UNESCO World Heritage Sites
The Dragons of Komodo and Rinca
By Tony on December 15, 2011 | 8 Comments »
I guess it’s a testament to Komodo’s underwater attractions that it has taken us almost two weeks to visit the world-famous dragons. But now, the time has come… for dragons, megapodes, cockatoos and more.
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 » Continue reading this post »
Komodo, Diver’s Paradise
By Tony on December 7, 2011 | 2 Comments »
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 » Continue reading this post »
Prambanan and Sewu
By Tony on September 14, 2011 | 1 Comment »
Not only is Java the site of the spectacular Buddhist temple-stupa of Borobudur, just a short distance east of Yogyakarta lies the monumental remains of Prambanan, a magnificent Hindu temple which testifies to Java’s early links with India. Prambanan is the largest and grandest of Java’s many surviving Hindu temples and is considered one of the largest in Southeast Asia.
We spent several hours wandering through the 9th-century ruins, taking in the surviving sculpture and witnessing ongoing reconstruction work. Prambanan is surrounded by volcanoes including dangerous Mount Merapi. The entire area is seismically very active and in 2006 a 6.2 earthquake » Continue reading this post »
Borobudur
By Tony on September 10, 2011 | 2 Comments »
Although there is some debate as to how demographics are measured here, Indonesia is generally recognized as the world’s largest Muslim nation. So to many, it might come as some surprise that the country boasts one of Buddhism’s most significant architectural achievements: breathtaking Borobudur.
Borobudur, constructed in the 8th century, has often been described as the world’s largest » Continue reading this post »
Colonial Malacca
By Tony on July 6, 2011 | No Comments »
A rather big name from the standpoint of colonial history, little Malacca is actually far smaller than its less known brother Penang. Despite its diminutive size, the little town has a long history and a certain flair derived from its time as the colonial hot potato that bounced from Malay to Portuguese to Dutch to British hands.
Interestingly, despite the fact that half of Europe seems to have passed through Malacca, the layout of the old city initially seems distinctly Chinese rather than European. Beyond first impressions, a walk through the backstreets slowly reveals remnants of the town’s complex past including the oldest functioning mosque in Malaysia, the oldest functioning Catholic church in Malaysia, the oldest traditional Chinese temple in Malaysia, and the oldest Dutch building in the entire East.
There is definitely some impressive, if somewhat subtle » Continue reading this post »
