Indonesia with children
Jul 25th, 2007, 09:26 PM
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Indonesia with children
My husband & I would like to take our family (including our granddaughters who will be 4 & 6 years old then) to Indonesia next summer in honor of my 65th birthday. This year we will be taking them to Thailand for my husband's 65th so they will be slightly experienced travelers. We are very well traveled but for some reason have missed Indonesia. What do you think? I've been reading this board and have seen that many of the regulars have commented glowingly about the people's love for children, especially in Bali. How about other areas of Indonesia? I don't want to miss Borobodur and would like to stay at the Amanjiwo because it sounds so incredible. Will there be a kid-friendly way of being there? What about taking them to Camp Leakey? They adore animals and the now-5 year old even says (right now, anyway) that she wants to be a zookeeper when she grows up. How about Komodo? Bonus question: we would take the family for 2 weeks but would add some time at the end without them, how about the Baliem Valley in West Papua(is it safe, is it very different from PNG)?
I hope this message is not too long to stimulate replies! Thanks for all your valuable information.
I hope this message is not too long to stimulate replies! Thanks for all your valuable information.
Jul 25th, 2007, 10:26 PM
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Although I'm not from there, I grew up in Indonesia and have been back numerous times, so I'd love to help!
I agree that you should see the Borobudur- it's incredible, and I went there for the first time when I was actually around the age of your grandchildren. I enjoyed climbing on it I remember, but I really don't remember it being "kid-friendly" or catering to kids, more like a historical landmark. That was about 20 years ago, though, so times may have changed since then. I don't think I would recommend staying there for any extensive period of time just because there isn't enough to do. Once you see the actual Borobudur, I remember that being pretty much it.
In terms of Bali, it has beautiful beaches, do not get me wrong! However, it was extremely touristy and felt similar to being in the Caribbean: "Can I braid your hair?" "Do you want to buy these mangos/coconuts/whatever they decided to sell that day?" constantly!.. so be prepared, because it isn't the most cultural place since it's so mainstream and gets many tourists. The only difference is you may see some Balinese dancers/people playing the Gamelan/flea market type things selling sarongs and other Indonesian specialties. I must warn you- they try to rip you off at first, but BARGAIN! Nothing is set in stone in Bali in terms of prices, unless you go somewhere along the lines of the Hard Rock Cafe or a legitimate restaurant/hotel.
I was surprised to see that you hadn't mentioned Jakarta! That's where I grew up and I had some of the best times of my life there so it must have been kid friendly, however... I'm not sure how because it is possibly the most polluted city out there! To get around, you'll either have to hire a driver (which I recommend, and I doubt they'll be expensive- absolutely NOTHING is there!) or take these things called Bajis.. they're tiny orange forms of transportation that Indonesians will drive you around in. If you rent a car- it'll be too difficult; they drive with the steering wheel on the other side and there are no lanes, people just drive in giant clusters. You need to be experienced driving in that sort of condition otherwise it's scary! Also, lots of people selling things on the side of the streets/people begging on the side of the road, but everyone is SO friendly, especially toward Americans. I remember when we walked into this gigantic mall, the entire department store staff stood in line and started clapping! Weird feeling, but they do treat us well. They also pinch children's cheeks! Jakarta does have a lot to see/do, and since it's the capital I definitely recommend it! The hotel we stayed at is ABSOLUTELY amazing and certainly kid friendly.. it's called Hotel Borobudur, and has an Olympic sized pool, children's pool, dozens of tennis courts/basketball courts/badminton courts/any other form of sports, and the service is amazing. I can give you other hotel recommendations/things to do there if you'd like, but if you're not interested that's fine too!
I'm not sure what Camp Leakey is but you mentioned it in terms of seeing animals- I'm all for animals, but I don't think Indonesia is the safest place for children to see them. I know someone who still lives there, went on a school trip and got bit by a monkey, which I believe led to many tests for rabies. It just isn't like the States in terms of safety, unless this Camp Leakey is in fact safe and it's just that I'm clueless and have never heard of it!
The rest of your questions .. my dad will know those... I'll get back to you tomorrow!
Hope this helps some
I agree that you should see the Borobudur- it's incredible, and I went there for the first time when I was actually around the age of your grandchildren. I enjoyed climbing on it I remember, but I really don't remember it being "kid-friendly" or catering to kids, more like a historical landmark. That was about 20 years ago, though, so times may have changed since then. I don't think I would recommend staying there for any extensive period of time just because there isn't enough to do. Once you see the actual Borobudur, I remember that being pretty much it.
