Consider some facts: The largest archipelago in the world with nearly 18000 islands, Indonesia extends along the equator, more than 5000 km. Nearly 60% of the land in Indonesia is wooded and has more than 500 volcanoes - 12% of them are still in business! The fourth country's most densely populated in the world after China, India and the United States with nearly 250 million people, is made up of some 300 ethnic groups who speak some 600 languages and dialects. Bali - the island of the gods!
Initially, the visitor to Indonesia, I was excited and a little nervous. It is a huge country spread over thousands of miles. So, like India, and yet so unlike India, with its countless islands forming a chain along the equator.
The excitement is the fact that we had a month to write the examination of these beautiful islands; active volcanoes in the home, beautiful beaches and unique wildlife, such as the Komodo dragon.
We started our journey into the relative comfort of a well-developed tourism infrastructure on the island of Bali. In fact one thing that is difficult is to try to obtain a reasonable price flight from New Delhi, so that we left behind! Everything has functioned without incident, and Malaysian airlines throughout the flight later, in Kuala Lumpur, we landed at the airport in Denpasar, Bali. The landing was spectacular as the aircraft descends close to the white sand beach of Jimbaran, as you fly, what you can see the sea closer and closer to come up to a few seconds before touchdown wheels, the track is suddenly visible.
Indonesia has recently relaxed its visa regime for Indians, it was possible to get a visa upon arrival - an Indian passport holder, it is still a new experience for travel in the country and obtain a visa at the finish line! Laos, Thailand, Hong Kong (curiously, it requires a visa for China if), Cambodia and the Maldives are among the others.
It was a hassle-free experience, and we can immediately see the benefits it brings to tourism and business travel. This is all the more important in view of the Indian Tourism Board in its efforts to push a similar proposal for visitors across India.
Having pre-arranged some budget accommodation in the seaside town near Sanur, we hired a taxi to get us there. Bali's excellent tourist infrastructure, made it an easy and painless process, we did not even need the Indonesian We were learning a language easier to learn than many.
Bali, appropriately called "Island of the Gods" is a prime example of religious and cultural diversity that exists in Indonesia, and consists mainly of Hindu communities. But the island of Java, which includes the capital, Jakarta, is predominantly Muslim and the island of Flores (where are we going after our trip) is mostly Christian.
The generalization of the islands with their mix of peoples, cultures and religions means that Indonesia has faced a problem similar to India in terms of language. Bahasa Indonesia is the national language but interesting has faced similar challenges in many parts of the country so that, with the adoption of Hindi as a national language in India. Indeed, in Bali, the Balinese is widespread.
The Balinese worship different gods of Hindu mythology, and that everyone knows the Ramayana and the Mahabharatha that many Indians are. Each house is actually considered a minor temple, adding further to the incredible statistics about 20000 temples on this small island of more than two million people.
Offerings are made twice a day to the gods of the house and to the gods honored in the small shrines everywhere. As you drive around Bali, at the sight of women with offerings of rice and flowers on banana leaves is widespread. Indeed, the word Bali, dating from the 9th century, means "gift".
Sanur - quite unfairly nicknamed "snore 'Us - is a sleeping city, which had started to lose its charm, thanks to its efforts to pander all sorts of tourists. Our sense of discovery, lead us to search for the real Bali and Around us a small island, Nusa Lembongan, about two hours by boat.
Nusa Lembongan 3 is one of the islands that sit across the Badung Strait on the south coast of Bali, Nusa Ceningan with & Nusa Penida. 3 The islands are somewhat impoverished, based on seaweed farming, livestock and other low-yielding, with tourism the brightest light on the horizon. The boat ride through the Strait of Badung was good at first, but we had been warned, the Straits are very deep and there is always a large swell finely illustrated by the downtown of the girl sitting behind us not able to keep his breakfast Far fish!
Although we had to get off at the main pier, we composed our minds to make our way of Mushroom Bay, a beautiful white sand beach that we had spotted from the boat. Getting there meant either taking a small boat-taxi, but expensive, or walking with our heavy bags and down for a couple of hours.
Of course, having decided on the option of water taxi, we could not find one to a booming Australian drawl asked if he could help them. Indeed, it was the owner of the taxi company of the water who had lived on Nusa Lembongan for years. Mushroom Bay is also quite close and we ourselves set aside in some Balinese style accommodation for a few nights.
Breakfast at the beach is a luxury for everyone, and we certainly have the spectacle at the aptly named, but rather predictable Bali Café. There was a feeling of exclusivity to the Bay of mushroom which has been troubled by the middle of the day, for a few hours by hikers in Bali. We have devoted this time to explore the island, and the first time decided to make a walking tour. Incredibly greenery and beautiful beaches, were our reward after a certain time, even if the humidity makes walking more effort than we would have liked. And, of course, the temples and offerings were everywhere.
The next day, we decided to explore a little further by hiring a motorbike with my courageous woman (she says!) Accept rolling pillion. The roads are not very big and steep in places, but we have deducted off. It is difficult to lose your way around the island and on the other side of the island, stopping off to admire the views and when stopped by inquisitive children-friendly.
Our plan was to visit the two other nearby islands, to the extent possible, and said that we could ride our bikes on a narrow bridge. The bridge was in fact close, but what worries us even more is the approach ramp - a small miscalculation of a few centimeters, and it is likely that we would miss the bridge and land in the ocean . As if it is brave adventurers, we decided that I try alone without my passenger. Success!
Driving through Nusa Ceningan, it was evident that the island was much poorer than Nusa Lembongnan, but the difference is tourism. Residents of the province of Nusa Ceningan survived mainly through agriculture and sea weed when trade does not go well, they have a difficult life.
We stopped at a place where there was clearly planned to build a resort. Most of the structure and presentation were in place, but now had been left to rot. As we were enjoying the views and thought how wonderful it would be to resurrect the resort, and it is always possible, a man appeared from behind buildings and places. Suddenly, we were concerned that the intrusion, and that there was no other soul in sight, we tried to apologize and leave. But he was very nice and told us about plans for this place and how it had gone wrong when all of its business partners abroad has decided to retire when tourism in Bali, has been in free fall After the bombings several years ago. During our last sentences of Bahasa Indonesia had come in useful! That, with the English and body language helped us.
Having had a relatively calm and relaxed introduction to Indonesia, we were ready to make our way back to the mainland and obtain Bali fearless in the pursuit of Komodo dragon and see the whales in the remote village of Lamalera, one of the easternmost islands.
