20 Comments on “Lonely Planet’s Indonesia Highlights”
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inuel says:
March 13th, 2010 at 2:37 pmIndonesia bener-bener indah,.aku bangga jadi anak indonesia
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bs says:
March 13th, 2010 at 5:42 pmAku setujuh, benar indah sekali. Tapi kapan mulai bersih-bersih pantai?
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David says:
March 13th, 2010 at 6:23 pmOn beaches, here was a picture apparently from Bali that I posted over here.
That list, I’ve only been to three of those places, poorly travelled, I’m not including ‘clubbing’ though which I have unenthusiastically done but not in either Bali or Jakarta.
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timdog says:
March 14th, 2010 at 10:59 am“Highlights” lists are, always, entirely arbitrary and of very little meaning. And as anyone who has, with four googling minutes to spare, ever had to come up with a gap-plugging box text of “ten interesting facts about whales” or “Bhutan – what you didn’t know” will tell you, they are not usually compiled with the most positive of outlooks…
Still, some of the places should make it onto an “Indonesia highlights” list, and some are rather random.
In Java, it would be wantonly contrary to omit Bromo and Borobudur. Batu Karas is a very nice little spot; very peaceful, but perhaps not a “highlight”. And Candi Sukuh? It’s got a fine location, and it’s a little unusual, but to put in on a highlight list is frankly bizarre. Um… Prambanan anyone? Or if you want “little known” temples try the Gedung Songo – much better. Or my current point of obsession in East Java, Jolotundo…And the Nusa Tenggara ones? I suppose the Gilis get on there by default, if that’s your thing, as, of course, does Komodo, but it should also go something like this:
Mount Rinjani, Lombok,
Komodo,
Traditional villages + Mount Inerie near Bajawa, Flores
Kelimutu, Flores,
Alor – beaches and traditional culture (and diving, apparently)
Sumba – one of the most deeply traditional, little touristed islands in the country, but very easily accessible for an independent traveller. -
Oigal says:
March 14th, 2010 at 5:14 pmYour picture Patung pretty much sums up any “tourist” attraction including those listed by the Timdog. Unfortunately it is getting harder and harder to look past the filth when Indonesia’s neighbours have grasped the concept of clean = money.
It is one of those weird contradictions that is Indonesia brings rampant unthinking Nationalists mobs popping into existence at a moments notice as they they stand “waste” deep in their own refuse and excrement.
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Q says:
March 15th, 2010 at 2:08 pmNo Prambanan Temple on the list? I always thought it was more beautiful than Borobudur.
Oigal: Yes, I agree. I am one of those flashpackers that people despise, and I remember once I cancelled a visit to Bromo just because my group couldn’t find a clean hotel. That was probably 15 yrs ago though.
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Chris says:
March 15th, 2010 at 2:45 pmHi Q,
I agree with you about Prambanan. It’s also World Heritage-listed, and to my way of thinking is more artistically and intrinsically interesting with its depiction of many different gods.
It also has nightly performances of (an edited version of) the Ramayana, with multi-lingual programs to explain what’s going on.
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trane says:
March 16th, 2010 at 4:16 amI agree very much with the choice of Tanjung Puting. And Bromo, Borobodur and Prambanan should be on any list also.
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ET says:
March 16th, 2010 at 7:36 amAku setujuh, benar indah sekali. Tapi kapan mulai bersih-bersih pantai?
Imagine if Bali would be clean and unspoiled. It would be stampeded by hordes of foreign tourists, prices would skyrocket and what’s left of the sawah would be turned into parking lots.
Every cloud has a silver lining.
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john says:
March 16th, 2010 at 10:53 amINteresting how some people are blaming Toyota for the tragic loss of life of 3 youths in Menteng earlier this month. Can I suggest if it this sort of attitude that is also encapsulated in the population’s attitude to tourist resources. In short, it must be someone’s fault why the country is so dirty, certainly not mine.
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March 16th, 2010 at 10:59 amAn original idea would be to organize in Bali sightseeing trips of unfinished and abandoned building projects. I believe they call them ‘white elephants’ and there are a lot of them. The one in the picture below is in Padangbai, overlooking one of the last pristine and clean beaches in Bali.
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Winmar says:
March 27th, 2010 at 7:34 amBali still gets its fair share of tourists despite its lack of cleanliness. I’m not sure too many people from Boganville NSW have decided going against there for their Bintang holiday for that reason.
I heard Prambanan got damaged in the earthquake a couple of years ago. How’s it looking now?
Indonesia’s brilliant. It’s only been two month since I was there, but I want to go back.
On another note, check http://www.booko.com.au for the cheapest prices for the book in question. The Book Despository will post to different countries for free, so you can get it much more cheaply through them than in a bookshop in Melbourne or Jakarta.
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March 27th, 2010 at 10:06 amThanks for the tip on booko Winmar, great site, here’s the lonely planet book page – http://www.booko.com.au/books/isbn/9781741048308, first result for most books is usually Book Depository which claims
Free shipping worldwide
I could go nuts on that site presently…
5 mins later……when you actually get to ordering a book it adds something extra
Free shipping worldwide
….to these countriesAnd of course Indonesia isn’t on the list…
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harynyc says:
April 7th, 2010 at 7:48 amThe Padangbai project was halted because of a lack of permits. Still a blight on the cliff.
You can’t escape the plastics on the beach. Ask anyone who has visited pristine Pantai Bira
( kiriman Ujung Pandang) or beautiful Bunaken ( kiriman Manado). Sods. -
April 9th, 2010 at 5:01 pmAbout Book Depository, quoting myself
And of course Indonesia isn’t on the list…
It is now! I complained and they added it in on a “trial basis”, so we’ll see how it goes!!
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April 9th, 2010 at 5:59 pmYou can’t escape the plastics on the beach. Ask anyone who has visited pristine Pantai Bira
Last time I went there – already some 5 years ago – it was still clean. But then access was much more restricted and only the brave and the fit managed the climb.
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April 10th, 2010 at 9:06 amHere is a picture of this beach in Padangbai 5 years ago. As you can see, still clean as a whistle.
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Winmar says:
May 5th, 2010 at 9:24 pmLooks lovely in that picture. I’ve never had the pleasure.
Glad to hear you had some success with Book Depository, Patung! I always end up buying from them. Why are so many companies reluctant to ship to Indonesia? Unreliability of the Indonesian postal system?
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May 5th, 2010 at 10:03 pmI got two replies from Book Depository, first one said their shipping agent could not send to Indonesia, second reply a few days later from a different person, I think the boss, said they would now add Indonesia on a trial basis.
I got my first order from them a few days ago, took three weeks from time of ordering, I think two of those weeks were shipping time, the first week ‘processing’. They’re often a couple of dollars more expensive than Amazon, but minus the $10 amazon shipping fee per book.
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Bro Rajawali says:
December 10th, 2010 at 9:09 pmI’m a Dayak photographer, by my handwritten, i would like to invite every one to visit West Borneo now and you could see thousand unique of the Indigenous life otherwise you’ll lost them forever because the uptown invasion especially from the Java islands, the invasion will wipe some most valuable the indigenous traditions and their life and would heard the story only. the long ear of Indigenous of West Borneo will disappear next several year, Visit it or lost it !
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