Discover the adventurous side of Indonesia: Flores, Lombok, Gilis, Bali, Java

Reading Time: 5 minutes

After spending one month in the western culture in Australia it is time to dive again into the diverse Asian culture. Street Food, different religions, cheap prices and most important of all freedom shape my life in Asia. I arrive at the airport and avoid the taxi mafia by walking and taking the next shuttle bus and boat to the Gili Islands. Gili Islands are very touristy which is reasonable due to the amazing diving spots. I go diving there for a couple of days and decide at the same time to do a boat trip to Commodore Islands to see the famous Commodore dragons.

I read different reviews and expect not too much. The wooden fisher boat is old and the mattresses are thin, the engines are horribly loud at night and the boat is swinging at night. I forget to mention that there is not plenty of food and there are rats on the boat which nibble at the backpacks. However we (26 backpackers from 16-65 years old) have fun. The crew is nice and the group is great, our guide Sunny is singing and we jump in the water from the boat, snorkel, dive, jump into waterholes at a waterfall and go hiking at empty islands. The sea is rough and especially at one night the boat is extremely moving. One of the highlights is to see manta rays under water, we try to follow them but we fail because they swim too fast. Another time the English man Matt and I are hanging with ropes behind the boat while it is driving. We shortly give up the action due to the strong forces. At night we swim in plankton which fluoridates blue when it touches the body. Another highlight is the big commodore dragons which are only living on two islands in Indonesia. They can be almost two meters long and eat everything (also human including their bones if you come to close). The frightening fact is that they can run almost 20 km/h but they eat only once per month. The boats tour ends in Labuan Bajo in Flores. According to many travellers the dive spots around Labuan Bajo are one of the best in the world. However I want to try it and dive there. It is amazing, the current is strong and the view is more than 25 m. I see manta rays, sharks, turtles and many fish. Nevertheless I notice that I need depth, current or something new to have fun under water.

Bali: I arrive in Bali and stay in Kuta, a well-known place for celebrating. Actually I only stay there to use the good infrastructure for tourists I want to leave as quickly as possible. Hence I want to pick up my new driver licence but due to Buddha’s birthday, a national holiday the embassy is closed. I have to hire a motorbike driver for the day and visit most important tourist attractions in the closer environment. On the following day I get my new driver licence finally and rent a motorbike to see most of bali. I feel like a professional motorbike racer. The traffic is hard and at each site people overtake. It is normal that a truck drives on your lane towards you. It is very exciting to drive again and see parts of Bali where usually no tourists are. With regard to the long distance I have hardly time to eat or drink: Driving, driving and driving. Then I see a police control. Motorbike drivers turn around but I am too curious how the police of Bali act. I have heard many negative things and decide to try my luck because at least I have all required documents. Shortly I also consider driving through it but a police man grasps my arm and pulls me almost down from my motorbike. After showing all required documents and saying nothing I am allowed to continue. In my case I can say that the police are professional and friendly. At night I take a night bus to Java. I have luck to find a driver because there is no public transportation at night.

At 4 am the night bus stops to have breakfast or is it late late dinner? I still do not know but apparently we get a warm meal in the middle of the night. I do not refuse and I do not regret later because some hours later I have to stand for hours at a road and bargain to get a transport to the Bromo national park. The so called public transportation is controlled by a kind of mafia. We have to wait 6 hours and finally we arrive in the town next to the park. We enter the small park through a fence to avoid the ridiculous high fee for foreigners and walk to the volcano. A lot of sulphur steam is blown out by the volcano. The environment reminds me a little bit to pictures of Tibet. In the background you can see more volcanos which are even higher. After some hours of sleep it is time to hike up a mountain to see the sunrise over the volcano Bromo. It is 3 am when we start and I underestimate how cold it can be at night at mountains in Indonesia. I hike higher and higher. My group is a little bit lazy and thus I have to continue alone. Finally I find a good spot to see the sunrise without a mass of people.

