BBC Travel

Most articles about diving in Indonesia wax lyrical about the beautiful, warm, inviting underwater world, with a myriad variety of fish and corals of kaleidoscopic colours, et cetera, et cetera.

This is entirely justified, as Indonesian diving is one of the best dive destinations in the world, especially as it is so accessible. The combination of the quality of the diving, accommodation and people is exceptional and so much better value for money than most other Oceania destinations like Australia or Papua New Guinea.

But there are some dangers, or at least hassles, even in this paradise. This article runs through some of them.

THE CURRENTS

Some of the currents in Indonesia are formidable, notably in Komodo and Bali’s Nusa Penida. Drift dives, where you cruise at roughly the same depth, are exhilarating and fun, but not really that dangerous. The currents to avoid are those that drag you down deep extremely rapidly, which is bad enough, but then sometimes take you up far-too-rapidly again, risking decompression sickness.

The worst ‘drag you down’ currents I have experienced was long ago on a liveaboard in Komodo. This was the boat’s maiden trip to Komodo. The crew had not worked out how to properly prepare for diving. They relied too much on dive tables, wanting to get the guests in the water at fixed, regular times convenient for mealtimes. I have been to Komodo many times since then and my preferred liveaboard always checks out the dive beforehand, adjusting the dive time if necessary.

Obviously, the best thing to do is to avoid the downward currents. Easier said than done, but it helps to watch fish; if they are swimming very erratically, at funny angles, be wary. And don’t be at the front of a group of divers — let someone else ‘test the waters’, literally. Also, be very cautious at corners of reefs; the up and down currents seem to be more active at corners. If you are approaching a downward current, turn around, or ascend, as close to the reef as possible.

But if you get caught in a bad current, focus heavily on your depth gauge and, using your BCD inflator, get to the surface as safely as possible (including doing a safety stop). Don’t fight the current. Most currents die out much more quickly than you imagine.

DIVING EQUIPMENT PROBLEMS

This is a real issue, especially if diving with operators who don’t maintain their equipment as much as they should. If something important seems to be not working properly, especially if your regulator or BCD, don’t dive.

This self-discipline can be difficult, especially if you only notice a problem when in the water. If you do decide to continue with the dive (definitely not recommended), stay shallow (less than 12 metres) and at least make sure you have signalled to your buddy (and dive guide) that you have a problem, and dive close to them at all times, aware of where their spare breathing octopus is – make sure it is not tied up or zipped into a pocket.

DANGEROUS FISH AND CRITTERS

I have never been (badly) bitten or stung whilst diving in Indonesia. I have, though, had a handful of experiences which had a reasonable chance of a bad outcome. All those experiences were due to my stupidity.

If one examines diving fatalities, they are nearly always due to human error or equipment failure — not by sharks or deadly critters. In other words, if you follow some fairly straightforward rules (don’t touch or harass the wildlife), the most dangerous thing in the water is yourself.

ABOVE WATER EQUIPMENT

Resorts and liveaboards are often in remote places. Whether it be bungalows or liveaboards, poor aircon systems seem to be a major source of problems. I was recently on a 12-day liveaboard trip (with one of the most expensive liveaboards in Indonesia) when the central aircon unit went down on day two. The boat’s management was unsympathetic, non-communicative and offered inadequate compensation. I will never again go with that operator (they have two boats with the same design flaw), nor any boat with a central aircon system (uncommon, for good reason). This was not life-threatening, but to be at sea for 10 days without aircon makes you realize that when on a liveaboard, you really are at the mercy of the Gods of bad maintenance and incompetence.

OTHER GUESTS

Other guests are again not generally ‘dangerous’, although a panicked diver in the water is probably 1,000 times more dangerous than any shark. But other guests can certainly be ‘unpleasant’.

A liveaboard is generally a great experience, allowing one to meet like-minded individuals who are just enjoying a pleasant holiday. But one is forced to cohabitate with say 10-20 other divers in a restricted space for some time.

And there are occasionally some people on a boat who tend to ruin it for the others; the chain smokers who happily start smoking upwind of non-smoking guests; the videographers who ‘hog’ a subject, believing that their friends really want to watch their 30-minute clip; the ‘famous’ photographer who acts as if they own the liveaboard; the people who play their favourite music non-stop, and party late every night; people who touch underwater creatures as they feel they have a ‘connection’ with them, and at the other end of the spectrum, people who lecture others if they see them just touching sand or rocks. The best thing to do is to pass your complaint to the cruise director, although don’t raise your expectations that will make any difference. Take comfort in that underwater, the fish often have better manners.

All of these dangers and hassles are relevant to other locations, to a greater or lesser extent. The bottom line is that the potential downsides are possible, but rare, and the upsides are tremendous, especially in Indonesia. In balance, it is far better to take the plunge, but with eyes wide open.

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On his first voyage to the South Pacific, Captain James Cook dropped anchor at Savu, an island that did not appear on any of his charts, and stayed for five days. As a cartographer, Cook could not resist the urge to map out the entire island, and ordered his ship, the Endeavour, to be anchored off the island’s west coast.

Not only did Cook put Savu on nautical charts, but he also collected information on its physical layout, the inhabitants and their social organisation and livelihood. For a long time Cook’s journal remained the main source of information on the island. The wide range and depth of the data and information collected is truly astonishing, although it must be remembered that Cook was accompanied by the naturalist and botanist Joseph Banks, the naturalist and doctor Daniel Solander, the astronomer Charles Green, and four artists.

