Around the World - Section 27 (Indonesia & Japan)

Around the World - Section 27 (Indonesia & Japan)

We arrived back at two familiar spots from the beginning of our journey almost one year ago. These two island-countries have been great spots for us and they were well worth the return. See section 4 for our previous time in Bali, and sections 5 and 12 for our previous journeys in Japan.

In Indonesia we relied on a combo of motorcycles and cars as taxis to get around (they are very cheap, except for going to and from the airport). While in Japan, we relied on a mix of public transportation and a car rental.

Indonesia

We returned to the “Emerald of the Equator” for some similar experiences as before and some new!

Komodo

We landed in Bali for a short layover before hopping onto the first flight to Labuan Bajo, otherwise known as the Komodo Island! This was on our bucket list for a long time and one trip we were saving for!

After arriving in the small town, we set off to explore the main street which reminded us of Coron, Philippines, with its many street shops and tourist activities offering daily boat trips. We went to a few places and heard that the journey to and from the main islands of the Komodo National Park were 4 hours each way. This disappointed us as we did not want to spend most of our time on the boat. 

So after walking past many tour stands we finally met a man selling the same tour (as they all do), but this time he mentioned a speed boat, which would shave the 4 hours journey down to 1.5 hours. This was the tour for us. We were able to negotiate the rate down to $80 per person plus the $25 Komodo National Park entrance, which is going up in price soon. We woke up the next morning at 5 am and headed to the docks where we set sail on the smooth waters surrounding the islands, a pleasant surprise compared to Galapagos’ waters.

We arrived at our first destination - Padar Island, where we hiked up the mountain for a scenic view. The hike, albeit short at roughly 45 minutes one way, made it worth it because the vantage point at the top of the island was to die for! You can see the lush green landscapes of the mountains descend to the water edge where the sand is a unique color of pink.

The next destination was pretty pink beaches for some water time. Pulling up to the beach, we couldn’t believe our eyes how pink the sand seemed. We later learned that the coloration was caused by microorganisms that create a red pigment for the coral reefs that mixes with the white sand. We spent our time on the beach snorkeling and enjoying those local coral reefs which had an amazing array of fish of every color of the rainbow.

Afterward, we rode over to Komodo Island, the biggest island in the National Park and home to the largest population of the dragons. Approaching the island, we felt like we were entering Jurassic Park. After docking, we took a picture under the giant entrance with the statues of the dragons on it. The dragons are considered the largest and most venomous lizards in the world, even able to take down cows and humans!

Our boat split up into groups one group stayed on the beach to look for dragons hovering around the cooking smells of the local village, while the other group that we joined ventured into the jungle.  On the walk, as we were approaching a wateringhole, our guide was explaining to us that it is not always common to see dragons out in nature. Suddenly, as we turned the corner past a tree there was a medium size dragon laying in the mud. It was waiting for a thirsty water buffalo or deer to come by. It was our first Komodo Dragon!

As we continued further into the jungle, Julia kept a keen eye out for more and we were soon rewarded when a younger dragon crossing our trail roughly 50 feet ahead of us. It was on the prowl. We kept our distance but enjoyed following it, before it cut off into the jungle. Our guide was psyched for us as he exclaimed with a fist pump.

Winding back to the beach, our guide took us to places where the dragons were likely to hang out. And sure enough, as we approached the beach, we saw a larger male dragon lounging in the sand. We had a few photo ops with the dragon from a distance before leaving him be. On our way back to the boat, we passed another dragon hanging near a villagers’ house and then my favorite sight of two dragons standing front to back guarding a territory. We let them be and bid farewell to the island of dragons and our guide after an amazing experience of seeing 6 dragons. Our day was just halfway over as we sat down for lunch on the boat. Afterward, our trip continued to a piece of powder-like white sand beach in the middle of the ocean. The sight look like it belonged on the cover of a magazine. We enjoyed swimming and taking pictures.

From there, we rode to a spot in the ocean known for some underwater animal sightings. We put on our snorkeling gear and jumped off into the deep blue sea. At first, we did not see much and then a mysterious diamond-shaped marine creature almost 15 feet by 15 feet wide gilded under us as we witnessed the behamouth known as the Manta Ray. The animal was majestic and almost seemed effortlessly soaring through the ocean. 