Together with 10 friends I meet on the way to Bromo national park I decide to rent a bus with a driver and see the active volcano Ijen. At night you can see blue flames in a sulphur mine there. The trip is exhausting, also because it a big detour. We have to drive the whole day and sleep at night in the bus. At 1 am it is time to start hiking up the mountain which is very steep. Sometimes minors who carry sulphur cross our way. While trying to avoid the high entrance fees we forget to hire mask as a protection against the sulphur steam. Nevertheless we do not return and just continue until we have to climb into the crater down to the crater lake where we can see the blue flames in the sulphur steam. See yourself! Then we have enough time to relax and see the sunrise at the top of the crater. Then it is time to say goodbye to my friends and it is a long drive back to Probolingo. From there I have to take another bus. Instead of the 2 promised hours the bus ride is 4 hours long. Of course economy class and it is not only hot, the people also smoke in the bus which is an annoying combination. Then I take a night bus to Yogyakarta. In Yogyakarta I met a French girl Anais and we decide to share a motorbike to see the famous Buddha temple Borobudur. It is impressive but also exhausting because tons of people want to take pictures with us. The we return to Yogyakarta.

Singapore: The City of Tomorrow

Reading Time: 4 minutes

My plane arrives with delay in Singapore. Normally nothing to worry about but I have just two days to explore the city. Hence I hurry up to come to my hostel and leave it directly to walk through the Arabic and Indian quarter. Especially in the Indian quarter the food is amazing and it looks a little bit like the future of India. On the one hand everything is clean and on the other hand you can see the Indian influence everywhere. I have the feeling that everything is structured and controlled. Instead of street food there are food courts where you can buy cheap food. Additionally there is a very good public transportation system. I m really impressed of the luxury in Singapore. I can see all kind of expensive cars (from BMW till Aston Martin). There are many restaurants and the architecture is very fancy and modern. It feel looking in the future. However Singapore offers more than just luxury, the society is very mixed. Thus you find Indians, Arabic people, Chinese and Western people who live closely together. I visit the Peranakan museum which is about a certain ethnic group in Singapore. Peranakan is used for children who have for example a Chinese father and a local Malay mother. This ethnic group was very important in the beginnings of Singapore because they act as interpreter and had important functions in society.

In order of the modern buildings and shopping malls Singapore sometimes appears very artificial. For example the Sentosa Island consists only of modern glass complexes and it seems that everything has to be fancy. There are cable cars, a leisure park and a universal studio. Furthermore there are many hotels and shops where you can buy buy buy. Everything is focused on consumption. I m not an enemy of consumption but here I feel that it is a little bit too much.

My first personal highlight is the Buddha tooth relic temple. It is in Chinatown and I love the atmosphere in it. It is very good for relaxing and has a beautiful meditation area on the highest floor. Furthermore the museum, some floors below, is very good to learn more about the different kind of Buddhas and the Buddhism. I have not known before that there is more than one Buddha.

My second personal highlight is the area around Marina Bay Sands hotel and the Garden Bay. At night there is a beautiful light show. The first part of the light show is in the Garden Bay (see the picture above) and the second one I can see from the roof top of the Marina Bay Sands Hotel. My original plan was to find a solution to relax in the famous infinity pool on the roof where usually only hotel guests have access to. In the end I cannot find a way into the pool. However I find a way to go on the roof for free. I try to take a lift to the Celavi Bar in tower 3 at floor 58. It is a beautiful bar one floor higher than the tourist platform. I have to walk over a red carpet, passing the security and taking a lift up. Providently I traded my short pants for a long one and my flip flop for shoes. Then I m on the roof and enjoy the awesome Singapore skyline at night including a laser show.

Picture infinity pool (first one): worldtoptop

Malaysia: Cities and Jungle Trekking in the Oldest Forest of the World

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Malacca: Without any expectations I arrive in Malacca which is an old trading town. It is on the world heritage list and has a beautiful small old centre including some churches. You can see the colonial influence. After the sultan ruled the city, the Portuguese and then the Dutch followed. Finally it belonged to the UK and you can see the different traces everywhere. For example catholic churches were changed to protestant ones. Today Malacca belongs to Malaysia and the new city centre is mainly Chinese but you also find many Indians including Hindu and Buddhist temple there. Malacca offers cheap and good food. I m surprised to see temples which combine two different religions like a mosque with Hindu influence or a Buddhist and Taoist temple in one building. My highlight is the walk along the river with the beautiful paintings at the houses. In one day you can see everything and try a lot of different and cheap food.

Kuala Lumpur (KL): I decide to do couchsurfing again to dive a little bit deeper into the Malaysian culture. I arrive and I m directly invited to a birthday party of an hostel owner. It is interesting to see Malaysian people become crazy and splashing around with water like children. I think they are usually more quiet but I m impressed how open and diverse Malaysia is because it is still a muslim country. My host Leonard is originally from Borneo but knows a lot about Kuala Lumpur. Thanks to him, I have a great time in KL. Personally KL does not offer too much for tourists except the Batur Caves where you can find many Hindu temples inside. However, I am in KL to apply for four visas to continue my trip. Therefore I spend most of my time with organization and leave the city as soon as possible.

