Indonesia. Holidays in Indonesia: grand tour of the islands A brief history of Indonesia

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So. The idea to go to Indonesia came after a thorough analysis of the weather in August-September in the countries of Southeast Asia. The question arose about tickets: the cheapest one was Qatar Airways. As a result: in May we bought tickets with a flight on August 26 to Jakarta and back (with a transfer in Doha, of course).

Then we started thinking about where to go. Since we had previously planned to visit Burma, to replace it, we had to come up with a decent excursion) And we had already been to Bali, so we had no desire to sit on one island. I won’t write what I planned to write, but I will describe what happened in the end.

Rate: 1$ ~ 8950 IDR.

Air tickets (prices including taxes and fees):
1. Moscow - Doha - Jakarta - Doha - Moscow. Qatar Airways. 20,500 rubles per person.
2. Dakarta - Yogyakarta. Lion Air. 410,000 IDR ~ $45 per person.
3. Denpasar - Jakarta. Garuda Indonesia. 900,000 IDR ~ $100 per person.

Day 1. Arrival in Jakarta. Domestic flight to Yogyakarta.
We arrived at 15:30. Departure to Yogyakarta at 19:00. I took it with a reserve, because they said that in Jakarta you might get stuck getting a visa and luggage. Nothing like that! We left the airport 30 minutes after arrival. After another 10 minutes we arrived at the terminal with domestic flights. So everything went quickly.
Upon arrival in Yogyakarta, we chose a hotel at the airport, took a taxi and went. That's all.

Expenses:
Airport tax in Jakarta - 40,000 IDR per person.
Foot massage at the airport - 40,000 IDR per person.
Taxi to the hotel - 50,000 IDR.
Hotel Indah Palace - 350.000 IDR dbl with breakfast.
Dinner - 110,000 IDR for two.
Total: 670,000 IDR for two.

Day 2. Borobudur, Merapi volcano, sunset on the ocean.
We get up at 7:30 and have breakfast. We go to Borobudur, then we go to the observation deck of the Merapi volcano. After that, Prambanan was planned, but it closes at 16:00, and we don’t have time, so the driver suggested going to the ocean, which we, of course, agreed to)
Afterwards we return to the hotel and go to dinner at a nearby restaurant and sleep.

Expenses:
Taxi for the whole day - 350,000 IDR.
Hotel Metro Guest House - 200.000 IDR dbl with breakfast.
Tickets to Borobudur - 135,000 IDR per person.
Tickets to Prambanan - 110,000 IDR per person.
Tickets to Merapi volcano - 20,000 IDR per person, 50,000 IDR per guide.
Lunch - 50,000 IDR.
Dinner - 130,000 IDR for two.
Total: 1,310,000 IDR for two .

After the second day, in the evening, the driver suggested us a route for 4 days (which will be described below), which starts in Yogyakarta and ends at the Padangbai ferry station in Bali, from where the ferry departs to Lombok. For $300 for two, which includes his food, housing, gas, ferry, etc. Howling all transport costs and expenses of the driver. We agreed)
Total: Driven for 4 full days - $300.

Day 3. Prambanan. Road to Bromo.
We get up again at 7:30 and have breakfast. We are going to Prambanan. After a long road to Bromo. We left at about 11 o'clock and arrived at Bromo at 22:30. Dinner, night photography of the volcano and by 12 am we go to bed.

Expenses:
Hotel on Bromo - 220.000 IDR dbl with breakfast.
Tickets to Bromo - 25,000 IDR per person.
Lunch - 75,000 IDR.
Dinner - 80,000 IDR for two.
Total: 445,000 IDR for two .

Day 4. Volcano Bromo. Road to Ijen.
We get up at 3 am, at 3:30 we get into Jim and go to Bromo. The inspection ends at 9 am, by which time the driver brings us to the hotel. After that we had a hearty breakfast and went to the Ijen volcano. Around 5 pm we arrive at the hotel, located an hour’s drive from the volcano itself. We go for a walk around the local village and take pictures of locals and children) Then we go to the hotel, drink beer in the jacuzzi and go to bed!

Expenses:
Jeep to Bromo - 325,000 IDR per jeep.
Jacket rental - 25,000 IDR per piece.
Breakfast and lunch - 30,000 for two.
Tickets to the Ijen Nature Reserve - 2,000 IDR per person.
Hotel on Ijen Catimore Homestay - 165.000 IDR dbl with breakfast.
Dinner - 105,000 IDR per day.
Total: 680,000 IDR for two.

Day 5. Ijen Volcano. Road to Bali.
We get up at 5 am, have breakfast and drive towards Ijen. Ascent, descent. Around 10-11 o'clock we leave the volcano to the Padangbay ferry station. We sail for an hour to Bali. Next on the program we go to northern Bali, where a photo hunt for dolphins is planned in the town of Lovina Beach. Around 4 pm we arrive at the hotel, swim in the pool, drink beer and relax after Ijen. (we actually fell asleep and slept through dinner)

Expenses:
Tickets to Ijen - 30,000 IDR per person.
Lunch - 75,000 IDR for two.
Hotel in Lovina Beach - 350.000 IDR dbl with breakfast.
Dinner - 180,000 IDR per week.
Total: 665,000 IDR for two.

Day 6. Dolphins and express tour throughout Bali. We sail to the island of Gili Nanggu.
We get up at 7:30, have breakfast and swim for dolphins. According to the program, express memories of Bali) We move from the hotel towards Lake Bratan, then the village of Ubud, then some temple dedicated to Gonesha. At 17:00 we arrive in Padangbai. We called the hotel from a passerby's phone, and they told us that since we would arrive at Lombok at 10 pm, they would not be able to provide us with a boat to the island, they say there was no lantern on it... After 10 minutes, the issue was resolved. We sail for 4 hours to Lombok, then 40 minutes to the island of Gili. Go to bed.

