My Indonesian Travel List - The goal for our travels

   As my wife, Lidya, is Indonesian I have been fortunate enough to visit Indonesia nine times so far. Since I shall be going back and forth between England and Indonesia for the foreseeable future I decided to draw up an Indonesian travel wishlist of places I'd like to visit. The list is as follows:

1. Krakatau - This volcano in the Sunda Strait was responsible for one of the largest volcanic eruptions in recent times in terms of lives lost and devastation. It lies in the sea between the islands of Java and Sumatra. Although the vast majority was blown up in the blast of 1883, 'anak Krakatau' is growing at a rapid rate.

2. Taman Nasional Tanjung Puting - This national park on Kalimantan's southern coast is famous for its orangutan conservation despite the parks severely depleted habitat.

3. Komodo National Park - For the lizards, obviously! If anything is going to give you a feel of prehistoric life before man then I imagine Komodo island will.

4. Lake Toba - This lake in North Sumatra is the largest volcanic lake in the world. It is the remains of a supervolcano that is thought to be the biggest volcanic eruption of recent geological times.

5. Ujung Kulon Nasional Park - On Java's  west coast this national park is a UNESCO world heritage site and the last stronghold of the critically endangered Javanese Rhinoceros. 

6. Prambanan Temple complex - The largest Buddhist temple site in Indonesia and part of UNESCO's heritage, this impressive selection of monuments is situated in Central Java.

7. Pagaruyung Palace - I've always been a fan of old or ancient buildings with unique characteristics and this palace has got just that. Near Padang on the island of Sumatra, this palace was built during the 17th century.

8. Tana Toraja - Another of the archipelago's quirky style of buildings through the years, Tana Toraja is home to many of these unique tropical built huts with iconic roofs.

9. Mount Rinjani - As someone who likes hiking, Rinjani on the island of Lombok has caught my eye. Despite the popularity of Mt Bromo in Java, Lombok for me seems to offer better 'tropical island' views off the main tourist track.

10. Raja Ampat - If there is one picture that defines Indonesia as a tropical utopia then it's Raja Ampat. I'd just take a camera and be happy snapping all day long in these Western Papuan maze of Islands.

The destinations already ticked off my list include the National Monument in Jakarta, Borobudur Temple in Central Java, the iconic rice terraces of Bali, Kawah Putih, or 'White Crater', which is the beautiful spot that we had our pre-wedding photographs taken and Ulun Danu Temple, which is the reason I decided to start a blog. For me, travelling is all about the adventure, discovery and thrill of seeing something for the first time, admiring a building, culture or landscape that you don't see everyday. As much as I want to see the Parthenon in Athens, Machu Picchu in Peru or visit Hagia Sophia in Instanbul, I don't want to lose the feeling of what they are through overcrowding, the noise and the constant flash of cameras. I witnessed Borobudur midweek early in the morning before the potential throngs of tourists but unfortunately I wasn't so lucky at Ulun Danu Temple. What should be a peaceful religious site on a mountainous lake side turned out to be a bustling noisy stampede of people, packed shoulder to shoulder trying to take photographs. It ruined the complete aura of the place. Maybe slightly ironic as I was one of the crowd.
   I will continue to fulfill my Indonesian travel list and I will no doubt see some of the worlds other major tourist attractions but my goal here is to find the sights beyond the tourist track, away from the melee of camera flashes and to discover the forgotten but otherwise awe inspiring places of the world.

Rich

TwentyToesUK