I was standing very still, on the famous Komodo Island in Indonesia. Lying in the grass right in front of me was the biggest and most aggressive lizard in the world: the Komodo Dragon. I was a bit nervous, but even more excited, to have the chance to meet this famous reptile. I was tempted to go closer, but it was obvious I shouldn’t. We heard so many freaky stories about these creatures that I didn’t want to take the risk. There is lots of adventure in Indonesia to discover on your visit to this amazing country. Below are some of the best places to visit in Indonesia.
Meeting a Komodo dragon was just one of the many thrilling adventures I experienced during my three weeks on the islands of Indonesia. This spectacular country, with 18,306 islands, is the ideal place for travellers who want to face wild animals in the depths of the jungle or see dragons or try some insane water activities. In this fascinating country, you will have a chance to explore the jungles of Borneo, to explore the underwater life of the colourful Indian Ocean, and to parasail above the beautiful beaches of Bali. Travel to Indonesia hides lots of hidden adventures. You can also do some serious hiking and take in spectacular views from the beautiful mountains with ocean on all sides, or you may even find yourself face-to-face with a real blood-thirsty dragon on the Komodo Island. Indonesia is a wonderful country, where visitors will have a chance to experience some of the most fascinating adventures that will leave them with amazing memories. The best time to visit Indonesia is in the Fall, when less tourists visit the country and the temperature is slightly lower than it is during the Summer months. Travel in Indonesia is exciting as well as challenging, because you need to travel by plane from one island to another. We took 10 flights within Indonesia during our 2 week long trip. It was a fun adventure trip around 4 islands and Jakarta.
1. Exploring the Orangutans of Borneo
The jungles of Borneo are the only places in the world where you can view orangutans in their natural habitat. A trip to Indonesia should include a trip to the jungles of Borneo, where you can face fascinating wild animals. Orangutan literally means human (orang) of the forest (hutans). These close relatives of us humans are just fascinating to witness – and interact with – at close hand. It is a total tragedy that many predict they are on the verge of extinction, perhaps in less than 25 years. We spent two unforgettable days on the deck of a riverboat cruising silently up the Sekonyer River, exploring the orangutan’s home territory. adventure in Indonesia
Cruising Down the Sekonyer River – pictures of Indonesia
We watched as locals fed them sugarcane and bananas. The orangutans were the weirdest creatures to watch. Their bodies are covered with thick red hair, very different to the eye to the fur of other animals, and much more human, and they have long arms and they were jumping up and down on the trees. They are natural born acrobats and they were not afraid to come close to us. We heard stories from our guide Nina of Sister Tour that sometimes they steal the bags and other belongings of the tourists. As we cruised along the river, we saw many different species of apes, like proboscis monkeys with their funky noses, and other fascinating creatures on the trees. We spent the night sleeping under a mosquito net on the deck of the boat. We went to bed after the sun went down and awoke, soon after sunrise. We were listening to the noises of the wild animals in the jungle before falling asleep and woke up to the morning chorus of birds tweeting in our ears. It was a fascinating journey into the heart of the jungles of Borneo.
Orangutans of Borneo – adventure in Indonesia
2. Scuba Diving in Wakatobi
On the plane from London to Jakarta I became engrossed in a scuba diving magazine. It trumpeted Wakatobi as one of the most beautiful diving spots in the World. From the moment I read the article on Wakatobi, I decided I just had to go there and explore the underwater life of the most famous diving destination of Indonesia. Holidays in Indonesia should include some scuba-diving as this country has some of the best diving sites in the World. It was a rough journey to get from Borneo to Wakatobi, but it was definitely worth it. We flew back to Jakarta, then to Makassar, Indonesia’s fifth biggest city, and then to Wakatobi. One of the best things about the island was that it was not too touristy and there were not too many divers. It is always a good sign if a dive site is not overrun with other divers, because the ocean will be more populated with fish. Diving in Wakatobi was spectacular. The water was crystal clear and the visibility was amazing. There were large colorful corals and thousands of small fish everywhere. The colorful fish swam around us in large groups. It was one of the most beautiful diving experiences of my life.
Diving in Wakatobi, Indonesia – Photo by Wet Traveler
After the diving, we visited Hoga Island, another gorgeous diving destination with crystal clear water. It is one of those places that you visit and can’t help thinking, this is what paradise looks like – white, sandy beaches and crystal clear water.
