Highlights of Western Indonesia

After beloved Banyuwangi, from the east coast of Java we continued our travels through Western Indonesia. Of course Kalimantan is one of our highlights of Western Indonesia, and there are others! We stopped in cool anchorages and met some amazing people.

Go was in Indonesia for over 5 months, and between our fun visa runs we spent almost 4 months travelling the country. Despite the heat and heavy rains, lack of wind, and pollution, we liked Indonesia. Every person we encountered was friendly and kind, from east to west. In fact, one of our favorite places was also the friendliest.

Highlights of Western Indonesia: Bawean

An isolated island between Java and Kalimantan, Bawean was an oasis of calm and fun. Bawean is 150km north of Surabaya, Java. There is a ferry that sometimes goes between the two and takes about 4 hours. Bawean is a natural stopping off point for sailors heading from Java to Kalimantan, so we followed our nature and anchored there for a couple of nights.

Bawean waterfall, Western Indonesia
The small waterfall near the crater lake in Bawean
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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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