I was pretty excited to flee Bali. Don’t get me wrong—I had some great experiences there. Snorkeling Menjangan Island; joining the locals in a parade for Kunigan; practicing yoga in the rice fields; enjoying cheap Balinese massages. But at the end of the day, I think it just wasn’t for me. I was glad to …
I’ve spent a fair bit of time puzzling over why people have such a positive mental image of Bali. Before my trip, if I mentioned my plans to visit Indonesia to anyone, I received mostly indifferent looks. Say the word “Bali,” though, and it’s a different story. Bali evokes paradise. But why? It’s one of …
I don’t quite remember how I found out about Mount Ijen on the island of Java, but I do remember that as soon as I saw the pictures of its turquoise crater and electric blue flames, I knew I had to go. It’s more or less the reason I came to Banyuwangi in the first …
Indonesia started with a whirlwind of transit. I flew direct from Tokyo to Jakarta, overnighted in the airport hotel there, then navigated the crazy Jakarta airport to fly again to Surabaya, a mid-size but overwhelming city. Jakarta and Surabaya were both assaults on the senses, masses of people, sights, sounds, and smells. I was lucky …