Let's Go!
Ideas for Future Travel Around Southeast Asia Written by AND PHOTOGRAPHY PROVIDED BY Meg Sine
Travel plans have changed radically in the last couple months. But once we are able to fly again, here’s a great place to check out.
Eddie recognized by name, each of which had been rescued, rehabilitated and released by the rehab center.
Indonesia is vast and diverse. Where do you start to plan a visit to sample the essence of this archipelago nation of over 300 distinct cultures and 10,000 islands? Here are a few places I recommend
Java In Central Java, my husband booked us a private villa at the Plataran Borobudur Resort, a lovely,
Some of the islands in Sumatra
that can be visited stand-alone as short trips or combined for some island hopping, depending on your timing, interest and budget. Sumatra At the very top of my Indonesian bucket list was meeting our Indonesian primate cousins, the orangutans. I was so eager to see the wild but loveable face of this orange-haired ape. The Ecolodge resort in Bukit Lawang was recommended to me due to its proximity to an orangutan rehabilitation center and trekking tours into Gunung Leuser National Park. The resort’s proximity to the rehab center and a feeding platform in the jungle would guarantee a 100% chance of seeing at least one of these endangered creatures. We hired a local guide, “Jungle Eddie,” for a oneday trek along the wet, steep trail of the national park. After only one hour, we came across a wild female orangutan with her baby, swinging safely above us in the trees. I suddenly felt the wonder and hushed excitement of a small child. During the hike, we also encountered two other females that -- 12 --
upscale boutique hotel about one hour from Yogyakarta, aka Jogja (actual pronunciation). Set on a hillside, each spacious villa has a pool terrace that overlooks the fertile valley containing the hilltop on which Borobudur stands. For a bit of adventure on top of the art, history and culture of this epic destination, we hired a guide to take us to the temple by bicycle through local villages and their tobacco fields. Life in the shadow of this amazing monument is surprisingly quiet and simple. Borobudur is the world’s largest Buddhist monument and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Built in the 8th century, this massive construct of six tiers of carved
Borobudur in Java
Bamboo Telegraph - May/June 2020
