Dolphin heads on the beach

When do indigenous hunting rights become a danger to the environment? Do we want whale hunting to become a tourist attraction? Should we eat in a restaurant that primarily serves dolphin meat? So many questions.

As we, along with our friends Elma and Marnix, approached the remote island of Lembata, Thomas and I were highly undecided about whether we wanted to visit Lamalera, the controversial whale hunting village on the south coast of the island.

Visitors to our site know we are very interested in the indigenous peoples of the world. But we are also dedicated wildlife lovers as well as avid divers. Lembata is really the first place where these interests have collided in such a dramatic way.

As we sat in Lemabata’s tiny capital Lewoleba, I was still torn between whether to visit the village or move on and make an ethical statement by skipping it. At moments, bypassing the village seemed silly. At other moments, it felt necessary. I simply couldn’t decide.

Whale meat dries in Lamalera

When we suddenly discovered that, due to the ferry schedule, visiting Lamalera would mean being trapped on Lemabata for eight days, I seemed to have a complete decision-making meltdown. I reflected on video footage of Lamalera hunters beating a dolphin to death (see below) and on an article I had read showing the tribe slicing up a whale shark. Sources suggest Lamalera hunters kill around 25 whales per year as well as hundreds of dolphins, whale sharks, mantas and other pelagics. Some even suggest aggressive hunting by the whale hunters might be having an impact on the population of whale sharks off of Australia’s stunning Ningaloo Reef.

From firsthand experience, we both understood that small-scale indigenous hunting can have a significant impact on the environment. Although Lembata is remote, interest in the whale hunters has caused the Indonesian government to start promoting the Lamalera hunters as a sort of cultural “tourist attraction”. I had read numerous articles on the subject, and in the end, I strongly felt visiting the village was both important and stupid. Hmmm.

Butchering dolphins on the beach

So there we stood with Elma and Marnix waiting to board the truck to make the rugged journey across the island to isolated Lamalera and I suddenly asked myself, do I want to spend a week in a place where everyone is chopping up the animals I love most. For me, the answer was no. Thomas agreed. Suddenly, we stepped back and waved goodbye to our friends, whom we had been traveling with for the last three weeks. Such a strangely abrupt goodbye. In one spontaneous decision, all plans had changed.

Later that day, we met Catherine, a French traveler who had just returned from Lamalera and was boarding our overnight ferry to Alor. (Catherine provided the pictures for this post.) She told a story of slaughtered whales, drying meat, partying villagers, decapitated dolphins, the overwhelming stench of whale flesh, and surviving on a diet of rice and dolphin. It sounded fascinating and horrible at the same time. Somehow, I both envied her and felt a serious sense of relief at not having visited. Perhaps, that dual reaction best encapsulates the complex story of Lamalera. Even after having visited, Catherine seemed to speak in that same dual reaction of fascination and disgust. Perhaps, there is no clear answer to the debate over traditional hunting in Lamalera.

A piece of dolphin meat on the beach

While traditional hunting practices might me debatable, I would suggest that Lamalera whale hunting should not become a tourist attraction and visitors should not encourage hunting by paying for outings. I would also hope that guidebooks would be rewritten to actively discourage whale-hunting tourism. Even while researching a visit to Lamalera, I discovered several blog posts from travelers who had payed to join whale hunting trips and then afterwards urged others not to do the same. I also discovered some thought-provoking videos which I am including below:

Intro to the Whale Hunters

Footage of Dolphin Hunt

So in the end, this is one place we did not visit and one experience we chose not to have. We would love to hear your thoughts on the complex topic of indigenous hunting practices and tourism in the comment section below as well as any personal descriptions of a visit to Lamalera.

Third-world visas are the bane of our existence. Here in Indonesia, many regional immigration offices have a reputation for bureaucracy, corruption, incompetence, and downright meanness. The office here in Maumere is among the worst. For weeks, I’ve been dreading the thought of trying to extend our visa here, but to continue on to the end of Nusa Tenggara, an extension was essential.

Their requirements for an extension felt like the ultimate banana republic scavenger hunt. Using a template given to us by the immigration office, we had to type up two letters in Indonesian adapting them to our own personal situation. (Thank god for Google translation.) We had to find a local to “sponsor” us, get that local to sign our extension request letters as well as convince them to allow us to make multiple copies of their personal ID card to hand out to every bureaucrat under the Indonesian sun. Finally, we scrambled to find and purchase an Indonesian “authentication stamp” to stick next to our signatures, which in some way is meant to “prove” that our request letters were “official.” Geez. (I’d like to formally thank Jonny who runs that roadside Internet cafe / xerox copy / printout / web design / buy-what-you-need hut for his assistance in getting us that “authentication stamp.”)

After jumping through a hundred hoops, we submitted our grab bag of useless crap to the immigration office. The comatose bureaucratress, annoyed that we were disrupting her daily soap operas, smirk-screeched that our visa might be available in as little as four to five days, advising us to check back each day just to be sure. As we were staying over an hour by car from the office, we pleaded to see if the useless staff of 20 – who appeared to be doing absolutely nothing but watching TV, drinking coffee, dozing and removing lint from their navels – might be able to finish the process within the day.

Worried that our insistence was going to cost her TV-time, she reluctantly said she would try, adding, “It might be hard because many people will have to sign it.” She told us to walk around town and come back at the end of the day.

Yeah, right.

We politely stated that we did not know Maumere and had nowhere to go, so we would sit quietly and wait for the process to be completed. The queen of visa extensions was not amused. We then proceeded to stare at her with the most insidiously stupid expressions on our faces as she “did her work.” We stared at her through the soap operas, the karaoke contests, the talk shows, and still more soap operas. For SIX SOLID HOURS we stared with sappy smiles like dogs begging for food – the food, of course, being our visas. In the sixth hour, exhausted by our goofy, zombie-like expressions, she finally stood up with our passports, got the signatures, and gave us our extensions. Man, I hope that five minutes of work didn’t wear you out, lady.

Now here’s the clincher: none of this was even necessary. All the hoops that we had to jump through haven’t been required by the Indonesian government in over a year! The office in Maumere is just so in love with the crap, they refuse to give it up. Welcome to Indonesia.

Even for backpackers and budget travelers, tours can, on occasion, prove to be the best option. In some situations, they might actually be the only option. From our journey into Western Tibet to our cruise through the backwaters of Kerala to our recent overnight visit to Komodo, we have often opted for organized trips. The key is to understand what you are getting as well as what you are giving up when you join such an excursion.

Faced with a deadline imposed by our soon to expire Indonesian visa, the time-consuming process of working our way independently across Flores while taking in the spectacular island’s natural and cultural attractions had us a bit worried. The more we researched the route, the more we realized we might benefit from something a little more “organized”.

Again our goal was not to step blindly into a tour, but rather sit down with someone and work out a route that met our goals. We researched various options until we had the extraordinary luck to happen upon Frans, a knowledgeable and professional Flores guide who we booked through Komodo Mega Tours Indonesia (contact info below).