Expenses:
Dolphin boat - 175,000 IDR per boat.
Tickets to the temple on Lake Bratan - 10,000 IDR per person.
Tickets to the Gonesha Temple - 20,000 IDR per person.
Lunch (fruit) - 45,000 IDR for two.
Ferry to Lombok - 21,000 per person.
Transfer from Lombok ferry station to the hotel - 150,000 IDR per boat.
Hotel Gili Nanggu - 350.000 IDR dbl with breakfast.
Total: 820,000 IDR for two

Day 7-8. On the island of Gili Nanggu.
We sit on Gili Nanggu and enjoy life, blue water, white sand and solitude on the island.

Expenses:
Hotel Gili Nanggu (there is only one) - 350,000 IDR dbl with breakfast.
Food costs are approximately 200,000 IDR per day for two.
Total: about 1,100,000 IDR for two for 2 full days.

Day 9. We sail back to Bali. We move to Kuta.
We got bored and decided to reel in our fishing rods. At 12:00 we sail from the hotel towards the Lembar ferry station, then board the ferry and sail back to Bali. We arrive, find the hotel in the internet cafe and through the driver Ahmed, take a taxi and go there. In the evening we are already in Kuta. Let's go have dinner, walk and sleep)

Expenses:
Lunch - 90,000 IDR for two.
Boat hotel-ferry station on Lombok - 150,000 IDR per boat.
Lombok-Bali ferry - 31,000 per person.
Taxi to Kuta (here one of the kazels hyped us up, but there was no choice) - 300,000 IDR per car.
Dinner - 170,000 IDR for two.
Total: 770,000 IDR for two.

Starting from this day we checked into the hotel Hotel Puri Tanah Lot- a very good hotel, the rooms have air conditioning, hot water, TV, a double bed. The rooms are clean, cleaned every day and bed linen changed every day. Overall we recommend! Price: 400.000 IDR with breakfast per room.

Day 10-12. We're having fun in Kuta.
We live in Kuta, surf, drink coconuts and chew bananas. In general, we are enjoying life again)

Day 13. We spend the whole day driving around Bali and seeing all the essentials.
We take a taxi driver for 12 hours and go along the route: Hotel -> Monkey Forest -> Kintamani -> Tanah Lot -> Ulu Watu -> Hotel.

Expenses:
Driving for 12 hours with a car with air conditioning cost us 550,000 IDR.
All tickets to Bali are cheap: we paid about 100,000 IDR for two for all entrance tickets .

Day 14-16. We continue to party in Kuta.
We continue to go to the beach in Kuta and relax and lead an idle lifestyle.

Costs in Kuta:
Sunbeds - 20,000 IDR for a sunbed for the whole day (even if you leave, it will still be yours =)).
Fruits and beer and water on the beach ~ 70,000 IDR for two.
Dinner (2 salads, 2 seafood dishes, 2 fresh juices, 2 beers) ~ 200,000 IDR for two respectively.
Total about 320,000 IDR per day for two.

From entertainment:
Massage averages 100,000 IDR per person
Surfing: $50 for 5 hours with an instructor, spread over 2 - 3 days.

Day 17. We fly home. Internal flight to Jakarta, then by Qataris via Doha to Moscow.
At 8:00 we leave the hotel. At 10:20 departure to Jakarta from Denpasar airport. We arrive at 11:40 local time. At 18:00 we fly to Doha. Docking. Flight to Moscow. The End.

Total: We spent everything on everything $3600 for two, that is, the budget for a similar trip for one 1800$ ~ 1350 euro ~ 54.000 rubles (taking into account the fact that we each took a surf with an instructor, had a massage several times and bought souvenirs).

Feels like: When our holiday came to an end, it seemed to us that we had been there for at least a month. There are so many impressions that words cannot describe! And if you consider that they are now offering trips to Turkey for this money, then in my opinion, comments here are unnecessary =)
In general, we highly recommend it to everyone! After all, you only have one life, you have to have time to see everything!)

directions

Where to go in Indonesia

How to get there: by bemo (minibuses) from Denpasar, by tourist shuttle from the airport, Ubud, Kuta, Candidasa, Padang Bai, Ameda, Lovina, Kintamani and Bedugul, by boat from Lembongan Island, by boat plus shuttle from Lombok and Gili islands.

Photo credit: Tanya, Flickr

Southwestern coast of Bali

The southwestern part of the coast is especially popular with surfers and those just getting on the board. Kuta is the largest and most popular beach in the region; further along the coast beyond Kuta are the resort villages of Legian and Seminyak, with calmer and more respectable surf beaches and a developed entertainment infrastructure.

Further west along the coast are the less touristy surf regions and Tanah Lot - with small surf beaches and excellent surf spots, rice terraces and fishing villages. Already quite far from Kuta on the west coast is Medevi Beach.

Photo credit: globetrekimages, Flickr

Photo credit: jean-marc rosseels, Flickr

Kuta, Lombok Island

With sandy white beaches, picturesque hills, tiny idyllic coves and big waves, the large Kuta Beach in the south is undoubtedly one of the most picturesque beach regions in Indonesia. Kuta is a favorite place for surfers in Lombok; it is here that surfing fans who are tired of the crowds usually run away, and it is thanks to Kuta that Lombok is called “non-tourist Bali.”

There is a housing format in Kuta for every taste - from stylish villas to simple bungalows and homestays, and prices are disproportionately lower than in Balinese. The atmosphere in Kuta is lazy, relaxed and very authentic.

Where to live: hotels, bungalows and homestays in Kuta
How to get there: from the airport and ports by taxi or hotel transfers; from the island of Bali - by high-speed boats with transfer to Kuta.

Photo credit: Alberto Bizzini, Flickr

Gili Islands

Near Lombok, and Gili Memo, each of which can be walked around in a couple of hours - just a paradise for lazy people. The cult of relaxation reigns here, everything is subordinated to it.

Carts pulled by small horses run along the only road of the largest and most popular of the three (there are no vehicles on the island), in every restaurant or bar you will be offered beds, watermelon cocktails and delicious food, and in tiny roadside cafes - magic mushrooms. The beaches on the Gili Islands are amazingly white, and the water has a magical turquoise tint. It is so beautiful, good and lazy here that it takes enormous willpower to leave these heavenly places.

