Yogyakarta to Ubud – September 21 to September 30
Photos of this section will appear here:
Leaving Yogya, we’ll ride towards East Java province, a wild rolling region of towering peaks, smoking volcanoes and unspoilt panoramas. After the temple-ringed and Dutch colonial hilltop city of Malang, we’ll pause in Bromo Tengger Semeru Park, home to the Gunung Semeru volcano, Indonesia’s highest peak. Then it’s across the Ijen plateau, another beautiful and forested volcanic region, to Ketapang and a quick ferry ride across the Bali Strait to Gilimanuk. From there we cycle along Bali’s northwest shoreline to Lovina, before heading inland and completing this section in Ubud, the center of Bali’s unique version of Hindu culture.
Medan to Carita - August 18 to September 6
Photos of this section will appear here:
Our tour begins in the northern Sumatra port of Medan. After 2 days of peddling into the Island’s interior, we arrive at mystical Danau Toba, the largest lake in SE Asia, set among volcanic peaks and the traditional villages of the Batak people. From there we head south past lush paddy fields, imposing volcanoes, and ubiquitous mosques to another rest day in the market town of Bukittinggi. The Indian Ocean greets us near Padang, the urban centre of the matrilineal Minangkabau culture (wherein women tell men what to do), and remains our close by companion through Bengkulu and onto Carita on Java’s west coast. There riders can take a boat ride to the infamous volcanic island of Krakatoa, before we cross the Sunda Strait to Java.
Carita to Yogyakarta — September 8 to September 18
Photos of this section will appear here:
This shorter section highlights the western half of Indonesia’s most densely populated island. Javanese culture is a “cocktail of pre-Hindu, Hindu and Islamic influences.” From Carita, we‘ll ride south to avoid the hustle and pollution of greater Jakarta, and meander through tea plantations and terraced fields. At Pandangaran riders can enjoy Java’s premier beach and visit a national park set in dense jungle before peddling on to the artistic and cultural capital of Yogyakarta. Here a double rest day will allow you to see the city’s famous walled palace or Kraton area and the nearby Borobodur Temple Compounds, which are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Looking forward to return to lovely islands of Bali, Flores and Komodo, where I enjoyed a wonderful diving trip a few years ago and to explore the other islands on the way: Sumatra, Java, Lombok, Sumbawa, Timor, East Timor and finally Australia.
Some photos from my Indonesian diving trip 2011:
Photos from the actual tour will be posted on the respective page during the trip.
