I have never traveled outside the Philippines. I love to travel, there’s no doubt about that (you can cross-check my Instagram). My love for surfing has taken me to places I’d never expected be in, from the north to east of Mindanao facing the beautiful and raging Pacific Ocean. With wanderlust in my blood, it’s surprise even to myself that at 25 years of living on this beautiful planet, I have never stepped out of this country.
I’m not at all fazed that I’m quite behind with other millennials who are probably on their second passport now because I’m that type of person who always has solid reasons for what I do. I always tell friends who ask that I would rather see the best known and kept spots of my country first and then go see the world.
A few weeks ago, I’ve realized that I’m almost finished with the spots I’ve promised to see first and then it dawned on me, I had to decide which country I’d want to visit first. With the love of surfing and seawater in my veins, it’s only natural that I would to go to a tropical paradise where there would be waves for days, culture that would make me want to call it home and locals that I could call friends.
Confident that I’m not alone in this search for the perfect country to visit solo for the first time, I’ve compiled a few reasons why Indonesia is the perfect place for sun worshippers and surfers to go and book the next flight.
Indonesia is similar yet unique enough to be unpredictable.
If you’re like me, I pick a movie based on the synopsis. What separates a great movie from a good movie is that I would never be able to predict how the plot goes. Same with picking a place to go to, I choose a place for its story. I find Indonesia an adventure and romantic movie, one that’s waiting for me to be part of. For a person traveling solo outside the country for the first time, there’s comfort and security in the similar, and excitement and mystery in the unfamiliar.
An archipelago like the Philippines except with more than 17,000 islands, Indonesia is like visiting a sibling. Familiar enough to be comfortable yet still has those unique characteristics that take your breath away.
While Filipino and Bahasa have the most striking similarities in language compared to our other Southeast Asian neighbors, Indonesia has over 300 languages spoken all over the archipelago. This tells me that it’s okay to not be that well-versed in Bahasa during our first visit, we can always learn from the locals which is a more enjoyable way of immersing in the culture.
Likewise for a foreigner in the Philippines, this is also means that for every region we visit, there’s bound to be a surprise! A new lesson to be taught in language and a new friend to be earned. Knowing this makes me less intimidated to visit Indonesia and I’m sure a lot of others like me, who are just waiting for that extra push to go and book those tickets.
Reading stories of travelers who ventured across Indonesia and saw the dramatic landscape that would be forever ingrained in their memory, I wanted to experience this for myself. Tales of scenic views as beautiful and diverse as those living on it. Sulawesi, for example, has a wild and enticing coastline with lined with white-sand beaches and diving spots that would tempt any mermaid like me.
While Sumatra is outlined by a myriad of almost 100 volcanoes blending off into the distance with a few possibly erupting at any given time. Now, that is adventure right before your eyes! Be off the grid, away from the hustle of other tourists in Bandas one day, and after a few days have world class fun and amp your social life in Bali – this is but just the tip of the iceberg of what Indonesia offers.
This story is to be continued next week! Don’t forget to check out www.millennialmermaid.com for more!
