34) Northern Indonesia: Borneo to Palau Ketawai. 15 to 23 October, 2015.

It was really time to get moving now as we had to check out of Indonesia by the 27 October, before our visa ran out, and we still had so many nautical miles to travel. We left Kumai River and motored out through the smoke haze avoiding ferries, fishing boats and cargo ships. All we can say is thank you for radar. 

We were headed west to two islands, Palau Belitung and Palau Bangka, off the east coast of Sumatra. It was a long trip so we stopped at Palau Gelam, off the west coast of Borneo, for four hours sleep before continuing to Manggar, Belitung. These two islands were official rally stopovers with scheduled festivities but by the time we arrived the festivities in Manggar were over and the rally boats had departed that morning. It was a rolly anchorage so we got what sleep we could manage and left before light at 0500 hours the next morning, and sailed to the North West coast of Palau Belitung.

We struggled all day to get enough winds to fill the sails but one hour before arriving in the scheduled anchorage the wind piped up to 19 knots. There were a few terse words but we finally dashed the sails while trying to avoid 22 fishing boats heading out for the night, shallow seas and granite boulders, all in fading light. 

Stunning.

But the anchorage was well worth it. It was sheltered, had great amenities ashore, good restaurants, friendly locals and beautiful scenery. What more could you ask for really. The place was reminiscent of sailing around Virgin Gorda, in the British Virgin Islands, as the water was warm and crystal clear, and there was huge granite boulders everywhere linked with white sand beaches. Paradise.






The locals put on a two welcome ceremonies and the food was lovely. We were also given a free Indonesian cooking class which was so much fun for the local women and us too. Trying different foods, finding similar foods and using them in a different way or with different techniques was extremely enjoyable for all who participated and all done without a common language. We had lots of photos and laughs while cooking and sharing the food.

It's hard work but someone has to do it.

We spent the three days snorkelling, swimming and having sundowners on the beach.  Palau Belitung ended up being a favourite stopover for us and we really did not want to leave. We found that this place gets a lot of domestic tourism but we only found one other westerner that had made the long pilgrimage here. Given the picturesque nature of the place and along with the modern conveniences, I doubt if it will remain undiscovered for long.

Our dinghies clutter the shore.

Ever onward we pressed north and had our longest sail with no motoring for over three months, with perfect wind conditions. Fifteen hours later we arrived at the little island of Ketawai, off the east coast of Palau Bangka. Normally, an uninhabited island, Bangka Officials decided to move everything and the kitchen sink here, to set up a base for the Sail Indonesia rally boats. Before we arrived several boats came over with staff and set up about 20 tents to accommodate all the people who would look after us for four days with all the necessities of life - Officials, Police, volunteers, cooks, and musicians.

Impromtu dance and music by the volunteers.

The four days were jam packed with activities. The staff supplied us with three meals a day. Peter and I used to stay on the boat until mid-afternoon, if there was no planned activity. But you could really just stay on the island, sun up to sun down and the staff would look after you.




 
After dinner in the evening we would have musicians entertaining us and one evening we even had a game of football. The locals versus the sailing crew. It was pitch black with no lighting but that did not stop the game taking place. The balls were actually coconuts dipped in fuel and then lit. We all sat around the perimeter of the sand field while the teams battled it out. The locals were very good and had the obvious advantage being used to playing in the dark, with a burning ball and bare feet. The ball was very hard and of course very hot but you only touched it for a few seconds so it did not result in any serious burns. Our team redeemed itself when a few of the girls joined in, with Sarah (Sea Monkey) scoring a great goal.

Two of the four days there were day long planned activities. The second day they took us all on three boats over to Palau Bangka.

The school children performing for us.

Here we all boarded into three buses and went to see the highlights of Bangka. We were taken by Police escort to a primary school where the children performed a dance for us and then it was off to the Local Government offices where we were greeted by the Mayor with a welcome speech and a meet and greet with all the officials.



