Looking for Year End Holiday Plans? Here’s 5 Exciting Things You Can Do in Indonesia

As a tropical country with thousands of excitements to be explored, Indonesia has always been a perfect destination for those who are planning a long holiday, especially at the end of the year. There might not be any fireworks, concerts, or crowd celebrations this year due to the, unfortunately, prolonging pandemic situation. However, there are still many options that are no less exhilarating to enjoy while also being mindful of each other by obeying the strict Cleanliness, Health, Safety, and Environmental Sustainability (CHSE) protocols implementation. Here are our recommendations:

1 | Jump on a jeep for an off-road family road trip

One easy way to enjoy a year-end holiday without getting near any crowd is by doing an off-road family road trip. Rent a jeep, pack things up to get ready, and hop on to your seat for one of the most unforgettable road trip adventures in Indonesia.

There are many spots you can explore for this slow drive with your family. However, we recommend you to roam around the area of Lumajang in East Java for a complete year-end holiday experience. If you’re looking for something more immaculate and quiet other than Bromo-Tengger-Semeru National Park, go for a ride through Lumajang to reach the lush and quiet Sumbermujur Bamboo Forest, the stunning nature of Pandanwangi Savannah, and the friendly atmosphere of Supiturang Village. The discreet charm of those places will give you a soothing breeze to end the year of 2020 with peace.
 

2 | Enjoy the local spots by sleeper bus

In most areas in Java Island, there are many transportation providers that offer their passengers to enjoy their inter-city trip by using sleeper bus. For those of you who don't know yet, sleeper bus is a type of bus which is designed for the passengers to sleep in. Sure, you just can sleep anytime you want in the seat of an ordinary bus. However, this sleeper bus provides luxury services and facilities like a much comfortable and fluffy reclining seat equipped with air conditioning and blanket, high-speed internet, snack bar, on-board entertainment, and also clean and sophisticated toilet. You can try this new experience to travel from Jakarta - Surabaya with Sinar Jaya’s suite bus services, which costs you around IDR 425,000 for one trip. Quite affordable for a much better convenience, right?
 

3 | Experience comfort and speed effortlessly by executive train

A train ride always has its own exciting thrill. Therefore, it would be a perfect choice to spend your new year’s eve on a train ride. If you’re going from Jakarta, we recommend you take the first-class executive train of Argo Parahyangan Priority to Bandung.

Image by rahmatdhani

This train, which was launched on 9 March 2018, comes with a group of first-class facilities and equipped with sophisticated technology, including audio-video on-demand (AVOD) in every seat, a minibar, 52-inch flat-screen TV, special attendants, luxurious toilet, as well as premium seating. Furthermore, passengers will also be provided for a coffee break session. During that time, they can get some free flow coffee, tea, snacks, and mineral water. If you’re looking for a sweet journey before ending the countdown of New Year’s Eve in Bandung, you definitely should try this one.
 

4 | Go island hopping in LOB Trip

LoB (Live on Board) is a kind of adventure that allows people to stay on board of a ship. It usually is taken by people who fancy sailing and seek for more above-the-sea experience. The perk of taking this trip during this pandemic situation is you don’t have to mingle with too many people and still can keep the physical distancing protocol on board while enjoying your holiday activities. For this one, we strongly recommend you to take an LoB trip around Komodo National Park.

Generally, every LoB service provider offers ships that have its own class, ranging from simple, medium, luxurious, to elite. The luxurious one can accommodate up to 14 people on board, has five bedrooms consisting of one master bedroom, and four sharing bedrooms which can take up to three people inside. Moreover, the interior of the ship is also equipped with sophisticated facilities such as spring beds, water heater on each bathroom, and all in one amenities like soap, toothbrush, shampoo, and towels. Delicious food and beverage is also available on board.

Your LoB adventure does not just stop on board, because the ship, along with their certified guides and instructors, will take you to many exhilarating spots like Padar Island, Rinca Island, and Komodo Island. You can take photos that are worth uploading on your social media while marveling at the outstanding natural wonders. Furthermore, if you’re planning to snorkel, the ship also provides complete snorkeling equipment and also lifeboats. It’s going to be a year-end nautical life-changing trip..
 

5 | Catch stunning bird’s-eye-view from flying in seaplane

Yes, in Indonesia, you can enjoy the privilege of flying above the ground (and waters) and looking at everything below you in a bird’s eye view while visiting the place you’re going to with a seaplane flight. There are many options available, but we suggest you take an amphibious seaplane to reach Bawah Reserve in Anambas Archipelago.

Located in RiauIslands province, Bawah Reserve is a resort that spans along six private islands in a previously immaculate archipelago with blue lagoons and white sand beaches as its main highlight. This place is situated only 250 kilometers northeast of Singapore and can only be reached by the resort’s private seaplane. To find the private seaplane, visitors must first go to Batam International Airport. From there, you will take an 80-minute of an amphibious seaplane ride. The thrill and excitement of an open cockpit seaplane flight above the great views of Anambas Archipelago and the golden white beaches will amplify your year-end holiday experience. Do not worry about safety because there will always be professional instructors assigned to guide your ride. When you’re finally above the sea, you can capture your moment with a GoPro video so you can relive the experience over and over again. Who said a new year’s eve holiday experience couldn’t be adventurous while obeying the Cleanliness, Health, Safety, and Environmental Sustainability (CHSE) protocols?

We know, it’s hard to choose from all those five recommendations as they are equally exhilarating and offer one-of-a-kind year-end holiday experience. We couldn’t choose as well. However, knowing that all these attractions won’t go anywhere, you can always come back to Indonesia for your long holiday trip and make a checklist to complete all of these five recommendations. It’s all up to you! Those of you who still can’t make it to Indonesia, we kindly ask you to keep your dream of travel alive, because once you are able to come visit us, we will surely welcome you in a friendly and warm embrace.