Working together with Frans, we agreed upon a six-day tour from Labuanbajo to Ankermi Happy Dive Resort (located 30 km past Maumere) via Ruteng, Bajawa, Riung, and Kelimutu. Splitting costs with friends Marnix and Elma, whom we met in Kanawa, the transport and guide costs will come to about $85 US per person. That’s not too shabby for six days on the road in an air-conditioned SUV with an experienced English-speaking guide/driver. Actually, when you take into considerations the cost of public transportation as well as the need to hire local cars or ojeks to drive you out to rural attractions, that $85 might just be cheaper than doing it on your own, not to mention the sheer luxury of a private, air-conditioned car with the option to stop anywhere along the way.

Itinerary highlights include:

* Cunca Rami (waterfall)
* Golo Cara spiderweb rice terraces
* Ruteng town
* Liang Bua cave – The Flores Hobbit Cave
* Mano village rice terraces
* Ranamese crater Lake
* Arak making villages near Aimere
* Bajawa town
* Luba and Bena villages (Ngada tribe)
* Hot water springs near Soa
* Riung town (2 nights)
* Cruise to visit 17 Islands Marine Park including the flying foxes at Pulau Ontoloe, snorkeling and seafood BBQ at Pulau Tiga as well as snorkeling at other locations
* Blue stone beach
* Wologai village (Lio tribe)
* Moni town
* Kelimutu at sunrise
* Lunch on Paga beach
* Visit old church in Sika

NOTE: Tour costs are for transportation and guide only. Hotel costs, entry fees, and Riung cruise costs are separate. Frans will help us bargain out the costs along the way, which is nice because the people in Flores don’t seem to like to bargain.

Contact Info
Contact Frans directly through his website Komodo Park and Flores Indonesia

Known locally as ora, the “Komodo dragons” not only occur on Komodo, but also neighboring Rinca (pronounced reen-cha) and mainland Flores as well as the smaller islands of Gili Motang and Gili Dasami. They are believed to be a relict population of large reptiles that once roamed Indonesia and Australia. The survival of the giant lizard is credited to extreme isolation as well as the unique belief system of the native people of Komodo, who directly linked the survival of the dragons to the survival of the tribe.

Komodo island was, until recently, visited by public ferries, which made visiting the island relatively simple. These days, public ferries no longer stop at Komodo which means visitors must join an organized tour or charter their own boat. (How conveniently expensive!)

One reason it took us so long to visit was our frustration with unappealing cookie-cutter tours which seemed to place greater emphasis on snorkeling and island hopping than actually viewing the dragons. After much research and deliberation, we arranged for our own boat and set up an overnight tour to visit both Rinca and Komodo de-emphasizing snorkeling side trips and allowing us to spend more time viewing dragons. We also requested a 6:00 AM arrival at Komodo to allow us an early morning start for the extended four-hour hike from Loh Liang to Loh Sebita.

As with most two-day trips, because we opted to visit Rinca on our first day, we didn’t get to the island until around 10 AM. Midday heat is not great for dragon spotting, but Mother Nature gifted us with some lucky cooling cloud cover. Within a few minutes, we had spotted a very colorful juvenile daring a quick journey across the ground between trees. (Young dragons like to stick to the trees as they are a favorite snack of the bigger dragons.)

Finding dragons in the wild is tricky business and dragon sightings cannot really be guaranteed. One reason Rinca has become a popular alternative to Komodo is because of its famous (or perhaps notorious) camp kitchen. Although rangers claim not to feed the dragons, large numbers of the animals hang around the kitchen. (Rangers claim it’s due to the smell – yeah, right.)

However questionable camp kitchen practices might be, it is somewhat of a guilty pleasure to see a large number of the impressive beasts lying around mere feet from – well – your feet. The “kitchen Komodos” are used to visitors and don’t usually attempt to take a bite out of travelers, although during our picture session it became quite clear these are not pets. Keep your eyes peeled for quick movements because Komodo dragons don’t need to eat you whole. Even a little bite can be deadly as their saliva is loaded with toxic bacteria. In fact, Komodo dragons hunt larger animals such as deer, wild horses or water buffalo by biting them and then following them until the bacterial infection brings them down. Luckily, park rangers have big sticks to keep the monstrous lizards at bay.

Hiking options on Rinca are relatively limited. We opted for the longer circuit which leads through the forested river beds towards the oft-filmed watering hole up into the palm-studded grassy hills and back down along the mangroves returning to the ranger station. Simply walking through the forested domain of the Komodo dragon is a bit of an adrenalin kick. Every cracking branch or movement in the grass serves to stimulate some primitive lobe in your brain once used to defend yourself from monsters. It’s hard to clear your mind of bone-crushing bites and toxic bacteria as you walk along the narrow paths through forest and knee-high grasses. However, the sight of one of the scaly beasts surging through the brush or eying you from within the forest is worth the limited risk.

Many people have seen the BBC’s coverage on Komodo in the recent Life series. Much of the footage was shot at the watering hole in Rinca, a bizarre place where deer, monkeys, and buffalo mix with dragons on the prowl. As we approached, we discovered the baffling sight of a water buffalo taking a cooling dip in the water right next to a floating Komodo dragon. The buffalo was staring at the dragon as if to say, “What’s that floating in the water?”

We spent more than 45 minutes watching the bizarre scene wondering if the dragon would bite the curious buffalo, but nothing happened. Our guide explained that dragons rarely attack while in the water because the water cools the dragon’s body temperature slowing them down. He also said the dragons usually attack buffalo from behind as they fear the buffalos’ dangerous horns.

Beyond the watering hole, we moved up into the hills. Rinca is a starkly beautiful place which, in the dry season, will best be appreciated by desert lovers and those who see beauty in reds, yellows, and browns. The wild grasslands dotted with palms were straight out of a cheesy 60s dinosaur flick. (The only thing missing was Raquel Welch running by in a fur bikini.) It’s prehistoric and perfect – but rugged Komodo is even better.

Most travel agents and tour guides would have visitors believe that Rinca is THE place to track dragons. But even as we approached Komodo, I began to brush those claims aside. I immediately fell in love with the island. Schools of dolphins accompanied our boat. Wickedly jagged mountains backed a series of pristine white sand beaches. In the distance, we spotted a large herd of Timor deer wading in the sea. It was darkly magical.

We stopped, as do most tours, at Pink Beach to do a little snorkeling. We took in the unusual pink hues of the surreal beach and explored the gardens of soft coral just offshore. In a stroke of luck, the lazy park rangers were off snoozing their day away, so they didn’t come out to collect the extortionate 70,000 rupiah “snorkeling fee.” Or perhaps, they were just sick of tourists complaining about the ludicrous sum. (Komodo has a virtual menu of fees: entry, guide, camera, diving, snorkeling, taxes etc. Soon they’ll be charging you for air.)

We spent the night on the boat near mangroves full of flying foxes. We dined and later slept to a harsh symphony of shrieks and cries. Up early for breakfast, we landed at the ranger station by 6:00 AM and were the first group out for the day.

Komodo’s lush valleys are full of wildlife. Almost immediately, we spotted herds of Timor deer and several wild boar. Twenty minutes in, we  found two very large dragons. (No buildup here.) It became immediately apparent why they are called Komodo dragons. For some reason, dragons grow much larger on Komodo than they do on Rinca or the other islands. The two massive beasts were impressively intimidating. One stomped out of the forest directly at us, its huge clawed feet crushing branches and lacerated the earth along the way. Thomas and I snapped away (picture below) like crazy until we realized these animals can sprint up to 18km an hour – so we jumped behind a tree. The scaly beast’s lengthy tongue shot in and out taking in its surroundings. The second dragon grunted its way over to the first where the two 21st century dinosaurs posed in the sun. Simply awesome.

