Customer Reviews

Adventuring in Indonesia: Java,Bali, Sumatra, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Nusa Tenggara, Maluku, Irian Jaya

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Despite the promising title this book contains little extra information on trekking and other adventurous outdoor pursuits in remote parts of Indonesia.
In fact it barely covers even the better-known parts of each region - you are better off buying a Lonely Planet or Rough Guide for practical travel information, or a Periplus guide for in-depth detail.

Holly Smith takes you on an astonishing, kaleidoscopic journey through Indonesia's volcanic chain of geological formations, rainforests, beaches, and coral reefs-home to rare birdlife, the world's largest flower (Rafflesia Arnoldi), orangutans, and komodo dragons-and one of the most diverse, fascinating, mysterious human cultures on earth. Pack your bags and head straight out to the furthest reaches of the remote archipelago-from Sumatra to Java, Bali, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Nusa Tenggara, the Moluccas, and Irian Jaya. Focused on natural phenomena, outdoor adventures, wildlife, and past civilizations, this excellent cultural guide arms you with crucial background information about the rich Indonesian setting that succors and surrounds the island of Bali. Devour and savor the juicy, 41-page chapter on Bali, which offers historical and cultural insight into family, community, and spiritual beliefs, and an overview of the island's myriad crafts and temples.
Holly Smith has written a very rare, compassionate guide book on an eminently human scale: intelligent, conversational, and accessible in both language and tone, it breathes life into some of Indonesia's 350 unique ethnic subcultures. Smith finds a nation full of gracious, open-hearted, bright-eyed people: you will discover eager school pen pals in the hardscrabble highlands of Sumatra, meet Javanese tour guides who will become your friend for life, and be invited to share Sasak hospitality in traditional dwellings on unspoiled Lombok. Travelers will encounter a depth of automatic trust and inclusivity with which few Westerners are familiar (or even comfortable). Indonesians that you meet on the bus or in the "pasar" will invite you home to eat dinner and stay with their families (a Balinese crew member on a day trip to Nusa Lembongan promised to pray for me and my future success at his private family temple). This is how Indonesians express their sincere willingness to show you and take you inside their culture while they simultaneously satisfy their own compulsive curiosity about your alien Western lifestyle and values. To fully understand Bali and the welcoming embrace of its people, you must also view it within its larger Indonesian context: use this compendium of well-traveled and researched, on-the-spot knowledge to better approach and appreciate Bali, Indonesia's central jewel set in the very heart of the Republic.