29th August Timor Leste History The Portuguese first arrived in Timor in the 16th century, with the Dutch following 50 years later, both with a vested interest in the trade of sandalwood and timber. The two powers were to compete for Timor over the next three centuries. After various conflicts for control, by the mid [...]
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West Timor – Leaving Indonesia
West Timor 27th August Kupang Arriving in West Timor 16 hours later at 7am in the early morning haze, a search for a hotel begins in the capital, Kupang. We were befriended by an Indonesian man the previous day who we had met at the port. He had been living in Europe for a number [...]
Indonesia – Flores
Flores 21st August We relax in Labuanbajo, in a modern cafe overlooking the bay, with a delicious vegetable pizza and some iced tea. Located on the far west coast line, it’s billed as Flores’ next big tourist destination, probably a result of its setting within a stunning bay and also with the proximity of Komodo [...]
Indonesia – The Togean Islands and an encounter with a Whale shark
2nd August We leave Manado early and head to Gorontalo, to catch the ferry to the Togean Islands. We had two choices for our return journey, drive 750miles all the way back round, or pay for the car ferry which would firstly drop us in Wakai on the Togeans and then another ferry on to [...]
Indonesia – Northern Sulawesi
Northern Sulawesi 22nd July We decide to drive to the top of Sulawesi, Manado and visit the Togean Islands on the way back down. It is a mammoth 750 miles from Ampana to Manado. On route we stop at a Toyota garage in Poso, where we have the tracking realigned. It was probably knocked out [...]
Indonesia – Southern Sulawesi
15th July Pantai Bira As soon as we leave the port, there are numerous calls of ‘Hello Mister!’ as we pass people on the roadside, and we wonder if we will be given even more attention here than everywhere else. We pay a 5000Rp fee at the toll booth before being allowed into town. A [...]
Indonesia – Lombok
Lombok Part 2 5-6th July Senggigi We say goodbye to the tranquil Gili islands, speeding past all three on the way back to Lombok and make the short drive to Sengiggi. We go to Windy Cottages, but arrive to find they are full, so head into town instead. Later we take a walk to the [...]
Indonesia – Diving the Gili’s
Lombok 21st June The ferry docks at Lembar in the south west of the island. We immediately drive north to Bangsal, the jumping off point for the Gili Islands via Matram, the capital; the drive is under an hour taking us up over monkey lined mountain roads. Around every corner there’s a troop of [...]
Indonesia – Bali
Bali We arrive in Bali, also known as the “Island of the Gods”, due to the 20,000 Hindu temples that are scattered around the island. The island is small in comparison to Sumatra and Java, a mere 95 miles wide and 69 miles north to south, which allows us to visit its many sights at [...]
Indonesia – Java
Java Landing in Java, the most developed island in Indonesia, the country’s political and economical powerhouse, and the core of the colonial Dutch East Indies, we will spend a couple of days in Jakarta before heading east to Mount Bromo, one of the most active of the forty smoking volcanoes found in Java. Formed mostly [...]
Indonesia – West Sumatra
9th May Bukittinggi Martin wakes up early and heads into town to try and find a guide. On route he stops at a mobile phone shop to pick up a 3G sim card; the shop owner kindly takes him to D&J’s cafe where he meets up with a guide. At 930 metres above sea level, Bukkitinggi [...]
Indonesia – North Sumatra
We arrive in Sumatra, Indonesia, famed for its rainforests, wild orangutans, tigers, and rhino, in addition to its beautiful beaches, volcanoes, and lakes. Sumatra has an area of 163,557 square miles (423,611 km2) and is about 1,050 miles (1,690 km) long and up to 250 miles (400 km) wide. It is the sixth largest island [...]
Thailand Part 3
Bangkok 7th -9th April Back in Thailand again, we intend to travel down the east coast after a stop in Bangkok, a three and a half hour drive from the Cambodian border. Or so we think…just three miles away from our hotel, we are stuck in a massive traffic jam, making the fatal mistake of [...]
Cambodia
1st April Cambodia, our 26th, is a country which conjures up conflicting images of magnificent wats, iconic Angkor Wat, Khmer Rouge atrocities, poverty and corruption, and with a history unlike any other, we can’t wait to explore. As Cambodia emerges from a long period of civil and political instability, it is beginning to heal from [...]
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