw. And rightly so. They are terrifying and utterly fascinating. Yet tourists who visit Komodo National Park and limit their experience to animal encounters above water, are missing out on one of the world’s greatest underwater wonderlands. The coral reefs around Komodo National Park are spectacular. In all my travels, I’ve rarely come across such a remarkable array of colorful…
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Things to Do on Gili Air: Indonesia’s Relaxing Paradise
I don’t know if I truly understood what it meant to be relaxed, until I visited the small Indonesian island of Gili Air. In our increasingly hectic and fast-paced world, Gili Air is a place where one can take a step back from the frenetic tempo of modern life and learn a bit about the art of doing nothing or, as the Italians like to say, il dolce far niente. Even the sense of peace and tranquility that I found in Bali, couldn’t compare to that which I felt while looking out at the…
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Visiting Bali: The Island of 1000 Temples
Sitting smack in the middle of the Indonesian Archipelago and sandwiched between Java and Lombok, the achingly beautiful island of Bali is, without a doubt, Indonesia’s number one tourist attraction. Bali’s beaches, verdant scenery and cultural relics have fueled the island’s popularity and turned it into a mecca for those seeking relaxation, yoga and healing. Bali’s spirituality is palpable and the island’s intricately carved Hindu temples are everywhere—on street corners, between houses and even in individual yards. It is no wonder they call Bali the island of 1000 temples. Yet, despite often being associated with paradise, the island sometimes…
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Kawah Ijen Volcano: Blue Fire and Sunrise Hike
I first heard about the Kawah Ijen Volcano during an episode of Human Planet. The video clip featured a scene in which miners, undertaking one of the most hazardous jobs on Earth, hauled chunks of yellow sulphur out of the depths of an active volcano. The video footage of their harrowing journey was captivating. And I was mesmerized by the scenes that unfolded in front of me on TV. In the months and years that followed, images of Kawah Ijen’s blue fire, its sulphur miners and its turquoise lake remained…
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Mount Bromo Sunrise Tour and Crater Hike
Java is a land born from volcanic fire. On the island alone, there are 112 volcanoes, 35 of which are active. These unpredictable mountains of lava and ash have sculpted Java’s wild and mountainous landscape. The Indonesian island teems with fertile highlands, steamy jungles, cloud-ringed cinder cones, and billowing craters. Perhaps the most emblematic of these Javanese peaks is Mount Bromo. With its puffing smoke and sea of undulating sand, the volcano puts Indonesia’s natural beauty on display in dramatic fashion. BROMO TENGGER SEMERU NATIONAL PARK Bromo Tengger Semeru…
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Dieng Plateau Day Trip from Yogyakarta
When people think of Indonesia, their imaginations usually take them straight to Bali and its abundance of ornate Hindu temples. But high up in Dieng Plateau of Central Java, a much more off-the-beaten path adventure awaits that can be equally rewarding. The name “Dieng” means Abode of the Gods and there are clusters of ancient temples—most dating back to the 8th and 9th centuries—that sit nestled in the area’s verdant hillsides. In the Dieng Plateau, the cultural and geographical riches rival those you’ll see in Bali. But there’s one major…
