Parkour Jakarta: Survival of the Fittest

By: Ario Triwibowo

Parkour, the trend that has become a lifestyle, originated in France. Parkour (or PK, for short) is an activity of moving from one point to another as efficiently and quickly as possible, using principally the abilities of the human body. It is meant to help one overcome obstacles, which can be anything in the surrounding environment. No wonder this art of movement found its way to Indonesia, where obstacles are part and parcel of urban life. In the 2000s Parkour was one of the most viral and inspiring physical art forms worldwide. Parkour touched base in Jakarta around 2007, slowly developing into several regional sub-groups in other areas of Indonesia. Now, all over Indonesia dedicated communities practice the art of survival in a concrete jungle!

Cambodia’s One & Only Mad Tuk Tuk Challenge: A WHEEL Life Adventure!

GET READY to kick off a Cambodian adventure with the 2012 MaD Tuk Tuk Challenge, charity rally. A TURBO adrenalin rush! How about a gruelling challenge set to keep your blood pumping for a whole 11 days and more than 1,750kms!!!

The THIRD YEAR of the MaD Tuk Tuk Challenge, a tuk tuk rally with a difference, is set to commence on the Easter Weekend holidays on 6th APRIL 2012. A guaranteed adrenalin rush on 3wheels - with a bonus, for those forever searching for that perfect hit!

Teams are allowed to pimp up their Tuk Tuks to the max [OPTIONAL] then take to the tracks of Cambodia, crossing some of the most unexplored and extreme areas of South East Asia all in name of charity. The route will take the entourage through remote villages where they will set up camp. Each team is also fundraising for their Tuk Tuk Team through sponsorship and donations to reach a combined target total of US20K in partnership with MaD Cambodia.

Primary focus of the event is to raise enough funds to continue the charity MaD’s work in Cambodia and to build & manage their new projects in the coming 2011/2012 dry season. 100% of funds donated and raised go to MaD Cambodia's Projects... Not 10%!

Rolling Through Asia on Two Wheels: Daphne & Colin Cycled from Chengdu to Phnom Penh

By: Gabi Yetter

It sounded like a wonderful idea at the time….cycling across Asia, a warm wind blowing through their hair, connecting with smiling villagers as they traversed the hillsides and back roads of foreign lands.

That’s how it first sounded to Daphne van Rijssen (28)  and Colin van Klingeren (39) when their host in Chengdu, China, offered them a couple of bikes at a good price and the intrepid Dutch couple decided to hit the trail and explore Asia on two wheels.

Three months later, it didn’t seem like such a good idea. After crossing four countries, struggling up mountains in China and racing to avoid expired visas, Daphne and Colin ended their 2,800 km ride in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and retired their vehicles for other forms of transportation.

Along the way, however, they had some memorable adventures and saw parts of Asia that most people never have the opportunity to experience.

BlrghhhbrrBubble#Bubble…Manta Ray Ahoy!

By: Emma Kwee

For those of you who read my last post, Nusa Penida: Mola Mola & then some...it will not come as a surprise that I was shaking in my booties for our next adventure. Nusa Penida, a coarse and rough island south of Bali, was again the port of call. Divers from all over the world flock around this island looking for mostly two things: the aforementioned and encountered Mola Mola, and the giant Manta Ray.

A Fish Spa for Manta Rays

The Manta Ray, just like the Mola, come here to get themselves cleaned up. To do that, Manta Rays visit a fish spa, in divers' jargon called cleaning station, where small fish such as wrasse, remora, and angelfish swim in the manta's gills and over its skin to feed, in the process cleaning it of parasites and dead tissue.

Yoga in Bali: Where to go?

By: Ed Caffin

Ohm… Bali has something for everyone. As a holiday destination the island offers all you wish for: beaches, good weather and an endless variety of restaurants and activities. Whether you want to shop, surf or party till you drop, Bali has it all. Among the millions of holiday-makers, the island attracts an ever growing number of yoga practitioners. Especially since the bestseller book and subsequent blockbuster movie Eat, Pray, Love, going on a meditation and yoga retreat on Bali seems the thing to do. But where to go?