As we followed the ray, he led us towards his family where we were surrounded by not just a few but 10-15 manta rays swimming around in different patterns in each direction. It was unbelievable and the creatures slowly opened their mouths sucking in plankton and other small creatures. Soon they all took off to another part of the ocean and it was time for us to return to the boat and head into port.

Komodo National Park was more than we could imagine and the speed boat made it that much more impactful, as we had more time to spend on land with the dragons or in the water snorkeling with our sea friends.

Bali

After such an amazing experience and long day, it was time to relax. We spent a few short days at the Hilton Resort in Bali. I would highly recommend it since it is relatively cheap compared to most paradise locations. 

We spent our days enjoying the pools, beaches, and pina coladas!

Japan

We headed back to the land of the rising sun, to visit a few regions we had not been before.

Yokohama

A short limousine bus ride from Haneda Airport took us to the suburb of Yokohama where we spent the night at the Intercontinental Yokohama Grand. It was a lovely place to get grounded in Japan and to get used to the winter climate after coming from tropical Indonesia.

We ventured out though the winter air to explore Yokohama Cosmo World, which served as a mix of roller coasters, carnival, and Japanese arcade games. It is a fun place to just walk around and explore and we even opted for a ride on a pink roller coaster that we had all to ourselves!

Sapporo

While we enjoyed Yokohama, we came to Japan to explore its winter wonderland with our cousin Monica, who met us for a journey to the northernmost island of Japan, Sapporo!

We arrived at a snow-covered mountainous island. With the cold weather we knew exactly what we needed - onsen! We stayed at a local resort called KitaHiroshima Classe Hotel, where we may have been the only non-Japanese tourists. But that didn't stop us from enjoying the hot springs. Onsen is a Japanese tradition of hot baths, spa, and saunas with no clothing. It is quite the experience though as you can set you mind at ease on the spa celanse.

While in Sapporo, we also wanted to explore the city of Sapporo. We spent the day traversing the city by foot seeing many free highlights including:

• the Pokemon Center,
• Shopping Streets,
• Ramen Alley,
• the Clock Tower,
• the Sapporo TV tower,
• the government Building,
• And the Sapporo Beer factory and museum.

The highlight of our day exploring was the Sapporo Beer museum, where we learned about the history of beer making in Japan. Sapporo beer has been around since 1876 and after tasting a few beer flavors we confirm that it stood the test of time!

Nagano

We had to see Monica’s hometown and her new Japanese style apartment. We had a blast hanging out, grocery shopping, cooking, watching movies, and playing Switch.

Also, we had a chance to visit the famous Japanese snow monkeys. The mountain of Nagano serves as the perfect home for the red-faced primates. It offers plenty of food to eat in the summer and plenty of hot springs to warm up in the winter. The park ($7 pp) offers a chance to get a close look at the monkeys when they walk right past you and to watch them use the hot baths to stay warm.

We want to say thanks to Monica, Japan, and Indonesia. As we closed out 365 days around the world! Arigato!

Around the World - Section 26 (Australia)

Around the World - Section 26 (Australia)

We have returned to our honeymoon spot of Australia only this time we made sure to visit it during summer! Unfortunately though, they were dealing with one of the worst bushfires in recent memory as the temperatures hovered above 40 degrees Celsius (or over 100 F).

The currency exchange rate was similar to New Zealand, sitting at roughy 1.5 Australian dollars to 1 USD - a good return rate for us. On the mainland we made great use of public transportation to get around. All three cities (Perth, Adelaide, and Melbourne) had free public transportation options in the central business districts. Getting from the airport varied, but we were able to find a bus option for each city ranging from $3.50 to $20.

In Tasmania we opted for a cheap car rental using Autoslash.com.