On Savu they recorded A particular description of the Island of Savu, its produce and inhabitants, with a specimen of their language, Chapter IX – Book III, James Cook, An Account of the Voyages for Making Discoveries in the Southern Hemisphere.

The routes of Captain James Cook’s voyages. The first voyage is shown in red, second in green, and third in blue

Cook was obviously a keen and very interested observer. He notes that the dress of both sexes consists of cotton cloth [which] they manufacture themselves … and two pieces, each about two yards long, and a yard and a half wide, make a dress: one of them is worn round the middle, and the other covers the upper part of the body. He then adds that, the difference between the dress of the two sexes consists principally in the manner of wearing the waist-piece.

It is rather interesting to note that 200 years after this observation was made, the dress code had not changed, which most likely is due to the island’s long-standing isolation.

I went there some 40 years ago, hitching a ride on a Missionary Air Service plane. Savu has recently been elevated from sub-district to kabupaten level. The district consists of three islands: Rai Hawu (Savu), Rai Jua and the uninhabited Rai Dana— rai is the word for island in the local language.

The island is of a stark arid beauty. Cook seemed to have been greatly impressed by it. Later visitors, however, less so – the missionary J.K. Wijngaarden, for example, described it as “a lump of stone in an immense sea”. The main rains fall between November and March; during the long dry season most rivers dry up and water has to be drawn from a few remaining wells. The island is for the most part covered in grassland, coconut and fan palms, with some stands of tamarind, citrus and mangoes. Rice and mung beans are grown, too.

Special mention has to be made of the fan-palm, or lontar. Every part of this palm is used – the trunk for the construction of houses and bridges, while the leaves are made into roofing material, buckets and musical instruments. But the lontar’s main use is its juice, which in Cook’s words: …is procured from this tree, by cutting the buds which are to produce flowers, soon after their appearance, and tying under them small baskets made from the leaves, which are so close as to hold liquids without leaking.

The liquid is the common drink on the island and, during the tapping season, is collected morning and evening. Apart from drinking, the liquid is also condensed into syrup or coarse sugar. During the dry season, when other crops are scarce, the syrup is the main food for the population and, mixed with rice husks, for their livestock. 

Cook also mentions the ceremonial stones he saw on a hilltop near Seba, the current capital of the district and the bay where Cook anchored. Cook compared these megaliths to Stonehenge and took them to be monuments erected by previous rulers. He also wondered how the stones had been erected there: Many of the stones are so large, that it is difficult to conceive by what means they were brought to their present station, especially as it is the summit of a hill.

Traditional ikat clothing in Savu

I also visited the stones and had read in Harvest of the Palm, by James J. Fox, that these stones are, in fact, sacrificial altars of the priests of Seba.

Savu’s territorial parts are not identified by their rulers, but by their priestly order. The Deo Rai, Lord of the Earth, is the highest ranked, and the Descendant of the Sun, Apu Lodo, is ranked second. Their responsibilities are to conduct the ceremonies that are associated with the agricultural and tapping cycles. In Seba, for instance, the Deo Rai is identified with the mung bean and the Apu Lodo with rice, while in Liae the former is responsible for the whole agricultural season and the Apu Lodo for the lontar-tapping season.

On my visit I met with the Apu Lodo of Seba and I took the opportunity to ask him about the stones, and in particular how the stones were brought to this hill. His answer was a very decisive and unwavering: “My forefathers called the stones from the sea!”

I used the stones as a backdrop for a photoshoot of the island’s ikat textiles, modelled by the girls I had pointed out to the camat during the previous night’s welcome dances. Another example of calling-power, so to speak, although it did not stop the girls from complaining loudly and saying that they wanted to go home after having posed for nearly two hours.

For those who are not familiar with ikat, the wrap is dyed in the desired pattern before it is put on the loom. A tie-dye technique, in fact, and if the cloth is meant to have several colours, this has to be repeated for each colour. Consequently the whole process, from dying to weaving, may take up to four months.

Fast facts

Where to stay
Hotel Rai Hawu, Km.14 Desa Eilode, Savu Tengah. Simple, no frills accommodation.
But a recent visitor to the island recommended that as soon as you get off the plane, just ask anyone where to stay and someone will accommodate you immediately.

How to get there
Take the ferry from Kupang, Timor, or from Waingapu, Sumba.

What to do
Savu has many pristine white sand beaches. Surfers usually come to Uba Ae beach in Mesara. This beach is also known as a venue for the public.

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Whenever I meet someone on my travels around Indonesia like Ferzya, I am filled with great hope for the future of this country. This bright, young lady was born in Banda Aceh in 1990, however at the age of 10, her parents moved to Jakarta to get respite from the ongoing civil war, and she completed her high school education in Bogor.

Ferzya went on to University and completed her degree in Economics in Jogjakarta. She had a yearning to return to her home, and spent a year travelling extensively in Aceh, getting more familiar with her native land and its variety of cultures. Ferzya recounted her impressions, “I realised very early on in my travels that Aceh is nothing like it is reported in the [negative] media. People are naturally friendly, and there are many beautiful areas to visit.”

Ferzya Farhan

However, on her travels through the forestry areas and national parks, Ferzya witnessed a lot of environmental destruction. Sadly, the increasing threats to both the biodiversity and cultural heritage of Aceh are a reality and happening at a rapid pace.

“Deforestation and the illegal wildlife trade are robbing Aceh of its ancient forests and iconic species. I believe eco-tourism can help boost Aceh’s local economy, as well as the people’s sense of pride, adding value to the preservation and restoration of its natural and cultural heritage.”

