Indonesia was the heart of our 2026 Southeast Asia trip. We started on the island of Flores, based in Labuan Bajo, then boarded a traditional wooden liveaboard for a multi-day voyage through Komodo National Park — Padar sunrises, Komodo dragons, pink beaches, manta rays and whale sharks — all the way across to Lombok. From there we set our sights upward, on the three-day trek up Mount Rinjani, before flying on to the jungles and volcanoes of Sumatra. All our stories from the Indonesia leg are collected below.
Sumatra
Jungle treks and orangutans in Bukit Lawang, Berastagi, and the calm of Lake Toba on Samosir Island.
Berastagi & Samosir Island — a hospital scare, then Lake Toba calm
Cheap market haircuts in Berastagi, a midnight hospital dash to rule out malaria for Noah — then the restful days we needed on Samosir Island: disc golf with water buffalo, fishing on Lake Toba, and a brilliant Batak cooking course.
Read more →
Bukit Lawang — jungle trekking for wild orangutans
A chaotic 1 a.m. arrival, then three days trekking Gunung Leuser National Park: wild orangutans within minutes, leeches, a macaque raid on our treehouse, a jungle thunderstorm and a rain-swollen river ride out.
Read more →Lombok & Rinjani
Arriving by sea, waterfalls and rice fields in Senaru, the epic three-day Mount Rinjani trek, and a gentle island finale on the Secret Gilis.
The Secret Gilis — turtles, snorkelling and island disc golf
A private-boat day around the quiet Secret Gilis: a perfect turtle on the reef, idyllic little beaches, grilled fish on the sand and disc golf on the islands — the soft landing after Rinjani.
Read more →
Climbing Mount Rinjani — three days on Indonesia’s second-highest volcano
A brutal two-day push to the 3,726m summit for sunrise (with a 360° panorama from the top), down into the crater to the lake and hot springs, and a terrifying climb back out.
Read more →
Arriving in Lombok — Senaru waterfalls, rice fields and a sunset over Rinjani
A family homestay in Senaru, the thundering Tiu Kelep waterfall, a walk through the rice paddies, a traditional Sasak village and a sunset over the volcano.
Read more →
Crossing to Lombok — whale sharks on Noah’s birthday, dolphins and a Bounty island
The second half of the liveaboard from Komodo to Lombok: a rough night crossing, jumping off the boat, two huge whale sharks on Noah’s birthday, a pod of wild dolphins — and finally stepping ashore in Lombok.
Read more →Komodo & Flores
Based in Labuan Bajo on Flores, then a multi-day liveaboard through Komodo National Park — caves, Padar sunrises, dragons and manta rays.
Komodo National Park by boat — a 4:30am sunrise, four dragons and manta rays
Boarding the Alfathran III liveaboard: a 4:30am climb to the Padar Island sunrise, the not-very-pink Pink Beach, four Komodo dragons (a baby included) and manta rays gliding under us at Manta Point.
Read more →
Labuan Bajo — a shark bite, flying foxes and Vitus finally catches a fish
A sunset island cruise with a genuine (if tiny) shark bite, thousands of flying foxes at dusk, and a chaotic-then-brilliant fishing trip where Vitus caught six fish — grilled for us at NY Crab.
Read more →
Arriving in Flores — Labuan Bajo, caves and the best fish ever
Landing in Labuan Bajo after the airport chaos in KL — a quicksand beach, a forgettable hotel dinner, crawling through caves, a swim in a hidden water cave, and the best grilled fish of our lives at the night market.
Read more →