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Posts tagged ‘Komodo National Park’

Sep 21

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Morning Scenes from the Fire Islands

My favorite fridge magnet doesn’t depict a place, but a polar bear sprawled on the cool blue surface of what must be a zoo enclosure, fast asleep with its snout resting lazily on one paw. Scrawled above the slumbering carnivore is a short message: “I’m NOT a morning person.” That was true once. For I grew up in Hong Kong, a night-loving city that never sleeps, and my family — with the exception of my ever-punctual mom — was often late to bed and late to rise. On weekends or holidays, I relished being able to lie in until 10 or 11 and never felt guilty about letting the morning pass me by. How things change. Read more

Jun 9

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Smooth Sailing: An Indonesian Pinisi Cruise

Somewhere in the waters of eastern Indonesia’s Komodo National Park, I tried to steady my camera while bouncing over the waves on a motorized rubber boat making circles around the Ayana Lako di’a, the early morning sunlight reflecting off its gleaming whitewashed hull. It was May 2019 and a last-minute work assignment had brought me an overnight cruise aboard this nine-cabin ship by the local Ayana hotel brand. The name Lako di’a means “safe journey” in the Manggarai language of nearby Flores — a long, thin, and mountainous island slightly larger than Connecticut (or about the size of Montenegro). Read more

Aug 1

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Sleeping Dragons and a Stirring Town

Five years ago this June, Bama and I embarked on an unforgettable week-long adventure across the island of Flores. It remains one of my favorite corners of Indonesia and not just for its astonishing natural beauty. Here, in a predominantly Muslim nation, the Catholic faith brought by Portuguese missionaries mingled with tribal traditions; the rugged landscape held megalithic villages that seemed nearly as old as time itself, perfectly formed volcanoes, and superb coffee made with local arabica beans grown in the mist-laden highlands. At the end of our journey lay Labuan Bajo, a sleepy fishing village turned tourism boomtown, where a glorious sunset bode well for an overnight cruise around the UNESCO-listed reefs and islands of Komodo National Park. Read more

Aug 17

87 Comments

Indonesia: dangerously beautiful

Indonesia Roundup_1

If we only believe the sensationalism of Fox News, CNN America and other media outlets, Indonesia is the kind of country a lot of people might want to avoid. Historically, it has made world headlines for all the wrong reasons – plane crashes, violent protests, terrorist bombings and large-scale natural disasters. Read more

Sep 1

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Komodo: the land before time

Komodo_1

A flickering tongue tasted the air, and the giant lizard turned in a momentary pause from his lunch. Together with a handful of Australian visitors, we stood on the edge of a mud pit, watching in hushed excitement as a young Komodo dragon feasted on a water buffalo carcass, its horns and bare ribs protruding from the muck. Read more