Ferzya decided to do something about it. “I made a decision to get involved in eco tourism, and be part of the solution, not the problem,” she stated. Ferzya speaks and acts from the heart. She speaks with tremendous passion about preserving the forest, the natural resources and the wildlife in Aceh. She takes tourists to visit these special places.

I travelled through Aceh in March this year, and met Ferzya. We started in Banda Aceh and finished in Medan. I experienced some of the environmental changes she spoke of first-hand, and I know with the passion and drive this smart, young lady possesses, she will help to bring about a positive change.

It is Ferzya’s hope that people will not listen to the media, which often portrays Aceh in a bad light, but come and experience for themselves what Lonely Planet describes as “one of the world’s best kept secrets for the adventurous traveller”.

There are still vast tracks of wilderness intact, and to see it now – before it is all gone – will help bring awareness to the issue and hopefully cast some light on turning those illegal commercial activities into more viable options like eco-tourism initiatives. If enough pressure can be levelled to halt commercial activities that threaten conservation, heritage and the shrinking wildlife species that exist in the national parks, reserves and forestry areas change will happen.

Ferzya has seen many positive changes since the 2004 Tsunami. The city of Banda Aceh is rebuilt, and the social fabric is mending. The Acehnese people are positive about their future. In December 2014, the 10-year anniversary of the tsunami will hopefully attract visitors. Now is the time for responsible tourism to forge ahead and if you wish to support Ferzya, you will be supporting her commitment to deliver responsible tourism with a long-term vision, which delivers true sustainability, working hand-in-hand with the local community.

Ferzya can be contacted via http://www.getaceh.com and e-mail ferzya.farhan@gmail.com

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“Australians remain wary of Indonesia,” declared a headline on the eve of Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s recent meeting with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on the industrial island of Batam to bury the hatchet over a spying row.

Is there serious mistrust between the two neighbours? Definitely not between Australians and Indonesians with strong personal or professional links. But most people in the two countries don’t have such ties. Suspicions are often based on ignorance and fuelled by attention-seeking politicians or reporters looking for a sensational story.

The latest claims of unease stem from a telephone survey of 1,150 Australians in February. It found that 57% view Indonesia’s relationship with Australia as friendly, while a “feelings thermometer” measured Australian warmth to Indonesia at 52 degrees on a scale of 0° (very cold, unfavourable) to 100° (very warm, favourable).

Most Australians know little or nothing about Indonesia. The media occasionally tells them about terrorism, unpunished people smugglers, natural disasters and drug busts. About one-third of Australians think Bali is a separate country. The figure was even higher before Schapelle Corby’s arrest almost 10 years ago.

When I tell Indonesians that I’m Australian, the most common response I get is: Harry Kewell. He’s a recently retired Australian soccer player, who seems to enjoy greater fame abroad. Before Harry Kewell, the top response was Steve Irwin, the crocodile hunter, and before him, Mick Doohan, a motorcycle racing champion.

At the top political level, the Indonesia-Australia relationship is prone to occasional crises, which are necessary for the development of greater understanding. Disputes are usually resolved amicably without escalating to threats of war.

Indonesian ambassadors to Australia have been recalled a few times, but such action is more for public consumption to give the impression of tough leadership. When Yudhoyono completes his second and final term in October, Australia will lose one of its best friends. He has already forgiven Australia for attempting to tap his mobile phone, even though the two countries are yet to formulate a promised “code of conduct on spying”. The bilateral relationship could become more challenging if former general Prabowo Subianto is elected president, although he has rejected the views of several Indonesian politicians that Australia supports Papuan separatism and seeks to violate Indonesian sovereignty.

Some Australians are upset that Indonesia is the biggest recipient of Australian aid: over A$500 million annually. They feel that Indonesia is becoming the wealthier country. Indonesia has foreign exchange reserves of $105.56 billion, compared to Australia’s forex of just $57.36 billion. Also, Indonesia’s foreign debt amounted to $276.5 billion in March, whereas Australia’s debt was at $1.51 trillion.

Both countries’ economies depend heavily on the exploitation of natural resources. The big difference is in per capita income, which averaged $3,557 in Indonesia in 2012, and $67,442 in Australia. The flip-side is that the cost of living is much lower in Indonesia, unless you live on imported wines and cheeses.

There are only about 3,500 Australians legally working in Indonesia. Most of the foreign workers here are from China (14,371), then Japan (11,081), South Korea (9,075), India (6,047) and Malaysia (4,962). Yet geography makes the relationship with Australia of crucial importance.

Australia and Indonesia will continue to suffer future crises. Differences of opinion are inevitable, but they can always be discussed with the aim of furthering understanding and friendship.

Indonesia’s President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (R) shakes hands with Australia’s Prime Minister Tony Abbott (L) after a joint statement at the presidential palace in Jakarta on September 30, 2013. Abbott began a visit to Indonesia on September 30 for talks on his tough refugee policies that have sparked anger in Jakarta, as his government faced criticism over a boat sinking that left dozens dead or missing.

Lowlights & Highlights

April 1942: In an early act of solidarity with Indonesian workers, the Australian Seamen’s Union goes on strike to protest the treatment of Indonesian sailors who were interned for refusing to work on Dutch ships for low wages.

September 1945: The Australian Waterside Workers’ Federation commences a policy of preventing Dutch ships laden with munitions and supplies from departing to Indonesia. Numerous Australian unions join the anti-Dutch blockade over the coming years.

