THREE REASONS TO TRAVEL INDONESIA

Indonesia is home to some of the world’s most unique cultural, linguistic, and environmental variations in the world. This Southeast Asian nation comprises thousands of volcanic islands, hundreds of ethnic groups each speaking their own language and is home to Komodo dragons, manta rays, elephants, orangutans, tigers, jungles and beaches that epitomize the concept of paradise. At Samata, we’ve had the great privilege of cruising Indonesia’s famous archipelagoes and in this process, have come to discover a plethora of reasons for people to journey to this sacred part of the world. While there are hundreds of reasons that would pique your interest, here are three reasons to travel to Indonesia:

#1 The Natural Wonder

Raja Amat, Indonesia lies at the heart of the coral triangle in what is considered the most biodiverse part of the sea or ocean in the entire world. Indonesia’s natural world is abundant in life, colour an variety in both the sea and above the water. This Southeast Asian nation is home to almost 2000 species of birds; endemic reptiles such as Komodo Dragons, Sulawesi Bloodsuckers, and Sulawesi Forest Turtles and of course, the Sumatran elephant, which is now listed as a highly endangered species.

With more than 17,000 islands, Indonesia boasts a highly variable topography, ensuring a life-time of visits – even then, you couldn’t possibly experience it all. Volcanoes, plateaus and mountain ranges give Indonesia it’s awe-inspiring geographical texture.

#2 Its History Of Fascination

Indonesia has extremely ancient roots with fossil remains dating back to more than a million years ago. In more recent history, the very first publicly traded companies were set up to fund the exploration of the then named Spice Islands. The Spice Islands are now called the Moluccas, but they’ve been inhabited for tens of thousands of years. In fact, spice trade was encouraged by the native people for a very long time before the first Europeans set foot on the islands.

Nutmeg and cloves largely drove the spice trade as they were unique and native to this group of islands. Since spices were once worth their weight in gold, control of the Moluccas was synonymous with extreme wealth.

Samata cruises throughout these areas and it’s fascinating to draw correlations from these beautiful islands to some key moments in the economic history of our planet.

#3 A Cultural Melting Pot

Culturally, Indonesia is home to many tribes, religions and languages. Being centrally located centrally-located along ancient trading routes between the Far East, South Asia and the Middle East, Indonesia is home to a large variety of cultural practices that have been strongly influenced by Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, and Christianity to name a few. At least 300 ethnic groups have been identified in Indonesia, each with their own set of customs and distinctive cultural objects, which means Indonesia does not prescribe to one, united, national identity, unlike many European or Western nations.

Indonesians have always been communal, this is seen in the way farmers work together to cultivate their lands and manage resources and how villages take care of each other within their close-knit communities. Travel to Indonesia with Samata and you’ll see the inclusiveness and friendliness of Indonesians from the crew we have on board to the local communities we so often visit.

It is these three reasons to travel Indonesia that allow us, at Samata, the opportunity to create the voyage of a lifetime for our guests. Even for our repeat visitors, we’re able to guarantee that no two trips will be the same. For a life changing experience destined to wash awe and surprise over you, consider travelling to Indonesia and let us host you, so that together, we may co-create memories that will last a lifetime.

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