Equally awesome is the birdlife on Komodo. Several birds of prey – perhaps eagles – soared above. A few meters off the path, we found the huge mound-like nest of the megapode, a strange chicken-like ground bird which spends months building its fortress of a nest. (I guess a ground bird needs a fortress-nest on Komodo.)

Tony and our guide stand atop an abandoned megapode nest

As we climbed towards the mountains, Thomas called my attention to parrot-like sounds in the trees. “Oh my god, are those cockatoos,” he asked hopefully.

“Yes,” our guide answered nonchalantly as if it had never occurred to him that cockatoos might be of interest.

In fact, it was flocks of cockatoos. Perfect, white cockatoos with pale yellow combs… everywhere. (And I thought I was coming here just for dragons.) With megapodes and cockatoos, nature was telling us that we had most definitely reached the other side of the Wallace Line. But that fact had already been confirmed underwater.

Moving up into the steep mountains of Komodo, the lush forests gave way to drier grasslands dotted with palms such as those in Rinca. The views out over the turquoise waters and the surrounding islands were mind-blowing. Along the path we found the grave of Randolph von Reding, a 79-year-old man who went missing and was presumed eaten in 1974 (a reminder that Komodo dragons do indeed eat people). We sat near the grave site with its phenomenal views out over the sea and contemplated von Reding’s demise. It’s a terrible way to go, but you can’t beat the location.

As we moved across the mountains back into the orchid-filled forests towards Loh Sebita, our rather comatose guide suddenly announced that there were exactly 1282 dragons on Komodo. When I asked how he had such an exact number, he proudly answered, “The San Diego Zoo counted them.”

Well, as a native of San Diego, California and a devoted fan of the San Diego Zoo, I’m glad to hear that those ever increasing ticket prices are actually doing some good abroad.

Both Komodo and Rinca are absolutely stunning destinations and a visit to both islands is highly recommended. There is much more to Komodo National Park than just the dragons: stunning coral, phenomenal birdlife, herds of deer wading in the sea, and panoramic views at every turn. That’s probably why Komodo was just selected one of the New 7 World Wonders – and it actually deserves that title.

Melanie, Rolf and Tony enjoy lunch

Back on the boat at the end of our hike on our way to snorkel with the mantas at Makkasar Reef, I asked our boat captain why he thought everyone suggested Rinca as the preferred dragon viewing location – especially since dragons grow larger on Komodo. Hilariously, he admitted that the strong currents on the way to Loh Liang eat up gasoline and that boat captains prefer to go to Rinca to save on gas costs. Well, there you go.

More Info on Visiting Komodo (And Warning)

Tours out of nearby Labuanbajo, Flores are really the most economical option for visiting Komodo National Park. Many backpackers also visit on inexpensive budget boat trips from Lombok to Labuanbajo. Most tours stick to shorter hikes at both Rinca and Komodo. If you want to do longer hikes, you must chose your tour carefully. Tours may promise longer hikes and then break their promises once at Komodo claiming that unexpected time restraints make the longer hikes impossible.

You can also do as we did and charter your own boat with the specific condition that longer hikes be part of the trip. If you want to do the hike from Loh Liang to Loh Sebita, make it clear that the pickup at Loh Sebita is included in the price. You can easily combine a pickup from Loh Sebita with snorkeling with the mantas at Makkassar Reef, which is very close to Loh Sebita. Don’t let captains convince you that a pickup at Loh Sebita and snorkeling with the mantas should dramatically increase the cost of the trip – it shouldn’t.

We went to the national park office in Labuanbajo to ask about other options for visiting Komodo National Park including alternative hikes and staying on the islands. The park office is completely useless and seemed baffled that we should expect any information from them at all. Most of the staff appear to be sitting around reading newspapers or taking a nap.

Once on Rinca and Komodo, we were told that there is accommodation for visitors (prices seemed to change by the minute), but hiking options in the park are VERY limited.

On Rinca, you can do a one-hour circuit, a two-hour circuit, or a four-hour hike to see wild horses (you are not likely to see more dragons on the four-hour hike). Our guide on Rinca was nice and offered information on the dragons, although he did not seem to have good tracking skills. In fact, he walked within a few feet of two dragons without even noticing them.

On Komodo, you can arrange several shorter hikes around the area near the ranger station, a five-hour hike up a mountain, or the four-hour hike to Loh Sebita. If you have a specific plan, you might be able to hire a guide to do that, but don’t come here expecting suggestions and good advice from the staff. Our guide was very unprofessional on Komodo. He seemed most focused on getting from A to B as fast as possible. Other travelers report similar experiences. Insist on going slowly and taking your time with wildlife. Ask the guide if he knows the location of any dragons and insist on visiting them. Our ridiculous guide actually began the hike by asking us if we had enough water for the trip. Two hours into the hike, he asked to drink our water because he “had not had enough time to get some” before we left. Honestly, don’t they have any requirements to be a guide?

WARNING

Unbelievably, fortnightly P & O Cruises are now stopping directly at Komodo National Park. If you show up on the wrong day, you’ll have to share the dragons with 1200 of your closest friends. Seriously, 1200 passengers being dumped on a national park at the same time?! Doesn’t anyone have a brain anymore?

It’s not exactly a secret among experienced divers, but Komodo has some of the best diving in the world. While land-lubbers are more focused on the famous dragons, underwater fans realize that Komodo National Park protects some of the best preserved coral and underwater life on the planet.

Why? As with Nusa Lembongan, deep channels with cold currents from the south seem to be protecting much of the coral from the hot water streams that have ravaged calmer Asian waters to the north. So far bleaching seems to be relatively minimal. Moreover, nature has gifted Komodo with wild ripping currents which make dynamite fishing difficult. (They can blow up the reef, but the strong currents drag all the fish away.)

Beyond natural protection, national park status has preserved Komodo’s underwater treasures. Although poorly enforced, bans on fishing within the park seem to have slowed the overfishing that has occurred across much of Indonesia. The waters around Komodo still teem with life.

We each did a total of 18 dives here, the most we’ve ever done in one location. (In reality, I easily could have done 100 dives here, but diving ain’t cheap, people.) Komodo is blessed with a diverse selection of sites which range from seamounts such as Crystal Rock and Castle Rock to excellent coral-covered slopes such as Tatawa Besar and Siapa Kecil. Wall fans, such as myself, will also be happy with sites such as Tengah (Pengah), Batu Bulong, and spectacular Tatawa Kecil. And the wildlife…

Currents bring in huge schools of fish as well as large numbers of sharks and rays. Wildlife is everywhere and blacktips, whitetips, grey reef sharks, Napoleon wrasse, mantas, marble rays, eagle rays, and bumphead parrotfish are regular visitors. Incredibly, we saw mantas at four different sites, including Makassar reef where large numbers of mantas are commonly found. On multiple dives we witnessed giant trevallies hunting in vast clouds of fusiliers. As if that weren’t enough, we found pygmy seahorses at at least three different locations. But diving these sites can be somewhat challenging.

