Wanderfilms

HI, forgive me if I'm repeating myself. I reached out for info on travel through Indonesia a few years back and because of time and weather delays only ended up making it to Bali. I'm planning to return again this year with my sister who hasn't been to Bali so along with spending 5 or 6 days in Ubud, we are looking to explore more interesting cultural places and some wildlife in other places. Hoping to work in Yogyakarta for Borobudur and Prambanan and soak up any of the arts and cultures we can in that area, but really want to see the Tana Toraja in Sulawesi for the funeral rituals and then see some amazing wildlife (rhinos/orangutans) in either Sumatra or Borneo? We would love to see some of the unique ethnic people of Papua but I worry that's just too much all at once. Wondering if anyone has recommends and suggestions between Sumatra and Borneo and if there are other things to see on Sulawesi. Also, is Papua a trip on its own? My sister and I are really interested in different religions and diverse cultures, the arts, temples, wildlife, and beautiful landscapes. We are not beach people and don't dive, so we'd like to concentrate on the locations we could get the best of the above. We will probably go in July or August for the funeral rituals in Sulawesi and spend about 2 and a half weeks traveling around. I've read through some trip reports and my old posts, and wondering if there is anything more recent. We're both super busy with our jobs, so I'm wondering if anyone has recent travel guide recommends that can assist us. I haven't seen anything about Wiedy on recent posts so I'm not sure if he's still doing it.
Any information you can provide would be much appreciated! oH maybe I should also mention we aren't very athletic so although we want to see wildlife we can't do really intense climbing/hiking
thanks all! Happy travels!

Kathie

I would say choose limited goals for this trip unless you have unlimited time and an unlimited budget. Travel within Indonesia is often subject to delays; even your best planning doesn't guarantee on-time arrivals.

I love Java, and have spent time in central Java and in Eastern Java. You may have read my trip report since you mention Wiedy. To be honest, there is no need for a guide on Java, but you will need a driver. I did have Weidy book hotels for us on Java, and he was able to save us hundreds of dollars over my internet booking directly with places we wanted to stay. It doesn't hurt to contact him. When I was there his focus was more on education than on tourism.

I've been to Malaysian Borneo to see orangutans, but have not been to Sumatra or Kalimantin. Be aware that getting to lodges to be able to view wildlife is complicated and involves long travel times. We were in Sabah, the most accessible place to view orangutans, and it was an hour flight from Kota Kinabalu, then a 4 hour drive from Lahad Datu. Jungle lodges also tend to be expensive as everything has to come in the same way you came in.

I've been to Lombok, and it's lovely, with uncrowded beaches. While it is close to Bali, it's entirely different culturally. Bali is Hindu; Lombok is Muslim. I've not been to Sumatra or Sulawesi. Paupa is in a different league than any of these and deserves a trip of its own.

Watch for a post from marmot, who lives on Bali. She can be very helpful.

Have a wonderful trip - and please, do report back!

kja

I've only been to Singapore, Java, and Bali, but you might find some helpful information in my trip report:
http://www.fodors.com/community/asia...a-and-bali.cfm

Enjoy!

marmot

I generally don't like to recommend tour agencies or guides as situations change over time. Some groups that I would suggest you look into are
1. The Indonesian Heritage Society
http://www.heritagejkt.org/discover/heritage-tours
This group conducts group travel events all over Indonesia. The groups are small (5-10 people), inexpensive and the focus is on arts and culture. Unfortunately, you won't be able to see the travel schedule unless you join the society (about USD40). I would think if you emailed them and explained your situation they would let you know what's on during your travel dates.

2. Seatrek and David and Sue Richardson Textile Tours
http://www.asiantextilestudies.com/tour.html
These live-aboard tours are textile focused, but also offer in-depth exposure to the cultures of the islands they visit. Seatrek is a wonderful organization, but is on the pricy side

I think that you'll be able to find guides to suit your needs wherever you choose to go. The first step is to narrow in on your preferred destinations. These are some thoughts (in my order of preference).