  

Katrina blazing the trail.

For lunch we were taken to a silted house located in the middle of a rice paddy field where we were all treated to a lovely nine course meal. The food was scrumptious and we also got to try a locally made non-alcoholic rice drink. It was very unusual but also very nice, so a lot of the sailing fraternity bought several bottles to take home. We had exhausted their supply by the time we left. Then to walk all that food off we went on a small bush walk through a small patch of remanent forest.







The highlight of the day would have to be in the afternoon. We were taken to a field where a stage was set up with a band. After the welcome and music we watched some very talented locals give a performance of the types of games, played at what was described as a mini Olympic Games. Teams from various parts of Palau Bangka come yearly to take part in the games. First a race between two teams.

Pushed fast around the bamboo baskets.

One player from each team would lie on a narrow wooden bench with a wheel. He was pushed at great speed by his team member around various obstacles. First over a wooden mat, then swerving in and around bamboo baskets and finally through the middle of a split wooden pole. If any of this was not performed correctly, or in the incorrect order then a referee would make the team perform the task again. 

Slowly through the split log to avoid a spill.

It was virtually impossible to keep the 'bike' upright, and a wobble would result in one or two players on the ground. When this occurred the referee would then make them go back to the beginning and start again. It had so many spills and thrills the audience were in fits of laughter. 

 

A happy audience.

Then we had a exhibition of how to play with a spinning top. Long strands of a bamboo rope were tightly wound around a large top. It was then thrown from hip height out in front of each player. The rope quickly comes undone and if performed correctly the top lands upright on the ground and spins. The team who has the longest upright spinning top - wins. 



Many of the Sail Indonesia rally boys had a go at this and after a few goes got the hang of it and performed well against the locals. This much impressed our hosts.

A local home.

On Day four we were taken by boats again to a small isolated islet where several fishing famalies live. They stay on this island fishing for several months of the year and with pretty basic accommodation and amenities, life for the occupants seems quite desolate. A woman had given birth the day before and was nursing a one day old child. 

Bags of goodies for the locals.

Most boats on the Sail Indonesia rally had come prepared with all sorts of goodies for isolated Indonesian villages like this. You should have seen the happy faces especially when the children were given colouring in books and coloured pencils. Though the biggest smiles from the children was when they were given a soccer ball.



 
 

Robby with the local kids - the soccer balls and lollies were a big hit.

On the last day we all celebrated together and were officially checked out of Indonesia. Most of the boats had elected to check out in Bangka as the marina at Nongsa Point was numerous nautical miles away and most boats would not make it by the time their visas expired. Not to mention that the marina there too was going to charge a large fee to organise the whole process.

All our passports had been taken by boat to Bangka Island and were processed in Bangka within two days and brought back to us by the last day, all free of charge. It was all so easy here and so unlike our experience in Lombok, where we were charged a large sum of money to get our passports to the Embassy and then wait eight days for the process to be complete. We thought of how different the experience can be in different locations within the same country.  

My little turtle hatchling.

Formalities over with, we all could relax and enjoy the last scheduled event at Ketawai, which was the release of a large number of turtle hatchlings. It was a fantastic idea and it was really enjoyable for adults and children alike.






 


Really northern Indonesia pulled out all the stops to welcome us and showed us a fantastic time. This area does not see much tourism compared with islands down south, so I think they were keen to show that they can be a great tourist region if given the chance. So a big shout out to all who read this - next time you think of a holiday in Indonesia consider the north, as it really has a lot to offer.

33) Central Indonesia: Bali to Borneo. 29 September to 14 October, 2015.

There are two large bodies of water that need to be crossed in order to get to the Asian mainland. One was behind us, a four day sea crossing from Darwin to Kupang, Indonesia. The other in front of us, the Java Sea from Bali to Borneo. For the rest of the journey from Australia to Malaysia there are numerous islands to help you make small overnight jumps in preference to a large sea crossing. 