July 1947: After some ambivalence, Australia recognizes the Republic of Indonesia, limited to Java, Madura and Sumatra. Australia represents Indonesia at the United Nations.

September 1950: Australia co-sponsors Indonesia’s admission to the United Nations.

1959: Prime Minister Robert Menzies becomes the first Australian leader to visit Indonesia, despite his concerns over the growing power of the Indonesian Communist Party.

January 1962: Australia, falling into line with America, reverses its support for continued Dutch administration of West New Guinea. Australia had previously hoped the territory would eventually unify with Papua New Guinea.

March 1965: After initially keeping out of the conflict, Australian troops join Commonwealth forces in Borneo to combat Indonesia’s undeclared war of Confrontation against Malaysia. Twenty-three Australians are killed in the conflict, which ends in 1966 after Suharto overthrows Sukarno.

1969: Australia detains two West Papuan independence activists for eight months to prevent them from protesting to the UN against Papua’s incorporation into Indonesia.

October 1975: Five Australia-based television journalists are killed by Indonesian troops in Balibo, East Timor, to prevent them from reporting on Indonesia’s invasion of the former Portuguese territory. Indonesia claims the five were inadvertently killed in cross-fire. Successive Australian governments support the cover-up, unwilling to risk damaging ties with Indonesia.

September 1981: Afraid of upsetting Indonesia, the Australian Embassy dismisses aid officer Max Lane after he translates one of Pramoedya Ananta Toer’s banned books, Bumi Manusia, into English.

April 1986: The Sydney Morning Herald publishes a front-page article by its Indonesia correspondent David Jenkins, headlined ‘After Marcos, now for the Suharto billions’, exposing corruption linked to Suharto’s wife. Indonesia responds by expelling Jenkins, suspending visas for Australian journalists, and freezing diplomatic, military and cultural relations. A planeload of Australian tourists is denied entry to Indonesia. The Indonesian military accuses Australia of seeking to damage Indonesia’s international image.

February 1988: Australian journalists are allowed to reopen bureaus in Indonesia.

November 1991: Indonesian troops massacre at least 250 unarmed East Timorese at a cemetery in Dili. The carnage galvanizes solidarity for the East Timorese independence struggle, though the Australian government continues to support Indonesian sovereignty over the territory.

October 1997: The Australian newspaper upsets Indonesia by publishing a cartoon depicting Suharto as an orangutan trying to escape forest fires and labelling him an ‘endangered species’.

September 1999: Australia leads a UN-mandated peacekeeping force into East Timor in response to killing sprees by Indonesian troops and their militia proxies, following the territory’s independence referendum. Relations hit an all-time low.

October 2002: The Jemaah Islamiyah terrorist network bombs two nightclubs in Bali, killing 202 people, including 88 Australians. The incident leads to anti-terrorism cooperation.

March 2003: Australia joins the US-led invasion of Iraq, resulting in protests outside the Australian Embassy in Jakarta. Radical groups threaten to sweep Americans and Australians out of Indonesia.

September 2004: The Australian Embassy in Jakarta is bombed by Jemaah Islamiyah terrorists, killing nine Indonesians, including the suicide bomber.

October 2004: Australian Schapelle Corby is arrested in Bali for attempting to smuggle in 4.2 kilograms of hydroponically grown marijuana. She is sentenced to 20 years in jail and paroled in 2014.

January 2005: Australia announces a A$1 billion aid package for reconstruction and development in Indonesia following the December 2004 earthquake and tsunami that killed about 170,000 people in Aceh province.

April 2005: An Australian Navy helicopter crashes while delivering humanitarian aid to quake-ravaged Nias Island, killing nine personnel. The tragedy brings Indonesia and Australia closer.

April 2005: Nine Australians are arrested in Bali for attempting to smuggle 8.3 kilograms of heroin out of Indonesia. They receive sentences ranging from 20 years to death.

October 2005: Jemaah Islamiyah bombs three locations in Jimbaran and Kuta, Bali, killing 20 people, including four Australians.

March 2006: Australia grants protection visas to 42 Papuan asylum seekers who had accused the Indonesian military of genocide. Indonesia demands they be sent back and denies there is any repression in Papua. The Rakyat Merdeka daily runs a cartoon depicting Australian Prime Minister John Howard and Foreign Minister Alexander Downer as copulating dingoes with designs on Papua. The Australian newspaper responds with a cartoon showing President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono as a dog copulating with a Papuan. Indonesia recalls its ambassador.

November 2006: Australia and Indonesia sign the Lombok Treaty, covering cooperation on security issues and “non-interference in the internal affairs of one another”.

March 2007: Garuda Indonesia Flight 200 crashes at Yogyakarta’s airport, killing 22 people, including five Australians.

July 2009: Jemaah Islamiyah bombs the JW Marriott and Ritz-Carlton Hotels in Jakarta, killing seven people, including three Australians.

June 2011: Australia suspends live cattle exports to Indonesia after TV footage shows cattle being whipped, slashed and clumsily slaughtered at Indonesian abattoirs.

October 2013: Australian media release a document leaked by former US National Security Agency contactor Edward Snowden, indicating that Australia in August 2009 attempted to monitor phone calls made by President Yudhoyono and his inner circle. Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott refuses to apologize, prompting Indonesia to withdraw its ambassador to Australia. One of Abbott’s chief strategists likens Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa to a Filipino porn star. Indonesia freezes military and intelligence cooperation.

January 2014: Indonesia demands suspension of Australia’s maritime border protection policy after Australia admits some of its naval vessels made “inadvertent” incursions into Indonesian waters.