Photo credit: Natalia Andersson, loveYouPlanet

Lembongan Island

Located off the southeast coast, the small island of Lembongan (Nusa Lembongan) is a great place if you suddenly want to escape the noisy and crowded southern beaches of Bali. The beaches here are snow-white, the water is emerald, the atmosphere is lazy and very authentic. Lembongan is deservedly considered one of the best diving spots in Indonesia, and there are also several surf spots on the island. There are two more islands near Lembongan - tiny Nusa Ceningan, connected to Lembongan by a bridge, and large non-tourist Nusa Penida, which can be reached by regular boats.

The main format of housing on the island is bungalows of varying levels of comfort and prices and so-called beach huts - beach houses.

To find accommodation on Lembongan Island: Bungalows and beach houses
How to get there: by boat from Sanur, shuttle plus boat from Kuta and Ubud.

Amed, Bali island

Amed – This fairly remote beach on the eastern side is a favorite spot for divers and backpackers. The eastern coast of Bali is washed by the sea, there are no huge waves and underwater currents are not as strong as in the southern part of the island, washed by ocean waves.

Black sand, a picturesque view of the formidable Agugng volcano, a magnificent underwater world, excellent infrastructure for diving and snorkeling, a large selection of accommodation and, most importantly, a special relaxing atmosphere distinguish Amed from the noisy party southern beaches of the southwestern part of Bali.

To find accommodation on Amed beach: dive hotels, villas, hotels and guest houses
How to get there: by tourist shuttle from the airport, Ubud, Sanur, Candidasa, Padang Bai and Lovina.

Bali Photo credit: Andy Troy, Flickr

Photo credit: Ahmad Syukaery, Flickr

Togean Islands

The Togean Islands are located off northeastern Sulawesi in the Tamini Sea. The archipelago consists of 3 large and several dozen small islands, on some of which you can find dive resorts with simple infrastructure or ascetic wooden bungalows. These places are idyllic, but at the same time difficult to access and undeveloped, which, by the way, is only a plus for many divers and adventurers)

Photo credit: Alida Szabo, Flickr

Derawan and Maratua

The scattering of coral islands nearby is considered one of the world's best diving and snorkeling destinations. Near the most inhabited island of Derawan there is a large Maratua atoll and several other tiny coral islands - atolls, most of which are uninhabited. The entire group of islands in the Derawan area is often called the Derawan Islands, although technically the islands are part of the Sangalaki archipelago.

The islands are surrounded by massive coral reefs, where you can often see huge turtles that have chosen the sandy beaches of the islands. The format of accommodation on the islands ranges from simpler bungalows to luxury villas on small atoll islands.

Where to stay on the islands: Derawan Dive Lodge, Maratua atoll
How to get there: by plane from Balikpapan to Berau (BEJ), by taxi from the airport to the pier and by regular boat to Tanjung Batu (in the direction of Tarakn) or by taxi from the airport to Tanjung Batu (about 4 hours, look for at the airport of fellow travelers), from Tanjung Batu on a rented speedboat to Derawan. An airport is planned to open on the island of Maratua at the end of 2016. , check the information that is current at the time of travel.

Photo credit: Ferran Altimiras, Flickr Photo credit: Aning Jati, Flickr

Raja Ampat Islands

The Raja Ampat Islands, located near Papua, are a scattering of tiny karst islands with blue lagoons and coral reefs. Waigeo Island is the only large island of the archipelago on which the main infrastructure is concentrated - here you can find very nice eco-resorts with simple wooden bungalows, dive resorts with more comfortable cottages and a brand new budget hostel.

In addition to diving, there are a lot of other eco-friendly activities here - trekking on Waigeo Island, boat trips between the islands, kayaking and fishing.

Where to live: Raja Ampat
How to get there: by plane to Sorong, from there by boat to Waigeo.

Photo credit: Setiono Joko Purwanto, Flickr

Photo credit: Fajar Nurdiansyah, Flickr

Karimunjawa Islands

The Karimunjawa Islands are an archipelago of 27 islands located 90 km off the northern coast in the Java Sea. This is the place for those looking for an island paradise unspoilt by tourists. The beaches here are white sand, the sea is calm, the corals and reefs are beautiful, the accommodation is varied, the people are friendly, and the seafood is cheap. The main tourist infrastructure is located on the largest island of the archipelago. Ways to spend time include motorbike trips, trekking, boat trips, fishing, snorkeling and diving.

Where to live in Karimunjawa: hotels, bungalows, homestays
How to get there: by plane to Dewandaru Airport from Surabaya and Semarang; by ferry from Jepara (about 5 hours) or by high-speed ferry from Jepara (about 2 hours), to/from Jepara port by pedicabs to the bus station, from where buses run to Semarang, Surabaya, Yogyakarta and Jakarta. Check the current ferry schedules in advance when booking a hotel; tickets can be purchased through travel agencies in Semarang, Surabaya and Yogyakarta or on the spot before departure.

Photo credit: David Robbins, Flickr

And then one day the thought came into my head that it would be nice to consider other options and leave the island. I stated this out loud, and my partners agreed that it was a really bad climate, unhealed wounds, and it was still unknown how long these people would agree to keep us here - three parasites, you understand! So while our monthly visa is valid, we need to do something. So this was not the end of our journey through hot Indonesia...

• Intense heat, scorching sun
• Humid climate, non-healing wounds
• Uncertainty that the locals will continue to support us
• If you go to uninhabited beaches, then there are not enough resources there, which means again dependence on the locals
• The opportunity to consider other options, other islands, countries.

And so we agreed with Mr. Amro that they would help us leave. We didn’t have money for a plane, so we decided to buy tickets on a ship to the city of Makassar, in southern Sulawesi. One guy lives there, whom we had previously met through the Internet, we agreed with him that we would come, live for a while, use the Internet to buy electronic plane tickets and fly home.

And so we left this island, or rather, we sailed away on a motor boat and settled for two days with our friend Amro in the village of Debut on the island of Tual. It was the 6th, the ferry (ship) departed only on the 8th, and tickets for it can only be purchased a maximum of one day in advance, i.e. 7th. That's what we did. Ticket offices are located in the capital of Tual Island, Langgur. Tickets cost 410,000 rupees, which is quite cheap. Sailing for 3 days.