In terms of Bali, it has beautiful beaches, do not get me wrong! However, it was extremely touristy and felt similar to being in the Caribbean: "Can I braid your hair?" "Do you want to buy these mangos/coconuts/whatever they decided to sell that day?" constantly!.. so be prepared, because it isn't the most cultural place since it's so mainstream and gets many tourists. The only difference is you may see some Balinese dancers/people playing the Gamelan/flea market type things selling sarongs and other Indonesian specialties. I must warn you- they try to rip you off at first, but BARGAIN! Nothing is set in stone in Bali in terms of prices, unless you go somewhere along the lines of the Hard Rock Cafe or a legitimate restaurant/hotel.
I was surprised to see that you hadn't mentioned Jakarta! That's where I grew up and I had some of the best times of my life there so it must have been kid friendly, however... I'm not sure how because it is possibly the most polluted city out there! To get around, you'll either have to hire a driver (which I recommend, and I doubt they'll be expensive- absolutely NOTHING is there!) or take these things called Bajis.. they're tiny orange forms of transportation that Indonesians will drive you around in. If you rent a car- it'll be too difficult; they drive with the steering wheel on the other side and there are no lanes, people just drive in giant clusters. You need to be experienced driving in that sort of condition otherwise it's scary! Also, lots of people selling things on the side of the streets/people begging on the side of the road, but everyone is SO friendly, especially toward Americans. I remember when we walked into this gigantic mall, the entire department store staff stood in line and started clapping! Weird feeling, but they do treat us well. They also pinch children's cheeks! Jakarta does have a lot to see/do, and since it's the capital I definitely recommend it! The hotel we stayed at is ABSOLUTELY amazing and certainly kid friendly.. it's called Hotel Borobudur, and has an Olympic sized pool, children's pool, dozens of tennis courts/basketball courts/badminton courts/any other form of sports, and the service is amazing. I can give you other hotel recommendations/things to do there if you'd like, but if you're not interested that's fine too!
I'm not sure what Camp Leakey is but you mentioned it in terms of seeing animals- I'm all for animals, but I don't think Indonesia is the safest place for children to see them. I know someone who still lives there, went on a school trip and got bit by a monkey, which I believe led to many tests for rabies. It just isn't like the States in terms of safety, unless this Camp Leakey is in fact safe and it's just that I'm clueless and have never heard of it!
The rest of your questions .. my dad will know those... I'll get back to you tomorrow!
Hope this helps some
Jul 25th, 2007, 11:21 PM
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Mediatorr, I'm an American living in Indonesia. My son who is now grown up and back in the US made his first trip to Bali when he was three and to Java at five. Both were resounding successes!
Indonesians truly love children and your grandchildren will be welcome everywhere. In general safety terms, Indonesia is not child protected the way a Western country would be. You would have to keep a close eye to prevent accidents. I would also make sure that you have evacuation insurance as under no circumstances, even for a non-life threatening problem, do you want to see the inside of an Indonesian hospital.
The geographic distances in Indonesia are greater than you would think, some 3000 miles from end to end so I would limit your choices.
I would say Bali is a don't miss location. A few days on the beach and a few days inland in Ubud, the arts and culture areas.
Next I would see Borobudur and yes, the Aman would be kid-friendly.
I haven't done Camp Leaky, but again, getting to southern Borneo would entail quite a lot of travel.
Another idea would be to go the Amanwana on Moyo Island. From there you could take an excursion to Komodo, but the giant lizards may be on the scary side for children of that age.
[Even on Bali, as Traveler333 says, you have to be careful of monkeys. They look adorable but can be vicious and diseased.]
With due respect to traveler333, I wouldn't recommend Jakarta. As I often say, it's a great place to live but I wouldn't want to visit there.
The Baliem Valley is fascinating if you're accustomed to adventure travel. Safety is relative. There is risk, but many foreigners still travel there. I haven't made the trip myself but many of my friends swear by Leks Santoso's tours:
http://www.expat.or.id/sponsors/remotedestinations.html
Indonesians truly love children and your grandchildren will be welcome everywhere. In general safety terms, Indonesia is not child protected the way a Western country would be. You would have to keep a close eye to prevent accidents. I would also make sure that you have evacuation insurance as under no circumstances, even for a non-life threatening problem, do you want to see the inside of an Indonesian hospital.