Komodo is famous for (or rather notorious for) its legendary waters. Quickly shifting tides, eddies, swells, down currents, up currents, and whirl pools can leave divers scrambling for their lives. Many of Komodo’s sites are not really appropriate for newbie divers, although that in no way stops them from coming. Good dive guides are absolutely essential for a quality dive experience, not to mention for your safety.

Because of the extreme conditions, Thomas and I chose to go with very experienced local guides. Both of our guides, Darmin and Vincent, had done over a thousand dives in local waters and were intimately familiar with each site we dove. Dive briefings with elaborate site maps were extremely detailed and included alternatives for dangerous current shifts. Both guides read currents from the surface quite well and moved through sites with ease indicating exactly where to swim to avoid swirling eddies and invisible obstacles. With their help, the currents became an attraction rather than a danger.

In fact, several dives feature the currents. We did an amazing dive through Golden Passage that felt a bit like we were diving white-water rapids. This was Komodo diving at it’s best with washing machine currents and storms of fish in all directions. But even experienced divers get caught off guard. Our dive guide Darmin zigged when he should have zagged and ended up doing a couple of somersaults over some rocks and coral. Ouch! My adrenaline was off the charts all the way through. But challenge reaps reward, the crazy currents whipped up a visual feast of underwater life which simply does not occur in calm waters. We held on to a couple of rocks flapping around in the hurricane currents watching the live version of a Jacques Cousteau’s greatest moments. It was worth the trip to Indonesia for this one dive alone.

Another magical moment occurred at magnificent Tatawa Kecil. Strong but manageable currents kept us close to the northern wall as we moved from the pygmy seahorses up through the cave through some crevices towards the shallow shelf near the surface. As we swam up over the edge of the wall, the mind-blowing panorama of table coral growth came into view. Great visibility with perfect lighting highlighted the incomparable site of layer upon layer of pastel table coral clinging to every bit of rock. Pure, 100 percent aquatic fantasy. (I could actually hear Thomas gasp underwater.) It instantly made it into my top ten list of most spectacular sights on the planet. The above photo DOES NOT do it justice.

But if spectacular coral and pelagic overload don’t do it for you, there’s more than enough to keep macro fans entertained. Wainilu in northern Rinca offered up some posing harlequin shrimp, bright yellow box fish, twig-like pipefish, and a plethora of hard to identify shrimp and crab species. (Night dives must be amazing here.) Tengah (Pengah) also featured a ton of crocodilefish, orangutan crabs, anemone shrimp galore, and several varieties of scorpionfish. Night dives along the wall at Tatawa Besar revealed some stunning giant crab species, decorator crabs, a variety of spider crabs, painted rock lobsters and our first slipper lobster (yay!!!). And don’t miss Siaba Kecil if you are looking for mandarin fish. Half the species we spotted here were not in any of our wildlife guides – now that’s good diving.

In a way, Komodo just might make it hard to dive other locations in the future. It’s so intense, so rewarding that it just might have set the bar too high. What could we possibly do to top it? I guess we’ll just have to shell out some dough for the holy grail of diving, Raja Ampat. But could Raja possibly be any better than this?

Tips for diving Komodo

Thomas and I really shopped Komodo. We went to virtually every dive shop in town to discuss offerings and dive prices.

To be honest, as was the case in Puerto Galera in the Philippines, we were quite underwhelmed by what we found. Several big name operations had people manning the shops who could barely speak English let alone answer specific questions about dive sites or Komodo highlights. One very well known operation told us that Makassar reef featured 16 different kinds of mantas – yikes!!! We hightailed it out of there quickly. (I won’t mention the operator because we are hoping it was just a fluke.)

Considering a splurge, we priced several high-end liveaboards. Since we had arrived late in the season, most liveaboards seemed to be limiting their dives to classic Komodo sites in northern waters, which we could easily reach on day trips. We pushed for options that included southern Komodo and southern Rinca, but offerings were limited and pricey with warnings of rough seas and bad visibility. After doing the math and considering the limited offerings, it seemed that day trips out of Labuanbajo would offer us more bang for our buck. (We’re not looking for fancy cabins, we want to dive, dive, dive!!!)

We ended up going with Komodo Aqua Divers. Business savvy Rennie and knowledgeable dive guide Darmin won us over with what seemed to be the most competent reception in town. Although we did have a couple of boat breakdowns, which caused limited delays, Darmin and second guide Vincent were both professional and clearly very knowledgeable. We loved every dive and grew to appreciate their talent greatly.

During our stay in Komodo, we began to understand that while local operations can initially seem somewhat unprofessional, the dive guides themselves are highly skilled individuals, often with years of training. This presents an interesting choice for visitors to Komodo: go foreign or go local. Seemingly professional foreign-run liveaboards based out of Bali or Lombok (or occasionally relocating from Thailand) get the glitz and the glam right, but what is the dive experience really like? Some foreign dive masters we met had worked several seasons in Komodo, but they lacked the intimate knowledge of Komodo sites and currents that can make or break your experience. We also noticed several high end operations diving in relatively large groups. We can’t help but wonder if they were using a lead local guide to navigate the site with foreign dive masters to handle the large number of people. In iffy situations which require quick decision making, that is not a great setup.

We’ve heard numerous scary accounts of divers being led into down currents or eddies, especially around sites like the Cauldron or Batu Bulong. Although it is difficult to determine how many of these stories are true, we began to wonder how many of these stories were due to guides with insufficient knowledge of the currents rather than currents themselves. We dove several sites with strong quickly shifting currents and Darmin and Vincent navigated the challenges with ease.

We are not stating that local operators are always superior to foreign-run operators. We are simply suggesting that divers need to consider many variables when choosing a dive shop or liveaboard. Komodo is not diving 101 – a good dive guide here is much more important than a fancy cabin or a nice boat – so chose wisely.

When we heard from other travelers that Tulamben was a great place to dive independently without a costly guide, we were thrilled to say the least. For a while now, we have wanted to “waste” some dives to practice our underwater skills, especially our underwater photography skills. But the high cost of diving has so far prohibited such a luxury – at least until Tulamben came along with its relatively cheap and easy shore dives.

Many divers, especially novice divers, express concerns about diving without a guide. They wonder who’s going to show them around, point out animals or solve their problems. The reality is, dive masters are not underwater gods who know and see everything. A much better approach to diving is to actively pay attention to your surroundings, seek out animals on your own, and know what to do in an emergency rather than relying on your guide. And diving without a guide is probably the best way to practice these skills and build your confidence.

Of course, you can’t just foolheartedly don your dive gear and jump in. Certain preparations are absolutely necessary. Back in Kuala Lumpur, we bought a dive computer which is a great tool for scuba divers, but an absolute must for independent divers. Before we dived alone, we also questioned local dive masters about the dive sites in Tulamben and the prevailing conditions. Predictable currents? Good visibility? Easy to find? Even after a thumbs-up on all questions, we decided to do a couple of orientation dives around the U.S.S. Liberty with a local dive guide.

Familiar with the layout of the wreck, we were ready for our first solo TnT underwater exploration. Sure, the first dive without a guide felt a little like driving without a seat belt, but we quickly realized how great it was to determine our own dive. Rather than following a guide at a constant pace, we were able to stop whenever and wherever we wanted.