These two days, Amro and his relatives received us like high-ranking persons, gave us a room and fed us at a separate table, like kings. We also conducted scooter excursions around Tual. We went to the water caves, looked at the grottoes, then to the coral mountain and drove around the island.

Debut village

Street

We drove through about 500 of these streets, probably circling the entire island and finishing our day. On the island of Tual and in general on the Key Islands, there are three faiths - Protestants, Muslims and Catholics. Ours are from a Catholic village. Traveling around the island and villages, Amro showed me their religious component, and his relatives live in almost all Catholic villages. "What a huge family!" - I never ceased to be surprised. Not like our families. All these villages, with different religious traditions, coexist peacefully on the islands. But sometimes peace ends and conflicts begin. At the moment, there is a conflict on the island between Catholic and Protestant villages over a disputed piece of land. It’s all very simple: no one wants to give in and arguing is rather just a matter of honor. Local residents fight the police with bows and arrows, because they don’t have firearms - it’s just like the Middle Ages. And a few years ago, over those 10 islands that belong to the family of my friend Amro, people from Protestant and Muslim villages killed 34 people from the village of Debut as a result of the conflict. So they really got these islands with sweat and blood! Amro also showed us those houses that were rebuilt, since the previous buildings burned down from arson carried out by enemies. A very unpleasant picture, seemingly such nice people can be so evil and cruel to each other, and all because of materialistic values ​​and mercantile interest, because of greed and envy.

While we were in Debut, it was Good Friday in the Catholic world, and we witnessed a Catholic ritual - a staging of the last events in the life of the Savior, with a procession of the cross throughout the village. And then the next day we went to watch the Catholic Easter service in the local church. But we didn’t stay there for long, we wanted to sleep and left the temple. The next day we went around the island again, again our butts were tired of the uncomfortable seats of the scooters. All the equipment in Tual is Japanese, a liter of gasoline costs 5,000 rupees, kerosene 2,000.

And then the 8th came, it was time for us to leave. Boarding the ferry began at 4 am. We arrived by taxi, the taxi driver was their relative, and he charged half or three times less for the trip. We said goodbye to our friends, Lawrence, Amro and his brothers were there. Amro even shed a little tears, wished us good luck, we thanked him for everything as best we could in English and went to board the ferry. A young guy was traveling with us to Ambon - also his relative, he helped us with landing.

Let's get moving. We settled down in the open air on the 7th floor of the ship. We laid down the foam, threw down our backpacks and seemed to take a little nap. The whole next day there were no stops, the stop was only at 6 pm on the Banda Islands. I met some curious locals who spoke English and they told me a little about these islands, that there was a war over them and that the last volcanic eruption was in 1994. Well, in general, we attracted a lot of attention. It was simply an eyesore for everyone passing by. Every second person shouted to you: “Halo, mister!” And most importantly, whether you are a man or a woman, most will still call you Mister. Many came up and asked the same thing in English, sometimes in Indonesian. Where are you from? Where are you going? Where were you? How many were there? - These are the main questions I heard from people.

Then there was a stop in Ambon, it was morning. The ship turned in the other direction, and the sun was shining directly on us, so we had to change our location. We bought rice and fish from the merchants and ate. I changed the bandage on my finger and applied propolis.

In general, I dare say that on the deck, and indeed on the entire ferry, it is quite dirty. Unsanitary conditions are everywhere. There is dirt of unknown origin, cigarette butts, candy wrappers all around. Cockroaches are crawling. Well, what can you do? There is no money for the first and second class of a ship or for a plane, so you have to travel like all ordinary Indonesians - as a housekeeper. But we looked at the common people, this is not some Bali or Jakarta! This is an ordinary Indonesian people.

This people is very dirty, I tell you. And dirty not in the sense of being unwashed, but in the sense of loving to litter. These are their traditions, or something like this: they sit on the deck, eat rice or noodles. After eating, everyone MUST throw any garbage overboard into the sea. Well, why? There is a trash can nearby (the blue-yellow-red ones are visible in the photo), a little further there is another one, why throw it into the sea? Throwing it into a bucket is much less effort than getting up and throwing it into the sea. For us, such behavior was savagery. Everything, be it cigarette butts, candy wrappers, noodle boxes, or whatever - everything is in the sea. And then we wonder: where do entire alluvial islands made of garbage come from? Watching them, I got the impression that they have already automated this to such an extent that, probably, at the level of conditioned reflexes, it’s already thrown into the sea. But the sea is big - it will endure!

Parking in Bau Bau

Kota Bau Bau Pier

Next was a stop at Kota Bau Bau. Many people left there and others entered. If Ambon is still more or less a village, then Bau Bau is already a real civilization. We stood, waited and went further along the route to Makassar. The ferry (ship) "Kerinci" belongs to the largest company Pelni. Quite an old ship with numerous traces of rust. This was our first trip across the sea by ship. It's a kind of cruise.

Let's go to Makassar. It was night, we took a horizontal position and fell asleep. Waking up in the morning, Max did not find his small bag, which contained his documents (both passports), phone, camera, navigator, solar panel and 400 thousand rupees. We all, of course, immediately became excited. What do you mean, how is this possible? What kind of bastards did this? We approached the guard, and with the guard we went throughout the ship, looking at all sorts of secret places, in the hope that suddenly the documents would at least be planted there, and everything else would be taken away. But alas, they found nothing. Yes, we didn’t even hope right away, because it was more logical to assume that the bag was simply thrown into the sea. It was simply not possible to mess around with all the passengers, and no one would have done so. Plus, we learned that other people had lost valuables, so we weren’t alone. But this is money, and here are documents, passports. So what should I do?

Without thinking twice, Max made a responsible decision: if it was not possible to solve the problems with the restoration of documents, then go back to Tual, to our friends, and stay there to live.

So we arrived in the hero city of Makassar. April 11, 2012. We took a taxi to our friend and stayed with him. We immediately went online and looked at tickets, surfed all sorts of forums. Max, having scoured the Internet, realized that it was very difficult to restore documents and did not even bother with it. I decided to go back to our (now his) island. In the end, he went there to live. And then life decreed that he had to stay there. Heat and wounds, I think, are not scary for him, although they punished him more than all of us.

