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More Beaching and Lounging in Lombok: Senggigi and Gili Trawangan
Visited October 12 – 19, 2024 After Kuta, we had two more stops in Lombok before returning to Bali. We first stopped in Senggigi on the western coast of Lombok for two nights before heading to Gili Trawangan for a week. Senggigi is the second most popular tourist destination in Lombok after Kuta. Gili Trawangan…
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The Unanticipated Gem of Indonesia that Stole My Heart – Kuta, Lombok
Visited: October 3 – 11, 2024 As you can probably tell from the dramatic title, I fell in love with Kuta, Lombok (not Kuta in Bali). Visiting Lombok was a last-minute decision, so I went without knowing what to expect. It turned out to be the perfect place to rest, recover, and enjoy after our…
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A Disappointing 4 Days, 3 Nights on a Komodo Island Boat Tour
Visited: Sept 28 to Oct 3, 2024 We spent two nights in the town of Labuan Bajo, on Flores, before boarding our liveaboard boat to make our way to Lombok while passing through the Komodo National Park. We thought Labuan Bajo would be a sleepy little town, but it was much more developed as a…
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Second Week in Java: Sunrise at Mount Bromo and Sick in Yogyakarta
Visited: September 22 – 28, 2024 From Java Turtle Lodge, we made the long journey to our next volcano: Mount Bromo. It was too expensive to take a private car directly to Mount Bromo. So we first made our way back to Ijen Backpackers in Bayuwangi via a private transfer (2.5-hr) and then took a…
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Hawaii to Indonesia: From One Paradise to Another
A Quick Return to the US – Five Days in Oahu, Hawaii We spent an amazing five days in Oahu, Hawaii to celebrate our friends’ Joyce and Ronnie’s wedding. After months of traveling, it was so wonderful to see our friends and family again. My parents also came so it was really nice to see…
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Eating, Eating, and a Little Sightseeing in Kuala Lumpur and George Town
Visited August 28 – Sept 5, 2024 Embracing the Comforts of a Big City From Semporna, we took a shuttle bus to the airport in Tawau which took about 1.5-hr. Then took a 3-hr flight direct to Kuala Lumpur (KL). We arrived in KL around 2pm and then took an hour long Grab to our…
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Snorkeling and Island Hopping in Semporna
Visited: August 26-29, 2024 After nearly two weeks in the hot and humid rainforest, we went to Semporna in the south of Borneo for a couple days of island hopping to picturesque beaches and snorkeling. Semporna as a city is not considered an attractive destination. However, there are multiple islands off the coast that are…
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Sepilok and the Kinabatangan River: Seeing Borneo’s Endangered and Endemic Species
Visited August 21-25, 2024 A Two-Day Journey form Mulu to Sepilok From Mulu, we headed to Sepilok (just outside of Sandakan) to meet our friend Maddie who would be traveling with us in Malaysia for two weeks. There were no direct flights from Mulu to Sandakan so we first flew to Kota Kinabalu for one…
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One Very Hot and Humid Week in Gunung Mulu National Park
Visited: Aug 13-20, 2024 Introduction to Mulu National Park We left the modern comforts of Kuching to head to the remote Gunung Mulu National Park. Mulu is an area with spectacular biodiversity and geological history. The Park is home to many endemic species, including some that are only found within specific pockets of the Park….
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Three Days in Kuching: Our Introduction to Malysian Borneo
Settling into Kuching after Another Long Travel Day After Uzbekistan, Malaysia was our next country. Within Malaysia, we were going to spend almost a month on the island of Borneo. To get there, we took a direct, red-eye flight from Tashkent to Kuala Lumpur (KL). Unfortunately, it was one of the most uncomfortable planes I…