Most of the fleet left Lovina Beach together bound for a small island to the east of Java, then onto Bawean, a group of islands in the middle east of the Java Sea, and then onto Borneo. We planned to take this route too but first we wanted to check out the National Marine Park on the northwest coast of Bali. 

SW corner Palau Menjangan.

So off we went with the crew on Blue Sky to Palau Menjangan. You have to pay about 20,000 rupiah (AUD $20)/24 hours to anchor and then dive/snorkel the reef from the southwest to the southeast and then the eastern shore of Palau Menjangan, but it is definitely worthwhile. The amount of coral and fish is amazing and we were so glad we stayed behind to do it.

We had almost no wind from the north for the two months so far, which would have helped us sail across from Timor to Bali, but as soon as we had to go north, you guessed it, the wind showed up. We jokingly have another name for our boat - “On The Nose”, coined by a friend of ours, because no matter in which direction we have to go the wind invariably comes from that direction. 

Indonesian fishing boats.

So we left Palau Menjangan around midday and it was too late to get to the eastern islands of Kepulauan Kangean, so we stopped on the north east coast of Java, in Jankar. The winds then slowly increased each day and we made the decision to inch our way along Java’s northern coast instead of ploughing head first into rough seas to get across to Bawean. 

Very elaborate construction.

We mistakenly thought we could get some respite at night in the bays along the north coast of Java, but to our distress there wasn’t any that you could safely navigate into, so we had a series of rough days and then very rolly, uncomfortable nights. We should have just put up with the bad weather for one or two days and go across to Bawean, but you always know what to do in hindsight.

FAD's (Fishing Assist Devices) are everywhere.

We finally made our way along Java to the port of Semarang where I got off. Peter took Reverie and set out for Karimum Jawa (KJ) another island group about a third of the way across the Java Sea. We needed to keep heading north or were going to be late leaving the country; otherwise we both would have stayed in Semarang. 

Peter enjoyed the welcome ceremony in KJ and had a lovely few days resting and working on the boat while the weather calmed down again. My thyroid levels were getting high again and so I needed a few days rest in Semarang and to get more thyroid medication. Several days later when the weather calmed down, Peter on Reverie and myself on-board a local ferry, crossed the Java Sea to Kumai, in Borneo. 

Kumai was a scheduled stop on both the 'Sail Indonesia' and the 'Sail2Indonesia' itineraries but to the organiser's heartbreak and dismay hardly any of either fleet showed up.  

Hey the feeding station is this way.

A lot of the boats on the 'Sail Indonesia' rally did not come as they had been delayed like us in Medana Bay, so if they were going to catch up with the rest of the fleet, make other scheduled stops and leave the country before their visas ran out, then they chose to give Kumai a miss. It was a long way to get to Kumai and most boats did the long leg direct from KJ to Beiltung, rather than two long hauls, one to Kumai and then another to Beiltung.

The 'Sail2Indonesia' fleet had more time but most boats decided against going because an email had been circulated amongst the fleet that the smoke from the fires in Kumai was extremely thick and posed serious health concerns.

Both Peter and I decided to go to Kumai, Borneo as we didn't have a history of any respiratory illnesses. Secondly, being palm oil free in Australia for the last three years we were extremely interested in seeing the deforestation (burning forest to plant palm trees) independently and see what Indonesia was doing to support the wildlife affected by these practices.

Feeding platforms to help support hungry Orangutans.

Lastly and most importantly we had come to see the wildlife and particularly the Orangutans. Seeing wildlife is the reason we travel and the reason we sail, as it enables us to get to some remote places.








I arrived in Kumai three days before Peter and the smoke was pretty bad. You could not see the other side of the narrow river from the pier, nor could you see the boats anchored half way across the river. It was heavy and thick and it did make me cough quite a lot. I donned a mask from the local Chemist but it didn't make much difference, as it was only ever going to keep the larger particulates out. 

The Alpha Female trying to get some 'me' time.