Andrey, Oleg, Jean, Max

We lived for 3 days in Makassar with our wonderful friend Jin, bought plane tickets, then took the ferry to Jakarta - Andrey and I went to the capital of Indonesia. Max stayed there, his ferry will only arrive on the 20th. Makassar is a large city and the capital of the island of Sulawesi. Lots of cars, mopeds and the stink of exhaust. Jin fed us various local foods, some of them hot as fire. “Very panas,” I said in English-Indonesian. We also tried the interesting fruit Rambutan for the first time in our lives. Quite a pleasant taste compared to durian and snake nut.

For the first time in a long time we saw rain, and not just rain, but a real tropical downpour. Real Hujan! The guys took advantage of the moment and crawled under it, using it as a shower, saying that so much water was wasted. I didn’t climb because of my finger, although I really wanted to!

View from Gin's porch

Our stay in Makassar came to an end and it was time to board the ship to Jakarta. Andrey and I ordered a taxi and, according to the meter, we traveled for only 50,000 rupees, while the cost of getting there was 100. Jin and his friend saw us off and helped us with boarding. We boarded the ferry, already experienced, and immediately went to look for a place on the deck. But it started to rain and it became wet on deck, so I had to go spend the night with everyone else in the economy class cabin. It consists of bunks connected to each other, dirty ones, and mattresses. There is dirt, garbage, cockroaches and complete unsanitary conditions all around. And the locals don’t care, they even eat rice with unwashed hands. Paradise for helminths! There you can’t get rid of them with any chili pepper!

We spent the night, we are not used to it, but without rain and more softly than on the floor. Then I went for a walk around the ship, it was sunny, and I found a free deck, much cleaner than this general cabin, and we moved there. They dropped the foam and settled down. True, there were plenty of cockroaches there, they crawled on our backpacks and on us, most likely, but we paid little attention to them.

6th floor, 1st class department

Find 5 differences!

We will sail for 2 days, with a stop in Surabaya. The ticket cost 382,000 rupees. There were no incidents. We talked with interesting people, although I dare say that there is no shortage of communication on ferries. Sooner or later, someone will come up and, if not in English, then they will definitely speak Indonesian Bahasa. And you just have time to repeat: “Saya tida magarti” - I don’t understand. We talked with a businessman from the island of Aru, neighboring Tual, and talked with an economics teacher. We also got acquainted with a cheerful resident of the northern Moluccas - Francisco. He came to visit us often and constantly found a common language with us, despite the fact that we do not speak very good English. Francisco is engaged in catching butterflies on his islands. He collects pupae in the tropical forest, then grows a butterfly, makes an exhibit out of it, and then sells it in Bali to any foreigner. The Japanese, Chinese, Australians and many others willingly take it. And he has a pretty good income from this. He jokes that when I have a big business, I will bring myself a girl from Russia and marry her.

Francisco helped us later with ordering a taxi in Jakarta and some advice. We exchanged phone numbers and emails. He also took a photo with me as a souvenir. He promised to send a photo by email, but he still hasn’t sent it. When he does, I’ll post it here.

Arriving in Jakarta, a taxi ordered by Francisco's friends was waiting for us at the Tanjung Priok pier. For 200 thousand rupees we got to the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, named after the first president of Indonesia.

Jakarta Airport "Sukarno Hatta", named after the first president (Sukarno) and his Prime Minister (M. Hatta)

It was already dark, so we found a secluded corner and went to bed, having dinner at the local, cheapest eatery. It was quite cool from the air conditioners at the airport; as soon as you go outside, you are immediately hit by the humid, warm air of Jakarta. The same is true in Kuala Lumpur and, I think, in other tropical airports. The guys didn't like it, but I didn't like it. While Andrey was sleeping there, I walked around the airport and took a few photos on my phone.

We flew back with LionAir. We ordered tickets on the website, paid by card - everything was as it should be. The ticket costs only 400 thousand rupees - that's 1300 rubles from Jakarta to Kuala Lumpur. We checked in our luggage, Andrey had an advantage, but the backpack fell so that part of the weight shifted to the crossbar and it turned out to be exactly 20.0 kg. Otherwise you would have to pay for the advantage. Then they charged us a fee - 150 thousand rupees. What, they say, for international flights is 150, and for local flights we paid 40 thousand. Then I found out that this was a fee for the development of the airport. This is how they rip money off people!

We arrived in Malaysia, they didn’t feed us on the plane, although we wanted to eat after the night. I had to buy it at the airport, but for this we had specially set aside rupees, which I exchanged for ringgits. 1 ringgit is approximately 10 rubles. Bottle of water 0.6 l. costs 1.2 ringgit, a box of noodles costs 1.9, all kinds of buns from 0.9 to 3 ringgit are cheap, and up to 11 expensive. You can eat well for 10 ringgit. This store is located on the 3rd floor of the airport, the waiting room is on the 5th. And it’s full of all sorts of boutiques and shops, but this one seemed to me the cheapest.

We stayed in Kuala Lumpur until 7 pm, then check-in for the flight to Tashkent with Uzbek Airlines began. We checked in our luggage, got tickets and went to the neutral zone, because that’s where there is free internet. They arrived, I logged in via Wi-Fi from my Samsung, messaged someone and spent the time waiting for the flight. At 21:20 they started to let us in even closer to the plane, dragged our hand luggage through the X-ray, checked us with a metal detector and let us wait.

We flew for 7 and a half hours. They fed us quite well, and I slept most of the time, and Andrei could not sleep and watched all sorts of films in the general screening. Then our trip to Southeast Asia grew into a trip to Central Asia.

