PLACES
Where on earth ...?!
PULAU BUNAKEN ODER 1 degree 37' 0'' N / 124 degrees 45' 0'' O
Jeder, der enthustiastisch Reisende zu seinen Famlienmitgliedern und Freunden zählt, kennt die peinliche Situation: Man möchte sich interessiert auf die Erzählungen aus fernen Ländern konzentrieren, und das einzige, was das Nicht-Geographen-Hirn meldet, ist: "Wo, bitte, zum Geier ist das? Wovon sprechen sie?"
Als kleines Extraservice gibt es deshalb hier ein paar Landkarten - eine Chronologie der letzten Monate und auch, wo ich mich derzeit ungefähr aufhalte.
Damit zumindest eine Frage beantwortet ist: "Where on earth is she right now?"
Current Location: BALI
Change of mode – the mission is: studying and working.
Where is the best place to do this? Well, it comes back to basics – stable and reliable internet …
Bali is a special, and in some aspects quite a bit artificial soil in South East Asia. And in a unique and beautiful way, it offers what modern dream catchers, digital nomads and others with their heads in the clouds are looking for.
My home base until end of March now.
cambodia & Laos: Jan / Feb 2019
A first sneak preview into Cambodia and Laos together with a friend, who I have been backpacking with in Asia already 30 years ago.
Intense days, rich in impressions and easy times together in Pnom Penh, Siem Reap, (Angkor Wat of course, and Tonle Sap), then going up North to Laos, where we spent some days around the 4000 islands in Mekong river. Back South again spend some days at the beach around Koh Kong and finally Tatai river.
Philippines: dec 2018 & Jan 2019
When my brother planned to visit me end of 2018, I immediately though of going to Palawan with him for a second time: remote island expedition with Tao Philippines between El Nido and Coron, where we celebrated Christmas, then slowly travelling South via Port Barton (New Year’s Eve), Sabang and on to Puerto Princesa.
Next stop: the small island Siquijor in the Visayas to meet my parents there – finally again 5 months after I left Vienna! And some time for diving in the area 🙂
Back to the Rainforest: Dec 2018
Going to the rainforest in the rainy season seemed to be the ultimate challenge. It was a more intense time being in the forest, but also very beautiful.
I spent 2 weeks back in Ketambe / Sumatra and enjoyed the quiet season and actually very nice temperatures with many sunshine hours during the day.
East & Underwater: NOV 2018
Indonesia’s far east is calling. After a very relaxing stay with a friend in Yogya, I am now also very much looking forward to be on the road – or better – close to the sea again.
The plan is as follows: getting a first glimpse into life on the Banda Islands – an arc of islands once hard-fought because of the spices growing there. The marine ecosystem is legend. Then on to West Papua and the big dream, diving in Raja Ampat.
MYANMAR: Oct 3 - 30, 2018
Heading North from Jakarta, I will be spending the month of October in Myanmar. After some first days in its lively capital city Yangon I am planning to go to Bagan, Mandalay, spend some time on the Irrawaddy river with local fishermen, hoping to meet some of the dolphins in the area and Inle Lake.
Last but not least it might probably be a good idea to spend some time along Myanmar’S long cost to the Andaman Sea – as always up to changes as I go along.
Pulau Bunaken / North Sulawesi
I’m testing the waters in Pulau Bunaken, a highly recommended diving spot in the North of Sulawesi.
Still Indonesia, but more than 3000km away from Sumatra (where the rainy season is starting to kick in now in September), which practically means starting anew. The plan is to spend 2 weeks up there, then make a stopover in Yogyakarta, before switching over to Myanmar beginning of October.
Following the sun …
sUMATRA
In a full month from Aug 11 to Sept 11, 2018 I have not even visited half of this wonderful, largely wild or touristically little developed island: from super-relaxed Pulau Weh island in the very North, to the jungle around Ketambe, the tropical Banyak islands 30km off the coast near Singkil, and finally Lake Toba.
All travellers I met were unanimous about the world’s 4th biggest island: not an easy travel destination, but so much worth it. Chances are, that I’ll be back.
A soft place to fall
Wo anfangen? Ich habe mich für Süd-Ostasien entschieden.
- weil ich es ein wenig kenne und weiß, was mich ungefähr nach Verlassen des Flughafens erwarten wird
- weil ich keine Ahnung habe, wie es mir beim Start dieses Abenteuers tatsächlich so gehen wird
Singapur als erste Location. Soft landing, bevor es dann nach Sumatra in die Aceh-Region geht.
The Cherries on the cake
To the right is my short-list of potential dive spots around the area, colour-coded by country.
For sure it will not be possible to visit all of them, I might not want to afford some of the high-end locations, and there are actually many more great places around.
But anyway, I thought it was a great idea to keep a close eye on this map while planning my route.
