My article for HT Holidays. Published on January 13th, 2015.
http://htholidays.com/community/view/top-5-secretive-travel-destinations-in-indonesia
Top 5 Secretive Travel
Destination Recommendations from the Local
Indonesian archipelago consists of more
than 17,000 islands. For adventurers and nature lovers, Indonesia has a lot to
offer, lush rainforests, high mountains, amazing white sand beaches, and many
more. Here are my version of Indonesia’s top 5 secretive travel destinations,
Indonesia’s off the beaten path.
1. Tangkahan, North Sumatera
Explore the jungle of Sumatera by
experiencing exhilarating elephant rides, river tubing, trekking trip to the
nearby rainforest and visiting the unspoilt waterfalls. Before starting the
elephant ride, you can join the mahout to bathe the elephants by the river. You
can help by brushing the elephant’s body. The river tubing is also another
unique experience. You will float down the river of Tangkahan using inflated
truck inner tube. Sometimes they will tie up 5 or 6 tubes together and create a
kind of floating raft.
Finally, to end a day full of
activities, you can rest and relax at Mega Inn, one of the few lodges located
at Tangkahan.
2. Tanjung Puting National Park, Central Kalimantan
Join an amazing journey to the heart of
Borneo by spending 4 days and 3 nights on a slowboat, cruising the black river
of Sekonyer. During the trip, encounter the orangutan (pongo pygmaeus) which is
a native Indonesian great apes, and bekantan (proboscis monkey/long nosed
monkey) which is endemic to Borneo. Spend the night at the top deck of the
slowboat (the locals call it ‘’kelotok’’), accompanied by the starry sky, the
sparkling fireflies, and the sound of nature. It would be an adventure trip
that you will never forget.
3. Togean, Central Sulawesi
Togean islands, located in Tomini bay,
consist of 56 small islands. Togean offers diverse marine life for diving and
snorkeling activities. At Mariona, part of Togean islands, you can feel the
sensation of swimming in a lake full of amazing stingless jellyfish. For
nighttime activity, put on your goggles and go for an exciting quick swim with
the glow-in-the dark plankton.
Spend your remaining days in Togean by
lying down on the sun-drenched white sand beaches scattered all over the
islands or immerse yourself in the everyday life of the traditional fishermen
at their villages.
4. Riung, East Nusa Tenggara
Experience fantastic snorkeling at the
17 Islands Marine Park at Riung. Go for an island hopping trip for the whole
day. Enjoy the beautiful and colorful underwater world of Riung, have a grilled
fish on a private island, and relax on the idyllic beaches at Riung. On a
different day, you can visit Watujapi hill, to see the picturesque view of 17
Islands Marine Park.
Riung is a small town located in Flores
Island, East Nusa Tenggara. With limited tourists facilities, Riung is more for
the adventurous type.
5. Timbis, Bali
Bali is a very famous place for tourist
and there are so many things you can do in Bali. Mountain climbing, river
tubing, dolphin-watching, temple-sightseeing, elephant-riding, you name it and
you can do it in Bali. Having said that, there’s one activity that is not so
common amongst the tourist, that is tandem paragliding. By doing tandem
paragliding, you can savour the beauty of Bali’s beach from a different
perspective. In addition, the adrenaline rush that you get during the take off
will make you craving for more tandem flights. You can also do tandem
paragliding in different parts of Indonesia such as Puncak and Sumedang in West
Java, Batu in East Java and Palu in Central Sulawesi.
About Rita
An ordinary girl, living in an ordinary
world. Started traveling at 2007 and got addicted ever since. Rita loves
to share traveling information to anybody who needs it, especially about places
in Indonesia that are not so popular amongst the tourists. She fell in love
with the natural beauty and diverse culture of Indonesia and cannot stop
exploring every part of Indonesia.