It’s safe to say that Bali has grown into Asia’s center for yoga. This is partly due to fact that the practice of yoga is part of Balinese Hindu religion. Balinese style yoga classes, focusing mainly on spiritual energy, can be found all over the island, but most centers adopt a more physically oriented western style of Hatha or Ashtanga yoga. Good studio’s can be found all over the island, most of them however are situated in the Kuta-Denpasar area and around Ubud.

Magic Mountain: One Man’s Mission to Save Gunung Sewu Through Ecotourism

By: Monica Dominguez

“Do you mind if I draw on your map?” Agung Setyobudi makes a huge brown streak across my Yogyakarta map, showing me the area the Gunungsewu occupies. It turns out one would need maps all the way to East Java, including the coast, to see the entire area. Gunungsewu is huge; a plateau approximately 120 km long by 60 km wide, stretched between ranges of active volcanos both to the north and to the south. “It would take months to really explore it.”

Setyobudi, founder of local non-governmental organization Save Gunungsewu, spends a large percentage of his days and nights climbing, exploring and mapping this region. But why Gunungsewu? Setyobudi seeks to protect the beauty and natural aspect of this region, but with the mystique of Gunungsewu’s unique ecosystems, there is also an appeal for mining companies, rock climbers and archeologists.

Muck Diving in Puri Jati

Muck diving is all about detecting marine life on the seabed. It’s a favorite pastime of (macro) photographers and requires a good set of eyes, a lot of patience and good buoyancy. Since I didn’t really master the latter yet, am not known for my patience, and tend to overlook things above and under water, I was a bit worried that I might end up kicking up muck with my flippers, spoiling the view for everyone.

Nevertheless, we went muck diving in Puri Jati, a small hamlet located between Lovina and Tulamben, on the north coast of Bali. As muck diving is done in calm, shallow water, the gently descending sandy slope in this spot is perfect for the job.

Is That Why They Call It A Wetsuit?

Yes, I have just landed on Bali, my diving adventure has begun! Before embarking on the trip of a lifetime, I met up with the people of Aquamarine, one of the most professional and established diving schools in Bali. They talked me through my journey and what to expect.

The first day I was going to practice my newly acquired diving skills once again in a pool. After that it would be off to Menjangan island in the Northwest of Bali. Apparently Menjangan is one of the best diving spots in Bali. It’s famous for its colorful coral walls, good visibility and abundant marine life.

Pool Skills

After having learned the basic theory on diving through e-learning, before departing to Indonesia it was time for my first underwater experience. In a pool that is. Traveling by bus through an uninspiring Dutch suburb to reach the pool, the tropical Balinese underwater world seemed far away. After a quick recap it was time to put on wetsuit, fins and mask and jump in the pool. First thing that struck me was how heavy the BCD (the trimvest) and oxygen tank were…luckily the 15 kilo load became weightless underwater or my kneecaps might have fallen off.

The best way to learn how to dive is by following the theory lessons and put theory into practice during several diving lessons. As I didn’t have enough time for that, I learned all theory and then spent a whole day in the pool to master the skills in practice.

The Rinjani [Rubbish] Trail: How Lombok’s Majestic Rinjani is Covered in Mountains of Litter!

By: Hush Petersen, published in Jakarta Expat

The naturalist John Muir is credited with a quote most mountain climbers have memorised and tend to recite after a few beers or moments of beauty and sheer awe. Climb to the top of Rinjani in Lombok and you might hear a few of the brave souls who left camp at 2am to make the sunrise summit mumble it to themselves during the euphoria that comes with the 3,726-metre accomplishment.

Society speaks and all men listen, mountains speak and wise men listen.”

If Rinjani herself could speak, she would beg for help. If only the men in charge of caring for her would listen.

With tens of thousands of locals and foreigners alike flocking to Lombok every year bent on conquering the brutal three-day trek up the 3,726-metre summit, officials, trek organisers and skeleton clean-up crews can't seem to keep up with the purple packs of empty Kukubima forgotten along the trails and the streamers of used toilet paper strewn like tinsel through the high grass mere metres off the beaten path.