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Offering a bungkus of nasi krawu

It was still midday, but the beautiful scent of stir-fried garlic and galangal paste had already made me hungry. My mother was cooking a special dish for Eid al-Fitr, asem asem buntut sapi (oxtail sour soup), and confidently splashed chopped chilli, onions, and salt into the broth without tasting it (she was still fasting). I couldn’t resist the temptation to taste, but my mother softly slapped me when I tried to spoon the broth.

“The main thing about fasting is to control the mind, so we can control our appetite, lust, temper and bad habits,” she said while squashing abundant amount of melinjoleaves in, which, according to her, made a perfect sour flavour. “Choose words wisely, and give good attitude towards others, be patient. Those all will result in goodness in life, and of course blessings from God.”

30 days in every Islamic lunar year, all Muslims in the world practice fasting, and abstain from eating, drinking, smoking and having marital relations during the daylight hours. In this Holy Month, every Muslim should focus on their spiritual being and concentrate more on one’s personal relationship with God in order to get more blessing from the Almighty.

This fast ends with a feast, also known as Idul Fitri or Eid al-Fitr, a victory day for those who win the battle with one’s own self. This year the day will fall on 28 July (subject to moon sighting), and on this joyful day Muslim people celebrate it with their families. Those who live apart will return back to their hometown, bringing home stories and gifts, practicing Eid prayer together in the morning in the village’s mosque or surrounding fields, visiting others to seek forgiveness, sharing happiness and delicious foods.

I always look forward to visiting my parents for Eid celebrations, and here I am in Gresik, my hometown, on a culinary pilgrimage, feeling as excited as always to set my gastronomic taste buds to home mode.

Gresik is a small industrial town northeast of Surabaya. Although the majority of modern factories are now set here, in the 15^th century this town served as a busy port and important trade centre, and was the first gate of Islam to enter Java. Now also famous as kota santri (town of Islamic boarding school students), Gresik houses two ancient graveyards of Sunan Malik Ibrahim and Sunan Giri, Islamic figures who played a significant role in spreading Islam in Java, and has become one of the most important pilgrimage destinations in Indonesia.

The Grave of Sunan Malik Ibrahim

Another charm of Gresik is its prolific dish, nasi krawu. There are many different styles of this dish, but I am an Ibu Tiban devotee. Her business has been around in Gresik since 1985, and her rustic warung, located on Jalan KH Abdul Karim (another branch is on Jalan Veteran), is always busy, even during Ramadhan. I bought two bungkus (takeaway); the rice – served on a humble folded-over newspaper with banana leaf – is topped with silky brune succulent beef and innards, and three different styles of coconut shreds: sweet (orange), savoury (brown), and hot (red), and not to miss is the tangy prawn paste sambal! Irresistibly rich in flavour!

When the sun is no longer fierce, the town shows its real spirit. I rode my scooter in the neighbourhood of the main market, Pasar Gresik, to admire the old buildings and quaint colonial houses lined on Jalan Nyai Ageng Arem Arem, living proof of its former glory. On the road, children are playing, couples on motorbikes pass, looking for snacks to break their fasting, and girls in jilbab walk in a group giggling to each other. It was relaxing and peaceful and I could feel the romanticism I always miss; this is how a religious town should be.

Colourful wheeled carts are set on every stretch of Gresik’s main roads to welcome break-fasting time, selling affordable takjils (drinks or snacks to break fasting), and homemade foods to those who prefer to have healthy foods for beloved ones. Don’t forget to try legen, a sweet, cloudy drink made from ental (lontar palm fruit), sold in kiosks along Jalan Veteran. Travellers that are passing the town shouldn’t miss Pak Elan’s boneless grilled milkfish, or bandeng bakar, served with prawn paste sambal, that offers a sensuous culinary treat for those who have been patiently fasting all day.

I love to introduce the gastronomic prides of my hometown to my friends in Bali, and Sari Kelapa on Jalan Sindujoyo, nearby the market, has everything I need. Pudak (soft sweet cake, available in three colours – green, brown, and plain – is made from rice flour, sugar and coconut milk, wrapped in ‘ope’ – sheath of betel nut leaf), jubung (black rice flour cake sprinkled with sesame seeds, also wrapped in ‘ope’), and ayas (colourful jelly-like cake, also made from rice flour) are favourite oleh-oleh from Gresik.

Jenang Jubung

But if you fall in love with milkfish, otak-otak is perfect to bring home. Made by taking all the fish meat but still leaving the skin on, then mixing the meat with spices (turmeric and high dose of chilli and pepper), the fish is then filled back again and is clamped with a bamboo stick before sending it onto the stove for grilling. The explosion of flavours gives a real kick, and until now this dish always leaves me speechless.

A few months ago I tasted another invention of milkfish, pudak bandeng, a perfect combination of a sweet treat mixed with soft, savoury fish meat. It is amazing how the local people love to elevate this silvery fish to many different culinary fares. Not to mention a large traditional fish market, pasar bandeng, that is specially held on the three last days of Ramadhan on a 3km stretch of road in the market. Local farmers sell tons of the freshest, finest fish, and throwing out auctions for biggest ones. The sound of music and the buzzing shouts blare in the background, the fishy odour not a problem at all for the visitors. People make their way through the crowds to buy at least 3kg of milkfish to share with the neighbours in the hope of getting better blessings next year.In my house, the loud sound of prayers from the minaret is heard. My father has just arrived with two 1-metre milkfish in his hands, the star of our feast tomorrow. Lebaran is coming, everyone can’t wait to celebrate.

