This week I spent 175,000 for a pack of pistachios. Thankfully, the currency was in Indonesian Rupiahs so it equaled around $10 USD. I mean, in a world where pistachios cost $175,000 USD I would be spending my time learning how to build fires and developing skills to become a hunter gatherer. My Mom visited this week and as a result she suggested we take a mother son trip to Indonesia. Without hesitation I agreed because I would have to be crazy to pass up on that opportunity. On Saturday the 5th, we began our trip to Bawah Reserves, a resort located in a small group of islands about 175 miles northeast of Singapore. At 7AM we woke up and took a taxi to a ferry that went south to Batam, Indonesia. As we did not spend much time in Batam (only drove to the airport from the ferry station) one thing stood out to me. There were motorcycles everywhere. I mean everywhere. Left, right, in front, behind, it did not matter, if you looked in any direction… motorcycle. We got to the airport and this is where the trip began to get exciting. There is no ferry to Bawah Reserves so how does one get to these islands? That is the million dollar question and the answer is sea plane. Firstly, whoever invented seaplanes is truly a mad man. You do not combine planes with water that is a huge no no. But someone who had truly lost their minds thought it was a great idea and it worked so here we are about to get in a seaplane. We get on the flight and the pilot cracks the worst joke I have ever heard and I think to myself “I am dead”. He turns on the engine and the propellers start spinning and I am convinced that not only will I go deaf, but this thing might be heard from Lewisburg. The flight took off and from there the nerves went away. Flying over the South China Sea was jaw dropping. The water was the exact same color as the sky and you could see the delicate ripples gliding over the surface. We flew over dozens of sandbars and mini islands that I would be shocked if anyone has ever stepped foot on. Eventually, in the distance you could see the small islands of Bawah become larger and the nerves began to pick up once again when I realized we are about to land and it is not going to be on a runway. The only thing distracting me from the fear that we are pretty much doing a controlled crash landing was the beauty of the islands.
(Photo Taken from Flight to Bawah Reserves, 4/5/2025)
The water began to approach and the plane made a surprisingly smooth landing. We exited the vehicle and began to dive into all of the activities the island had to offer. On Sunday, April 6th, me and my mom went on a hike to the opposite side of the island. The hike was not long given the island is only 0.25 square miles. To get to our destination which was Coconut Beach, you follow a trail that climbs to the top of the island and then descends down the opposite side of the island until you reach the sandy lookout over the South China Sea. Climbing through the silent humid jungle you could hear every crunch of a leaf. Even though it was midday, rain from the night before was still slowly overpowering the leaves above, forcing them to bend and guide individual droplets onto their journey downwards. The large amount of leaves makes it challenging for sunlight to pass through, causing an eerie shadow to be cast over the path. We reached the summit and began to descend. On the descent, the ground began to level back to flat and like a light at the end of a tunnel, sunlight, sand, and blue sky spilled through the trail up ahead. We reached Coconut Beach and the sand felt like butter. It was cool, damp, and soft from the rainfall the night before. We hung out at the beach, gazing at the views of the stretch of sand. About 200 yards into the ocean rested a small island whose only inhabitant seemed to be trees and one large rock. When we were ready to leave we had a decision to make. Go back the way we came and walk through the jungle or traverse across beaches, following the outline of the island until we found our hotel. The smart move would have been the first choice, the right move was the second. We climbed over small boulders and explored even more beaches. We ran into dry coral lying on the shore and purple anemone resting inches below the surface of the water. Small black tip reef sharks created splashes on the surface as they probed the sand beneath the water. Eventually, we reached the resort right as a gust of wind brought in a storm. As great as Singapore is, it was great to explore the natural beauty of Indonesia.
(Photo Taken from Bawah Reserve, 4/6/2025)