One morning out, we dived for 95 minutes in shallow water photographing colorful nudibranchs and soft corals. On another occasion, we spent the better part of our dive hanging out with a giant school of bumphead parrotfish and playing with a swirling school of jacks swimming in and out of the tornado-like cloud of fish. We also had time to fully explore the U.S.S. Liberty and its hidden swim-throughs.

In addition to our first two guided orientation dives, we did 12 independent dives in Tulamben: 6 at Liberty Wreck, 4 at Coral Garden, and 2 at the Drop-off. Not only did it cost a fraction of the usual cost of guided dives, it was also a valuable learning experience. We had hours underwater to experiment with camera settings and composition as well as spend much more time observing specific animals than we ever would have on a guided dive.

Beyond the flexibility, diving without a guide and working with our own dive computer gave us a much more personal connection to developing a dive plan and really brought home just how much that extra meter affects dive length. I think we learned more in 12 independent dives than we did in the last 50 guided dives.

We’ll definitely consider more independent diving in the future if conditions are right. Our next big dive location, however, is Komodo National Park. There, strong, unpredictable currents make independent diving inadvisable. In that situation, I’ll be more than happy to follow a guide who knows what he’s doing…

Tips for Diving Tulamben Independently

We rented our equipment from Puri Madha Dive Resort whose dive shop is right on the beach. They charged us IDR 150,000 ($17) for the equipment and IDR 30,000 ($3.50) per tank. This ended up being less than $10 per dive for 3 dives a day. Not too shabby considering a guided dive is $22 and up.

Also, make sure you check out the conditions before you dive independently, and always dive with a buddy preferably someone you have dived with before.

New two-month Indonesian visas in hand, we’re back in Bali and this time we’ve come up to the northeastern corner of the island to do more diving.

In contrast to the traffic-ridden mini-Los Angeles that has formed in the southern part of the island, little Tulamben is a breath of fresh air. (Literally.) And the trip over the beautifully terraced mountains to this little hideaway was icing on the cake. It feels like we are a million miles away.

Our comfy little hotel room has a beautiful ocean view from the front balcony and an incredible view of Mt. Agung, a rather intimidating volcano, out back. With air-conditioning, hot water, a canopy bed, and a beautiful little pool, at $23 a night, Mimpi Bali is quite a steal. And with the U.S.S. Liberty wreck just five minutes walk from our front door, what more could any dedicated divers ask for?

It turns out that there still are some bargains to be found in paradise.

For those with money, Singapore feels like an unending list of awesome things to do. Stroll along the Marina Bay Sands’ unbelievable SkyPark balanced across the tops of three adjacent skyscrapers. Take in the exhibition of Salvador Dali’s works at the ArtScience Museum. Or better yet, Van Gogh’s. Try the G-MAX Reverse Bungee or the GX-5 Xtreme swing at Clark Quay. Spot nocturnal animals in the Night Safari Park. Or, if you have an extra hour on your hands, learn to pilot a commercial airliner at the very unique Flight Experience. For those with bucks to burn, Singapore is the ultimate playground. But what about us budgeteers?

Well, Singapore is definitely worth a couple of splurges for long-term travelers. But those on a budget will find the city offers many free or inexpensive activities which are just as great as those with a hefty entry fee. Here’s a list to get you started:

1. Discover the city’s amazing modern architecture. From the new Marina Bay Sands complex on the waterfront to Ion Mall on Orchard Road to Henderson Waves Bridge in the Southern Ridges Park, Singapore is the ultimate stop for architecture buffs. FREE

2. Sample the local cuisine in the city’s hopping food courts and inexpensive outdoor markets. Before you gasp in horror, Singapore’s food courts can be surprisingly good and we discovered some excellent takes on several hard-to-find traditional foods. INEXPENSIVE

3. Temple hop and explore the backstreets in colorful Little India and manic Chinatown. FREE (For an extra dollar you can throw in a mango lassi.)

4. Visit Singapore’s sprawling Botanic Gardens, Tripadvisor’s top-ranked attraction in Singapore. FREE

5. Experience Singapore’s spectacular waterfront attractions by taking an evening stroll from the Marina Bay Sands complex over the Helix Bridge along the Esplanade via the Merlion statue and Boat Quay to Clarke Quay. FREE

6. Take in a free concert at Singapore’s outdoor concert complex at the Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay. FREE

7. Window shop and people watch along Orchard Road and explore the street’s bustling mega-malls. FREE

8. Sample the local fare at Geylang’s inexpensive local restaurants, said to have some of the best street food in Singapore. INEXPENSIVE

9. See what Singapore looked like long before the development in the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve. Where else can you take a city bus to the jungle? FREE

10. Explore the town’s colonial district and drop by the Raffle’s Hotel Arcade to take in a little of the hotel’s colonial vibe. FREE

One of Singapore’s main attractions, which has little to do with shopping, is its world-famous zoo. A far cry from many of the depressing animal parks around the world, the Singapore Zoo, renowned for its design, is a welcome change of scenery. It certainly didn’t take much to lure us wildlife freaks away from the cement jungle for a day at the celebrated park.

What immediately sets the zoo apart is a distinct lack of cages. Free-ranging animals and creative enclosure design immediately make it clear that this is no ordinary zoo. Just as we walked into the zoo-scape, a handful of cotton-top tamarins with white, fluffy Mohawks caught our attention. We moved closer to a lone tree as the little animals scampered down a limb to within inches of our faces – no walls, no bars, no screens.

Suddenly, we heard the high-pitched cries of several siamangs nearby. An elevated wooden walkway led us into the trees from where we could see the spectacle. The surreal hum of the small apes inflating their throat sacks was followed by a banshee-like wail. Like trapeze artists gone wild, the animals chased each other through the tall trees in a daredevil scene of aerial acrobatics. The large enclosure allowed for natural behaviors rarely witnessed in captivity.

After only ten minutes in the park, the uniqueness of the zoo was quite apparent. Although the Singapore Zoo doesn’t have the biggest animal collection, it does have some of the biggest animal enclosures. Lush tropical scenes and well portrayed desert reconstructions reveal how much thought has been put into the park. The white tiger exhibit was a work of art and the free ranging kangaroo exhibit was very impressive.

A few of the primates, such as orangutans and red leaf monkeys, even range across much of the zoo. Trees are connected by ropes and planks and the animals often swing right above visitors’ heads as they move through the park. What keeps animals in the trees, by the way, are thin, electric wires attached to the tree trunks – a kind of cow fence for primates.

While the natural side of the zoo is world class, the animal shows are like rubbing your knuckles across a cheese grater. We could have endured the corny dialog if they had featured more wildlife, but they appeared to be a showcase for bad actors with a few animals thrown in as an afterthought. The only thing we enjoyed about the single show we sat through was that it provided shelter from the downpour outside.

A much better way to spend your time is to hang out in your favorite enclosure, especially during feeding. Mine was a large aviary which boasted some unexpected animal life. From an elevated platform at the center, we watched the entertaining feeding frenzy. A moody black-and-white ruffed lemur chased a group of ringtails, flying foxes battled each other over pieces of mango, and different birds swooped down to claim their share. The only peaceful inhabitants seemed to be the butterflies and a herd of mouse deer grazing below.