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Choice destinations for weekend cycling in West Java are often impractical because of poor access. Lido, for instance, is a very pleasant recreational area with a beautiful lake, riding trails, paragliding and a resort hotel. However, the only way to get there is along ‘The Path to Death’, aka Jalan Raya Sukabumi, from the end of the Jagorawi Toll Road. There are numerous other hot trails for bicyclists in West Java, but getting there is a real challenge.

Puncak, once a delightful weekend hideaway, is today an unspeakable six-hour drive up to smoggy, jammed-up Cipanas. It’s actually more like a mountainside parking lot, as weekends will trap you in your vehicle enjoying an interminable view of the tea plantations.

Ditto for the west coast. By the time you get to Anyer, Carita or Labuan, fairly interesting cycling areas, all the enthusiasm is beaten out of you.

So where to go? My enthusiastic suggestion is Lampung Province, at the southern tip of Sumatra, but with a key qualification: you have to first battle your way from West Jakarta, through Tangerang, Balaraja, Serang and Cilegon, to industrial Merak, and then survive a rather uncomfortable three-hour ferry jaunt across the Sunda Strait to the Port of Bakauheni.

Once you disembark in Sumatra, however, the world seems to open right up: it’s a broad, fierce landscape with rough natural grandeur — at least compared to overpopulated West Java.

What I normally do is hire a small pickup to carry bicycles and riders down the bumpy toll road from Kebun Jeruk to the Ferry Terminal at Merak. I can usually hammer drivers down to Rp.400,000 for the trip.

Ride the bicycle or motorcycle onto the Ferry, for a few thousand Rupiah, and Bob’s your uncle. The two and a half hour trip across the Sunda Strait is scenic and uneventful, unless you’re hapless enough to be trapped in the late Bahuga Jaya, seen here en passant, as some sleepy captain ran her into a passing tanker one early morning last year and she sank like a stone to the bottom, reducing the population by seven hapless passengers.

Be warned that the Sunda Strait ferries are a favourite of pickpockets and other gangs of thieves, who will break into locked vehicles and ransack them, unless someone stays inside on watch. Seriously. Keep an eye on your car or bike for the duration of the trip.

There are good bicycling roads abound in Lampung Province once you escape the heavily – travelled Bakauheni – Medan artery highway. Riding uphill from the Terminal through smoke and heavy truck traffic is only for the ultra-hardcore. Better to start your cycling journey at Bandar Lampung, the pleasantly green capital of the Province, an hour by car from the Ferry Terminal. You can usually rent transport, with patience and haggling.

Bandar Lampung is worth an evening’s stopover, after the considerable struggle to escape polluted West Java; we usually stay at the Hotel Hartono, a modest, two-star place with a magnificent view of the Bay, and a tribe of macaques who swarm up the balcony, demanding food from guests.

From Lampung, head west on good roads with little traffic, to Kota Agung. The cycling journey I’m describing forms a rough quadrangle, combining riding and transport. Map it out on Google Earth with the four points as Bandar Lampung – Kota Agung – Krui – Kotabumi, and back.

Bicycling from Bandar Lampung to Kota Agung is fairly flat but a challenge in hot weather. I normally take the bikes on a local bus: the conductor just piles them on top of other passengers’ assorted baggage, for an extra Rp.150,000.

During this trip to Kota Agung I had a Dahon Matrix, a full-size folding bike that was perfect for mixed riding and loading into the baggage compartment.

Kota Agung is a busy fishing port, on the vast Teluk Semangka (Watermelon Bay) enclosed by the peninsula of Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park. Fishing boats come in just after dawn with their catch, which is then auctioned on the spot. There are inexpensive seafood restaurants along the highway; it’s best to stay overnight in neighbouring Gisting. Energetic bicyclists can ride up nearby Tanggamus Mountain.

From Kota Agung, it’s over the mountains to the west coast, another challenging uphill bicycle ride. Motor traffic is generally light; if you tire out there’s always someone with a pickup truck who will carry you a bit further. Travelling through the National Park early in the morning, you will be serenaded by the whoops of troops of siamang (gibbons) — their screams easily travel five kilometres, in the quiet of the forest.

The west coast is grand, with sweeping, undeveloped beaches as far as the eye can see. There is a lively surfing camp business at Krui, a fishing village up the coast. Long-time expatriate Zane Redman runs Hotel Zandino, one of a number of economical (under Rp.200,000/night, with meals) surf lodges. Caution is highly recommended with western waters: while local people are friendly and accommodating, roads are lightly-travelled and reasonably safe, the ocean will kill you. There are strong undertows and you can get battered along coral reefs.

We turn east from Krui, heading for Liwa. It’s a pleasant uphill ride, back through the National Park.

An hour to the north is Danau Ranau, a gorgeous, ominous lake reminiscent of those in mountainous Austria. Lake Ranau is surrounded by mountains, with a symmetrical volcano to the west. Accommodation is poor — all but starless; as a hardy cyclist, you can put up with a pathetic losmen (“last resort” resort) for a night. Hiring a boat to traverse the rough, windy black waters of the lake is well worth the effort. Good riding roads too.

Then it’s a grand ride eastward, through the mountains of Bukit Kemuning, to Kotabumi, where you catch the busy axis highway down to Bakauheni. Best to seek transport for the bicycles and save the harp-playing for later.

Fast facts

Lampung, South Sumatra

Capital: Bandar Lampung

Area: 13,659 km2

Population: 7.691 million (2010)

Where to stay:

Hartono Lestari Hotel, Bandar Lampung. Jl. Kesehatan 7, Bandar Lampung.