Java
Java is highly populated and offers relatively good logistics. With some advance planning you won't have any problem getting around Central Java (Yogyakarta, Solo, Borobudur etc). If you wish to add East Java you'd be best off flying into Surabaya. From there you could visit the Mt. Bromo area and the area around Malang.

Sulawesi
Sulawesi also has an acceptable tourist infrastructure. To get to Toraja, you would fly into Makassar and drive to Rantepao. There may also be flights in July/August. There are many good guides in the area who can arrange attendance at funerals and visits to villages and sacred sites.

North Sulawesi is particularly known for marine life. If you're interested in snorkeling this is a wonderful destination. If not you might be better off choosing another island group. In either case after Toraja, you'd have to return to Makassar and fly to your next destination.

Nusa Tenggara
There are two groups, West Nusa Tenggara and East Nusa Tenggara. Some of the main islands and Lombok, Komodo, Sumba, Flores and Sumbawa. These are smallish islands with great natural beauty and complex indigenous cultures. They are especially known for their exquisite textiles. Most tours of the islands are based on live-aboard vessels which travel from island to island. A popular jumping off point is Labuan Bajo in Flores.

Maluku / Spice Islands
This group is a little further to the east and a little more remote. Ambon and Banda are the starting points. Again, great natural beauty (and pristine waters) and deep cultural traditions.

West Papua
You may be aware that Indonesian West Papua is the eastern half of Papua New Guinea. Most tours concentrate on the marine reserve of Raja Ampat, but you can also find tours into the mainland area.

Sumatra and Borneo
Both of these are huge islands, which, except for the populated areas like Medan in Sumatra and along the coast in Borneo, are mostly undeveloped. Travel to the interior regions may be more arduous than you'd like.
Sumatra has several tourism destinations. The most popular is the area around Lake Toba.
Both Sumatra and Kalimantan have several rain forest / orangutan focused sites. They vary quite a bit on accessibility and ethics so you need to research carefully.
I wouldn't count on seeing a rhinoceros.

Wanderfilms

wow! Kathi, Kja, and Marmot- thank you so much for this information! It's a wonderful help! Kathi I did read your trip report which led me to Wiedy I will try to reach out to him again.
Marmot it seems like you need Indonesia really well. I will take your advice and do more research on Sumatra vs. Borneo. Seems as if both those tours you suggested are really authentic cultural experiences which we would love!!!! But yes, I guess since we don't have much time we don't have a choice but to narrow down our focus. Curious if you have any personal favorites! Thank you again for all of your help! Best, k

marmot

My top three picks would be Central Java, Tanah Toraja, East Nusa Tenggara.

marmot

I came across this article in an airline magazine about a river tour in Kalimantan which might give you an idea of a typical Borneo tour. The tour operators -- two expat women -- sound experienced and well organized; the kind of people that it would be fun to spend time with. (Though all my information comes from the article and the operator's website.) However, it seems that on the trip featured in the article seeing orangutans entailed a 2K "sludge through peat bog" which the writer declined to join.

Here are the article and the website.

http://nowjakarta.co.id/venturing-in...-national-park
http://www.wowborneo.com/cruises/kat...-ruhui-rahayu/

mlgb

For orangs and wildlife in sw Kalimantant (Tanjung Puting) you can fly via Jakarta to PKB (Pangkalan Bun) (Kalstar airlines) and do a klotok cruise on the Sekonyer River. Timing it to fruiting of the trees along the river allows siting of "wild" orangs (on one side of the river where they are not in the park) as well as wild-behaving rescues. Be sure to read comments from visitors at different times of year, or your viewing may be limited to feeding stations. Early to mid May when we went seemed ideal.

I met a couple in Ubud who flew via Jakarta into Palangkaraya (I think they said from Makassar) and had a enjoyed private tour on a/c boat ( I believe they used WOW Borneo which seems to get good reviews). So you could contact WOW and see what they say. This couple was pleased with their visit to a Dayak village as part of that tour.I think the same comments re timing apply here also.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attracti...alimantan.html

mlgb

I posted before I saw your reply, marmot.