Ira_Rahmawati

I have travelled to many places in this country and each encounter still awes me. My travels to many countries outside Indonesia only confirm that Indonesia is one of a kind.

I remember spending about USD2,000 for one-week travel abroad and when I was looking out onto an island from my room in an adjacent island somewhere outside indonesia, a foreign friend of mine asked me, “Do you have something as beautiful as this in Indonesia?”

And I said, “In Indonesia, this kind of view will never make it to the tourist map as the people won’t consider that heap of soil there as something beautiful or worth-selling.”

Then I remember the many dollars I spent to another country to a city that they say “beautiful” and when I got there I said, “Only this?!”

One thing for sure, because 50% of Indonesians are Javans and Javan’s highest value is “humility”, marketing themselves is considered a shameful act, and they tend to downplay everything. No wonder many good things about this country is left hidden and you have to turn the stones to find the gems. Like every good traveler, you must plan your trip well and know where to go.

Its major drawback is that the country doesn’t have tourism infrastructure as advanced as it is in Australia: Car-rental with reliable companies (e.g. Eurocar, Avis, Blue Bird, etc.) is twice (if not thrice) the cost it is in Australia, many small lodgings do not have internet reservation and do not take any credit cards, the pick-pockets outnumbered the policemen, some places are acccessible only by back-packers or super-rich (no middle-class tourists).

Its major strength: It has everything for every kind of travelers.

Beware that though in general Indonesia is cheap, Jakarta is not.

I went to this place in April 2007 when the air was just right. It wasn’t too hot nor too cold. And driving up the curvy roads up to the hills at 7am when it was still misty and no one in sight took me to a different world.

It was just amazing to see how those monks live in solitary and keeping in touch with their inner self and choose to live a different way of living when most people are caught in the game called ‘getting richer faster’.

At times when I drove home from work at 11pm, I pictured myself living in meteora (not in the monastry) for a month just to help me rearrange my priorities.

Because of its status, you need to apply for permit and fill-out some forms before you are allowed to enter the active volcanoe. Better get there sometime in May, or in November so that it is not too hot nor too wet.

There at least ways to get to the volcano.
1. From Anyer. This is the most rewarding route if you don’t havve too much time in your hand. This way, you get to visit Anyer beach (not so great, though) and Carita (better, but further).
2. From Jakarta. If you have sometime with you, you can stop by the thousand islands on your way to the volcanoe.
3. From Lampung. This route is the shorter sea-route, but it is from an island accross Java Island.

The place house the Taman Mini Indonesia Indah, Beautiful Indonesia Miniature Park, which is not mini in its size because the park houses many museums (filateli, transportation, national heritage, and so many other I can’t remember them all), all types of places of worship, a lake with Indonesian islands, Children castle, 26 types of Indonesian traditional houses that house each ethnic group’s traditional tools, dresses, foods, and the like, Indonesian flower garden, bird garden, swimming pool, mini train station that circle the park, monorail, skilift, free hitchhike cars, etc.

Apart from the park, you can go to many traditional markets to see the culture, go to the ‘native jakartan people preserved village’, golf at the club that used to be frequented by the late former president Soeharto, or the many other golf courses, bird markets, morning market, etc.