Phone:+62 721 262525

Hotel Mutiara Alam Zandino, Jl. Pantai Harapan, Krui, Lampung.

Phone: Zane Redman – 081514139201

http://kruisurfcamps.com

What to do:

Cycle and surf.

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In 1994, when travel journalist Ron Gluckman observed the Pasola ritual in Sumba, all of the “signs” were good – the precious nyale worms were abundant, suggesting a prosperous harvest and plenty of blood was spilled by the spear-yielding horsemen. Twenty years after Gluckman’s dramatic account of blood, sacrifice and death, I visited the island of Sumba in East Indonesia to learn more about this animist festival, which happens every February and March. But in 2014, the signs weren’t good. The worms didn’t come and confusion reigned on Sumba. 

Now the ancient ways of Sumba are changing because of new variables including the introduction of Islam, tourism, climate change, over-fishing, poverty and damage to the environment. This has had startling impacts on their shamanic culture, which is intimately entwined with the fragile dynamics of the island’s ecosystems. Sumba is considered to be one of the poorest islands in Indonesia economically and sources of income include ikat (fine cloth), tourism, fishing and agriculture.

During my visit to the pasola festival I stayed at the home of Jefry Dapamerang, who worked at the Department of Culture and Tourism of West Sumba. “The function of this department is to promote the potentials [sic] of West Sumba tourism inside and outside the country. The initiatives to bring tourism to Sumba opened new work opportunities for the Sumbanese, including tour guides, natural trekking guides and ikat cloth-making,” explained Jefry.

On my second day in Waikabubak, I decided to buy some ikat and visited the traditional villages of Kampung Tarung and Kampung Waitabar, where it is possible to stay overnight for a donation. Amongst the horses and dogs, the villagers peered at me curiously before showing me their traditional wares. I chose a thick fabric with a white horse motif and a family invited me into their home – a stove was burning which they used to make thick coffee. I found the villagers to be open and friendly, but there was also a strain of sadness. They seemed cognisant that their standards of living were ‘poor’ compared to other islands in Indonesia, whereas before they had lived culturally rich lives, full of pride in their bravery as they risked their lives at their festivals – now they were losing their self-esteem. I wanted to see the pasola and find out more about this diminishing culture.

Pasola is an ancient animist festival in which skilled horsemen injure (and infrequently kill) each other with bamboo spears – blood must be spilled to ensure a good harvest.

From Jefry’s house, close to the beach where the pasola festival is held every February, I left at dawn, driving towards the queue of cars and motorbikes that were already waiting to park at the beach. We passed sad-looking locals carrying empty buckets who explained that the nyale worms hadn’t come. “If there is no nyale, there will be rats,” explained Esra as we looked at nearby fragile fields of gold. At the beach, the ratu (shamans) stared melancholically at the sea while waiting for a late shaman in order to start the divination by reading the intestines of a sacrificed chicken.

As the shamans waited, we heard jeers from the other side of the beach – the pasola had already started without their signal. Confused, we ventured towards the men who were already steering their horses into a circle, brandishing their spears. Tensions were high and a drunk man riding a horse tried to stab another participant who ran towards the sand dunes for safety. The crowd dispersed into a cloud of adrenaline and I later discovered that historically, some men with grudges would wait until the pasola for their chance to exact revenge.

That afternoon I headed to Kodi in Western Sumba for the pasola at Kodi Bawa. Staying overnight at a losmen I ventured towards the festival at dawn, but we discovered that worms had not been found there either. Drinking coffee in a makeshift tent was a man with a damaged eye from a pasola injury. He explained that the lack of worms was because of iklim (climate change) and the fish stocks were diminishing too. In Kodi there were fewer tourists, the locals seemed more traditional and many wore ikat – I stuck out like a sore thumb. Some people were drinking alcohol early in the morning as the pasola commenced and I breathed in the crowd’s fumes of kretek smoke. As the spears flew, one man was hit, nearly losing his eye and the circle rippled with cheers.

Resorts in Sumba are essentially selling the ‘wildness’ of Sumba – an inherent spark that has been lost from the CCTV worlds of development. But are the Sumbanese ready for tourism? Anthropologist of Sumbanese culture, Janet Hoskins, feels that the tourist gaze can be seen as threatening or aggressive to the locals, so how can tourism become more responsible in Sumba?

“Tourists can use Sumbanese traditional clothes or attributes, use clothing in a polite manner and not consume alcohol in the arena of pasola,” suggested Jefry. He believes that “preserving the tradition and culture of West Sumba is an essential thing” and tourism is one way to generate income. However, he admits concerns over the “penetration of amoral cultural habits like drugs and alcohol from other cultures to our younger generation.”

If tourists can be respectful, a great relationship could be developed to enable the people of Sumba to develop sustainably and preserve their culture. “People still have a strong belief in these cultural rituals. This was the first time the elders have made a wrong prediction,” said Jefry, who later explained that the harvests of 2014 were prosperous.

Perhaps magic is not stagnant; it must evolve with the times since many new factors have been added to the ecosystem and nature has become more unpredictable. Hopefully the perceptive seers amongst them will continue to penetrate these mysteries and maintain their magical culture. 

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Gregg A. Hollomon partakes in the exhilarating, high-current dives of Komodo National Park to photograph the large and small delights this region has to offer.

