Indonesia Maluku Islands
Idul Fitri
Today marks the end of the fasting month of Ramadhan and the beginning of the two-day celebration of Idul Fitri. I would like to take this opportunity to express to all my Muslim friends across the archipelago…
SELEMAT HARI RAYA IDUL FITRI
MOHON, MAAF, LAHIR DAN BATIN
Date: September 30th, 2008 |
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Diving in Indonesia
It has been a while since I have been below the briny and I truly miss it as diving in Indonesia is an experience of a lifetime and with over 17,000 islands to choose from, there are copious amounts of dive-sites each with its own special delights and clarity of water. Interestingly, there are about four thousand species of fishes in the waters of Indonesia and that amounts to about one fourth of the total species of fish found worldwide. In fact, the wealth of marine life is amazing. The coral reefs off the islands in the archipelago are, in the norm, pristine and both patch reefs and barrier reefs can be found. I can truly state that besides the extraordinary marine life, Indonesia has the best coral reefs in the world. I have dived at a lot of locations in the archipelago but without a doubt, two of the best are Raja Ampat and Bunaken. Of course everybody has their own special place where they have enjoyed the best dive experience of their lives. As I mentioned earlier, there are literally thousands of dive sites and still a lot are yet to be discovered.
Date: September 19th, 2008 |
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Eight of the Best Smaller Islands in Indonesia
With over 17,000 islands in the archipelago, both large and small, the tourism possibilities seem endless. Each island virtually has its own culture and traditions, some dating back centuries. The larger islands like Sumatra and Java attract their fair share of foreign visitors as does the smaller island of Bali that is totally drenched in tourists. However, there are a great proportion of smaller islands in the archipelago that are rarely visited by your normal tourist and it these islands that are the most interesting with all manner of activity available such as surfing, diving and snorkelling, relaxing on isolated beaches, and fishing. But it’s not only these activities that draw the out-of-the-norm tourist to these smaller islands it is also the culture and the people of the respective island. So, I have put together seven of the islands that I consider to be the best in the archipelago. These eight islands doesn’t mean that the other islands in the archipelago aren’t worth visiting. On the contrary, they are, and each has its own uniqueness and each one just as attractive in its own right.
Date: September 11th, 2008 |
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The Fasting Month of Ramadhan
In just under a week’s time the holy fasting month of Ramadhan begins in Indonesia. This month precedes the Idul Fitri celebration that marks the end of the fasting month and is an exciting time to be in Indonesia for the culinary delights available on the streets and the gaiety of it all. But first, Muslims must participate in the fast and this includes children albeit allowances are made by some families. During the month of Ramadhan, Muslims fast from dawn to sunset every day and in addition to fasting, Muslims are encouraged to read the entire Qur’an. The Islamic religious observance that takes place during the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, is believed to be the month in which the Qur’an began to be revealed to the Prophet Mohammed. For Muslims this is a time for inner reflection, devotion to God and self-control. In the Islamic month of fasting Muslims don’t eat or drink anything from sunrise ’till sunset. This also includes abstaining from sexual activity, smoking, partying and any other form of entertainment.
Date: August 26th, 2008 |
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Be Careful Not to Offend Others
Being careful not to offend people on your travels is sometimes not as easy as it seems. Each country has different mores and the gestures and mannerisms you may think as normal in your home country could be offensive to the people of the country you travel in. Because Indonesia is a country where Islam is the predominant religion, there are certain mannerisms you should be aware of that could be deemed disrespectful. Most westerners really don’t give it a second thought and carry on just as they did at home and, so often I have noticed this in Bali on my many trips to that island. Fortunately, the Balinese are a liberal people and tend to disregard those westerners who behave and act atrociously and use mannerisms offensive to them. However, when you travel to the other islands within the archipelago where Islam is predominant then there are a few mannerisms you should be aware of that are considered offensive.