We could easily have watched for another hour, but after a long and rewarding day, the zoo closed down at 6 PM, and we headed back to the human zoo called downtown Singapore. For anyone with the slightest interest in animals, the Singapore Zoo should definitely be at the top of their itinerary.

Tips for the Singapore Zoo

For 58 Singapore dollars, there’s a combination pass for 3 parks: the Singapore Zoo, the Night Safari and the Bird Park. The pass is valid for a month and can save you 12 Singapore dollars. A variety of two-park combination tickets are also available. The opening of the new River Safari is scheduled for 2012, so keep an eye out for new combination tickets in the coming year.

Also, if you want to visit the Night Safari, open from 7:30 PM to 12 AM, be aware that public transportation stops early in Singapore. Considering the 40-minute bus ride from the zoo to the nearest metro stop, and the fact that the last metro train runs at 11:30 PM, visitors will have to leave the Night Safari at around 10:30 PM. Of course, there’s always the taxi, but that adds a lot of cost to your safari.

The Kinabatangan River is tragic and miraculous at the same time. One of Sabah’s premier attractions, the river flows through a stretch of surviving secondary and tertiary forest sandwiched between the industrial-scale palm plantations of the Kinabatangan region. Perhaps the strongest testament to wildlife’s ability to survive and adapt under desperate conditions, I can personally say that, in all my travels, I have never seen such a boxed-in forest region with so much wildlife and such diversity – it is simply incomprehensible.

Our first outing on the river was especially well timed just moments after the end of a tropical storm which had cooled the air significantly. Within the first ten minutes, we had spotted four of the eight hornbill species found in Sabah, including the phenomenal rhinoceros hornbill. We saw more hornbills in that one outing than we’ve seen in our entire four years traveling in Asia. The river was lined with troop after troop of proboscis monkeys and crab-eating macaques.

As if that weren’t enough, 30 minutes into the trip we spotted our first wild orangutan peeking out of its nest high up in the forked trunk of an enormous tree. (I had no idea how high up they nest. Luckily, we always carry binoculars, but getting a picture of one might be a challenge.)

It hardly seems possible that anything could surpass that, but shortly after the orangutan, we found a large herd of Borneo’s world-famous elephants foraging along the river. Often referred to as pygmy elephants (a title much hyped in tourist literature), scientists are still debating whether the elephants represent a distinct subspecies, or not. Either way, they were our prime reason for visiting the Kinabatangan region and we found them in our very first outing. They are the only wild Asian elephants we have seen outside of India.

Our first outing set ridiculously high expectations, but each of our additional boat trips rewarded with exceptional wildlife sightings. We did two morning trips, three afternoon trips, and one trip down a tributary after dark. Drifting along the narrow side-river through the dark jungle illuminated by swarms of fireflies with a symphony of frogs and electric insect noises will certainly fulfill anyone’s fantasy of Borneo.

Not my best pic, but at least I got a shot of the rare Storm’s stork

Bird life along the Kinabatangan is exceptional. The clear highlight was spotting THREE critically endangered Storm’s storks. Once widespread throughout Southeast Asia, it’s estimated that only 250-500 of these storks remain in the wild; it is considered one of the most endangered stork species in the world. Birders will go gaga over Kinabatangan.
In a stroke of luck, we encountered the elephant herd on four of our six outings, and we spotted another mother orangutan with her baby. (Still no picture, my focus was purely on seeing them before they disappeared into the dense jungle growth.) We found pig-tail macaques, water monitors, silver leaf monkeys… but unfortunately, no red leaf monkeys.

Because I really wanted to see the red leaf monkey, a species of langur with bright rust-orange hair even more intense in color than an orangutan, Thomas and I spent an additional two days hiking in the very muddy forest along the river. Tons of monkeys and bird life but no red leaf monkeys. Never fear, Mother Nature loves to make you work for your rewards and always ends up throwing you a surprise when you least expect it.

On our last day, while packing up to leave, I heard something jump in the trees behind our bungalow. Giving it one last try, I plodded through the mud to the elephant moat surrounding our lodge and sure enough there was a small troop of red leaf monkeys just a hundred feet from where we were staying. Oh, the beautiful rust-colored irony.

Visiting the Kinabatangan River

Visitors must be clear that the Kinabatangan River is not a pristine wilderness. Much of the area has been partially logged and, at points, oil plantations push up to the river’s edge. Despite the destruction, the area remains very beautiful and offers a great deal even for serious wildlife enthusiasts.

Most visitors base themselves in small hotels or lodges near Sukau where they can also arrange boat trips along the river. Unfortunately, most lodges promote rather limited 2-3 day packages which tend to rush visitors in and out. We stayed for four nights and did some independent walking in the jungle.

It is not necessary to arrange a package trip to Sukau as many would have you believe. Independent travelers can travel by bus or minivan to Sukau junction and take a minivan (20 RM per person in June 2011) to Sukau town.

It is also possible to stay at lodges in Bilit or at more remote locations along the river. There is no major advantage to staying in Sukau town as there were no independent restaurants and the small markets had VERY limited supplies. They didn’t even have bottled water most of the time we were there. Food is generally arranged through the lodges.

We stayed at Sukau Greenview B&B and found them to be quite a professional operation. Rooms were simple but clean, food was very good, the staff professional, and boat trips were excellent. We purchased their 3-day package (300 RM per person) and then supplemented with additional meals, nights and boat trips.

Sipadan is consistently listed as one of the top ten dive sites in the world. And, as we discussed in our post Is Sipadan All Hype?, with its amazingly rich sea life and unique topography, the island definitely lives up to its reputation. But with so much focus, the tiny little island was in serious danger of being too beautiful for its own good. By the early 2000s, overbuilding and pollution threatened to destroy what Jacques Cousteau had labelled “an untouched piece of art.”

In an extraordinary example of environmentally sound decision making (with perhaps an added dose of financial self-interest), the Malaysian government decided to close Sipadan island for overnight visitors and impose a rigid permit system allowing only 120 people to dive the island each day. While the permit system, which will hopefully protect Sipadan far into the future, is a major environmental blessing, it does make diving here a little more difficult.

Arranging Permits

The most important thing to understand is that you cannot dive Sipadan unless you manage to get a permit. Not all dive shops in the surrounding area have the ability to arrange permits, so you must choose a dive center carefully. Each dive shop only receives around 7 – 14 permits a day, so even if you book with an approved dive shop, you may not get a permit. Each shop has its own unique way of determining who gets a permit. Some use a first-come-first-serve method, others use a lottery.

Virtually every dive shop has the requirement that you dive additional islands in order to get your Sipadan permit. This is actually a good requirement as there is excellent diving in the surrounding islands which tend to be overlooked due to Sipadan’s fame.

Choosing a Dive Shop

Choosing a dive shop is where the Sipadan process can become quite overwhelming. Because Sipadan is SO famous, many dive operators seem to have developed the attitude that divers will come whether they provide good service, or not. Websites which review dive operators are filled with complaints about virtually every dive company in Semporna and Mabul, making the process very difficult. A structured approach to finding a good dive operator will help.

