Archive for November, 2011
Mysterious Sand
By Thomas on November 30, 2011 | 2 Comments »
Although Kuta’s main beach, Pantai Segar, is often overlooked due to the more beautiful white-sand beaches outside town, a closer look reveals a rather extraordinary natural phenomenon.
Each tiny grain of sand looks like a hand-chiseled work of art. Sure, the perfect little spheres are pretty, but walking across them is like walking across a miniature boulder field. Every step of the way, you sink in up to your ankles. Yes, it’s exhausting, but worth the picture. (And no, the grains of sand aren’t really that big, this is just a serious macro shot.)
The Sasak Tribe
By Tony on November 28, 2011 | No Comments »
Our journey across Nusa Tenggara, the island chain that stretches across central Indonesia from Lombok to Alor, should carry us through a series of different tribal groups that call the region their home. The Sasak people are the first of those tribes, and we had the opportunity to witness a bit of their life in the small village of Sade, located just 10 km north of Kuta, Lombok.
Sade is no isolated tribal enclave cut off from the outside world but rather a living village struggling to survive in the 21st century. Locals supplement agricultural income by selling their weavings and showing visiting tourists around their beautiful hilltop villages.
Having seen dozens of such tourist-oriented tribal villages around the world, I have to say I was quite » Continue reading this post »
Beaches of Southern Lombok
By Thomas on November 25, 2011 | No Comments »
Sane Visitors to Indonesia don’t necessarily associate the name “Kuta” with pristine nature and tranquility… or do they?
Kuta in Lombok has the same name as Bali’s (in)famous tourist hub, but Kuta Bali and Kuta Lombok have very little in common. Although both are known for epic waves and endless beaches, Kuta Lombok lacks the hordes of tourists and horrific overdevelopment which plague its tacky sister city.
Although the town of Kuta, Lombok itself is nothing to write home about, the small fishing village turned tourist center sits along a vast stretch of undeveloped coastline featuring stunning beaches and quaint rural villages. And despite its proximity to Bali, the postcard-perfect white sands here in southern Lombok are almost completely deserted.
Perhaps, that is somewhat due to the » Continue reading this post »
Tulamben Underwater Pictorial
By Tony on November 21, 2011 | 1 Comment »
As Thomas mentioned in his piece on independent diving in Tulamben, one of our major goals during our 14 dives here was to practice our underwater photography skills.
We spent hours exploring every inch of the U.S.S. Liberty as well as the neighboring sites of Coral Garden and the Drop-Off. We sat at 25 meters waiting next to small cleaning stations where eels and fish allowed themselves to be cleaned by half a dozen species of cleaner shrimp.
We experimented with ISO, flash output, shutter and aperture settings, and custom white balance to see what would produce the best pictures. And gradually we got better. Underwater photography isn’t easy especially with the limited equipment we carry with us. Staying still underwater while focusing on something that is half an inch long requires some serious effort. Despite the challenges, we have produced our first complete underwater pictorial. Even Jacques Cousteau had to start out somewhere. 
What Might this Be?
By Thomas on November 19, 2011 | 3 Comments »
Take a good look. Can you figure out what this is? Hint: We are in Bali and, no, it has nothing to do with diving. » Continue reading this post »
