Our guide Anton traveled across Indonesia – he did a scouting tour to create a new motorcycle trip. He sent us his final impressions, and of course, some beautiful photos. Sharing with you:
Java
In 5 days, I covered 1300 km on the island of Java, making my average daily distance 260 km. In any other place I've ridden motorcycles, that number wouldn't have caused any emotions – just a normal day's ride. But here, in Asia, considering the ferries, the specific traffic conditions, and an average speed of 35 km/h, it's a different story – it's a serious number.
And I really liked it. Before the trip, I was a bit worried about the traffic. I wondered what it would be like to ride on busy roads, weaving between trucks and buses. In reality, the heavy traffic was only on an 80-kilometer stretch of National Highway No. 1, which runs along the island's north coast. All the other roads were either excellent mountain switchbacks or regular secondary roads, with traffic intensity similar to roads in Morocco. Overall, the riding was maybe not fast, but definitely without problems.
Java, of course, is very different from Bali. Far fewer tourists, no such luxurious hotels, cafes, and restaurants as on the Island of the Gods. But there are equally sweet and friendly people, stunning nature, and a real picture of rural life, which is different from what we are used to seeing in Bali.
I managed to see the three main attractions of the eastern part of the island – the Ijen and Bromo volcanoes, as well as Sewu Waterfall. Everything is grand, I liked it all, but it seems like having visited Bromo, you could skip Ijen. On one hand, you can never have too many volcanoes, but on the other – what haven't we seen there? :)
By the way, it's at the foot of the Ijen volcano that the coolest hotels are located. They have everything: beautiful grounds, rice fields around the hotel complexes, swimming pools, and, of course, an amazing view of the volcanoes that opens up in the morning during breakfast. You sit on the terrace, sip your coffee, and watch the recognizable pyramid peaks rise from the jungle. Just wow!
Bromo was impressive. It roars, smokes, lives..!
And riding a motorcycle across the so-called Sand Sea – that's just something incredible. The volcanic sand is dense, the bike doesn't slide around – you ride confidently along the volcanoes and are simply amazed by how accessible this place is!
Sewu Waterfall probably can't compare to Victoria or Niagara, but a height of 120 m is no joke. It's huge, water flows down from all sides in hundreds of streams, spray everywhere, sun rays break through the palm fronds, refract and form rainbows. It's all very beautiful. You just want to stand there, breathe it in, and watch endlessly.
I was very impressed by how the locals cultivate the land for planting. Literally every slope is planted with something. And if in Bali they mainly grow rice, in Java a huge variety of crops grow. You ride along mountain switchbacks surrounded by endless farms, where at some incredible heights someone is harvesting, and someone else, on the contrary, is preparing to plant. How do they get up there? The slope sometimes reaches 70%, and up there, high above, a local grandmother skillfully wields a sickle or a hoe. Cool!!!
Overall, Java turned out to be completely different from Bali, and that's great. Because it's precisely by comparing different places that you can try to understand them and find something special for yourself.
Time to head east – 3 days of rest on Bali and then I'm off towards Lombok and Sumbawa. Beautiful beaches, whale sharks, and the MotoGP track await me there.
Lombok
Lombok is separated from Bali by the so-called Wallace Line. Briefly, this line divides Asia and Oceania. So, it turns out my entertaining local history studies have brought me to another continent.
I rode around all of Lombok in a loop. First, on the way to Sumbawa, I saw its southern part, and on the way back – the northern part too.
The south is great. There are winding mountain roads, amazing switchbacks with views of the ocean and the surrounding green hills, somewhat reminiscent of Ireland, and sunsets you can't get enough of.
But the main thing is that on the southern coast of Lombok island is the Mandalika circuit, where world motorcycle races are held, including the elite MotoGP and Superbike classes.
For a small fee, I entered the track area, walked along the start-finish straight, looked into the paddock, went up into the grandstand, and, of course, bought a branded t-shirt.
Now all that's left is to wait for a chance to come here for a MotoGP event or arrange a test ride!
The road running along the north of the island is the coolest road I've ridden on in Indonesia. Wide asphalt surface, excellent pavement, minimal traffic, fantastic views of white sand beaches on one side, and the huge Rinjani volcano on the other!
We give Lombok a solid five and head to Sumbawa.
Sumbawa
An hour and a half ferry crossing – and here I am on another tropical island. And if on Lombok compared to Bali there is significantly less traffic, on Sumbawa there simply is none.
I calmly ride towards Saleh Bay, where I spend the night on the coast with a view of another bright scarlet sunset.
Morning was an early start, because at 4:30 I needed to load into a boat and head out to the big whale sharks. This was the main goal of this whole trip – to snorkel and swim with the biggest fish on the planet. And I tell you, it was grand!
Snorkeling with a view of Mount Tambora, surrounded by majestic creatures. Just awesome!
And yes, whale sharks are not dangerous to humans because they feed on plankton. After such activity, one could have arranged a rest day on the northern coast of Sumbawa, but time was running out, and I set off.
My route lay along a beautiful road through the jungle towards the southwestern tip of the island. A narrow winding road, vines, palms, and macaques all around. No one else.
In 100 km, I only passed through one village. At one point, I just stopped to listen to the sounds of the island – probably thousands of years ago, all of Indonesia sounded like this, before all sorts of little humans came here :))
Reaching Sekongkang, I stayed at a fantastic hotel run by a native of Australia. Excellent rooms, a wonderful restaurant right on the shore of the bay, the white sand of the local beach, and another sunset – this time some unreal purple color.
The next day, by the now-familiar ferry, I returned first to Lombok, then to Bali, where I began to think about how to put together my local history explorations into a comfortable two-week tour across four islands of Indonesia.
Everything will be ready soon, it will be a great route.