Taman Negara: Only some hours away from KL, you can find the oldest jungle in the world. It is 130 million years old. Except some small villages like Kuala Tahan there are no towns or cities in the national park. I decide to take a three hours boat ride into the jungle. My plan is to do a two day hike in the jungle some friends recommended to me. I buy food and a lot of water because it is so humid. I want to follow the river and sleep then in a shack somewhere in the jungle. Thus I wake up early, eat my last proper meal, take the ferry to cross the river and start walking. My small map gives me an idea where I have to walk to. The good wooden path stops suddenly and I have to continue my way climbing over fallen trees and through the bushes. The way goes up and down with some good views over the jungle. Sometimes a monkey jumps from tree to tree or I can hear a rustling in the bushes. After 11 km I meet some natives who help me to find the right way. It is interesting to see them walking with their blasting pipe. They explain that they go hunting and I would like to join them because I m curious. After 30 minutes I arrive at my planned accommodation which is to my surprise a bird watching tower. I eat lunch and sweat is running down my face. It is so humid and hot. Unfortunately there are no birds and I do not like the idea to spend the whole day without doing anything in the jungle. Hence I decide to walk back the same day and take the night bus to an island. I have to cross rivers. My shoes are totally broken. From time to time I have to remove some leeches. In addition I can feel thorns from plants in my hands. Honestly I am always afraid when I have to grab into the thicket because of snakes. Elephants, leopards or tigers are also living in Taman Negara but they are usually really shy. I am happy to see tourists again because I know I am almost back in civilization. Tired and dirty I arrive back in Kuala Tahan. Astonishingly I am not allowed to take a shower in my hostel. Thus I have to go to the public toilet. After showering, I throw my shoes away and take the next bus to Jerantut.

Malaysia: From the East to the West

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Per Hentian Island Kecil: I arrive with a Mini Van in Kuala Besut, from where boats go to the Per Hentian Islands. The boat drives me to the smaller of the two islands kecil. In comparison with the small island which is for backpackers, the larger islands besar is more expensive and has more resorts. Per Hentian is famous for diving and that is exactly what I mostly do there. In order to do something else I discover the whole islands by walking. There are many empty hidden little beaches. I use the time on the islands to relax and have some holidays. The dives are amazing and with less than 20€ per dive it is by far the cheapest diving spot on my trip. Here, many people stay for a long time on the islands even if you have to spend triple of the price for food and accommodation than at the mainland. In the end I had a really good time and meet some friends from Taman Negara again. If you like diving, then I can recommend especially 3 diving spots: T3, temple and sugar wreck. The last one is an old wreck in which you can dive into (it is not dangerous) and the underwater world is impressive.

Penang: In contrary to Per Hentian Islands, Penang is an island at the west coast of Malaysia. It has also nice beaches but the water is not so clear. However it is also covered by a thick jungle and the main city is Georgetown where mostly Chinese people live. Due to the Chinese and Indian influence, there is much good Chinese and Indian food. With regard to the small Chinese portions I prefer Indian food and eat many times Thali or also called Banana leaf. It means you get three different kinds of sauce with rice as much as you want.  Furthermore Penang offers a good art scene. The street art is a good example of it. I enjoy also the Chinese temple. I think the diversity appeals many students to study there.

Personally my highlight happens directly at the arrival in Penang. At the bus stop I meet an Australian couple and Farzam from Iran. After a short conversation Farzam invites us to his beautiful house and drive us around the island in the the following days. We go together to the national park. I have heard a lot about the hospitality of Iranian people and I only can confirm it.

With regard to ramadan, the life in the muslim country Malaysia is very interesting. Most shops are closed at day and open at night. Some are closed the whole time, while at other places (especially where is a big chinese community) most shops are open. I m very impressed how the people survive the hot days without water.

I had again a great time in a beautiful country especially regarding people. Thanks to my hosts in KL and Penang.

Myanmar – From Trains and Humans

Reading Time: 3 minutes

I’m in the air plane from Kuala Lumpur to Yangon and it does not take long and a Burmese man starts a conversation with me. His English is very basic. However I can help him with his arrival card, which is only in English. Myanmar normally does not use the Latin letters and also not the Arabic numbers. Until 2010 a military dictatorship was ruling the country and it has only opened in the last years for tourism. There are still many people who see tourists for the first time. In contrary to the airport, houses and buildings in Yangon look old and you can see many poor people.

