17. February 2020 • Katja Laurien
Indonesia is truly a wonderful country which has loads to offer. Being prepared on what to expect before you visit the country might even help you getting more out of the experience, which is why I wrote this post. Since my grandparents are from Indonesia, Java, I always grew up with the idea of visiting this country one day, creating a lot of expectations around it. Once I was there, I realized I had designed a complete wrong idea about Indonesia throughout the years which is one of the reasons why I took me so long to go.
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9. February 2020 • Katja Laurien
Flores is a rather small island which has not yet been fully discovered by tourists, but has many beautiful things to offer. The island is mainly known for Komodo National Park, the only place on earth where you can find wild Komodo dragons. But the park has even more to offer, such as some amazing diving spots and incredibly beautiful surroundings. Many tourists actually only come for the diving, maybe squeeze in a visit to the Komodo dragons between the dives, but skip the rest of the island which I think is a big mistake.
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15. January 2020 • Katja Laurien
Komodo National Park is famous for two things: the Komodo dragons and the superb underwater world. The park is what the Indonesian island Flores is known for and it definitely deserves the attention. All over Labuan Bajo, the gateway to the park, you’ll be offered different tours to the park. Most tours offer the standard sights which are all amazing and very much worth the trip. I personally did the 2-day tour which I can highly recommend!
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11. January 2020 • Katja Laurien
Komodo National Park is the main thing the Indonesian island Flores is known for. In fact, many tourists only go to Labuan Bajo, the gateway to the park, and skip the rest of the island (which I wouldn’t recommend). Komodo is indeed a magical place and has so many amazing things to offer, I found it difficult to find appropriate information on the Komodo tours and pricing a la little bit confusing, so I planned an extra day in Labuan Bajo, just to make sure I could do everything I wanted to.
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9. December 2019 • Katja Laurien
The 17 Islands just in front of the tiny village Riung is probably one of the most beautiful spots I’ve seen on Flores. The unspoiled and empty beaches on the 17 islands are a true paradise, to say the least. But I guess many people still skip it because it’s a bit off the tourist route. It’s maybe a bit of a hassle coming there (especially due to lack of information) and there’s not much more to do apart from the day tour to the 17 Islands, but it’s worth it.
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28. November 2019 • Katja Laurien
Karimunjawa was the unexpected highlight of my trip to Java. Actually it was not part of my itinerary, but ended up being the place I spent most of my time on Java. This tiny island in the north of central Java is a true paradise! I actually only wanted to stay a couple of days but ended up staying more than a week and I could have easily stayed another week, just enjoying the pristine beaches, soaking up the relaxed atmosphere and chit chatting with the friendly locals.
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9. November 2019 • Katja Laurien
For many people Borobudur is the main highlight of their trip to Java. It’s the biggest Buddhist temple built around 750-850, about 40 km from Yogyakarta. The temple can be visited anywhere between sunset and sunrise, but watching the sunrise is what most people do. The entrance fee of 350 000 IDR is already pretty hefty for Indonesian standards, but be prepared to pay an extra 125 000 just to see the sunset (which does include a pretty big breakfast buffet).
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14. February 2018 • Katja Laurien
During my stay in Nepal I did not only fulfill one wish (doing my yoga teacher training) I also fulfilled another long held wish: hiking the Annapurna Circuit. I wasn’t sure what to expect as many people say that mass tourism has destroyed its charm. And I do have to admit that the circuit is a lot busier than expected, not only with tourists, but also with locals. There are many villages (which make this circuit so convenient, because there is accommodation all along the trail) and unfortunately also many jeep roads.
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