Perth

We wanted to go as far west in Australia as we could to look off into the Indian Ocean. So we arrived in Perth otherwise known as the mining capital of Australia. The city quickly became one of our favorite ‘livable’ cities. We enjoyed many free things the city had to offer, including:

• the Central Area Transit (CAT) buses; 
• the botanical gardens which offered us a first spotting of wild rainbow-colored parrots and the famous Kookaburra; 
• a free walking tour which gave us a great history lesson of the region and specifically the gold rush all the way through the present;
• the Western Australia Museum and the State Library which shared with us the history of the land from pre-colonization to the present with a better understanding of the aboriginal people;
• and the Art Gallery of Western Australia.

The city had a great vibe to it with lots of different parks, eateries, and cultural sections. We even enjoyed taking the ferry out to Fremantle and wandering the old port city, where we learned of the early prisoners sent over. 

One of our favorite highlights in Perth was trying to understand the game of Cricket! Although similar to American baseball, the game has its own flavor. Of course, we had to see it live. So, we headed to a live cricket match between the Perth Scorchers as they took on the Sydney Thunder at the beautiful Optus Stadium. The game was a blast as we watched the home team comeback for the victory! 

Adelaide

Next on our itinerary was Adelaide. There we had a chance to celebrate “Aussie” Day. A parade, live music, and fireworks served to commemorate all the ethnicities and nationalities that make up the Australian people. 

Some of our other highlights included a great botanical garden, art museum, history museum, and library. Although similar to Perth, the history and culture of the region had its own unique feel and differences.

From the main train station, we left for a nice day trip out to Port Adelaide which serves as a Dolphin Sanctuary. We explored the quaint town and walked the waterfront but sadly did not see any dolphins that day.

Another enjoyable activity was evening cocktail rituals with our new friend Alex - a local who loved to chat as he shared his passion for wine with us! 

Melbourne

We arrived in the city airport with a temperature of 107 degrees late in the evening. We had to get into the city from the terminal. So, we took a Skybus directly into the city which was perfect for us coming in late. We later learned that if you are more flexible with time (1 hour) there is a public bus and train that can get you into the city at a slower pace. 

We arrived at our hotel stop tired and ready for bed as the sun was setting only to witness an amazing experience. As we crossed a river, we looked into the sky and saw thousands of creatures flying over our heads. We quickly realized that they were flying foxes, or bats. We made sure to enjoy this major bat exodus every night.

Similar to Perth and Adelaide, the city had a great free botanical garden and art museum that we explored and enjoyed, but we found a few other things in the city more exciting while we were there. 

The Australian Open was happening while we were there! We got so into it that we watched the live tennis matches on a daily basis. We were rooting for the Austrian Dominic Thiem for the men and the local favorite Australian Ash Barty for the women. Sadly they both lost in the finals and semifinals respectively, but it was a blast to watch. As the town was filled with tennis fans on every tram, park, bar, and even outdoor viewing sections.

As a surprise to Julia one evening, I purchased tickets to a great Broadway Musical ‘The War Horse’ at the Regent Theatre. It was an excellent rendition and should be on all theatre lovers lists!

I need to talk about our favorite hidden gem in Melbourne that we explored more than once - a small restaurant right in the heart of the city, near all of the museums, stadiums, and high-end hotels. It’s called Om Vegetarian and for two aspiring vegans on a budget this place was perfect. It was all you can eat Indian for $7.50 Australian ($5 US). The food was great!

Tasmania

We left the mainland for the small island of Tasmania which was also suffering from bushfires and extensive draughts. We made sure to bring with us cooler weather and occasional rain. 

We learned that if you plan on visiting more than three national parks, opting for the $60 car pass would get you there for the next 8 weeks. 

Cradle Mountain & Launceston

Our road trip started west from Launceston to the Cradle Mountain National Park. We saw the infamous Tasmanian devils at the Cradle Sanctuary where they help orphaned or ill animals. It was our first encounter with these rather cute marsupials. 

We actually came to Cradle Mountain to do some hiking. However, it was raining and snowing the whole time we were in the area. So, we just enjoyed the park from the windows of the shuttle bus with a few short walks near the mountain lakes.

In our evenings we stayed at an enjoyable B&B where we met some local farmers who had moved from England. They were great hosts and shared some of their fresh berries and vegetables with us.

We then started our trek towards the east coast with a stop back in Launceston. Launceston is the second largest “city” on the island but has a small town charm to it. We enjoyed exploring the streets by foot. But our favorite part of the city was a wonderful Cataract Gorge park on the edge of town which offered amazing walks along and around the waters of the gorge.