The geographic distances in Indonesia are greater than you would think, some 3000 miles from end to end so I would limit your choices.
I would say Bali is a don't miss location. A few days on the beach and a few days inland in Ubud, the arts and culture areas.
Next I would see Borobudur and yes, the Aman would be kid-friendly.
I haven't done Camp Leaky, but again, getting to southern Borneo would entail quite a lot of travel.
Another idea would be to go the Amanwana on Moyo Island. From there you could take an excursion to Komodo, but the giant lizards may be on the scary side for children of that age.
[Even on Bali, as Traveler333 says, you have to be careful of monkeys. They look adorable but can be vicious and diseased.]
With due respect to traveler333, I wouldn't recommend Jakarta. As I often say, it's a great place to live but I wouldn't want to visit there.
The Baliem Valley is fascinating if you're accustomed to adventure travel. Safety is relative. There is risk, but many foreigners still travel there. I haven't made the trip myself but many of my friends swear by Leks Santoso's tours:
http://www.expat.or.id/sponsors/remotedestinations.html
Jul 26th, 2007, 01:38 PM
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"(Bali) isn't the most cultural place since it's so mainstream and gets many tourists"
traveler 333, that doesn't sound like the Bali we saw. You seem to be describing the Kuta/Legian region, and there's much more to Bali than that.
Mediatorr, I recommend spending time in Ubud, less than an hour north of Denpasar, seeing a Barong dance and a Kecak dance (the kids should enjoy both, especially if they can be briefed on the storyline first), visiting nearby villages specialising in various handicrafts and booking a guide for at least a day to see some of the countryside to the NE and NW of Ubud. Use the search box on this page to turn up many previous threads and recommendations. We used 'Drivers with Distinction' (Rp400,000-500,000 per day).
As for bargaining - well, that's a pretty common practice everywhere in Asia we've been.
We did stay a few days on the coast, by the way, and found Sanur a pretty good mix of beach, shops, eateries etc. Yes, people on the beach will offer you massages and so forth, but they're not aggressive.
The beaches I saw weren't particularly impressive, but as an Australian I guess I'm pretty spoilt in that department.
traveler 333, that doesn't sound like the Bali we saw. You seem to be describing the Kuta/Legian region, and there's much more to Bali than that.
Mediatorr, I recommend spending time in Ubud, less than an hour north of Denpasar, seeing a Barong dance and a Kecak dance (the kids should enjoy both, especially if they can be briefed on the storyline first), visiting nearby villages specialising in various handicrafts and booking a guide for at least a day to see some of the countryside to the NE and NW of Ubud. Use the search box on this page to turn up many previous threads and recommendations. We used 'Drivers with Distinction' (Rp400,000-500,000 per day).
As for bargaining - well, that's a pretty common practice everywhere in Asia we've been.
We did stay a few days on the coast, by the way, and found Sanur a pretty good mix of beach, shops, eateries etc. Yes, people on the beach will offer you massages and so forth, but they're not aggressive.
The beaches I saw weren't particularly impressive, but as an Australian I guess I'm pretty spoilt in that department.
Jul 26th, 2007, 09:13 PM
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You guys are the best. I don't know how we traveled before Fodor's. I used to check out the travel board on the old usenet but this has continued to evolve in an awe-inspiring manner. From the comments so far, I am feeling confident in Java and Bali (partly beach and partly Ubud). How long (in time) do you think it would take to get to Camp Leakey either from Java or Bali? I've seen a photo (I think, on their website) of an orangutan with an arm around a child but not one as young as my 2 little ones. However, I'm guessing a lizard's arm around my granddaughter would be worse regardless of the child's age.
Jul 26th, 2007, 11:01 PM
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Camp Leakey is not easy to get to. From Jakarta you fly to Pontianak then to Pangkalanbun. Takes about 1/2 a day but these flights are notoriously undependable.
After Pangkalanbun you take a motor launch up river. I have no idea what happens then.
I know absolutely nothing about this group so I'm not endorsing them (I just googled) but this will give you an idea of an itinerary.
http://www.bali-travel-online.com/bo...akey2_tour.htm
If you do this I'd suggest you get a guide service to make your arrangements.
After Pangkalanbun you take a motor launch up river. I have no idea what happens then.
I know absolutely nothing about this group so I'm not endorsing them (I just googled) but this will give you an idea of an itinerary.
http://www.bali-travel-online.com/bo...akey2_tour.htm
If you do this I'd suggest you get a guide service to make your arrangements.