The Komodo archipelago is truly an adventure getaway, but most importantly the people are lovely, and the diving is straight out of a Jules Verne episode. My wife and I decided to make a last minute trip to Komodo National Park, prior to our final departure from Indonesia as permanent residents. In the planning phase, I soon found that last-minute booking of a dive boat is an adventure in itself. My advice is to start at least six months out, as Komodo is almost as popular with the international crowd as Raja Ampat (particularly during high season of September to November).

Fortunately, a newly constructed airport in Labuan Bajo, Flores now serves daily flights which drastically shorten the trip out from Bali or other Indonesian locations. The town is a small port which is loaded with dive operators, light industry, homestays and restaurants. Once you land, it is very simple to get around with available transportation. Many of the two-star-and-up hotels offer free shuttle into town.

Impact Diving

During our week of diving, I really didn’t have a chance to reflect on all the beauty, diversity and exhilaration the northern Komodo waters have to offer. Most of the diving days were followed up with a night dive, even though we were exhausted from the daylight hours. It was truly a situation where you felt you just didn’t want to miss out on encountering something exciting just around the corner. Over the week, we managed 16 dives, all of which were of variable in topography, currents, special critters and large feeding pelagics. The best dive sites (personal opinion) are Castle Rock, Crystal Rock, Manta Point, and Batu Bulong (hole in the rock).

Check Dive

Our first dive was a slope and shallow wall off Sebayur Kecil Island. In 2013, a rogue wave hit this beach and six-metre waves destroyed the upper reef of principally big table corals. Below the five-metre mark, life abounds. It was very exciting to see a large cuttlefish locating eggs while two males (or females?) spar it out for dominance. Further on, we found unicorn fish hunting small sardines while on the upper bommies, thousands of spectacular glass fish fill the water. Masked rabbitfish mill around during this whole show.

After an absolutely amazing sunset we headed back down for a night dive at this same site. We descend a sandy slope looking for flying gannets then headed east to another beautiful pristine wall. Purple glowing bioluminescence was everywhere. Jimmy, our guide from Flores, is a particularly good night spotter. Hidden within a crevasse of the wall was a large solar-powered nudibranch of over 20cm. As if that wasn’t enough, a companion shrimp was lurking on his back cleaning off parasites. Just a metre up is a sleeping green turtle. As my wife states, this dive was of a thousand eyes made up of cleaner shrimp, banded boxer shrimp, glass shrimp decorator crabs, flatworms and spawning soft corals.

Favourite Dive Site

My favourite dive of the week was Crystal Rock, north of Gili Lawa Laut. The top of this rock sits at wave-base and can sometimes be difficult to spot. The base of the monolith drops to over 35 metres but most of the fish action is at less than 27 meters. This site is known for big currents and must be dived during slack tide, which just means you can get down to depth prior to being swept off-site. Jump in the water and get down fast. Water temperatures range from 28 degree Centigrade near the surface to 19 degrees from deep water upwelling.

A fantastic fish bowl menagerie, the site offers giant cod and sweetlips at cleaning stations while huge schools of yellow-striped sweetlips and surgeonfish allow you to join in their ranks.

Surrounding all this action are scattered trevallies, jackfish and encircling white tip sharks.

Manta Encounter of a Third Kind

At Manta Point (Karang Makassar), we jumped into some highly churned water and started to drift-rip along the bottom at 17 metres. Five minutes later, we come across a huge manta which Jimmy later explained was a pregnant female. She was at a small cleaning station and floating into the current just about 60cm above a small set of rocky corals.

I came in upstream and latched my reef hook onto a rock to start the photography session. Before I knew it, she had further progressed in my direction and settled about 30cm right over me. I have never heard of a person getting crushed by a manta but the thought crossed my mind as this encounter played out. After a few moments she moved laterally away to my sigh of relief. Further down current we bumped into five more mantas with one completely black, known as Darth Vader.

Danger Ahead

The scariest dive of the trip happened to be a simple dive at Seiba Kecil Island. Jimmy checks the local conditions but is unsure which direction the current will take us so he jumps in the water to look at the fish orientation. After he is satisfied, we drop down to 18 metres and go with the current. Almost immediately we are hit with a very strong down current. All this happened so fast none of us had a chance to get the reef hooks out and were basically holding on to small floor rubble that hopefully wouldn’t move.

The four of us were initially separated by a number of metres and it took some time for each of us to alternately make forward headway. I had my BCD completely full of air and every time I made a move I was swept further down. We slowly crept along the face of the slope hoping the current would let up. Once it did, we moved shallower and then promptly aborted the dive after the safety stop. This dive taught me a new level of respect for the unexpected; by the end of this 23-minute shallow dive we all were down to less than a half tank of air.

Cautionary Note

Some people say that diving Komodo is not for the fainthearted. I don’t agree with this general statement but certainly all divers should establish a plan of action in the case of separation from the guide or dive partner. This plan needs to be fully discussed and understood by the guide and others within the dive group. Additionally, I recommend everyone carry a safety sausage, reef hook and emergency strobe with you on all dives – even the simple ‘beginner dives’.

What makes Komodo so vibrant underwater is the flow of current bringing in an abundant supply of nutrients so divers just have to live with it. Live is the key word here!

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Fast Facts

Location: Lesser Sunda Islands

Size: 1,733km square

Getting there: Garuda and Wings Air are the major airlines serving Labuan Bajo currently. These flights are not non-stop from Jakarta and may experience a short layover in Bali or Makassar.

What to bring: Your own diving equipment, or at least bring your own dive watch, sunblock and camera

What to do: Diving, snorkelling, touring the Komodo sanctuary on Rinca Island

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