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Indonesia A search for information about Indonesia on the web yields hundreds of results, many of them of questionable quality. The information below has been carefully selected and includes summaries so that you can concentrate on just the information you want.   Travelling in Indonesia Of all the sites I have reviewed for the various countries covered by this web site, the "Travelling in Indonesia" site must rate as one of the most comprehensive and well presented. It is an essential starting point for anyone thinking of travelling to Indonesia or for anyone wanting to know more about this the world's largest archipelago, consisting of 13,667 islands. The site was first created in 1994 and last updated in March 2000 so it isn't the latest news (other sites reviewed in this newsletter are more up-to-date) but most of the information is relevant today. There is a section, sub-divided into areas, on each of the main islands: Java Sumatra Sulawesi Bali Kalimantan Nusa Tenggara Maluku Irian Jaya plus sections on General Info Art and Culture Performing Arts Places to Visit To begin your exploration of Indonesia, visit: http://www.emp.pdx.edu/htliono/travel.html   Dragons at Sea - Breathing Fire with the Monitor Lizard As Andrew Greene states, "Adventure travel is not synonymous with taking unnecessary risks, but rather with a willingness to venture down the path that you didn't intend to find." This article gives a good insight into what adventure travel is like in Indonesia. Andrew conveys the full flavour of life far away from the luxury hotels and tour guides, and you will either be horrified or enthused, according to taste. It seems Andrew's idea of fun is "being chased by 500 pounds of prehistoric carnivores". When I was browsing this site I kept getting a box pop up asking me for my password. Just click "Cancel" and it disappears. Join Andrew in his adventure on: http://www.escapeartist.com/efam33/dragons.html   Indonesia: Unique and Fascinating This is one of those wonderful hidden gems that are scattered around the internet waiting to be discovered. An excellent collection of illustrated articles about various trips to Indonesia by real travellers. Not the usual guide book stuff, but really interesting descriptive accounts well illustrated by excellent photos. Some excellent maps are provided on this site which can be found at: http://www.travelonline-indonesia.de/index1.html   Indonesia Travel A good collection of articles, photos and useful travel and administrative information can be found on this site. Of special interst are the illustrated articles on Torajah and Balim valley. Somewhat unusually, the Torajah article covers a subject not usually considered part of the tourist agenda. As it says "But the environment is not the only picturesque part of Torajah. Death is also colourful, curious and exquisitely arranged ... This fond and funky farewell involves the construction of an entirely new village of bamboo out of town, sometimes with more than a hundred rooms, in which to entertain thousands of guests for up to seven days.". This site can be found at: http://www.bugbog.com/colourful_countries/indonesia_travel.html   Discover Indonesia A comprehensive travel guide to Indonesia, with information on the major areas of interest, travel information and useful travel tips. This site covers: Central Java Temples Batik Shadow Puppets Bali Lombok Sumatra Volcanoes Anggun Indonesian People The style is romantic at times ("Some moments in life make one feel as if there were no longer any distance between heaven and earth, and in the creative blending into the whole, the sense of life is being revealed. Such an emotion is experienced when one ascends the stairs of Borobudur, Buddhist marvel of stone, in a full tropical moon-night.") but always informative and clear. Thoroughly informative and very comprehensive at: http://discover-indo.tierranet.com/   Recommended travel books Of the many travel books covering Indonesia, we would recommend thoroughly these two which are available from Amazon Books: Eyewitness Travel Guide to Bali & Lombok by Jean Couteau Maluku: Indonesian Spice Islands by Kal Muller, David Pickell (Editor), Periplus Adventure Guides

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Links to other information on The Web about Indonesia