Off on an adventure to Java (and a bit of Bali) (page 2 of 8)

Well, thanks for the compliment, it’s really nice to hear! See you soon for the next part!!!

Day 4 – August 13, 2025

It’s officially official—I’ve found the perfect spot to stay for a few days on dream beaches, recharge, connect with my inner self, and play Robinson Crusoe with my Friday. Except "a few days" flies by way too fast. That’s why we want to soak up every last bit of daylight: waking up with the roosters at 5:30 AM for the sunrise! Whether I’m in my native Ardennes or paradise, I still love that vibe, that early morning light. Okay, fine, I’ll admit it’s not *quite* the same light in the Ardennes on a rainy November day... but still magical moments...



With the sun god’s blessing for the day, it’s time to really put the archipelago’s reputation to the test. Yesterday felt like being seated at the world’s best feast but only allowed a tiny taste. Today? All-you-can-enjoy buffet of white sand, coconut trees, coral, all washed down with 32°C turquoise water, plus bonus authentic villages and locals. Let’s see if its nickname "Java’s Maldives" is a bit overhyped! Let’s make sure those guides ranking this place above Flores, the Gilis, or even Raja Ampat on the beauty scale weren’t totally off base... Let’s check if its UNESCO biosphere reserve and marine park status is legit or just clever marketing. Just for you—and exclusively—Franck and Flo are investigating today, scooter-bound, infiltrating the scene and risking paradise addiction.

First hit: Pentai Batu Putih, a hidden beach just a stone’s throw from our bungalows. At this hour, when most tourists are still nursing their hangovers, it’s totally normal to have this gorgeous little beach all to ourselves. So please disregard this detail in the final report. Next stop: Pentai Barracuda for its long pier and coconut-tree coastal barrier. Again, we’ve got the place to ourselves—promise, I didn’t rent it out just to impress Flo! Then we tackle Pentai Alano, which has a solid rep on the island. Well-deserved, but honestly, the beaches just keep coming, and the story’s the same: we’ve practically got the whole place to ourselves. Okay, I’m repeating myself, but it’s still early, and we’re in the island’s north, where most tourists stay in the south.

Day 4 (continued)

This is where it all happens—we're heading to the southern beaches that put this island on the map. What a thrill to take those bumpy little island roads, hair in the wind, winding through dense vegetation and tiny villages where locals greet us with big, genuine smiles... No tourist shops, no fake behavior, and no Bob Ricard in flip-flops in sight. We're right in the heart of a slice of simple, authentic life just the way we love it! Here, adults going about their daily business; there, kids playing outside together! Yes, it still exists, and David Vincent saw them!!! Oh, watch out—a monkey crossing the road... and he’s smiling too! Okay, with all this "la vie en rose" talk, we almost forgot our top-secret mission. Franck and Flo, report! So, what’s the verdict on the southern beaches?... A feast for the senses! Sure, we ran into a few fellow travelers, but wow, what beauty! The trio of Pantai Tanjung Gelam, Sunset Beach, and Pantai Batu Topeng... holy cow! White sand and coconut trees, rustic setups, photogenic rocks, and lush vegetation. We’d happily build our treehouse here and never leave! Must be Stockholm syndrome—we came to investigate and ended up falling in love!













Okay, seriously—where’s the catch? Where’s the Indonesian Marcel Beliveau hiding? Because Flo’s this close to quitting her job and moving here! Oh, I get it now... Those beach shacks selling bland meals at Western prices, right?... Not even that! Three dishes and a mango juice for 7 €—who can beat that? And with a smile, no less!

Okay, the cup runneth over—stop the presses! Flo’s already house-hunting on the island, and neither the scooter ride along the wild east coast nor the romantic sunset from Bukit Love is going to talk her out of it! Beeeeeeeep... The number you have dialed is no longer in service...

This all looks amazing! 😎 How are the underwater sights (fish, corals, etc.)?

Haha, you’ll have to wait for the next day for that! 😉

Can't wait for the next part! 😛

Amazing! It feels like the Seychelles 😊

The archipelago’s nickname is "Java’s Maldives." And you’ll see over the next day that it’s not an exaggeration! 😊

With this gloomy return to reality, a trip to paradise was unexpected. It’s priceless under your keyboard. Here, I stuck some stickers in your travel journal. ♥♥♥ 😉

😉😉😉 Thanks Jean-Luc for the nice message that made me laugh! It's great to see familiar "faces" again, even if it's much quieter than before... See you soon for the next part! !

Hello,

What a joy to hear from you again. I’ll be following your journey with great interest, a smile on my face! I noticed that during your long break from VoyageForum, you’d packed in quite a few trips—I hope you’ve kept the memories and that you’ll share your adventures with us soon. Did you end up skipping Uzbekistan? How are your lovely daughters doing? They must be all grown up by now.

larri

Hi Jean-Claude! Thanks for your message! Yes, the travel journals are ready since I published them on my FB account, including Uzbekistan, which did happen last April (and it was amazing). You’ve got a good memory for my girls! They’re 16 and 19 now. And they still travel with me from time to time. Egypt last February, for example. And the American West next February with the little one (who’s 5’11"). 😄

To be continued...

