The 5 lies I told myself about traveling to Indonesia
I really enjoyed Indonesia and it’s probably one of the best countries I’ve visited. There’s a special kind of atmosphere in Indonesia that you just can’t get anywhere else and I think that’s why so many people keep traveling there and returning to it, not to mention the growing expat community. Indonesia is a wonderful country with some of the most spectacular sceneries I’ve ever seen. But before I went there, I had quite a different scenario in my mind of what it would be like.. Here are the 5 lies I told myself about traveling to Indonesia.
I’ll want to stay in Bali the entire time
Parts of Bali was probably my least favorite part about Indonesia. I knew that it would be overrun by tourists so it wasn’t a surprise when I got there, but I was shocked to see almost no locals. Bali felt like going to mini Australia and I just thought the culture was a bit lost there. The entire time I thought I’d stay in Bali for the entire month I’d be traveling there, but I quickly packed my bags and set off to Java, my favorite island.
I don’t need to drive a scooter
Yes, you do honey. I do not like to drive scooters and I have no interest in learning. I’ve seen enough people walking around with crutches to know that I don’t want to be one of them. So I told myself that I’d manage somehow in Bali without driving a scooter – surely there has to be a way around it. Nope. You won’t get anywhere without a scooter in Bali. I was lucky to have friends who drove me around, but if I didn’t have them, I’d be stuck in the house. You definitely need to drive a scooter when you’re in Indonesia.
The food won’t be good
I don’t know why I thought this, but boy was I wrong. The food is delicious! There’s not that much diversity like the Thai kitchen for example, but Indonesia still has a lot going on. I love the use of spices and that it tastes fresh. I could easily return back to Bali just for the food.
There’s not much else to do than beaches
I traveled to Indonesia mostly because of the beaches. But I have to admit, I got a bit tired of it after a while. I was a bit afraid to feel bored in Indonesia, but that was just me being stupid. There’s so much to do here that you won’t be able to squeeze everything in even if you wanted to! I did some incredible hikes in Java, to volcanoes and amazing viewpoints. I explored cities that had incredible architecture. I went island hopping and saw some of the most beautiful landscapes I’ve ever seen. There’s so much to explore in Indonesia and you’ll be surprised by the diversity of the country.
One month is enough
You could probably stay for one year and still not have seen it all. Every single island in Indonesia is so different from each other and takes a long time to fully explore, so if you think you can see everything in one month, think again.
Thank you to Microblading Seattle for sponsoring this post.