Leaving Indonesia: How was it compared to our expectations?
Here we are, it is time to leave Indonesia. We spent a little bit less than one month here, but it already feels like a very long time. The experiences in Yogyakarta and Bali have been quite different, and, overall, it was full of good surprises.
The ways of the two places have been very different. Yogyakarta shows a lot of culture, a lot of history, and a lot of pride. Most of the hindu culture here remains through the old temples, but the city is now Muslim. Hindu Bali has a very different vibe, and as a result, it may not always feel like it is the same country.
Let’s confront our preconceived ideas from before going to Indonesia:
Indonesia is made of many different cultures: Of course, out of all the Islands of Indonesia (about 18000, about 9000 with a name, and about 900 populated), we have just been to two, and these two are very close. The strait between Java and Bali is only 3.2 km long, which could have us think the two islands share a lot in common. Yet, if Bali has been converted to Hinduism after a conquest by the Javanese Majapahit Empire, Java has then converted to Islam, and Bali has maintained its own interpretation of hinduism. It has many impacts as to how people live and dress. You never see pork meat in Yogya, while it is served in Bali. You couldn’t imagine anyone going very lightly dressed in Yogya, but you can see it often in Bali. Even if Islam in Yogyakarta seems quite tolerant and light, it has an impact on how people dress. And if many women do not wear the hijab, most fully cover their bodies. As such, people in Bali seem to constantly make offrands, and have several ceremonies. You can see the offerings every morning in front of the altars. While in Yogya, you can regularly hear the different muezzins calling for the prayers. Of course, a large part of these differences come from their religions, and most of Indonesia is muslim nowadays. We did feel the difference of ambiance and culture strongly, even if the two islands are really close.
A Sultanate in a Federal Republic: As I explained in the intro, Yogyakarta is a sultanate, and a subject of the Republic of Indonesia. I was curious about it since it is the only case in the country. The city center is still largely occupied by the palace of the Sultan, and the Sultan still acts as the governor of the state. According to how history is presented here, the Sultan of Yogyakarta had an important role in the independence of Indonesia and directly approved the idea of forming a larger country. So, the integration of the Sultanate in the Republic happened smoothly.
The country is full of hazards: We did not have to suffer anything while here, yet, we could see in several things that there are several risks, especially when visiting Borobudur. Yogyakarta lies under one of the most active volcanoes in the world, the Merapi. The record on the Wikipedia page is… long. Java and Bali are volcanic islands, and even if Bali seems to be calmer in this aspect, we could see the volcanic stone in the sand and the beaches of the coast in Canggu. And, since they are islands under a tropical or equatorial climate, don’t forget about hurricanes…
Bali is only full of tourists: Well, yes… Yet, I now understand why people can appreciate the island. We split the stay in Bali in two parts, the first days, we stayed in Canggu, a town on the southern part of the island that is known as the place for the nomad. I felt a bit castaway there… It’s mainly a place for surfers, and people who want to show off. You will not find a lot of Indonesian food, but a lot of international restaurants of all types, with very instagramable plates, twice or more the normal price for a meal in Indonesia (cheap still, but…), but our experience in one of them was… tasteless (but beautiful). The town is full of foreigners on their scooters who totally forgot what it is to drive respectfully. Yet, if you look for a place to surf, bars, going out, it does look like an incredible place. The good side, the warungs here usually offer a buffet, and you can fill your plate for a still very reasonable price.
Then, we stayed in Ubud, a bit outside the town, and the experience was much different. I’d say that this is the nomads paradise. The ambiance is very different… you are in the middle of the rice fields, you still see many foreigners, but the style has changed. You see people who take things more simply. Indeed, we met in our hostel several people coming here for long stays, and working or studying from here too. The areas around are full of small roads, with an incredible amount of temples, villages that do look like they have been very little influenced from outside cultures. This was the most enjoyable part.
Overall, I’d say we had two very different experiences here. I loved Yogyakarta, a city in which you never really feel like you are in a city. We stayed in the center, around the kraton, the fortified area, and of course, if you go a bit further, you may find some towers and high buildings. But, most of the city still seems to be organized in kampungs, it is full of small streets in which cars can often not enter, and even while crossing the main avenues you can have a hard time… it was a place easy to go around. People are also very nice, and open minded. Sure, you will suffer some hassle from sellers, but people sometimes don’t even try to sell you anything when they come to talk to you in the streets.
Borobudur and Prambanan are incredibly nice monuments. Unfortunately, we couldn’t get close to the stupas in Borobudur, and we heard they plan to give him a wonder of the world like treatment: very expensive tickets (100 USD like) for people who want to be able to go up the structure, as a strategy to protect it and preserve it. But, the details of the carvings, all around the monument, are impressive. And, Prambanan, in another style, was an incredible discovery. Once again the way buildings have been built and sculpted here is incredibly detailed.
When arriving in Bali, in Canggu, I started to feel like a walking wallet that locals were trying to milk. Yet, when you leave the most touristic areas, you can see incredibly nice landscapes, how most of it is shaped around landscapes, and how people are working these fields. Even close to the most touristic areas, you can find it very quickly.
And, I enjoyed the ambiance in Ubud, much closer to the type of experience we are looking for as now. Nature here is incredible, there is life… everywhere, especially at night. You can see the birds following the peasants working in their rice fields during the days, the geckos and the frogs at night, their sounds.
As for food, Indonesia was also a very good surprise. We both would say we preferred and found a bit more variety in Malaysia, though… We also ate very well here. When looking for really local places, not marketed for tourists or expats at all, you can sometimes eat for less than 1 USD without getting sick.
So, overall, I recommend going to Indonesia if you have the opportunity, and try to go and see more than Bali. I wish we would have been to more islands, yet, I would say that as hybrid travelers, it was not really doable in one month.
