INDONESIA: Krakatoa Volcano & West Java

Since my trips last year to Russia and Malta with my friend Alex Martin, Alex and I decided that we travel really well together and need to keep doing it. Earlier this year we planned a trip for August, and eventually decided on Indonesia as our destination (Alex and I take the entire world into consideration when deciding where to go). Alex’s boyfriend Vova would be joining us, so either he or I was to be the 3rd wheel.

Our trip began at 5am following my 12 am arrival in Indonesia. A driver picked us up in Jakarta and so began our adventure to Krakatoa volcano and the Ujung Kulon national park with Krakatau Adventure. We spent 5 days with our guide, Massaro, and captain and crew, Sam and Leddy. A super smooth 2 hours by boat and we arrived at the active (but not currently erupting… booooo) volcano, Krakatoa (or Krakatau in Indonesian). We spent the day snorkeling and climbing the volcano, and camped that night in the black sand at the foot of the volcano island after Sam and Leddy prepared us an enormous Indonesian feast, all from scratch at the campsite.

The following morning was another long boat ride, this time 3 hours, and we arrived at the remote Ujung Kulon National Park. We stayed at a lodge on tiny Peucang Island amongst wild pigs, deer, giant monitor lizards, and monkeys eager to sneak into our room to steal our snacks. We hiked all the way across the island while Massaro pointed out each species of plant and tree. At sunset visited the nearby grazing grounds where we could see the Javan wild oxen feeding. My fun was interrupted by an awful flu that had me spent the following two days bedridden and I had to skip the snorkeling and canoeing we had planned and make the very long (and this time windy and extremely choppy) boat ride back to the mainland early.

August 2014 in Indonesia with Alex and Vova where we visited: Jakarta, Krakatau (Krakatoa) Volcano and the Ujung Kulon National Park

Photos by Renee Lusano
Shot on Sony RX1, Canon Sure Shot A-1