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Activities
There is good diving and snorkelling
off Bali (Nusa Dua, Sanur, Padangbai), between
Komodo and Labuhanbajo in Flores, around the Banda
Islands and off Pulau Biak off the north coast
of Irian Jaya. The sea gardens of Sulawesi, particularly
around Manado, are legendary. Renowned surf spots
include Ulu Watu in Bali, Grajagan in Java and
Nias off Sumatra, but there is surf along the
southern coast of virtually all the islands in
Nusa Tenggara. Windsurfing enthusiasts are well
catered for in the southern resorts of Bali. Rafting
is a new activity now offered on Bali's Ayung
River.
Sumatra has good jungle treks, particularly in
Gunung Leuser National Park. Berastagi and Bukit
Lawang are also popular trekking centres in Sumatra.
More adventurous jungle trekking opportunities
are available in Kalimantan and Irian Jaya. For
those who want to reach for the skies, Mt Bromo
in Java and Agung in Bali are day climbs; Gunung
Rinjani, the volcano that dominates Lombok, is
a strenuous but worthwhile three-day jaunt.
Bali
Bali is so picturesque that
you could be fooled into thinking it was a painted
backdrop: rice paddies trip down hillsides like
giant steps, volcanoes soar through the clouds,
the forests are lush and tropical, and the beaches
are lapped by the warm waters of the Indian Ocean.
But the paradise gloss has
been manufactured and polished by the international
tourist industry rather than by the Balinese themselves
- who don't even have a word for paradise in their
language - and it pays scant regard to the political
and economic reality of life on Bali. A popular
destination for pleasure-seeking Western tourists,
Bali is also part of Muslim Indonesia, making
it a flashpoint for extremism on both sides. Internal
strife and international affairs have imposed
themselves on this postcard island - with tragic
results.
Lombok
Lombok is a place of uncrowded
beaches and tranquil countryside, dominated by
the spectacular volcano of Mt Rinjani. The people
are mostly Muslim (the Sasaks), though there are
isolated groups of Balinese Hindus. The Sasak
culture is noteworthy for weaving, its brilliant
and dramatic dances, and its ritualised pageantry
and contests. Balinese culture still survives
in Lombok - a remnant of the time when Balinese
princes once controlled the island - and Lombok's
tourist businesses are largely run by Balinese.
Java
Java is the political, geographic
and economic centre of the Indonesian archipelago.
It's a relatively small island, (approximately
the same size as England) but has a population
of 112 million, accounting for 55% of the country's
total population. The island is long and narrow
in shape, with a string of volcanic mountains
punctuating its spine. It was on Java that the
Hindu-Buddhist empires reached their zenith, producing
architectural wonders such as Borobudur and Prambanan.
When Islam came to the island in the 15th century,
it absorbed rather than erased local cultures,
leaving Java with a mish-mash of historic influences
and religions. A strong conciousness of ancient
religious and mystical thought carries over into
present-day Java, providing a bulwark against
wholesale modernisation.
Sumatra
Sumatra has a wealth of natural
resources and wildlife, massive rivers like muddy
facsimiles of the Amazon, and some interesting
architecture. It is almost four times the size
of neighbouring Java, but supports less than a
quarter of the population. During Dutch rule,
it provided the world with large quantities of
oil, rubber, pepper and coffee, and these seemingly
inexhaustible resources continue to prop up the
Indonesian economy today. Sumatra is home to a
number of different races and peoples: the former
head-hunters and cannibals of the Batak regions;
the matrilineal Muslim Minangkabau and the primitive
groups of the Mentawai Islands.
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