We arrived in Tashkent. We went closer to the exit, where they began to fill out declarations for the cash we had. Andrey had some bucks and rubles, I only had change. Then we waited in line for a long time while they checked people and their luggage. Moreover, they harassed even the most harmless people. For example, an elderly man with a woman and a 27-year-old daughter, all good-looking, but clearly not terrorists, their things were searched, everything was shaken out, even their underpants. But here, surprisingly, we limited ourselves to only X-rays and an explanation of such an incomprehensible long object as pinning. They let us through quickly and with almost no problems. Andrey filled out the declaration in two copies, I filled it out in one since I had some change. We left the airport and were immediately caught by a taxi driver, an official airport taxi. Such an experienced typical taxi driver, he took us to the railway station, to find out if there were tickets for the train to Yekaterinburg, there were no tickets, he took us to an ATM. ATMs in Tashkent are only available in hotels and nowhere else. There was no money in it, but there was an exchanger nearby, and they took $250 from my Sberbank card. Then the taxi driver took us to the Uzbek-Kazakh border. We decided to take a bus there and get to Astana, and it would be easier to get there. He exchanged us 100 bucks for Uzbek sums and Kazakh tenge, deceived us a little (at the same time), and dropped us off near the border. There was a kilometer-long line of potential migrant workers, who directed their gaze, well, you understand where - to the north!

After standing there for a couple of minutes, a guy in trousers and a shirt approached us, well, in general, so smart. He said: “Sloppy brother, let me take you to the other border, you’ll thank me later! There are a lot of people standing here, but there’s not such a crowd there! If there’s such a crowd, I’ll take you for free! I swear to you! I’m an adult, I’m not used to deceiving !"

We stood there, broke down, and still went with him in his brand new white Nexia. He took us 120 km to another border. For this he asked for 120 thousand soums, and immediately gave a discount of 20 thousand. We bargained with him, but for me, a non-mercantile person, bargaining with an elderly Uzbek, and even a taxi driver, is like the ballerina Volochkova capitalizing on a Kamaz engine! A guy drove us there. He didn’t deceive us, he took more, but he said honestly that the previous taxi driver deceived us, cursed him in every possible way, in order to somehow console us. He threw us out, we went. The Uzbek did not deceive! There were indeed 10 times fewer people. We approached the border, took the declarations, and filled them out. I had dollars and tenge withdrawn from the card, Andrey also had money. We stood in line, then someone in the crowd said that people with Russian passports can skip the line. At first they didn’t want to let us in, but then they let us in without a queue. We handed over our junk for x-rays, handed over our passports, and then start making fun of me with this money, saying that I don’t have the right to take out more money than was declared upon entry. Let me explain that I don’t know anything, at the airport he took the piece of paper from me, and I withdrew money from the card, here is the receipt from the cash register. She told me that she doesn’t need my check at all, they have no right to let me through with this money. Of course, I immediately became nervous, because if the money was taken away, there would be nothing to go home with.

In short, they didn’t take the money, the employee said: go, rewrite the declaration again and don’t write about the money, and Andrey also made mistakes, he wrote it hastily. We missed it, but that's not all. Now let's move our luggage. We shook out all our dirty junk and examined everything. I was carrying shells and corals in my backpack, so let’s look at them, etc. We didn’t find anything prohibited (surprisingly), so we let it pass. We put the long-awaited green stamps in the passport about crossing the border. But even here it’s not all about the Uzbeks. Out of the simplicity of my soul, I took out my phone and let’s take a photo of myself opposite the border, well, I knew that this was a strategic point, but I just forgot something because of my nerves. Here I already see one of them shouting to me: “Hey, Russian, run here, I won’t repeat it twice!” Came up. I was met by a very unpleasant guy, swearing in Uzbek-Russian obscenities, took the phone, but did not know how to handle it, called other colleagues, I showed the photo, and there were two of them, because I had also taken photos from the other side. In front of them, I deleted the photos, showed that there were no more, their senior explained the situation in a civilized manner, that they could register me as a foreign spy.

This is the Kazakh border. They didn’t keep us here for a long time, they took our luggage and us through the X-ray, they put stamps on us - and we left. Immediately, after walking a couple of meters, locals came up to us: “Taxi, samsa, change money.” I exchanged some money with them for tenge and then the cheerful Kazakh taxi driver Vakha or Bakha pulled us over. We got into his Audi, and he drove us to the place where we could take the transport to Astana. Either a bus or a train. There were no buses, so the taxi driver took us to the train. Of course, there were no more tickets at the box office, so we had to negotiate with the conductor at exorbitant prices. Well, you have to go.

Opposite the camels, not far from the Uzbek-Kazakh border

Camels in the steppe, southern Kazakhstan

There's a camel walking on the road!

By the next evening we were already in Astana. We immediately went to look at tickets to Russia. At first I thought of taking it to Chelyabinsk if it wasn’t to Ekb, but there were tickets. We took two tickets to Yekaterinburg, they cost 10,400 tenge, and Andrey also took a train to central Russia, since he is not from Yekaterinburg. The train should arrive in exactly 24 hours, which means we’ll have to hang around at the station for 24 hours, and this is not Kuala Lumpur Airport at all. And the toilets are even paid, 40-50 tenge each. You can sleep at night in a horizontal position only from 00:00 to 06:00; at other times, guards and station workers walk around and wake you up, jealously preventing anyone from sleeping. Only in a sitting position is possible. We turned over until the evening, it was 16:00, and the train left at 17:45, and then the local cops didn’t like our appearance and our backpacks. Let's go and tell the truth that we are traveling from Indonesia in transit, it's our 3rd day in Kazakhstan, or maybe 5 without registration. They shook out the backpacks, they let us shake our nerves, show us the knives, okay, I have a paper for my helka, issued by their colleagues from the Yekaterinburg station. He read the paper, it seemed authoritative to him, he looked at the axe, he seemed to stutter, but then he stopped. Here, of course, the witnesses stood and looked, some drunks. Let’s shake Andrei out, they even asked him to take off his shorts - “I’m there without panties!” He says! “Take them off anyway!” For some reason, they didn’t find anything there other than what should be there, but no law prohibits this transport!!! They found later, or rather, he showed it himself, a Tramontinovsky machete, which is not even a machete at all, but a garden knife, sold in hardware stores. They are such that you need to take them for examination. Oleg is free, he will go home, and you, Andrey , you will stay and wait for the results of the examination. I say indignantly: “You guys, at least feed the guy, otherwise he doesn’t have any money anymore, and how long can he hang around here” - Then the second one says to the main one in a low voice: “Let’s let him go, to hell with them.” "They let us go, realized that they couldn’t get money from us, gave the Tramontina to the guy, which he didn’t even need anymore. They made fun of us for about an hour, but the time quickly passed. Let’s touch my guitar and pretend to be a guitarist, in short, an unpleasant impression Kazakh cops, and Central Asia in general, impressed me. I don't want to go there anymore. Well, if only Samarkand or the Kyrgyz mountains.