Yangon as largest city in Myanmar, offers not too much. Hence I take the night train to Bagan. I buy the ticket for the ordinary class at a special counter where they speak English. Due to the fact that the train leaves in the afternoon, I have a little bit time for Yangon. I decide to see it by the circular train which is a three hours train ride around Yangon and a good way to have a first impression about Myanmar. Many people live in shacks; there is lots of rubbish on the fields and the people are always, really always smiling at you. It is unbelievable. In opposite to other Southeast Asian Countries nobody hassles you. Sure, there are always different prices for foreigners (except for train tickets) but nobody comes to you and it is still relatively cheap. After doing a little bit more sight-seeing and eating a traditional noodle soup I arrive at the train station.

With some help I find my seat (quite hard if you cannot read numbers). Everybody in the train is staring at me. It seems not too many tourists take the ordinary class. An official in civil dress writes down my seat number to record where I’m going. To be honest I’m still a little bit shocked about the train; there is a small wooden bench where hardly two people can sit on and I should sit on it for the next 18.5 hours. There is no fan and it is tropical hot. I risk it and it is an adventure. The train starts and the velocity is impressively slow. However it feels like riding a horse and at the same time being on a ship. I wonder why or what keeps the train in the tracks. Reading is impossible and nobody understands English. Thus I have much time to observe the people and the landscape. The train stops sometimes and one time I use the chance to look for the reason. As a result the machine operator invites me into his locomotive and shows me the devices. Subsequently I tried to see the driver but apparently he is too busy. However the machine operator invites me to a tea which causes the next problem. How can I explain lactose intolerance to a non-English speaker and reject the tea without being rude. Due to condition of the toilets, drinking the tea is no option. Regardless of my explanation, he offers me the tea again. The only option is to distract him and throw the tea out of the window. Hopefully he has noticed nothing. At night I decide to sleep on the floor like most locals do because you have more space. Unfortunately my e-reader breaks because it is so bumpy. I survive the night surprisingly good and arrive safe in Bagan.

Bagan: 2000 Temples, Pagodas and Hot-air Balloons

Reading Time: 1 minute

Bagan is an ancient city located close to Mandalay, the second largest city in Myanmar. It is built between 9-13 century. Until today, you can see over 2000 temples and pagodas and reminds me a lot to Angor Wat in Cambodia.

I decide to rent a bicycle in Bagan. Despite it is monsoon season, I cannot see any cloud. Regardless of the 40 degrees I enjoy to sit on a bike again. Before visiting all the temples and pagodas I decide to eat my first meal for today. I find a nice tea house which also serves some rice and vegetables. A friendly man helps me to order and it is delicious. I love this tea culture because it is so relaxing. Afterwards I ride from temple to temple. Take off my shoes and put them on again and again. During the temples, I observe the people who often wave friendly. Some temples are small, some are big, but they have always one thing in common: There are mostly no other tourists.

For sunset I arrive at a sunset pagoda which I climb up to have a beautiful view over the Bagan area. Usually there are plenty of hot-air balloons in the air. Not today. On the sunset pagoda I meet many tourists and together we enjoy the gorgeous sunset. A group of British and Singaporean decide to eat together dinner. Although we plan to see the sunrise together, we do not manage it. Nevertheless I find another temple I can climb up. Apparently there are no hot-air balloons even on the sunrise. I’m a little bit disappointed but it makes sense that during the low season there are not enough tourists who pay for the balloons. I see the other main temples and have a chilled-out day afterwards. A Burmese man invites me for lunch. The key to the people in Myanmar (like in so many countries) is soccer. We speak quite a while until he explains me more about his country and the political situation, the school system and the job prospects. It confirms my impression about Myanmar that the country still needs many years to develop but hopefully tourism will accelerate it. My next destination is Kalaw to do the famous trek to the Inle Lake.

