Kapoposang National Marine Park may not be as well-known as other celebrated diving resorts, like Bunaken of North Sulawesi or Raja Ampat in Papua, but it is equally beautiful and offers an abundance of unexplored marine life. Located in the Makassar Strait some 20 nautical miles northwest of South Sulawesi’s capital of Makassar, Kapoposang National Park is a coral conservation area in the central part of Indonesia. It takes around two hours to reach the area from Paotere Tallo port in Makassar, crossing the strait by speedboat. There is also the option of a three-and-a-half hour trip departing from Maccini Baji port in Pangkep regency. But no matter how long it takes to get there, and even though the afternoon brings stronger winds and higher waves, the trip is worthwhile.
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The thousand island group known as ‘Pulau Seribu’ is a group of small islands scattered in the bay of Jakarta. In total there are 110 islands and many have been developed to service tourists. Resorts and recreational activities abound and although the aforementioned are regarded by many travelers as above-their-budget, there are other smaller places to suit everyone. Interestingly, the northern area of the islands is a national marine park The reef systems surrounding Pulau Seribu are home to a magnificent underwater world with a wide variety of fish, making it an ideal spot for diving, snorkeling and fishing.
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Lying between Sumbawa and Timor islands is Flores, one of the Lesser Sunda Islands in East Nusa Tenggara. Maumere is the largest town. The island was favoured by Portuguese sailors in the 17th century as an identity marker for the cape on the eastern end of the island. Flores is divided by mountainous and volcanoes and has diverse ethnic groups each with their own traditions and languages. Catholicism is the predominant religion. Interestingly, traditional belief system and ritual practices are still prominent in daily life irregardless of the domination of Catholicism and these include the renewal of symbols of group identity and of course those of the annual agricultural calendar in life-cycle rites.
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It’s been a long time since I was on a board and even though my desire to return to the surf has not yet dissipated, I know that once I did return it would take all my time and I would surf constantly. Although that’s not a bad thing, my wife Candika would have a few words to say about that!. Sumbawa is becoming extremely popular for surfers and I have never really investigated the situation there regarding surf spots etc.
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Tomini Gulf is one of the biggest bays in Indonesia, bordering 13 regencies in the Gorontalo and Central Sulawesi provinces. The bay hosts 56 islands — called the Togean Islands — which are spread over 90 kilometers at the center of Tomini gulf.
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Ambon is the capital city of Maluku as well as the main administration point for the Moluccas. It was the centre of the spice trade in the 17th century, and is located off the much larger island of Seram. Ambon Island has retained many buildings of great historical significance, unfortunately a lot was bombed-out during The Second World War. Ambon is part of a chain of volcanic islands that form a circle around the Banda Sea. An irregular shaped island, it is 51 km long and seemingly almost divided into two. To the south-eastern and the smallest part of the island is a peninsula called Leitimor. This is connected to Hitoe in the north by a narrow stretch of land. Ambon city lies on the north-west of Leitimor, facing Hitoe. The harbour in Ambon is considered a safe harbour and named Amboyna Bay.
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The resorts which line the palm fringed and white sandy beaches are a mixture of upmarket resorts. There are of course a few budget orientated premises suited to those travellers watching the Ben Franklin. If you are feeling adventurous and are a keen camper and can get hold of a dome tent, then why not camp out on the beach!.
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The island formally known as the Celebes, Sulawesi, is not unlike the other larger islands in the archipelago as far as travelling is concerned – you need at least three months to explore it and even then you will only be scratching the surface. However, it is possible to cover the main areas and major attractions in a few weeks. Sulawesi has an area of around 172,000 square km Indonesia’s third-largest island and the world’s eleventh-largest island.Geographically, Sulawesi has everything to offer the traveller with spectacular mountains ideal for a casual climb and a coastline that is as beautiful as you will find anywhere in the world. Add to that the numerous lakes, dense jungles and friendly people then it is understandable that Sulawesi is one of the few islands where you can experience cultural and marine diversity, the latter offering some of the best dive sites in Indonesia. The largest cities on the island are Makassar, on the South-western coast of the island, and Manado on the northern tip.
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The wide diversity of corals and marine life in Indonesia, the varied shapes and the vibrant colours of the coral reefs around the islands make diving in these waters a once in a life time experience. It is estimated there are around four thousand species of fish in the waters on Indonesia which constitutes roughly one fourth of the total fish found worldwide. The diving spots in Bali offer superb experiences. Just a few years ago, the lush coral reefs off Bali were dying out, bleached by rising temperatures, blasted by dynamite fishing, and poisoned by cyanide. Now they are coming back, thanks to an unlikely remedy: electricity.
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