We boarded the 13th carriage and went to Yekaterinburg. Train Bishkek - Ekaterinburg. There were so many Kyrgyz traveling with trunks that there was no free space. I slept the night at first in the upper place, down there my grandfather and grandmother were traveling from Bishkek to their home in Omsk, but then they got off in Petropavlovsk and changed to another train.

When you cross the border on a train, customs officers come in early and walk through the cars. First comes the dog handler with the dog, which only sniffs below, then everyone else. That's how they carry whatever they want, when he sniffs only downstairs, and no one inspects anything. Only now poor tourist Andrei was inspected. Why did this tourist surrender to them, when there were so many trunks, all the shelves were full, and only the tourist aroused suspicion, because the Kazakh customs officer was not used to seeing tourists, they had not yet become an eyesore. When my grandparents came out, as many as 6 Uzbeks came to see me, for two places! They seemed suspicious to me and the way the Kazakh customs officers spoke to them. Apparently they were carrying something, because the employee was taking two of them somewhere for a while, probably they were giving a bribe.

Then there were our customs officers. Connection points Mamlyutka - Petukhovo, stamps were placed with these points. Ours passed quickly and looked better. They didn’t ask the Russians at all, they didn’t even look at my passport, they just told me my last name. Then I moved to another place with Andrey, only on the bottom shelf, although I lay around and took a nap normally.

And finally we arrived in Yekaterinburg. I can’t say that I was happy, no, not at all, I was even sad and regretted that I had returned. How nice it was on the island, even the city of Makassar was remembered for the good nature of its inhabitants. This concludes my trip to Southeast Asia. Well, Max is still there. I bought myself a cheap guitar to study with, and a phone with a local SIM card, I called and wrote. Everything is good so far, I hope it will continue to be so.

Indonesia is seventeen thousand islands, at first it is impossible to cover or even understand.

Even after a two-week trip around the island state of Indonesia, flying, moving from island to island on high-speed boats, water taxis (medicines for seasickness will not be superfluous), it is difficult to imagine such an incredible number of islands:

"We visited six islands, each very different from the others... and there are 17,000 others?"

Combined with the cultural perception of this daunting, vast but hospitable archipelago. Languages, religions and social norms vary greatly from village to village, city to city, beach to beach, but they all coexist under Indonesia's magically idealistic slogan, "Bhinneka Tunggal Ika" - "Unity in Diversity."

When people talk about traveling to Indonesia, the vast majority of them are actually talking about traveling to the island of Bali, which, while attracting incredible numbers of tourists, is one of the most famous, most visited tropical resorts in the world, and for good reason. If you're planning a trip to Indonesia, your itinerary should include Bali.

That's why this guide - five places you should visit in Indonesia - is focused on the island of Bali. Thanks to the international airport, traveling becomes much easier. Its proximity to East Java, Lombok and the Gilis Java, Lombok and the Gilis Islands makes it a good regional travel destination and will suit every type of traveler - from honeymooners staying at the Intercontinental to backpackers living on $15 a day.

While there are tens of thousands of truly amazing temples, beaches, and amazing villages to visit in Bali, we've settled on five that we recommend (all prices in US dollars).

1. Java's Cultural Capital: Yogyakarta

Yes, it is a huge, annoying, noisy city - but here life moves at a special speed, which is different from other places on the island of Java, and besides, the cultural riches of Jogyartha will amaze any traveler.

If you've just landed in Southeast Asia, don't go overboard on your first day. You can find a wonderful bungalow with a pool for less than $20 - I would recommend Delta Homestay, which is located away from the busy streets of Pravirotaman in a quiet valley. Go out for a walk and grab something to eat: start at Via Via, a tourist-friendly restaurant (also a local souvenir shop, travel agency and hotel, yoga studio), one of the best places in Yogya.

On the second day, travel to Kraton, the Sultan's palace.

If you are near Kraton, check in the souvenir shop about them in the temple, it is thanks to them that Jogya becomes really fun. The important Buddhist temple of Borobudur and the amazing Hindu temple of Prambanan are both outside the city limits and are worth devoting a full day to each - although it can be done in one day if you start early and stick to a tight schedule.

Movement: Walking long distances in Yogyakarta can be extremely tiring, given the condition of the sidewalks and the volume of traffic on the roads. In this case, use a bekak (bicycle rickshaw), but for longer distances, it will be useful to take a taxi or rent a scooter.

2. Art village on the island of Bali: Ubud

Don't linger on Ubud's charming, somewhat commercial main street - there are plenty of places to visit in this fun, relaxing art village on the island of Bali. With numerous bars and restaurants, souvenir shops and spas at your disposal, get a feel for how different this village is from Jogja.

Undoubtedly, it is smaller in size. Hinduism predominates here, as throughout, unlike most of Indonesia, where Islam is widespread, however, both cultures and religions are beautiful in their own way, filled with historically vibrant and diverse events and stories. Just by walking down the street you can feel the difference between the two.

Visit the Sacred Monkey Forest Reserve - a popular place among tourists, where monkeys are everywhere - macaques, to be precise, if you offer them a banana, they will happily sit on your shoulder, they can easily steal your sunglasses, easily gliding through the trees. However, given that all American doctors will advise you to beware of rabies-carrying animals while in Indonesia, getting close to monkeys is not the wisest decision.

Be sure to make time for a massage, yoga class and elephants throughout your time in Ubud - it's a must do in this laid-back environment, isn't it? Visit Yoga Barn for a yoga class; from the very beginning, the village is a contacts fair where you can meet like-minded travelers from all over the world.

You should spend a day outside the city, for example, river rafting will be extremely exciting, it is simply incredible - a wild adventure, after which you will certainly try Bintang - the most popular beer in Indonesia.