I found it very distressing thinking that the smoke was thousands of acres of pristine forest going up in flames. The poor villagers are paid a pittance by the palm oil companies to clear land for palm oil plantations. The cheapest, quickest and easiest method is to burn it and they even burn National Park. 

Another problem is the fires do not extinguish after the burn because the flames penetrate the peat soil underneath. This smoulders away under the topsoil for months, literally until the wet season arrives, the water then penetrates the peat soil and eventually the fires are extinguished. Then the whole process starts again the following dry season. The Government does nothing to stop this practice by the villagers and more importantly does not stop the palm oil companies. It really is distressing. This year the smoke was so bad it reached Singapore and Malaysia and both countries were exerting a fair bit of pressure on Indonesia to act. Hopefully this will work.

Gorgeous.

Rather than wait around for three days Peter suggested I go to Tanjung Puting National Park to see the Orangutans with friends from the other boats. I managed to hitch a ride on board a traditional Indonesian boat, with Suzie and Paul from Firefly. Most companies have a three day tour which offers the three feeding platforms and a night wildlife walk. Luckily for us a two day tour was on offer for participants from both Indonesian rallies.

The two day tour offered Camp Leckey and all three feeding platforms but not the night walk. It also provided a young guy to boat-sit while you were away overnight. This seemed ideal so we quickly booked, paid and were on our way the following morning. Not long after our departure we all wondered whether we had made the right decision to pay a lot of money for this tour, as we were concerned that we would not see much due to the smoke haze. Luckily, the further we travelled upstream towards Camp Leckey and into Tanjung Puting National Park the clearer the air became. The trees were doing a splendid job soaking up the smoke.

Approaching the National Park we were extremely lucky to see two wild female Orangutans, one with a baby, that were living in the remaining forest on the opposite side of Tanjung Puting National Park.

OK - we are out of here.

Once inside the National Park and over two days we were taken on boardwalks through the forest to the three different feeding platforms. Here the staff distributes bananas, mandarins and watery milk three times a day, to the Orangutans. The Orangutans decide whether they wish to turn up and partake in the extra food on offer or stay in the jungle and consume their normal diet. Because of forest destruction there often isn't enough food for the Orangutans to eat, so this support is critical. It is here that people, roped off from the animals and jungle, get to quietly watch and enjoy seeing the spectacle. Overall we saw 15 female Orangutans, 9 adolescent and 9 baby Orangutans and 1 male Orangutan.

The Alpha Male Orangutan.

We also got to see Camp Leckey, the park headquarters, which was established by Dr Birute Galdikas in 1971 to study Orangutans in the wild. Tanjung Puting became a National Park in 1982 and she also helped set up the Orangutan Foundation International (OFI) in 1986, which helps raise money to fund her continued study and to support the Orangutans.

We slept on the deck of the boat on mattresses with mosquito netting while the four crew slept, worked and ate downstairs. There was a very basic toilet and shower, all you need really. The company was excellent, the guide had good English and was keen to tell you everything you needed to know, and the cook managed to put out quality and quantity food three times a day plus snacks. She was a divorced mother with children to rear on her own and with no Government support. She did an excellent job as the food was delicious.

A male Proboscis Monkey.

We saw so much wildlife during this tour. Not only the sheer amount of Orangutans we saw but we also able to see a great number of Proboscis monkeys and Macaque monkeys, as they line the waterways during the early morning and late afternoon. We were also lucky to see a Gibbon, a few Squirrels, several wild Boar, one green tree Frog, several Hornbills and few azure Kingfishers.





Overall, we were blown away by this trip and we were all so happy that we had made the right decision to sail out of the way when running late to come to Kumai. It was so worth the hard yards to get here and we were rewarded in so many ways. All the crews from every boat that made it here in 2015 raved about the experience and were so impressed with the friendly local people and the opportunity of seeing Tanjung Puting National Park.

It really was the highlight of the whole three months in Indonesia. I would do it again in a heartbeat.