Cats of Indonesia

We saw a lot of exotic animals in our travels around Indonesia. The giant mantas, gibbons and orangutans and Komodo dragons were incredible to see in person. But, did you know that Indonesia is one of the most cat friendly countries on Earth? More people have cats as pets in Indonesia than anywhere else in Southeast Asia. We learned this while meeting many cute cats of Indonesia. In between petting them and enjoying their company, I took lots of photos. So strap in, cat lovers, this one is for you!

Where We Saw Cats of Indonesia

From the day we landed in Kupang, Timor, to our last stop before checking out near Singapore, we saw cats and kittens. They were on the streets, in the marinas, and at shops, hotels, and restaurants.

cat at a resort, Labuan Bajo, Indonesia
A cat at the resort in Sylvia, Labuan Bajo, Indonesia

And, I can happily report, the cats of Indonesia were healthy, friendly, and cute, and mostly amenable to being photographed. Cats are called kucings in Indonesia, pronounced coo-ching. It’s fun to say.

white cat relaxing
A relaxed cat in Lombok
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Kalimantan Indonesia

One of the wildest places we’ve visited in our 7+ years living on a sailboat is Kalimantan Indonesia. With jungles and rivers and lots of wild animals, Indonesian Borneo is an incredible part of the world! We spent a few days anchored, and a few days on a riverboat tour to the Tanjung Puting National Park, one of the few places to see orangutans in the wild.

About Kalimantan Indonesia

Indonesia shares the island of Borneo with Brunei and Malaysia, and Indonesia’s portion, 73% of the area, is called Kalimantan. We visited Central Kalimantan, sailing up the Kumai River 25nm from the Java Sea to the town of Kumai. We anchored there for its proximity to the Tanjung Puting National Park, one of the best places to see Indonesian orangutans.

Male Bornean Orangutan
A male Bornean orangutan

Getting to Kalimantan

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Best of Banyuwangi

The more we travel, the more I prefer the places I had never heard of before visiting. For example, our stay after Bali was this coastal town in east Java. Compared to the overtourism of Bali, Banyuwangi was fresh and inviting. We spent several nights berthed at Boom Marina and enjoyed the best of Banyuwangi.

About Banyuwangi

Banyuwangi is a town on the east coast of Java which serves as the gateway from Bali, with regular ferries traversing the channel. The ferry from Gilimanuk, Bali to Banyuwangi takes under an hour and runs frequently. The town has a population of over 120,000, small for Java, the most populous island in the world with the most populous city, Jakarta. While close to Bali, it took us a day and a half motoring on Go since we came from the southeast of the island and there was no wind in our favor.

boats, Boom Marina Banyuwangi
Go and other boats at Boom Marina
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