Movement: You can walk all of Ubud, however for regional excursions you will need a taxi or shuttle. If you sign up for motorcycle riding, rafting, or similar activities, transportation is usually included in the ticket price.

3. Secluded Paradise: Gili Trawangan

If you've always dreamed of visiting a secluded island, try Gilis - three islands located between Bali and Lombok, catering to every taste and budget.

Gili Meno is a hot, quiet, abandoned island. Gili Air is a functional, luxurious island with pleasant nature, Gili Trawangan is the larger, well-developed brother of these islands.

It's very easy to get confused when choosing one of the Gili Islands; first, just choose and visit one of them. If you want to move to another island, it's very easy to do thanks to the white sand beach paths.

Next we move to Gili Trawangan, because according to tourists’ reviews, this place is an amazing combination of solitude and nightlife. Indeed, driving along the island's bustling east coast, we found hippie hostels and five-star resorts, shabby food markets and fine waterfront restaurants.

There are no cars on the islands, and foot traffic on Gili T is a mix of hard-working locals and slacker Australians. Accommodation and food are more refined and expensive in the southeastern part of the island. The north-eastern part is cheaper and easier - also good for scuba diving.

You can rent scooters and look for yoga studios, but people come to these islands for the diving. If you don't have a certificate, dozens of schools are ready to provide you with a wide range of programs. If snorkeling is more your thing, most of the guys on the road will be happy to rent you a mask and show you the way to the turtles.

By the way, turtles.

If you ask me what was the most memorable thing about my trip to the Gili Islands, I would happily say that it was meeting a couple from New Zealand and hanging out with them for three of the four days, sipping mojitos, listening to local Rastafarians playing cover songs. - versions of Pink Floyd on their sandy acoustic guitars, snorkeling at dusk, when we swam out to the depths of the corals and looked for wild turtles that were gnawing on delicious coral.

Movement: There are no cars here, so you will walk everywhere. If you are in a hurry (but why should you be in a hurry?), stop the donkey cart.

4. BeachpartyonBali: Kuta

For many, Kuta is Bali; for others, Kuta is tourism, and from the worst ego side.

Despite what you might think, tourism in Bali is concentrated in Kuta, which has helped put surfing on the map in Asia. And no wonder, amazing waves, and thousands of tourists walking along the legendary white sand of Kuta every day, get lost in surfing, plastic flexible chairs, sunsets.

People who like to share high-end shops bordering shops on streets crowded with people and cars will leave Kuta immediately. Everyone else will be able to enjoy a change from the stifling city norms.

If Kuta is too active a place for you, try Lijin. If that still doesn't suit you, head north to Seminyak, a quieter and less congested destination than Kuta, also home to the excellent Indian restaurant Queen's Tandoor.

Considering the large number of tourists in Kuta, the prices here are appropriate. We spent one night at the Bali Bungalo, a quiet, relatively cheap ($50 per night) hotel with no-frills rooms, terrible air conditioning and a block access to the beach. General services such as scooter rentals or catering are also available here. Regarding food: visiting the Kuta night market, you can find the cheapest nasi goreng in the city.

Movement: short distances: walk along the beach, especially around sunset, for longer distances rent a bike, scooter rentals are more practical - as little as $5 per day and can include surfboard rentals for trips along the coast.

5. Temple on the Rock: Ulu Vatu

From the frenetic mania of Kuta to the lush splendor of Ulu Watu, this is where Indonesia ends. This south-east coast of Bali is particularly attractive and its high cliffs - most with steep drop-offs to popular creeks - separate it from its big brothers to the north.

Here life moves at different speeds. It's okay if you get up at 11 o'clock in your Pink Coco Bali bungalow and don't leave its tempting pool until 2 o'clock. Hop on your scooter for an afternoon surf at Padang Padang Beach - admiring the beauty of the humble Hindu temple on your way to the beach.

After a light snack and a cold Bintang at Padang Padang, head to the Ulu Watu Temple - Pura Lahur Ulu Watu - at sunset. Pay the entrance fee, put on a sarong (provided and required at the temples in Bali) and head to the next ticket office near the rocks. With this ticket you will have access to the nightly Ketsak dance ceremony (sunset, 365 days a year), filled with theatrical scenes and cultural and historical significance.

The temple is an important site for Indonesian Hindus and also makes for wonderful photo opportunities, as the Indian Ocean and sunset provide a theatrical, frequently changing backdrop.

Island expectations from Indonesia

Yogyakarta, Java: Adisucipto International Airport allows travelers to completely avoid Indonesia's crazy capital, Jakarta. Most flights from the US connect to Indonesia via Singapore or Kuala Lumpur, and both of these cities have direct flights to Yogyakarta - recommended unless you're flying to Yogyakarta for work.

Ubud, Bali: In Java, travelers on a budget can choose extreme hiking-friendly bus-boat-bus tours from Jagyakarta to Ubud. People on a larger budget can pay less than $50 for a Yogyakarta-Denpasar (Bali) flight, while others can pay $15-$25 for a taxi to Ubud.

Gili Islands: A variety of companies throughout the area offer boat services from Lombok to the Gili Islands. Find and buy a package for yourself at the right price and with the appropriate schedule. The hour-long crossing from Ubud to the port city of Padang Bai is easy, even on a crowded bus with faulty air conditioning. The boat from Padang Bai to the Gili Islands, via Lombok, is a beautiful journey with frequent changes in direction. Ask the boat staff if you can sit higher to get more fresh air, sun and sudden splashes of salt water.

Kuta, Bali: if you are coming from Gili Trawangan, take a boat via Padang Bai (3 hours from Kut) or Sanur (30 minutes from Kut). Kuta also lies less than half an hour from Ngurah Rai International Airport, or Denpasar, the only airport on the island and the second most visited airport in Indonesia.

Ulu Watu, Bali: There are plenty of cheap shuttles and even cheaper public buses from Kuta, most of which stop at Ulu Watu (ask the driver). For those who like to travel on two wheels, it's possible to rent a scooter in Kuta and ride it - just avoid the post-ceremony traffic jams in the northern part (towards Kuta) unless you're brave enough.

RicardoBaka, The Denver Post