INDONESIA!

One of the main reasons for coming to teach English in South Korea is that I will have the opportunity to do some traveling during my vacation periods. I have only been here for 4 months and this opportunity has already presented itself.
One of the many places to see on my big to-do-list was Indonesia. July month was going to be ideal weather conditions and I had only 2 weeks off to make this journey.
I was extremely excited to go traveling and more so knowing that Clementine would be joining me. Clementine arrived 3 days prior to the trip and we took off for Jakarta Indonesia as the Saturday morning calm came to an end in Korea. Two weeks in Tropical Indonesia – Lets GO!

We arrived in Jakarta at night and boarded a connection flight to Mataram in Lombok. It was dark and the beautiful landscapes and lush green vegetation had not presented itself yet. A complete different place to the South Korea we left that morning. In the dark we were exposed to busy streets with people, scooters, children and street vendors. Dark alleys with potholed roads and street dogs not chained up as in Ganghwa. I could smell the fresh air and my level of excitement grew as we neared the ocean.

Race Rinjani

Climbing to the top of a volcano was one of the many things I wanted to do in Indonesia. I did some research and Mount Rinjani appeared to be one of the many winners. Mount Rinjani is one of the largest volcanoes in Indonesia and dominates Lombok Island. What we did not know was that the hike would not be for the faint hearted.



We were picked up from our bungalow in Senggigi Beach at 05:00 and drove to Rinjani as the sun rose over Lombok. We watched Lombok wake up with more scooters, livestock and people taking to the road. There was a smell of burnt firewood in the air. That same morning ash smell as in many parts of Africa – a smell related to poverty.
The TV-Game of dodging potholes, skinny dogs and overloaded scooters was soon over as we reached the starting point for our hike to the crater rim of Mount Rinjani.





Hiking to the top of Rinjani must be done with an accredited tour operator. They provide you with guides and porters who carry all your sleeping goods and food. These are the rules set out, but I met many solo travelers on a budget who paid their park fee and hiked alone. There is only one way to the top and you don’t need a guide. There’s enough hiker traffic on this route to not get lost or in trouble.





Paying the operator gives you the benefit of not carrying any food, sleeping bags, tents, mattresses or water. The porters carry everything and make this trek seem effortless as they carry the heavy load. All you take is your warm clothes, a camera and some extra’s you might need.
What they don’t give you is the energy required to conquer this mountain. Hiking through a humid rainforest of mud and rain can be tiring. I did not struggle too much but Clementine soon informed me what I think most people think when climbing Rinjani:
“Al-Ber, the more I look at that Mountain, the more I want to vomit!”





It’s an 8 hour hike to the rim of the volcano crater where you set camp for the night. Throughout the hike the guides give you water and prepare meals. Good Indonesian food of fried rice with chicken and some biscuits on the side. There are a few sheltered stop over spots as you make your trip up and the smell of human poo informs you that you will be reaching one of these stopping points soon.













The night was cold, really cold.
“I think I can die now” were Clem’s words as the wind woke us up during the night.

We were up just before sunrise and hiked the last 20 minutes to the top where we were treated with one of the most spectacular views I’ve ever seen. Watching the sunrise over Mount Rinjani made it all worth it. Our tired muscles, dirty bodies, desire to take a civilized shit and lion smelling breath was put on hold as we looked in awe at the beautiful surroundings we found ourselves in.







A filling breakfast and 4 hours later and we were back at the starting point. We did the 2 day hike only to the crater rim at around 2600 meters above sea level, but many hikers take the grueling 3 day hike to the summit of Mount Rinjani at 3726 meters. The weather conditions were perfect with only a little rain. Rinjani was a hike recommended to me and one I can recommend to anyone visiting Lombok.

From the bottom at Senaru it was back on the TV-Game route and off to the Gili Islands to relax and recover.

Mellow In Meno

The Gili Islands are tropical islands North-West of Lombok with no roads, no cars and no scooters. An Island surrounded by turquoise water with numerous beach bars and even more tourists. To get around the Gili’s you need to walk or take one of the many horse carts available.













We opted to stay on the quietest of the three islands – Gili Meno. Meno is known to be the honeymoon island; apparently the most relaxed of the three Gili’s.
Beautiful beaches, warm water and affordable accommodation make this a great spot to come and relax for a few days.
There are many snorkeling trips available in and around Gili Meno and we saw several sea turtles, small fish, a sea snake and some colourful coral. The coral is not in great shape and rather average as the colours seems to be fading as the coral is dying.















Speedboats to and from Bali contribute to the huge influx of tourists to the Gili’s, especially Gili Trawangan – ‘the party island’. It’s an easy alternative as to making use of public transport and takes only 2 hours opposed to traveling a full day otherwise.

Tourism is huge in Bali and the tourist infrastructures in place make it extremely easy to travel around. I never expected it to be this easy. My most recent references were traveling in Africa, not being able to communicate well in South Korea, Hitchhiking or taking non negotiable trains around Taiwan. Traveling does not always have to be difficult. In Bali it’s really easy, too easy at times. One thing that not all people will find easy or comfortable is that all prices are negotiable.
Bargaining – a tiring experience for some, rewarding for others, a rip off or sometimes a bargain, an art form, a skill, a shortcoming for some, but a must do when in Indonesia and many parts of the world. It keeps you alert and aware. You win some and you lose some, but you always have to partake.