Next Big Adventure: Indonesia, Here's Why You Should Go Too

In early December I wrote about my upcoming travels in 2020. As it always seems to happen, I managed to squeeze in another trip. No matter how many times I say I'm going to slow down "next year," my passion for discovering new places, cultures and wildlife gets in the way. A friend and I always talk about our fantasy of having a teleporter, we refer to it as a wish for a "Beam me up, Scotty" kind of thing. Unfortunately, that's unlikely in our lifetimes or or probably at any point in the future, but hey, we can dream. Until then, it's long-haul flights, and I'll be on a very long one in early March as I travel to Indonesia.

I'd been binge watching a lot of documentaries on wildlife and natural wonders around the world, and several featured various islands of Indonesia. I knew I'd have to visit sometime in the near future - I was especially intrigued about Borneo as I'd always wanted to see orangutans in the wild. Pygmy elephants and proboscis monkeys are there too! 

I searched through flights to get an idea of how much it would cost to get there, and was surprised to find that airfare was quite a bit less than flying to Europe. Of course, it's a very long journey - 21 hours, and that was the least amount of time. Many flights, with various connections, were 33 hours or more.  So, perhaps saved for another year when my schedule was more open. Or so I thought. The next morning I received a message out of the blue - "Do you happen to be going to Indonesia anytime soon?" it read. Bizarre coincidence? Long story short, I was invited by Nihi Sumba Resort, named the best hotel in the world (twice) by Travel + Leisure, to stay for four nights and experience what it has to offer. 

I believe everything happens for a reason and, there's no way I'd turn that down. I'll land in Bali and spend some time there before and after Nihi. While Borneo will have to be saved for another year, perhaps I'll go as part of my trip to visit New Zealand again in 2021, I'm pretty excited about this trip. 21+ hours? Hopefully I'll sleep through at least a good portion of that, I have a feeling it will be worth it. 

Leaving in early March, and I can't wait. I'll be sure to tell you all about it and post the article I'll be writing after it's published. In the meantime, if you're considering an exotic trip this year, you might want to think about Indonesia too. Why?

• The flights are very reasonably priced from L.A. and San Francisco - less than $500 round trip.
• If you like to dive or snorkel, 20% of the world’s coral reefs and some of the best diving and snorkeling on the planet can be enjoyed here.
• The beaches are stunning.
• The wildlife is incredible, from the colorful hornbills to the orangutans, all sorts of monkeys like the unique proboscius, and pygmy elephants.
• There are soaring mountains to hike and enjoy some of the world's best sunrises and sunsets from the top
• If you need some stress relief or just to soothe sore muscles, you can get all sorts of spa treatments, including massage, at very reasonable prices​

I've also been hearing a lot about how friendly and welcoming the people are, and so far  my interactions with them from afar have proven that to be true. Of course, I'm sure I'll be creating an entire new, longer list after I return. 

This world has so much to offer, it may be impossible to ever slow down!