Diverse Indonesia – Part 1

Good to know

• Language: Bahasa (but easy to learn basic phrases)
• Currency: IDR or Indonesian rupiah
• Monsoon season: November–March
• Religion: Islam

1. Java

Java is the island on which the capital city is located. But this huge city didn't interest us. We visited the south and the eastern part of the island instead, where the huge temples Borobudur and Prambanan reign. We rented a scooter to time our visits according to our tempo. Unfortunately we didn't manage to see the sunrise at Borobudur, but we were still amazed by the beauty and energy of the temple. Also, Prambanan is worth your money and time, so don't think of skipping it.

Then it was time for some sleepless nights. In the eastern part of Java, there are many interesting volcanoes that are open to visitors. We based ourselves in Malang, a super colourful city where a student project turned entire neighbourhoods into tourist magnets and helped the local community.

The first volcano was Bromo. We started around midnight from Malang, because we wanted to see the sunrise. When we arrived at King Kong Hill, as the viewing platform is called, it was still pitch black and sooo cold. Although it was August, I wore three layers, a wool beany, and gloves. We squeezed in small coffee shops where open fire was keeping us warm until… the big show started. Actually, it was pure magic. We found a nice spot to sit on the hill and watched how the volcanoes emerged in front of our eyes with every sunray. Soon, we could see a bunch of volcanoes, some were still fuming, and a big land of sand (or ash, we weren’t sure). We drove down, through the sea of sand to the foot of the volcano, but the crater was closed due to recent eruption. On our way back, we stopped at Terjun Coban Pelangi waterfall, which tumbles into the heart of the forest.

From Malang, we travelled to Licin, a small village close to the next volcano we planned to visit. Ijen is known as the main source of sulphur in the region. But we all know how dangerous and toxic sulphur is. We were relieved to get masks for the toxic fumes. Again, we started shortly after midnight, but this time we didn't drive up, we hiked up. After about an hour, we came to the crater when our guide said we could also descend into the crater to see the famous blue fire. Blue fire? Hell, yeah! We’re going in, without question. We descended around 700 metres into the crater of the volcano, the toxic gases were making me cough, but the blue fire was just wooow. Incredible, what our mother nature is capable of. We climbed back to the rim and in pitch darkness walked around the crater to another sunrise spot. This one was totally different than the one from the previous day – the first rays revealed the electric turquoise toxic lake at the bottom of the crater and the sky above the volcano turned to a gentle pink. I'll never forget that morning. After returning to Licin, we had breakfast and walked a bit around the rice fields nearby.

2. Nusa Penida

We continued to Bali, but just to catch the boat to Nusa Penida. We could also call the island as the »wild« one – the roaring ocean eats its way through the high cliffs, forming natural stone bridges. The currents are incredibly strong, which is the main reason that on one side of the island the water is warm, and on the other ice cold. This very mixing of different waters and currents is what the big sun fish or mola mola likes. We went on two dives in search of a giant sun fish but, unfortunately, we didn't spot any.

The most famous attraction of Nusa Penida is definitely the Kelingking beach, where only the fittest and bravest go (or the ones crazy enough). We were among them. The path down is really steep, narrow and dirty, so please bring good shoes and water. But once you arrive to the beach and see the vast stone cliffs surround you, and there’s only the wild ocean with its enormous waves in front of you, you start to realise how small und unimportant we are in this world. Worth visiting are also the Atuh and Diamond Beach, and there are also the Insta famous treehouse and an underground temple not far away.

3. The Gili islands

After so much action in the past days, we needed a break and some beach time. Just two hours north by ferry are the small Gili islands. First, we stayed on Trawangan, which was too loud for us and there was too much of a party scene going on. The next day, we moved to Meno. The island is known for the underwater statues you can snorkel to. But it didn’t suit us either, it was just too quiet. So, the next morning, we moved to the last of the three islands, Gili Air. This one we really enjoyed – it was a perfect mix of bars with music and secluded romantic corners. We decided to stay there a bit longer to rest and catch up on sleep.

This is it for today. Next time, we'll take you further on our trip to the islands of Lombok, Flores and Bali. If you’re curious and can’t wait to read more about them, or are craving for more info about the itinerary I shared with you today, visit www.slovenianstravel.com. You’re also welcome to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok and on our Youtube channel, where you'll find vlogs from our trips.

Thanks for reading and see you next time.