Did you know that Indonesia is comprised of over 17,000 islands? I sure didn’t. I’ve been to Bali a few times, but like most tourists, neglected the rest of the country. Thankfully, I had the opportunity of traveling from Jakarata through Bali arranged by #WonderfulIndonesia. Along with over 40 photographers, videographers, journalists, TV hosts, writers and bloggers, we traveled across a fraction of the country in a span of two weeks. I’ll be honest, I thought 14 days would be plenty of time, until I realized just how big Indonesia really is. It would literally take over half a lifetime to see the entire country. If you were to visit one island per day, you would have to spend 48 years to see every single island in Indonesia! Starting from Bandung to Bali, here were the highlights of the trip!
1. Kawah Putih (White Crater), Bandung, West Java
Indonesia is home to a plethora of volcanoes lying right along the Pacific Ring of Fire which happen to be the most active. The White Crater is a relatively stable volcano with no records of activity since 1600 located 50 kilometers south of Bandung in West Java. Kawah Putih is unique as it contains a sulfur lake that changes colors depending on the concentration of sulfur and the temperature or the oxidation state. The sand and rocks surrounding the lake also have an amazing yellowy-green color. Kawah Putih is gorgeous, but avoid the crater if there are signs of rain, the smell of sulfur can get pretty unbearable and the lake makes for better photographs when it’s not so gloomy (my photos are slightly depressing due to the overcast). While you’re in Bandung, hit up San Francisco for the BEST MARTABAK EVER!
2. Borobudur, Magelang, Central Java
Watching the sunrise at Borobudur was a sunrise worth the 4:00 am wake-up call. Of all the temples we visited, Borobudur was definitely my favorite. Built in the 9th century, Borobudur is the largest Buddhist temple in the world consisting of nine stacked platforms and decorated with 504 Buddha statues. Before its rediscovery and restoration, the UNESCO World Heritage Site was completely abandoned, forgotten and hidden for centuries under layers of volcanic ash and jungle growth. After years of restoration, the millions of dismantled stones were individually identified, cataloged, cleaned, treated for preservation, then put back in place like a jigsaw puzzle. While you’re in Magelang, try to spend an afternoon at the Amanjiwo Hotel. It’s gorgeous!
3. Prambanan Temple, Yogyakarta, Central Java
Prambanan is another UNESCO World Heritage Site in Central Java. Evidence suggests that Prambanan was built in the 9th-century and is the biggest Hindu temple in Indonesia. Like Borobudur, Prambanan was also abandoned and started to deteriorate due natural disasters. The Dutch began reconstruction of Prambanan began in 1918 until about 1930, however because of continued earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, the site remains under restoration to this day. The main temples have been rebuilt, but most of the smaller shrines are now visible only in their foundations, with no plans for reconstruction.
4. Mount Bromo, Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park, East Java
Mount Bromo is an active volcano in East Java. I’m not going to lie, getting there was a mission. It’s not the easiest tourist attraction to get to, but it’s worth seeing at least once. We stayed at the Jiwa Jawa Resort which is the closest resort to Mount Bromo. Our wake up call was at 2:00 am and by 3:00 am we were packed into jeeps on our way up the mountain to watch the sunrise. Unfortunately, the weather didn’t work in our favor, and our sunrise was nothing but fog and mist. Our luck started to turn early into the morning as the fog dissipated and we finally saw what we came for! By 7:00 am, we were riding horses in the dessert so we could get to the base of the Bromo Crater. After climbing 250 steps, we were face-to-face staring right into the mouth of the crater. Considering Mount Bromo’s last eruption was in 2011 and before that, 2004, theoretically, this bad boy should blow any day now.
5. Komodo National Park, Komodo Island, Flores
I’m a chicken sh*t, so I wasn’t exactly excited about seeing the Komodo dragons. Just to give some background, Komodo dragons are a large species of carnivorous lizards that use to kick it with dinosaurs. They are now considered endangered species only found in Komodo National Park in Indonesia. Komodos can be as large as 3 meters long and weigh up to 70 kilograms. They hunt by stalking their prey, then charging at them and attacking their underside or throat. Their bites are lethal, but their venom works slow. They follow their prey until it dies a slow painful death. They eat their prey by tearing large chunks of flesh and swallowing them whole while holding the carcass down with their forelegs. And YES, they attack humans.
6. Padar Island, Flores
Padar Island is one of the largest islands in the Komodo National Park. Located between Komodo and Rinca Island, Padar was also home to Komodo dragons, but they have slowly disappeared migrating to Komodo and Rinca Island because of a lack of food. One of the most breath-taking views is at the top of Padar. The hike is quite easy and takes about 20-minutes, but make sure you wear proper footwear because it’s quite steep.
7. Pink Beach, Flores
Pink Beach is exactly what it sounds like – a beach with pink sand! The sand gets its color from a mixture of white sand combined with red sand, formed from thousands of broken coral pieces, shells, and calcium carbonate materials left behind by foraminifera (tiny marine creatures with red and pink shells). These creatures live in the coral reefs that surround the beach. To be completely honest, I was expecting the beach to be more pink. Regardless, it was pretty cool to see. Pink beach is also a great place to snorkel with vibrant coral reefs, fish and clear calm waters.
8. Jatiluwih Rice Terrace, Tabanan, Bali
I almost skipped out on Jatiluwih Rice Terrace, but I’m glad I didn’t! Jatiluwih is an amazing rice terrace along the foot of a mountain in West Bali. We drove by tons of rice patties in Bali, but Jatiluwih was hands down the most surreal.
9. Pura Uluwatu, Uluwatu, Bali
Pura Uluwatu is a Balinese sea temple perched on the edge of a 80-meter high cliff in Uluwatu, Bali. Pura Uluwatu is an amazing place to watch the sunset as it shares the same backdrop as the Tanah Lot Temple. It’s also super close to Alila Villas Uluwatu, which is definitely worth checking out.
10. Seminyak Beach, Seminyak, Bali
Seminyak is considered the bougie / trendy part of Bali. There are a ton of shops, restaurants, resorts, and the beach is a step up from the extremely touristy and slightly grimy Kuta Beach. I would highly recommend spending some time here and watching the gorgeous sunset on the beach if you get a chance.