Let's Go

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. 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 Eddie recognized by name, each of which had been rescued, rehabilitated and released by the rehab center.

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 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. Some of the islands in Sumatra

Java

In Central Java, my husband booked us a private villa at the Plataran Borobudur Resort, a lovely,

Borobudur is the world’s largest Buddhist monument and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Built in the 8 th century, this massive construct of six tiers of carved

stone had already stood for 400 years before Europe’s greatest cathedrals were started and was already disappearing under layers of jungle and ash by the 12 th century when Angkor Wat was being built. Historians speculate that Borobudur declined because the dynastic power shifted to East Java or there was a deadly volcanic eruption.

The temple’s “rediscovery” in 1814 is credited to Sir Stamford Raffles. Based on ancient Javanese manuscripts that described a stone monument buried in the jungle, Raffles commissioned a Dutch engineer to uncover the sagging structure that once represented an amazing, ancient civilization. of a velvet green landscape carved by the deep blue sea and slivers of white sand beaches. Our steep climb was rewarded with postcardperfect photos. Komodo Island offers guided dragon-spotting tours to safeguard both the native inhabitants and their human guests. The males of the species can grow up to ten feet long and weigh 200 lbs.

Manta rays at Manta Point

An orangutan in Sumatra

At the temple, we lucked out, finding an elderly tour guide named Subarno,who was the author of the local destination guide. He led us up and through the monument in the Buddhist tradition of walking clockwise, explaining the symbolism and cosmology of the architecture and the meaning of the carved stone images. Subarno proudly related how his country had restored this national treasure after centuries of neglect and destructive earthquakes.

Flores

Moving farther eastward past the islands of Bali and Lombok, Komodo National Park comprises several islands and a rich marine sanctuary just off the coast of Flores Island and its tourist gateway of Labuan Bajo. We opted for the hospitality of the Plataran Komodo Resort, conveniently located close to the airport but on a quiet beach outside of town. We joined a one-day speedboat tour from Labuan Bajo to see the highlights of the national park. Our first stop was at Pulau Padar, an island whose trail to the summit offers the most amazing 360-degree views

Meg and her husband behind a komodo dragon

This island is not a petting zoo despite the iconic photos. Just in case, the guide carries a long stick. Komodo National Park is also breathtakingly beautiful below the water. The most awesomely exciting adventure of my snorkeling life was jumping into the water at Manta Point. Again, I was that over-eager six-year-old! I had my mask and snorkel on and the GoPro ready. My first view was of a half dozen majestic manta rays swimming right towards me! Watching from above, their flat, sleek bodies matched the color of the water except for the bright white of the cephalic lobes that protruded out on either side of their mouth. What insanely beautiful creatures to watch glide by! This experience alone was enough to merit a return trip to Indonesia.

Meg lived and traveled all over Asia for almost 25 years before moving to SIngapore in 2018. She enjoys biking, walking and quilting with AWA Creative Hands.