From Oct. 31 to Nov. 19, 2023 we joined an Overseas Adventure Travel (OAT) group tour of Indonesia. We began in Jakarta, went to Yogykarta, Bali and ended the tour with the post-tour extension to Labuan Bajo where we went to see Komodo dragons, as diagrammed in the map below. Tom also went on his own on a side trip to Borneo to see orangutans which is documented in the other blog.
Jakarta
Shadow puppets
Masjid Istiqlal (Independence Mosque)
I was surprised to learn that Indonesia has the largest population of Muslims in the world. Furthermore, the overwhelming majority (87%) of people in Indonesia are Muslim. We visited the Masjid Istiqlal mosque, which is the largest mosque in Southeast Asia and the 9th largest in the world in terms of capacity.
The ceiling of the mosque
Having never lived in a country with a high Muslim population, I was not familiar with the daily calls to prayer that characterize the religion. There are 5 calls every day, sometimes beginning early in the morning.
As a symbol of religious harmony, the Mosque was built next to the Catholic Jakarta Cathedral
Yogykarta
We flew to Yogykarta from Jakarta. On the way from the airport we stopped by the side of the road where a farmer was harvesting rice with the help of his neighbors.
Animated GIF of rice threshing
Yogyakarta Sultan’s Palace
For me a cultural highlight of Indonesia was a visit to the Sultan’s Palace in Yogyakarta. We just missed a dance performance by the women as we arrived just as they were posing.
However, we did have a chance to see a practice session with the men with a live gamelan orchestra. I believe this is in the Beksan Jebeng dancing tradition. It was a mesmerizing performance,
Borobudur Temple
Kasongan Village
Prambanan Temple
Sekar Rinonce Batik Foundation
Cave tubing
Bali
Ubud
We flew to Denpasar, Bali and took a bus to Ubud where we visited a children’s dance school of classical Balinese dancing.
Sudirawan Children’s Dance School
Happy Yoga Master
Ubud Sacred Monkey Forest
This is a temple complex and nature preserve that is home to over 1000 macaque monkeys that roam free and amuse the tourists. You are repeatedly warned not to bring food or bags that will tempt the monkeys who are skilled at stealing them.
A monkey scrum
Let go!!
Visit to small village
Tenganan Perringsingan is a small village in Bali known for unique traditional Balinese culture.
Palm leaf writing
The village had several people doing traditional palm leaf writing (or lontar), a custom that dates back to the 5th century BC. The writing is done on dried palm leaves with a sharp knife and rubbed with burnt candlenut or other colouring so that the ink is in the incised grooves but the surface is clear. Remarkably the writing can survive for centuries if properly cared for. Most of the oldest lontar are Hindu religious documents.
The village also had someone who raised chickens for fighting. He gave a brief demonstration of how easily it was to entice the cocks to fight.
Goa Lowah Hindu temple
This Hindu temple is well-known because there is a bat cave on the grounds which houses thousands of fruit-eating nectar bats. It is considered one of the six most holy places in Indonesia.
Monitor lizard
Blacksmith
We visited a small blacksmith shop which specialized in making knives and swords.
Pertenunan Arti Nadi textile
We visited a traditional Balinese weaving studio where dozens of women were working on looms.
Scenic rice fields
On the way to Trunyan village we stopped at a site with scenic views of rice terraces.
Trunyan Village
This is a small culturally isolated village that still keeps some traditional customs, most notably they do not bury their dead but leave them to decay in the cemetery where a special tree and rats take care of the job.
The village is located on the shores of Lake Batur with an active volcano (Mt. Batur) in the background. The lava flows from the last eruption can be easily seen. The scenic area was also featured in a well-known movie “Eat, Pray, Love” starring Julia Roberts.
Mt. Batur volcano in the background
Part of the graveyard
Javan pond heron
Javan pond heron
Candidasa
Masks
Tirta Gangga
This former royal palace is now a tourist destination.
Sanur
We stopped for a short visit with a salt miner, who works to extract salt from sea water. The painstaking process involves bringing sea water out to the beach. After the sand dries, the salt is then extracted from the mixture of sand and salt.
One of thousands of small temples
Uluwatu Cliffside Temple
The temple is famous for the large population of monkeys that roam free.
Statue of Kumbakarna Laga
Macaque with a prize: Anissia’s glasses
Titi Banda statue which is a roadside attraction
Gigantic statue of Garuda Vishnu in the middle of nowhere
Buddhist temple
Sea turtle rehabilitation site
Days old hatchling
Sunset over Bali
Labuan Bajos, Flores
For the post-trip extension we flew to Labuan Bajos from which we took two boat trips to Komodo Island and to Rinca Island to see Komodo dragons.
Komodo and Rinca Islands
The main target of the post-trip extension was to see Komodo dragons in the wild. They are found on several islands in eastern Indonesia. They are the largest lizards in the world, reaching 10 feet in length and 300 pounds in weight. They have venomous glands that excrete deadly toxins so a single bite may not kill the prey immediately but will cause the prey to die within a few days. The dragon will then find the rotting body with its keen sense of smell from its forked tongue.
Warthog, one of the dragon’s main prey
Cecer Village
One day we visited a remote small village of the Mangarrai tribe on the island of Flores. This was the home of our local guide so he participated in the activities. The men participate in a ritual competition and dance with costumes and whips.
The contest usually ends with a leaping try with the whip.
We also took boats out to remote islands for snorkeling and swimming.
Grace with our intrepid guide Adi
We had two great seafood dinners with really fresh seafood that they cooked after we ordered.
The scenic Labuan Bajo harbor
Denpasar
We stayed an extra day to explore Denpasar. On Adi’s advice we hired a driver who took us to Werdhi Budaya Art Centre.
Werdhi Budaya Art Centre in Denpasar
Baruna, God of the Sea, at sunset on Kuta Beach as our plane flies home
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