One week in Madeira in December is a good way to break up the December depression, to see some sun and warm up. If you’re on the correct side of the island. Apparently December is not the very best month to experience Madeira, but on the Funchal side, there is plenty of sunshine. Anything is … [Read more…]
Duration: 9 weeks from Sep 20th to Nov 21st, 2016 Dives: 59 Countries visited: 2 (Indonesia, Australia) Accommodation: Bali: Bumi Ayu Hotel, Sanur Bali: Maison Aurelia, Sanur Bali: Yogi Beach Bungalows, Lembongan Bali: Amoya Inn, Ubud Bali: Murni’s Houses, Ubud Sulawesi: Divers Lodge Lembeh Sulawesi: Nomad Divers, Bangka Halmahera: Weda Resort Australia: Yongala Dive Guesthouse, … [Read more…]
All that diving and zipping around in speedboats left me exhausted. And, all my luggage was damp after residing in a beachfront bungalow barely above the waterline (sometimes at high tide not even that). So I needed a holiday. Yes Ubud provides innumerable culture offers, day trips, and spas. Turns out one can do perfectly nothing, if … [Read more…]
No it wasn’t enough… after diving in Lembeh and Halmahera, I decided to use my last few days to get some more bottom time. Nomad Divers on Bangka Island has the relaxed island castaway style: little bungalows, daybeds, hammocks, an open restaurant/living room, mangroves. Volcanos in the distance. There are various good dive sites, providing … [Read more…]
It turns out that Indonesia is made up of lots of islands. Travelling between them involves flying (see my posts about under-represented provincial airports) with a variety of airlines, but some islands, and dive resorts, can only be reached by boats. Some advice about traveling by boat in third-world countries: whenever there is transfer by boat … [Read more…]
Travelling from Manado, North Sulawesi, even farther to the edge of the world induces a certain feeling of adventure. Of course there is already a lot of touristy infrastructure, otherwise I would not consider to travel here – I am not Livingstone. (If I ever go to the sources of the Nile, I require a … [Read more…]
Cephalopods are well represented in Lembeh and an endless source of wonder and entertainment. For example, the Mimic Octopus (or maybe Septopus?): Or the Coconut Octopus: This one is apparently late and has to hurry: A Pygmy Cuttlefish the size of a finger: And all the time, I couldn’t shake the feeling that their elder brothers … [Read more…]
Sultan Babulah is small. It definitely is NOT international in any way, but the volcanic backdrop is nice. There is NO coffee franchise, just a little bistro where nice ladies make quite good Nasi Goreng. The toilets are much more provincial than e.g. at Manado Sam Ratulangi, but at least one of them was western … [Read more…]
The Lembeh Strait is a narrow channel situated between the deep water port of Bitung, on North Sulawesi, and Lembeh Island. Apart from a lot of garbage thrown in from all the freight ships, more garbage blown in from the mainland, and fine black sand and silt coming from the adjacent volcanoes, it is an … [Read more…]
I’ve decided that I will use this blog to promote all the under-appreciated, provincial, small airports of the world I will encounter in transit and otherwise. Along with survival guides for the bigger ones, too. So. Sam Ratulangi is not big, it’s not too bad, and it even is INTERNATIONAL due to some Silkair flights … [Read more…]