INDONESIA'S HIDDEN GEMS

Indonesia is well known as a tropical paradise, which is often referred to as the "Emerald of the Equator". Of course this name doesn't come up without any reason. As an archipelagic country,  we have thousands of beautiful islands (which some of them are still uninhabited), jungle, rain forests, mountains, and hundreds of active volcanoes. If you're up for an adventure and wanna see the real mother freakin nature, here's a list of Indonesia's hidden gems that I've visited (so far):

1. Kelingking Beach

So this beach is called kelingking (little finger) because the locals think that the shape looks like little finger (when I said little finger, I meant the body part, not a character from Game of Thrones haha). Well, I personally think that it looks more like a dinosaur than a little finger. Anyway, Kelingking Beach is located in Nusa Penida, which is still part of Bali island. One of the easiest and cheapest way to get here from Bali (the main island) is to go from Sanur Beach to Nusa Penida by a fast boat (which approximately cost 100K IDR/ 6EUR/ 7USD one way). Once you get there, you can rent a scooter for 50-70K IDR/day. You don't have to worry on how to find a scooter to rent as once you step your feet to Nusa Penida, there will be loads of people who's gonna offer you scooter.

One of the things that I like from Kelingking Beach is not only because of this absolutely stunning view, but also because of the fact that you can actually hike here! There are two hiking trails you can do, which is the one where I took these two pictures, and the other one which takes you down to the beach. So if you ever come here, make sure you do the hike and chill at the beach/ see the sun goes down from the top as a reward.

2. Angel's Billabong

Have you ever swim in an infinity pool? Wait, I'll change the question. Have you ever swim in a natural infinity pool? If you haven't then you have to definitely go to Angel's Billabong. For those who hate hiking, don't you worry cause you don't have to do any hike to reach this place. Just come, swim, and enjoy this gorgeous mother nature. To avoid crowds, make sure to come early in the morning during weekdays. If you consider going islands hopping in Nusa Islands, then you need to consider to stay 2-3 nights in Nusa Penida. Trust me, there are plenty of awesome things to do in this island. 

3. Bromo Mountain

This beauty right here is surprisingly not really known amongst international tourists. Mount Bromo (Gunung Bromo) is one of the most active volcano located in East Java, Indonesia. Me and my friends went on this trip from Yogyakarta (I think it's the nearest international airport from Bromo), took a train ride to Malang, and then a bus ride to a small village   in Bromo. This picture was taken at Mount Bromo View Point during sunrise. My friends and I had to wake up at two in the morning and hiked to chase the sunrise. Even though I'm not a fan of waking up in such an ungodly hour, the view is totally worth it! I'd do it again if I had the chance. No filter needed - this beauty ain't need a thing to look perfect.  

On our way back, we went through this picturesque savanna. The jeep driver said that the view of this savanna look different in each season. At that time, we visited Bromo during the dry season in 2015. That's why it kinda look like Mars. I've only been to Bromo once so I can't tell what it looks like during the wet season. If you try to google it, the view of the savanna looks totally spectacular during the wet season. It looks all green like the hill in your Windows XP desktop background.

4. Gili Islands

Now move on to the Gili Islands!! These islands are located in West Nusa Tenggara, a bit east from Bali and Lombok. The islands consist of three main islands: Gili Air, Gili Meno, and Gili Trawangan (often referred to as Gili T). If you prefer to have a chill, relax, and family-friendly trip, Gili Air and Gili Meno would be your best options. But if you're into a more active activities on your itinerary list, then Gili Trawangan will suit you best. From all of those three islands, I should say that my favourite is Gili Trawangan. 

This picture is probably not the most common picture of Gili Trawangan you'll find on Google. If you simply go to Google and search Gili Trawangan, all you see is probably a crystal clear blue sea, the iconic Villa Ombak's swing, and people chilling on the beach. What I'm trying to say is that Gili Trawangan is more than just a pretty beach. There are plenty things to do there, from paddle yoga, snorkelling, diving, hiking, to partying. And what I like the most from this island is that there are no cars/ motor vehicles here! So it's pollution free. Anyway, whichever island you're ended up staying,  make sure to visit the other two islands as they are located very close to one another.

5. Dieng Plateau

When I went here, I feel like my lungs just got detoxed. The feel of inhaling the nice crisp air  deep into your lungs and exhaling all of your negativity feels sooooo good. So this plateau is a large volcanic crater formed by the eruption of ancient Mount Prau. It is located in Wonosobo, Central Java, Indonesia. The easiest way to get here is to go from Yogyakarta (the nearest international airport from Dieng), and then take the train/ bus/ car to go here. Dieng Plateau has several things to offer. For example, this one right here as you can see in the picture above is a lake in the plateau called Telaga Warna, which can naturally change colours due to the high sulphur content. When the sun light hits the water's surface, sometimes it looks yellow, sometimes green, and some other times it looks like rainbow. Beside this lake, there are also one of the oldest Hindu temple here in Dieng Plateau, and a crater that you can visit.

These are only a small list of many other gems in Indonesia. Unfortunately I haven't got the chance to visit all of them. However, it won't stop me from sharing more stuffs that I think would be worth visiting, such as Komodo Island, Padar Island, Raja Ampat, Kawah Ijen, etc.

-ONM