Make sure that your dive company can issue permits. Determine how they decide who will receive a permit and who will not. (Obviously a first-come-first-serve method is vastly preferable.) Read through as many online reviews (Thorn Tree, ScubaBoard and Tripadvisor) as possible to determine whether the company is issuing their permits as promised. It’s amazing how many companies seem to promise permits and accept payment in advance only to claim a “mistake” has prevented them from getting your permit once you arrive. These companies are a flaky bunch.

Some of the more commonly used operators for independent travelers are Sipadan Scuba, Scuba Junkie, Seaventures and Borneo Divers.

Choosing Accommodation

Choosing accommodation is closely linked to choosing a dive shop as many high-end resorts offer dive packages and many budget dive operators offer discounts on accommodation at associated hotels.

DO NOT ASSUME that booking a high-end resort will guarantee you a dive at Sipadan – they are subject to the same limitations as budget operators. In fact, this may be the one situation in Malaysia where budget travelers have a slight advantage. Many of the luxury resorts are quite large with many guests hoping to dive Sipadan, yet they receive the same small number of permits per day.

For people considering basing their dive trip out of Mabul, be aware of the fact that the island is not the tropical paradise portrayed in guidebooks and brochures. The island is now quite densely overbuilt and the beaches are covered in trash making it rather unattractive to swim near the shore.

Luxury resorts on Mabul, such as the Mabul Water Bungalows resort, are built out over the water providing a much more attractive experience. In fact, the waters just off the Mabul Water Bungalows resort provide for an excellent muck diving experience. (We saw a huge green frogfish there.)

Back in Semporna, some of the more popular budget options include Sipadan Inn, Scuba Junkie, and Dragon Inn.

Our Choice and Our Experience

After exhaustive research, we ended up going with Sipadan Scuba. The entire decision was based on the fact that Sipadan Scuba offered a four-day, 12-dive package with two guaranteed days diving at Sipadan, which cost us 1640 RM ($546) per person. Sipadan Scuba is also one of the few companies that allows for easy online booking with the ability to test different date combinations.

This choice is slightly ironic because our friends Olof and Elin dove with Sipadan Scuba last year and they rated Sipadan Scuba the worst company they dove with during their tour of peninsular Malaysia, Borneo and the Philippines. Yikes! In addition, there are very mixed reviews online about Sipadan Scuba’s customer service and food. In the end, the company’s convenience and their practical four-day package won out.

Personally, we found Sipadan Scuba’s service somewhat factory-like but understandable given the complexities of dealing with the permit system while juggling many different divers’ schedules. In fact, we prefer a factory in such conditions. They also seemed to take our interest in muck diving into consideration while scheduling elective dives, which we greatly appreciated. Moreover, equipment was adequate and they responded quite professionally to air leaks or any equipment issues. But it’s true, the food really isn’t great. It does, however, serve its purpose of refueling you between dives.

Our only serious complaint with Sipadan Scuba was that during our second dive day both Thomas and I were struck with extreme headaches, which we both immediately associated with bad air. A third diver, who was rather inexperienced, surfaced after only ten minutes complaining that he had “nitrogen narcosis.” It’s much more likely he was experience similar air issues.

The fact that I had severe headaches on my first and third dives but experienced no problems during my second dive while Thomas experienced a headache only on his second dive further supported our suspicion that certain tanks had bad air. We checked out where they fill the tanks and discovered an idling truck parked next to the compressor. The air in Semporna was also full of burning plastic fumes (a problem here) the night before that particular dive day, so that might have been an issue as well. On all three of the other dive days, we had no other problems with the air, so I hope it was just a fluke. Again, we cannot be sure that our air was contaminated, but we wanted to be honest with our experience.

Security Issues

In 2000, Sipadan was attacked by members of Abu Sayef, a Filipino Islamist terrorist group. The attack made headlines around the world. During the attack, 21 people were abducted from Sipadan and held hostage on a remote island in the Sulu archipelago. All of the victims were eventually released.

In response to the attack, the government of Malaysia has set up a series of military posts around Sipadan and other dive islands to protect the area. Such attacks should not be a problem in the future.

Keep Realistic Expectations

With all the build-up to diving Sipadan, some divers may find themselves expecting too much from any one island. Many divers we met expressed that they had expected more. When I asked what they had wanted to see, many (mostly less experienced divers) expressed a wish to see mantas, whale sharks, hammerheads, etc. on their Sipadan dives.

While these animals occur in the area and are seen around Sipadan, it is unrealistic to expect everything in one or two dive days. That said, I think more experienced divers DO appreciate how much can be seen predictably around the island.

Turtles and whitetips are almost guaranteed. In fact, on our six dives at Sipadan, we estimate that we saw around 30-40 turtles and well over 60 sharks including grey reef sharks and one thresher shark. Beyond that, large swirling schools of jacks and massive schools of chevron barracuda were spotted on four of our six dives. That’s pretty damn impressive.

When you book your Sipadan dives, it is important to remember that due to the rigid permit system, there is virtually no flexibility with dive dates. You dive on your day – period. While we were there, visibility was only OK by Sipadan standards and cloudy skies dulled the colorful corals. It’s the luck of the draw. Having said that, we saw enormous amounts of undersea life, so I was more than satisfied.

By the way, you can look up a list of animals included in our Sipadan video above  in the  explanation included on its YouTube page. Click “show more” in the explanation to view the list of animals. What’s very cool is that you can click on the link next to each animal in the list and it jumps to that exact point in the video (actually, always one second before the actual clip).

In our new Travel 101 series, Tony and I want to introduce some basic rules of traveling in the developing world. Over the years, we’ve been asked many times by novice travelers how we deal with third-world baloney. Clearly, we’ve had plenty of practice and it would be a waste not to share our many tips and tricks with our fellow travelers. Our first installment describes the seemingly simple task of getting a hotel room and it also answers the question why a room without bathroom, or even window, is sometimes preferable.

With the advent of the Internet and cell phones, popular hotels are often booked out. If you have your heart set on a particular place, you’d better call ahead and let them know you are coming. Because room reservations in budget hotels don’t normally require advance payment (and thus there’s no obligation to take the room), we often call and ask them to keep a room for us – especially if we arrive late. Other times, when we can’t get hold of a phone number or can’t communicate well enough over the phone, we just show up at the place.

But whether we make a reservation or not, we never walk into the hotel with our backpacks on. If price is a concern and you are up for bargaining, you never want to look tired and desperate. So, normally, one of us watches the luggage in a coffee house (or by the side of the road) while the other checks out the budget hotel.

When we talk about budget hotels, we really mean budget. Many of our friends think we must have quite a stash of money if we can afford to stay in hotels all the time. For Americans on a 6-day vacation, it is not unusual to spend $200 a night in a hotel (or more). They can hardly believe we almost never pay more than $20 for a room. In fact, we usually put out quite a bit less. On average, we spent $11 in China, $7 in India, $10 in Cambodia and $14 in Vietnam. And we didn’t even stay in the cheapest places. For $10 you can often get a decent room with fan, bathroom and TV. For $20 or $30 you can pretty much get a room on par with Western standards boasting air-conditioning, cable TV, bathtub, and free WiFi.

