Top 5 Reasons Indonesia is Amazing

Posted on February 18, 2012 by Aaron in Aaron's Blog | Comments Off

This is part 2 of our good and bad coverage of Indonesia. For a look at the dark side, please check out the Top 5 Resaons Indonesia Sucks. For now, let’s look at why this massive archepelgo is pretty fantastic.

5. The Sights

Indonesia is endowed with some pretty fantastic eye candy. What’s more is that there is such a variety of things to see. Whereas many tropical destinations mainly have great beaches to offer, Indonesia has so much more. There are the lush tropical forests, magestic mountain ranges, and some of the largest hindu and buddhist temples in the world. These trace back to an amazing hisory hundreds of years ago that still lingers to this day. They are the type of places that boggle the mind when you see them as you try to figure out how a culture could have built such things so long ago. Read more

Top 5 Reasons that Indonesia Sucks

Posted on February 16, 2012 by Aaron in Aaron's Blog | 1 Comment

What follows is an unfair and biased assessment of Indonesia based on certain personal experiences. For the other side of this coin, please also read the article on Top 5 Reasons that Indonesia is Amazing.

5. The Bait and Switch

Indonesia could teach classes to up-and-coming con men on how to pull off a proper bait and switch. They basically have their whole tourism industry setup to invite you to see a paradise that no longer exists. It may be that there was once a place of pristine beauty and tropical wonderfulness that is described in the brochures, but the reality is that this place has long gone away, with little effort made to restore it. Take for example, Kuta Beach. This stretch of sand near Kuta, the main tourist area of Bali, would actually be an incredibly pleasant place to spend an afternoon…if it didn’t also double as a garbage heap. This is the vision of Kuta beach – a beautiful, sandy paradise overlooking pristine waters.

However, if you walk along the beach or decide to plunge in the water, what you get is something more like the garbage chamber in Star Wars.

This is only a problem if you do not like to feel like you are swimming inside a crazy old woman’s hoarding closet. Unfortunately, that doesn’t quite work for me as not knowing if I’m stepping on a Dorito’s bag or a used needle tends to put a damper on my enjoyment. Read more

Photo of the Week: Woodcraft in Ubud, Bali

Posted on February 14, 2012 by Aaron in Aaron's Blog | Comments Off

Bali is known for exceptional handicrafts and Ubud is the home of a number of woodcraft studios. We took a tour of one of the studios, which is where we met this woman, who was working at the polishing station. An average piece is polished for almost two days before it is ready to be laquered. It’s amazing to think of how much time and effort goes into each piece, all of which are handmade. This is something to remember every time you ask for a lower price. It may be a few dollars to you, but it’s days of effort for them. Find a price that you’re comfortable with, even if it might not be the rock bottom price, and know that you’re helping to keep this piece of culture alive.