Thanks for your reply. Can we old-school social-media-averse folks hope to see your travel journals from the years without "Voyage Forum" available on this site? Even with fewer photos!

Thanks for your reply. Can we old folks allergic to social media hope to see your travel journals from the years without "Voyage Forum" available on this site? Even with fewer photos!

Promise! Even though the challenge of publishing lies in the restrictive photo selection on VF!

Hello

It's great to see familiar "faces" again, even if it's much quieter than before...

So here I am! :) After quietly reading through a string of humor, good vibes, and words illustrated with images that inspire travel and daydreaming. I especially love the positive tone of your storytelling.

Welcome! Hope you enjoy the rest too... Thanks for your comment! Franck

Day 5 – August 14, 2025

4:30 AM. Huh, weird, my alarm’s going off. Convinced it’s my phone’s alarm that yanked me out of Morpheus’ arms, I tell it to stop—no luck. Even weirder, I don’t remember setting the muezzin’s call as my new ringtone! Oh right, my two brain cells just connected the dots. We’re in Indonesia, a predominantly Muslim country! So, paradise island or not, the muezzin starts singing from his minaret at ungodly hours. While we’re on the topic of religion in Indonesia, here are three fun facts for you. First, Indonesia is the country with the largest Muslim population in the world! Second, since the official language of Islam is Arabic, the call to prayer and imams’ sermons are in Arabic—even though no one speaks or understands it, not even the muezzins or the imams themselves! And third, Indonesians are often very curious about their interlocutors’ religion. However, don’t tell them you’re an atheist. They already struggle to grasp the idea of not believing in anything, and on top of that, it’s outright illegal by law! Yes, you read that right—all religions are allowed, and Indonesians are very tolerant about it, but it’s forbidden not to have one. So if you don’t have one, make one up, like the "satay ayam peanut sauce" religion Flo just converted to, or the OM one! Oh yeah, OM’s a good one!

Anyway, back to our Eid sheep—or rather, our mission from yesterday, which we only partially completed. "The assignment was to evaluate the archipelago as a whole, not just the main island. Agents 008 and 009, you failed your mission and have until tonight to fix it!"

Okay, our strategy for today is this: Access a representative sample of two small deserted islands among the most beautiful in the archipelago. And to make our report thorough and professional, do a snorkeling session at two of the most renowned spots nearby. To get there, either swim for sixteen hours or pay 10 bucks per person to set foot on a taxi boat reserved for the day, with grilled fish on one of the beaches for lunch included. After some hesitation and a quick chat with the treasurer, we decided to go for the financial effort demanded by the local junta!









"So, now that you’re nearing your goal, is the return on investment worth it?" To be quick and precise, we don’t travel to see—we travel to live. To live moments that will stay in our memories, unlike a fleeting image of a place, no matter how beautiful. No need for fancy words or grand phrases; they won’t be enough to describe what this moment—when we land on the untouched island of Cemora Besar—does to us. Whiter-than-white sand, shallow lagoon, water at 35°C, horizon as far as the eye can see, and us! Just us! That’s the scene set in the middle of the ocean! Now I get why it’s called the "Maldives of Java." Wooooow...

Day 5 (continued)

I’ll keep it short about our afternoon arrival on Cemora Kecil, the other island on the itinerary. Same untouched beauty, same pool, same symptoms, same wahoooouuu! Just that feeling of being part of this raw nature. The urge to strip off and dive into that giant pool! Oops, already done...











And what about the underwater scenery amid all this gushing of pompous superlatives? Jacques Mayol, aka Flo for his first experience in this area, tells me to tell you that the seabeds of Karimunjawa were worth the trip for their stunning, well-preserved coral gardens. However, a slight letdown on the quantitative side in terms of fish and other critters on display. No turtle, few fish, just two Nemos to feast your eyes on. So, Karimunjawa gets a big yes for its above-water Maldives vibe. But a small no compared to Raja Ampat’s underwater world! What’s your take based on the photos from our mission?

To wrap up the day and Karimunjawa, it all happens at Alun-Alun! Alun-Alun is the main square in town where everyone gathers, whether you're a local or from the other side of the planet, to celebrate the day in paradise gifted by whatever gods there may be. Grilled fish barbecue for everyone!!!... except for Flo, of course, since his new religion now forbids him from eating anything other than satay ayam with peanut sauce!

Wow! These islands are amazing! 😍

Actually, this little paradise is a mix of: - Maldives

- Seychelles

- Thailand

PS: Don’t worry, Franck, photos other than those from the travel journal’s author aren’t counted in the 300 😉

I don’t know the Maldives, but the water colors can indeed remind you of the Seychelles 😎 Still, a few more photos would help get a better idea... Underwater:

magnificent, well-preserved coral gardens; lots of fish and other little critters

but not just that 😉:

The urge to strip down and jump into that giant pool! Oops, already did...