When we find an available room, we make sure we look at it before checking in. Why? Because we want to know what we are paying for. In fact, we don’t just look, we probe. Does the fan, air-conditioning or heating work? Is the TV only a prop? Are there signs of bedbugs? Does it smell weird? Is there hot water or water at all? Are there springs poking through the mattress? Is it clean? Does the room have a window? Are there snakes in the room? Do the door and window locks work? If we are not happy with the room, we look at a second, third or fourth room in the same place. If we are still not happy, we check out the next hotel.

But what makes us happy is not always what you might expect. Sometimes, a room without a window makes us happy. Why? Because it is guaranteed to be quieter than a room with a panoramic view onto a busy road. Yes, sleep always wins over natural light. Other times, badly ventilated bathrooms can make a room humid and smelly. If that’s the case, a shared bathroom is definitely the better option.

Once we find a room we like, we normally try to bargain down the price (even if it’s a $10 room). We can almost always squeeze out a discount especially if we stay more than one night. This, of course, becomes a little more challenging if we reserve a room beforehand and agree on a price over the phone. But it’s always worth a shot. Also, if we have the option, we never pay in advance but rather day by day. This way, we don’t have to fight to get our money back should there be any problems.

Well, what other problems could possibly arise after scrutinizing the room? Let’s just say the first night is crucial. Although the hotel may appear quiet and serene during the day, the neighborhood, or the hotel itself, could become way too lively at night. A karaoke bar next door? A nightly fiesta outside your window? A dance club above your room? All-night temple chanting? Bedbugs at work? Believe me, we’ve had it all. If that’s the case, you just have to move on and start the whole process of getting a hotel room all over again. It wouldn’t be unusual to change hotels three times in the same town within a 2-day period. Sometimes, you just have to work a little harder for a nice place!

If you visit Kuala Lumpur, you have to make the architectural pilgrimage to the city’s world-famous Petronas Towers. At 451.9 m (1,483 ft), Malaysia’s beautiful twin towers reigned supreme from 1998-2004. But after Taipei 101 and now Dubai’s Burj Khalifa, which dwarfs every building on the planet, these beauty queens have long lost their title.

Don’t feel too bad for them, they still remain the tallest twin towers and the dramatic Sky Bridge is the highest such structure in the world, so those who love superlatives should be satisfied. They’re so impressive that we thought they merited one of our 360 panoramic views.

Unlike other skyscrapers around the globe, the focus here is walking across the Sky Bridge rather than zooming up to the upper viewing deck. If you want to walk across the bridge, which is not truly fixed to the buildings but rather designed to allow movement (yikes), you need to get to the towers at latest 8 AM in the morning to line up for tickets. (7 AM would be a safer bet.) Be warned that your actual assigned time to visit the bridge might be much later in the day, so don’t plan on moving on too quickly.

Tickets to walk across the Sky Bridge, which are listed as free in many guidebooks, now cost 10 ringgit. In addition, you are tortured with a video on the importance of Petronas and the petrochemical industry, a major snooze-fest. Visitors who want to go to the viewing deck on the 82 floor (still not the top) pay 40 ringgit. A more expensive premium trip is also available including lunch.

It’s no secret that we love nature. And if you haven’t figured it out by now, we aren’t huge fans of crowds of tourists lying on our beaches. (We’ve said it before, we’re beach snobs.)

But our pictorials and videos from Goa to Palawan often show stunning, empty beaches completely devoid of much of the overdevelopment we complain about ad nauseum. Where are we getting these pictures?

On occasion, we are able to rent sea kayaks to get off the beaten track. But more commonly, we must resort to what we have come to call “water-hiking.” We often pack our beach sarongs and our smaller camera into a lightweight, good-quality Sea to Summit waterproof bag and put that into one of the low-cost, heavier Asian knock-off waterproof bags available everywhere and start exploring the coasts.

Walking through dense jungle without a good trail system is painful; thorns, vines, leeches, and pterodactyl-sized bugs don’t make it easy. This creates nice barriers between more populated beaches and small isolated beaches situated along undeveloped coastal areas. So if jungle trails start to disappear and rocky coasts become impassable, we dive into the water and start swimming.

Sometimes, we are out for an entire day working our way miles up the coast. On occasion, it is a lot of work for nothing. At other times, we hit the jackpot. No risk, no reward.

For us, water-hiking has become a favorite sport. But before you dive in and begin your water-hiking adventure, you need to keep a couple of things in mind.

Ten Tips for Water Hikers

1. You need to be a strong swimmer and you need to be comfortable in the water. Very comfortable. Know how to deal with riptides and never try to swim across a channel unless you are 100 percent sure of what the currents are doing. You really don’t want to get swept out to sea.

2. Always water-hike with a buddy.

3. Always water-hike with a snorkel and mask and avoid water-hiking through areas with unclear water. You need to be able to avoid potential dangers such as sea urchins, coral, sea snakes, and dangerous fish, such as lionfish, stonefish, and scorpionfish. Snorkeling also makes long swims much more enjoyable.

4. Make sure that there are no serious wildlife dangers where you are water-hiking, such as salt-water crocodiles, major shark problems, box jellyfish etc. You should approach regions such as southern Indonesia, northern Australia, Madagascar, etc. with caution. It’s always best to ask locals. Also watch out for jellyfish blooms.

5. In the developing world, many inaccessible areas can be associated with illegal activities. Make sure you don’t stumble upon drug runners, poachers, etc. Again, ask locals.

6. Take lots of drinking water with you. You’ll need it.

7. Take some emergency money with you in case you need/want to hire a boat to bring you back.

8. Wear waterproof shoes such as Tevas or Chacos for climbing in and out of the water along rocky coasts where bits of coral, barnacles, and urchins can be a problem.

9. Use a good waterproof sunblock and make sure you reapply block frequently while hiking. Sun in the tropics is a BIG issue. We use SPF 50 for everything. Lots of SPF 50. In addition, we usually use swimming shirts while snorkeling. Even with these precautions, we still get way too much sun.

10. Swim with a waterproof bag to hold your things. A more solid bag can also be used as a floatation device should you get caught in a riptide or swept away from the coast.

Wanting to shake it up a little and take a break from beach life, Tony and I have taken a few days to explore the jungle-covered mountains of Khao Sok National park. Considering the close proximity to touristy Phuket, the park seems surprisingly quiet. Obviously, beaches take precedent over rain forest in Thailand. Great for us!

What adds tremendously to our jungle experience here in Khao Sok is staying at Art’s Riverview Jungle Lodge. Unlike many of the other lodges, Art’s really feels like an extension of the national park. As the name implies, it is hidden away in the forest along a small stream only ten minutes from the national park entrance. For nature lovers, this is THE place to stay.

Art’s has atmosphere. Troops of macaques sweep through the jungle compound and hang around between tree houses and bungalows. Wailing calls of gibbons alternate with penetrating electro-bug noises. Tropical flowers, fungi and insects abound. Although all accommodation is elevated, some critters find their way into the rustic huts. Even for nature lovers like us, this can be challenging.

One of the highlights at Art’s is sitting in the river-side restaurant looking at the sheer limestone cliff backing the river. After a day’s walking in the park, the restaurant is a great place to wind down and watch visitors and macaques splash around in the swimming hole at the foot of the cliff. And on the way back to your bungalow, you can wonder at the musical tree frogs and twinkling fire flies. It doesn’t get better than that!