Carlotta Arona

Tag: Sumatra

  • Komodo: Angel Island Resort

    Komodo: Angel Island Resort

    Nestled on Pulau Bidadari (Angel Island) and hidden away from the rest of the world, Angel Island Resort is a beautiful all inclusive exclusive 5 star dive resort in Komodo National Park. The island is about 20 minutes by boat from Labuan Bajo. The resort provides pick up and drop off by private boat.

    This is where Dom and I worked last year. It was one of my best experiences.

     

    THE RESORT

    The two British owners have literally put their hearts and souls into building this resort from scratch.

    There is nothing else on the island except for the lush vegetation Mother Nature provided. It is the perfect setting for a “get away from everything” vacation. Ten luxury bungalows are set amongst a beautiful hibiscus garden and secluded from one another offering a great deal of privacy.

    The resort was built respecting the natural flora and topography of the island. No trees were cut to adjust the building. It is all hidden away, it can hardly be seen from the sea.

    ENJOYING THE RESORT

    The private beach is the perfect place to enjoy hot sunshine and to take a swim in the swimming pool like ocean. The main beach is blessed with a splendid house reef just on the doorstep. Many of Angel Island guests spend hours snorkeling in the crystal clear waters. There are many different species of fish to be spotted. Clown fish, Angel Fish, Cuttle fish, Morey Eel, just to name a few.

    There are beautiful views from the hills of the island just behind the resort. Sometimes Bertie, the pet water buffalo, can be spotted munching on the grass or simply amusing himself.

    Sunsets from this island are probably the best ones I have ever seen in my life. Literally bleeding with intense colours and shades. From red to orange to yellow, purple and pink. Never have I seen so many different shades and hues together. The perfect ending to a beautiful day in paradise.

    THE RESTAURANT

    The restaurant offers magnificent views of the ocean and surrounding mountains. The extended menu gives guests the choice of a huge variety of traditional Indonesian and Western dishes.

    My all time favourite is Beef Rendang, a traditional rich and spicy Indonesian curry original from Sumatra. Beef is marinated in local spices and then slowly cooked for hours into the curry sauce which is a mix of garlic, ginger, chilli, lemongrass and many other spices.

    It melts in the mouth with an explosion of flavours. Simply mouthwatering. No one can leave Indonesia without trying this amazing dish.

    SCUBA DIVING FROM ANGEL ISLAND RESORT

    From Angel Island Resort the boat leaves daily at 8am. It is a pleasant boat ride through the National Park’s islands before getting to the dive sites. It takes between 1.5 hours to 2 hours depending on the dive sites and sea condition.

    There is great opportunity to take photos of the stunning landscape and possible encounters with Dolphins along the way.

    Click here for more info about scuba diving in Komodo.

    THE STAFF

    What makes the resort even more special is its staff. The owners employ local staff from the nearby areas. They are absolutely fantastic, smiley and helpful from the moment you set foot on to the island.

    They are well mannered and polite. They will do their best to accommodate the guests needs and requests. Each one of them always sporting a beautiful heartwarming bright smile that will stay with you for a long time.

    In my opinion, Indonesians have the best smile in the wold. It comes from their heart.

    HOW TO BOOK

    You can contact the resort directly through their website.

    WHEN TO GO

    The resort is open from beginning of March till mid January.

    HOW TO GET THERE

    Fly to Labuan Bajo from Bali with Garuda airline, Lion Air and Wings Air

  • Indonesia

    Indonesia is by far my favourite country in south-east Asia. It is simply amazing! First of all it is huge! There are over 17,000 islands forming the Indonesian archipelago, 34 provinces and over 238 million people.

    Across its many islands there are hundreds of distinct native ethnic and linguistic groups and a variety of religions are found here with the Muslims being the biggest religious group.

    Other religions are Hindu, Buddhism and Christian.

    I was impressed by the variety of scenery and landscapes that are found in this country. I considered myself lucky to have been able to spend a total of about ten months here and to have had the opportunity to touch many different areas.

    Most of the time was spent in Sumatra. Sumatra is the less touristy part of Indonesia, it is still very cheap and it offers, in my opinion, the best scenery of all. Mountains covered with jungle, waterfalls, volcanoes,lakes and it is one of the only two places in the world where Orangutans live.

    We were lucky to see them during a short jungle trek in Ketambe, in the Aceh province. During a four hours walk we spotted two mums with their babies jumping from tree to tree. It was magical and overwhelming, especially because they were in the wild.

    People are very friendly and sometimes shy and food is the tastiest in the whole of Indonesia. I was absolutely in love with the Achenese curries and beef Rendang. My mouth waters just at the thought of them!

    Sumatra is mainly Muslim with the exception of Lake Toba where the population around it is Christian. This is the largest lake in Indonesia and the largest volcanic lake in the world.

    Very impressive, it is 100 km long, 300 km wide and over 500 km deep. The atmosphere around this lake is kind of surreal, part of it is due to its population the Bataks, a particular ethnic groups with traditional Batak houses noted for their pointy roofs that resemble a boat’s hull (to me they looked like gnome houses!).

    Magic Mushrooms are sold legally here by almost every bar and guest house.

    As for the diving, Indonesia offers some of the world’s best scuba diving spots. Divers cannot go wrong with scuba diving in Indonesia weather is Sumatra, Bali, Lombok, Komodo or Sulawesi.

    I considered myself lucky for having had the opportunity to dive all these places. I have heard that Raja Ampat, in the Papua region,  is also world class diving and according to many it is incomparable.

    Unfortunately I have not made it there. This is another excuse for returning to Indonesia sometime in the future.

    From Sumatra Dom and I hopped to Bali and its surroundings (more about it on the Bali section). I went solo to Komodo and Lembeh (also more about these areas on the respective sections).

    I also stopped briefly in Gili Trawangan, Lombok where I caught up with a couple of mates that were working on the Island.

    Well, being Indonesia such a vast country, that was quite a big part of it covered. Domestic travel in Indonesia can be quite challenging especially over land. Roads are very poorly kept and journeys can be long and uncomfortable especially on overcrowded buses.

    But this is all part of the adventures! Going local style.