Myanmar: The Large Inle Lake and Hsi-paw

Reading Time: 2 minutes

I change my mind last minute and take the bus directly to Inle Lake where I meet some friends again. Together we do a boat trip on the Inle Lake. It is fascinating to see the fisher men who use their feet to paddle. Thus they can use their hands for fishing. I think it is a unique technique you only find on the Inle Lake. We are visiting a floating tomato farm and also a silk cotton and reed weaving mill. It is interesting to see the machines which you normally only find in museums in Europe. Furthermore we visit a boat workshop and a cigarette factory. Some of the women are extremely fast with their hands. At another place we can see the long-neck ladies which have rings around their neck which is a kind of decoration. You can find many different ethnic groups along the Inle Lake which makes it very interesting. It happens that even the local people cannot understand each other. Finally we also visit some monasteries and pagodas again before returning to our hotel. Unfortunately we cannot see the sunset because of too much clouds and rain. Due to lack of time the whole group decide against trekking to Kalaw. Instead, we visit a Shan village in the mountains together. We distribute some old cloth or pencils and other things we do not need. The people do not care that the things are old. Our guide translates for us and we see many smiling faces. My personal highlight is a spiritually: We visit a holy cave which we enter with torches. We can explore it a little bit and see bats. After visiting some schools and eating in a monastery, it is time to go back to catch the next bus to Hsi-paw.

Hsi-paw is located in the region where most rubies in the world come from. It is surrounded by areas which are forbidden to enter as tourists. Special permits are necessary. I decide to do a one day hike. Thus I visit a shan village and little Bagan, which has similar pagodas like real Bagan but it is a lot smaller. I am too exhausted from the night bus therefore I do not go to the waterfall and turn around. A friendly old man gives me a lift back to the town where I take a rest. The main reason, why I decide to go to Hsi-paw, are not the treks rather than the train ride to Mandalay which offers an extraordinary panorama view over mountains. For instance you pass the Goteik viaduct which was the largest railway trestle in the world at 1900. This time I take the upper class and am mainly together with other travellers. The seat is soft, big and adjustable. Even though the train is four hours delayed, we have a great time!

Myanmar: Mandalay and Hpa-an

Reading Time: 2 minutes

I arrive in Mandalay, the second largest city in Myanmar. I have heard not too positive things about it. However I want to figure it out by myself. My friends and I have some problems to find the hostel at night. Finally we find it and it is very nice. Due to the fact that it is almost 2 am I do not have to pay for the night. I guess it only happens in Myanmar. My plan is to see the city by bicycle. Before I find a bicycle shop, a local man stops me on the street. Probably because I’m wearing my laungy; the typical Burmese dress. He invites me for a tea and breakfast, I’m curious. Hence I accept his invitation and it is one of the weirdest conversations. I understand almost nothing but it doesn’t bother him. Thus it is a nice experience. He also invites a monk and so we three are sitting in this tea house in Mandalay. After a while I decide it is time to go and eventually rent my bike. I visit some monasteries and pagodas. Afterwards I enjoy the view over the city from the Mandalay hill.

In the evening I ride with two other backpackers to the U-bein Teakwood Bridge in Amapura which is the longest teakwood bridge in the world. Again I meet a local who is English teacher and again I have problems to understand him. He tells me about an ancient kingdom and his life at university. After enjoying the sunset we go back to Mandalay. On the way are millions of mosquitos and it is almost impossible to look straight forward. We are very happy when we arrive at the hostel.

My decision to go to Hpa-an is very spontaneous. Many travellers recommended this place to me and without much information I buy a bus ticket for the next bus. According to some people at the bus station there are fights in Hpa-an at the moment. I’m sure in Hpa-an itself it is safe and I’m right. However the border to Thailand is closed regarding the fights. There are still many fights in Myanmar between different ethnic groups especially for resources like rubies. In Hpa-an I rent a motorbike and drive around. We visit the Lumbini Buddha Garden which is a garden with estimated hundred Buddha next to each other. We climb up the mount Zwegabin and drive then to a cave with many Buddha in it. Furthermore next to it is a small village which is beautiful. If I see small villages in Myanmar it is like travelling with a time machine hundred years back. After lunch we swim together with locals in a river and see some more temples. In the evening we arrive at an older cave where also Buddha and stupas are in it. It is a very peaceful place which invites to rest and relax. However I must explore the cave and it is quite big. On the other side of the cave you have a beautiful view over a river. We haven’t seen a tourist today. Some monks are swimming in the water whole next to the temple and we decide to join them. After watching the sunset we drive back. Unfortunately we have the same problem like in Mandalay there are billions of mosquitos in the air. The road has plenty of potholes. Additionally I have to learn what a real monsoon rain means. Totally wet we arrive at the hostel. The next day I have to pay for our adventure: I have fever and headache but at least I can sleep in the bus back to Yangon.