Date: July 22nd, 2008 |
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Five Great Reasons to Visit Indonesia
Indonesia is a vast archipelago with over 17,000 islands and rich not only in cultural treasures but also a country steeped in history. It is a country extending 5,120 kilometres from east to west and 1,760 kilometres from north to south and, it is the largest archipelago in the world straddling the Equator between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. Amazingly, it has roughly 108,000 kilometres of beaches. The Indonesian climate is simple as it has no spring, summer, fall, or winter but only two seasons: rainy and dry. While there is significant regional variation, in most of the country the dry season is April to October, while the wet season is November to March. Put all that together with the varied plethora of bird and animal life then you have a fantastic place to visit, all year round.
Date: September 24th, 2008 |
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Try Breakfast at the Local Market
I have a penchant for traditional markets and you will find these in every village, town and many in the cities in Indonesia. The majority of traditional markets start at dawn and are usually over by midday, except of course those markets where the majority of vendors sell clothes and the ilk, and household items. Foreign travellers in Indonesia tend to visit these places around mid-morning and by doing so miss out on the magical atmosphere that surrounds these markets. Early in the morning whilst most of them are catching up on a few hours extra sleep or nursing a hangover from that bitter brew from the previous night’s activity when they really should be down at the market where one can buy fresh fruit and imbibe in the culinary delicacies of the city or town you are in. It’s fascinating to watch the locals setting out their piece of canvas on the ground and laying out their fruits, spices and vegetables for sale, and the kaki lima hustling for a good position with their carts. It is also interesting to watch the local patrons of these markets bargain for goods in an effort to get the product at the best price.
Date: September 15th, 2008 |
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Getting Around in a Becak
Last night I was at a get-together of University colleagues and during a conversation about Java one man said “I’m going there next month. It will be my first time. I want to try a bisak” I mulled this over in my thought and eventually had to ask what he meant by ‘bisak’. Of course I laughed when I realised he in fact meant ‘becak’, the very popular and cheap form of transport on a lot of the islands in the archipelago. Becaks are a three-wheeled bicycle, two wheels in the front and one at the rear, and you sit quite uncomfortably on the padded wooden seats in the front. This form of transport is literally king-of-the-road and all other manner of transport is obliged to give way to them on the roads. Becak drivers are usually lean in stature with strong-muscled legs and area mine of information should you decide to use them to get around the city you are visiting, but, ensure you bargain the price for the journey well beforehand.
Date: September 4th, 2008 |
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The Gangs of Indonesia
Guaranteed you thought I was going to write about bunches of hoodlums that are, occasionally, found in some of the streets in the big cities of Indonesia. Sorry to disappoint you. Rather, I was referring to the small laneways, alleys and narrow streets in Indonesia that are referred to as gangs in Bahasa Indonesia. In whatever city or town you are visiting, and, if you are the adventurous and explorer type, then these gangs often yield some delightful surprises and give you an insight into the normal daily life of the Indonesian people. It’s amazing how often I have struck up a conversation with one of the locals only to find out about a place that isn’t listed in any guidebooks. These include restaurants, warungs and even artisans that ply their trade in their own backyard producing high quality pieces of merchandise far better than you would buy in the main streets or shops. I can recall one very hot day in the Chinese quarter of Semarang when I came across a tailor (penjahit) sitting at his old Singer sewing machine on the front porch of his house. He noticed the beads of perspiration on my brow and beckoned me to sit in the shade with him, rest and talk. His wife even brought out food and water for me.
Date: August 4th, 2008 |
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Wedding Rituals
Across the archipelago of Indonesia wedding rituals vary from island to island and dependant on the religion of the future wedded couple. In western society, man meets woman, they go out and do the usual (work it out for yourself!), become engaged and finally marry. In the case of my wife and I tying the knot it was rather frustrating from a westerners point of view. Take into consideration that this was during the period of the Soeharto regime when Bhuddism was not a recognised religion in Indonesia. Yes, you guessed it, my wife was a Bhuddist and, to complicate things even further, she was Indonesian born of Chinese descent. Not only that, my wife was from a very old Chinese lineage and therefore strict adherence to marital rituals had to be observed. As a westerner and a fairly laid-back guy, I respected this ‘process’. For our first year of courting we were chaperoned and I can still recall quite clearly sitting I the parlor at my wife’s parents place and having to have a member of the family present.
Date: June 13th, 2008 |
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