Mount Bromo and the Sand Sea
3 December 2012
Categories : Travelings - Adventure - Hiking, Trekking, and Eco - Sightseeing
There aren’t many reasons tourists take the road south from Surabaya. But there's certainly a very good one. It's because the city is the staging point for the 120 kilometre journey down East Java to one of Indonesia’s most beautiful natural attractions. I’m talking about Mount Bromo, the active volcano that lies in the middle of a large valley. With its top blown off, it appears more crater than mountain, while putrid sulphurous gas and smoke...
Tag : Mount Bromo
Face to Face with the Komodo Dragon
3 December 2012
Categories : Travelings - Adventure - Hiking, Trekking, and Eco - Sightseeing
Without a doubt, the Orangutan along with the Komodo dragon represents the wildlife highlights of Indonesia. They are unique to this geography. If you want to see them in their native habitat, you have to get on a plane (or boat) and travel here. That’s part of what makes a trip to Indonesia so rewarding. On paper, the Komodo dragon wowed me with its impressive traits. In real life, the Komodo captivated, entranced, and even frightened me. Basic Facts about...
Tag : Komodo National Park, The romantic Pink Beach of the Komodo Islands , The Underwater Paradise at Komodo National Park
The Orangutans of Tanjung Puting National Park
4 December 2012
Categories : Adventure - Hiking, Trekking, and Eco - Travelings
Looking deep into their eyes, knowing you as a homo sapien share 97% of the same genetic code as them, it’s hard not to feel a kinship with orangutans. The endangered orangutans in Borneo first entered my consciousness when I met Gela, my Dutch trekking partner in Nepal. I remember seeing a photo of her sitting next to one of the large, orange-haired primates, and knowing then that I wanted to see them too. Borneo, the commonly known name of the Asian...
Tag : Tanjung Puting National Park : Re-introducing Orang Utans to the Wild
Mount Bromo: Visiting an Active Volcano in East Java
10 December 2012
Categories : Adventure - Hiking, Trekking, and Eco - Sightseeing - Travelings
Stumbling out of bed, I skipped the shower, brushed my teeth, and stepped outside into the cool darkness. Craning my head toward the night’s sky, I was greeted with a scattering of white stars. It was a good sign. In a trip filled with early mornings, getting up at 3 AM to watch the sunrise over Mount Bromo in East Java was the earliest. We’d been warned to dress warmly, as temperatures can drop close to freezing, but I didn’t even find a hat...
Tag : Mount Bromo
Komodo Dragons in the Wild
10 December 2012
Categories : Adventure - Hiking, Trekking, and Eco
The stories began on Rinca Island. A park ranger ambushed in his office when the door was accidentally left open. An elderly villager attacked. A local child killed. Our guides seemed to take it all in stride, having grown up amongst endangered Komodo monitors, the world’s largest living lizard, all their lives. As a visitor, I was both fascinated, and increasingly worried. The only tool guides carry to fend off aggressive Komodo dragons, as they are...
Tag : Komodo National Park