Bay of Fires & Freycinet

Next, we drove over to the Tasman Sea. Interestingly, we were on the opposite side of the sea in New Zealand just two weeks prior. 

The eastern coastline enthralled us with the Binalong Bay in the Bay of Fires. This region is home to some very unique rock formations with an orange-ish coloration caused by lichen. You would think this is where the name ‘Bay of Fires’ came from but we soon learned it was from the sight of the aboriginals fire pits along the coast as the British boats arrived.

We then headed south to the town of Bicheno, which had a lot of fun things to do. We hiked some of the trails in Douglas-Apsley National Park.

 But even more we enjoyed the waterfront. Our first stop was on the powder-like beaches in the town. Off in the distance we spotted the Diamond Island which at the time was connected to the beach due to the low tide. As we approached the island, we realized it was a penguin colony because we saw hundreds of nests dug into the ground covered in feathers. 

 Further into the town, we stopped at the Bicheno Blowhole. Essentially, it is a crease in the rocks which causes the waves crashing ashore to shoot up in one spot like a whale’s blowhole. It’s an enjoyable sight to watch as you try and time the water shooting up.

Continuing down the coast, we got to Freycinet National Park. It serves as an amazing sight  with the mountain cliffs growing bigger and bigger. At the park there are plenty of beaches to explore, such as the Honeymoon Beach and the Wineglass Bay. 

While Julia was enjoying watching the family of wallabies, I trekked one of my favorite hikes in Tasmania. Mount Armos was only a 3-hour hike, but the steep incline provided quite the challenge as you shimmy up and down giant rocks using both feet and hands. It was a great workout and once at the top, you reaped the payoff of the spectacular view across the peninsula. 

That alone would have been enough to make the hike enjoyable, but I had the chance to share it with Shane from Ireland. We quickly hit it off discussing topics of basketball, travels, work, and life. We enjoyed a great hike up and down, and even had the chance to do photoshoots for each other at the top. Thanks Shane for sharing the adventure!

Hobart & Mount Fields

As we continued south, we came upon the largest city in Tasmania - Hobart. Similar to Launceston, Hobart offers a great variety of entertainment including two great art museums, and botanical gardens. A special treat is to see Mount Wellington looming over the city in the background.

While in Hobart, we enjoyed the Bonorong Sanctuary where we learned a lot about quolls, parrots, wombats, kangaroos, echidnas, and other animals that were either orphaned or injured. We even had a chance to pet and feed a few of Australia's lovable creatures!

Just 40 minute west of Hobart is another great national park, Mount Fields. There we explored enchanting waterfalls, mountain lakes, and hikes.

Our favorites were the Arve Giant Eucalyptus Trees (the tallest flowering trees in the world and just shy of the redwoods of California reach at around 100 meters).

Port Arthur

Our final stop in Tasmania was the Tasman Peninsula and our furthest stop south in Australia.

We highly enjoyed the region as it had a lot of nature and history in a very compact area. Just in the neck of the peninsula were four amazing natural wonders:

• the Tessellated Pavement, which was our favorite as it looked like computer chips carved in the shore. These rectangular and straight line formations were not human made, but caused by unique cracking of siltstone along perfect joint lines.
• the Devil’s Kitchen and Tasman Arch, which both offered amazing perspectives as water eroded caverns into the tall cliffs along the coast.
• the Remarkable Cave, which was formed by the water eating away at the cliffs. The cave felt like the perfect spot for the pirates’ buried treasure.
• a blowhole. 

While on the peninsula, we also wanted to learn about the convicts who called the area home in the early 1800’s. Similar to other parts of Australia, many prisoners from Britain were shipped to Port Arthur where a prison camp was opened. The sight remains well preserved and offers a step into the past as you can wonder the Port Arthur Historic Site ($40).

On the northwest corner of the island is the old mining camp, where recidivists were sent to work in the coal mines. The site was free and let us peek into the old prison cells and the mine entrance.

Australia was a lot of fun with a lot to explore. We will have to return again one day to see even more, as long as it's not part of the penal system!