NUSA PENIDA INDONESIA AN ISLAND FORGOTTEN BY TIME

NUSA PENIDA

INDONESIA

AN ISLAND FORGOTTEN BY TIME

Nusa Penida is a treasure between Bali and Lombok islands. Scenic island of natural beauty, where ragged and dramatic coastline as well as rough roads protect it from too many visitors. It is accessible to those visitors that are willing to experience some hardship exploring it by boat. And it is worth it. The pristine waters full of fish and manta rays offer amazing diving. Not easily accessible beaches, requiring some hours hike, are not heavily populated.

There are a few villages on Nusa Penida. The population is Hindu and the landscape has scattered temples with traditional offerings. The locals cultivate seaweed and live of fishing. Tourism is a great addition to their income. 

The accommodation for visitors is bungalows and villas but day tours from nearby Bali are becoming popular as well. It takes just over half an hour to reach Nusa Penida by fast boat.The trip is an adventure in itself with water braking on deck, currents and waves on a windy day can make the short passage rough.

Driving on Nusa Penida requires skill. Access to one of the major attractions, Crystal Bay is through hilly landscape and many pot holes. And so is travelling further afield to Angel's Billabong and Broken Beach. In spite of possible rough seas and bad roads on the island, the visit to Nusa Penida is an absolute must. The scenery and atmosphere create a worthwhile experience.

NGERUPUK & NYEPI B A L I INDONESIA

NGERUPUK & NYEPI

B A L I

INDONESIA

Bali sure is a part of Indonesian Archipelago of some 17 000 islands. However, it has its own culture, unique and not found anywhere else. The Balinese culture is mainly based on religious believes.

In fact, Balinese are constantly busy performing rituals and ceremonies and distributing offerings. However, Ngerupuk celebrations are huge. Ngerupuk is a big day and it falls just before Nyepi. Since Nyepi, the New Year, currently 1941 according to saka calendar, is a day of quiet the celebrations on Ngerupuk are loud and carry on into the night. 

They are much the same as New Year's Eve when everybody parties into the night and then sleeps it of on New Year's Day one could say. Well, not in Bali. These celebrations are based on strong religious believes that keeping quiet on Nyepi, the Day of Silence, will fool the evil spirits that the place is uninhabited and they find somewhere else to settle of a year.

OGOH OGOH play a big part during Ngerupuk. The monsters artfully made with everybody's help are carried around to scare off evil spirits. The aim is purification of natural environment of spiritual pollution created by humans.

The dress code for performing rituals is important both for men and women. Thus the mood during the festivities is celebratory and a real treat for visitors as long as one can keep quiet during Nyepi. 

HINDU FESTIVALS & CEREMONIES BALI INDONESIA

HINDU FESTIVALS & CEREMONIES

BALI

INDONESIA

Bali is a Hindu-Buddhist island in a predominantly Muslim Indonesia. Hindu Temples, sculptures and shrines are a definite landmark all around Bali.

Celebrations of Hindu festivals are constant and popular. Balinese worship the same Gods as the Hindus of India but their religion has strong influences of preexisting Bali culture. The rituals are being observed but again with a specific Bali way of life. There is a strong belief in spirits and many of the rituals are performed to scare away evil spirits. Offerings are being made to ensure favors from gods and good spirits at shrines and homes.

Ceremonies include Gamelan Orchestra, everybody dressed in traditional clothes, marches and makes lots of noise to drive away evil spirits.

Bali dances are unique and also a form of celebration performed often not just during festivals and ceremonies.

The Nyepi Festival coincides with Bali New Year and a trick to make evil spirits to believe that the island is uninhabited. Thus it is a day of quiet while everything closes. Visitors need to respect that custom and enjoy the noisy celebrations a day before Nyepi of chasing the old evil spirits away. It is a day of sleeping of the party and pre Nyepi celebrations.

The festivals are frequent. A Bali lifestyle. It is a guarantee that one can experience a festival during their stay in Bali, disregarding how short the stay is.

SINGARAJA BALI INDONESIA

SINGARAJA

BALI

INDONESIA

Singaraja, in Buleleng Regency of Northern Bali, is the ancient capital of Bali. No wonder it is full of history dating back to Royalty of the 1600s. In spite of the Dutch invasion between 1846 and 1849, killing of most of the Royal Family and almost total distraction of the palace, the restored Puri can now be visited.

