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| Indonesia
Tours |
The
floating emerald islands of
the Indonesian archipelago
have for centuries lured everyone
from missionaries to pirates,
mining companies and backpackers
to their sandalwood and spice
breezes, their Bali Hai lifestyle
and their magnificent beaches,
mountains and volcanoes.
However,
the myth of paradise is often
marred by deep racial divides,
religious warring, high-handed
autocracy, government corruption,
economic mismanagment and
natural disasters. The latest
rounds of violence have made
Indonesia a problematic destination
for Western travellers.
Refreshingly
though, much of the country
remains barely touched by
mass tourism. Despite great
improvements in communications
and transport connections,
Indonesia's thousands of islands
and multitude of cultures
still offer adventure that
is hard to find in the developed
world. And despite the hammering
Bali tourism has taken due
to the tragic 2002 bombing
of the Sari nightclub, all
of Indonesia's remarkable
sights remain to be explored
and enjoyed.
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Attraction
in Indonesia
Bali
Bali is so picturesque that you could
be fooled into thinking it was a painted
backdrop: rice paddies trip down hillsides
like giant steps, volcanoes soar through
the clouds, the forests are lush and
tropical, and the beaches are lapped
by the warm waters of the Indian Ocean.
But
the paradise gloss has been manufactured
and polished by the international
tourist industry rather than by the
Balinese themselves - who don't even
have a word for paradise in their
language - and it pays scant regard
to the political and economic reality
of life on Bali.
Lombok
Less developed than Bali, Lombok has
better beaches, a bigger volcano and
a greater variety of landscapes. Tourism
is less intrusive than on Bali, but
the flip-side is that many Lombokians
are less blasé about tourists:
in some places you might find the
residents quite resentful of the industry.
Sumatra
Sumatra is as tropical as it gets.
With its Amazon-like rivers moving
sluggishly through canopies of natural
rainforests, muddy mangrove estuaries,
steamy interiors, brilliantly gaudy
flora and weird and wonderful fauna,
Sumatra is a place and a half for
a boat trip.
Despite
its wealth of natural resources, Sumatra
is struggling with a failing economy.
The northern province of Aceh is at
the epicentre of separatist violence
and the area has been hit by devastating
earthquakes.
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Flores
The villages of Nggela, Wolojita
and Jopu on the island of Flores
are renowned for their beautiful
ikat sarongs and shawls. The
traditional whaling village
of Lamalera on Lembata, east
of Flores, is a fascinating
place to poke around the boatsheds
and watch whaling crafts.
Kelimutu's
tri-coloured lakes are Nusa
Tenggara's most fantastic
attraction. The waters in
the three volcanic craters
have a curious habit of changing
colour. Local legend has it
that the souls of the dead
go to the lakes. Which colour
lake you go to depends on
your conduct during your life.
Irian Jaya
Papua is one of the world's
last wilderness areas. The
Papuans live in some of the
most rugged terrain on earth
- from snowcapped mountains
to mangrove swamps - in a
region that offers fantastic
jungle scenery, equatorial
glaciers, abundant bird and
animal life and great trekking
opportunities.
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Reaching Indonesia
The principal gateways for entry to
Indonesia are Jakarta and Bali. Jakarta
is serviced by more airlines but Bali
- as the tourist capital - receives
almost as much traffic. Departure
tax from Jakarta and Denpasar is 100000.00
and from other airports about 75000.00.
There
are three land crossings to Indonesia:
at Entikong, between Kalimantan
and Sarawak; at Motoain between
West and East Timor; and the road
from Jayapura or Sentani (Papua)
to Vanimo in PNG. Visa regulations
have been fluid (to say the least)
of late, so check the need for obtaining
a visa in advance before you roll
up at the border crossing.
Most
of the sea connections are between
Malaysia and Sumatra and the vessel
of choice is the comfortable high-speed
ferry from Penang to Medan. The
other main ferry connection is between
Dumai (Sumatra) and Malaka (Malacca).
Ferries also run from southern Malaysia
(Johor Bahru) to the Riau Islands.
There are speedboats from east-coast
Kalimantan to Sabah in Malaysia.
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