Hoga Island – adventure in Indonesia
3. Visiting the Komodo Dragons on Komodo Island
Komodo dragons are endangered species that can only be found on the Komodo National Park on Komodo Island in Indonesia. Visiting these dragons are one of the best Indonesia tourist attractions. They are aggressive predators and they even attack humans if not careful. They can smell blood from far away, therefore, we had to be accompanied by the ranger everywhere on the island, even to the toilet. The ranger was walking around with a long wooden fork to deter the dragons from the tourists. These dragons are the equivalent in length of the height of humans, and when we were looking at them they looked peaceful enough, just lying lazily in the sunshine very still. We saw about five of them. They reminded me of dinosaurs. They did not look very frightening until we saw the carcass of a deer in the national park that had been cut open by a dragon. This is not only the largest lizard on our planet but also the most aggressive one…. when it’s not lazing in the sun, that is!
Komodo Dragons in Labuan Bajo – adventure in Indonesia
4. Bat Watching over Kalong Island
We took a boat to Kalong Island to observe the most wonderful sunset and to see hundreds of bats flying out of their caves after the sun went down. These bats were huge. At first, they looked to me like a flock of birds. They must have been about 30 cms wide. There were so many of them, we were sitting there watching them fill the skies above us for 20 minutes. There must have been hundreds of them. I never imagined that such large bats existed. The bats I have seen in Europe were about 5 cms wide.
Bats Flying over Kalong Island – adventure in Indonesia
5. Hiking to the Top of the Padar Island to See the Most Fascinating Views
We arrived to the Padar Island by boat. This was one of the best tourist attractions in Indonesia. We were surrounded by turquoise water and beautiful green mountains. The scenery reminded me of the mountains in Hawaii where the Jurassic Park was filmed. We docked the boat and set out to hike these beautiful mountains to see the most spectacular views from above. The hike was not easy, it took about 20 minutes to reach the top, but it was one of the most spectacular views I have ever seen. I was blown away by the scenery. Green mountains were surrounded by turquoise sea as far as the eyes could see. We finished the day, with a picnic on the pink beach. The white sand of the beach is colored pink by particles of red coral. The sea was perfectly clear and we had an amazing time snorkeling and diving on the beach. Holidays to Indonesia should definitely include this activity as this is the best one of all the things I have seen in Indonesia.
On the Top of Padar Island Photo by Nala Rinaldo – best Indonesian Islands
6. Experiencing some of the Most Exciting Water Sports in Bali
Bali is one of the most wonderful islands in Indonesia, not only because it is a peaceful and spiritual destination with lots of fascinating Hindu temples and amazing nightlife, but it is also a place, famous for its amazing beaches and has built up quite a following in the global surfing community. I was thrilled to take my first surfing lesson on Kuta Beach. Odysseys Surfing School sponsored our first surfing class and within an hour, I was standing on my board surfing. We enjoyed this adventure in Bali. It was great fun to learn how to surf in one of the best surfing paradises in the World.
Surfing in Bali – adventure in Indonesia
I loved riding the waves. Another amazing experience that everyone must try in Bali is water activities in Nusa Dua. Tourists have a wide variety of water sports to choose from. We decided to try parasailing, banana boat riding and flying fish. Parasailing was my absolute favorite.
Parasailing over Bali – images of Indonesia
It was exciting and a bit scary to fly over the beach. The banana boat was also an amazing ride and we were all thrown into the water in the end. Everyone crawled out of the water soaking wet, but laughing. The flying fish was a totally new experience for me, as I have never heard of this activity before. My friend and I laid down on an inflated mattress that was pulled by a motorboat at a seemingly ever increasing speed. The inflated airbed flew into the air and we were flying for a few minutes. These activities totally blow you away.
Flying Fish in Bali – best places to go in Indonesia
These adventurous activities were some of the most wonderful experiences I have ever had and I would recommend everyone to explore the fascinating islands of Indonesia and experience all the beautiful sites it has to offer. It is a diverse country with wonderful people and beautiful nature, where adventure seekers can live through some of the most thrilling experiences. Adventure in Indonesia
For more information about Indonesia, check out the website of Wonderful Indonesia.
Adventure in Indonesia
About Barbara
Barbara is a London based luxury travel and lifestyle blogger. She started traveling through Paris, London, New York, Milan, Tokyo at the age of 17 to conquer the World as a model. Ever since, she has visited 67 countries. She writes about the most exclusive jet-set destinations such as Cannes, Venice Film Festivals, Monaco Grand Prix, Oscar Parties in LA, Fashion Weeks in Milan or Paris as well as yacht parties in St-Tropez, Miami Art Basel, Biennale in Venice, Frieze in London or the Royal Wedding in Monaco.
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