Singaraja is also a port and a nearby Lovina, some 10 kilometers away, is a beach resort. Lovina is also a good anchorage and a venue for Sail Indonesia. The entertainment welcoming sailors from around the world is unlimited. Lovina has many restaurants and bars, clear water and excellent reefs that are good to snorkel on and which also act as protection from the ocean swell for the yachts on anchor.

Balinese dances are an art, story telling and explosion of color and costumes. They are accompanied by music heard most evenings around Bali.

Both, Singaraja and Lovina are a well appreciated change from crowded, touristy South. Definitely worth visiting.

  

SURABAYA I N D ON E S I A

SURABAYA

JAVA & PULAU MADURA CONNECTION

SURAMADU BRIDGE

I N D ON E S I A

Surabaya, second after Jakarta biggest city in Indonesia, is industrial and a busy port. But there are remnants of Dutch history and architecture, especially in the old town which blends in with a modern city. The new addition is a bridge connecting Surabaya and East Java to the island of Madura, Suramadu Bridge.

Sailing under any bridge always makes one wonder, till the last minute, will we

clear and fit under. Well, we did fit, with a few meter clearance but rough seas left us with nowhere to go before nightfall, so we have returned to an anchorage and sailed under the bridge yet again, just on sunset.

We slept “under the bridge” and were rewarded with a great view of full moon rising. Third time lucky, we sailed under the bridge yet again just before sunrise with the bridge lighted and moon setting. This route, a short-cut on a passage to Bali, is shorter by some 80 nautical miles.

Instead of sailing along the northern coast of Madura, one can get a glimpse of East Java, peaks of volcanos showing through the haze of smoke so typical to this part of the world.

Sailing under the bridge is a pioneer achievement, leaving Surabaya with its many monuments and specific charm, sad but arriving at a new destination joy.

JAVA INDONESIA

JAVA

INDONESIA

Java is not the biggest island of Indonesia. However, it is the most populated and a home to the capital, Jakarta. It is also home to Yogyakarta, the cultural heart of Indonesia. Yogyakarta's Borobbudur is a Buddhist monument dating back to 750 AD.

Java has Sumatra as its north-western neighbor across the Sunda Strait and the islands of Madura and Bail at its eastern tip. There is also a number of National Parks on the eastern side of Java and Mt Bromo volcano.

The change of scenery while sailing towards Java is noticeable and the sea traffic increases. There is industry along Java's coast and considerable shipping traffic. There is also a great number of fishing vessels, nets and flags denoting fishing pots. 

At times, sailing between fishing boats and nets is a difficult task and requires a change of course frequently. One wonders if there is any fish left in the Java Sea with the amount of fishing happening here day and night. Yes, the night sailing is another story. It is rather dangerous since many boats have no lights.

Fishing nets could be high and dry or submerged, then only sticks are visible. After many hazards of night sailing a sunrise is welcome.

Spectacular sunrises compensate the difficulties of night sailing.

KARIMUNJAWA ISLANDS INDONESIA

KARIMUNJAWA ISLANDS

INDONESIA

Karimunjawa Islands are located in the middle of Java Sea between Java Island and Kalimantan, Borneo. Well, maybe not right in the middle, about 70 sea miles away from Java and some 170 from Borneo. Those are actually two islands, Karimunjawa and Kemujan, connected by bridge.

While main transport on the islands is a bike, one would not notice being on Kemujan island after driving across the bridge.

The Islands are unique, the waters around them crystal clear and the multitude of reefs colorful with plenty of fish. It sure is a paradise for snorkeling and diving. There are a number of other islands on extensive reefs around Karimunjawa and Kemujan.

Local boats ferry the visitors on discovery trips to snorkel and dive. The closest are Menjangan Besar and Kecil, more distant Pulau Bengkoang, Cemara Besar and Kecil and many more.

The local population is friendly and fast adopting to visitors from all over the world. The fishing boats are of their special design, typical for Karimunjawa.

The sunsets are spectacular and seem to last forever after the sun goes down.

Karimunjawa Islands found their place on the world map and are fast becoming a destination to visit.