Author archive
19 July 2016
After breakfast at 0730, the tide was right for a swim. I quickly changed and went for a cool dip, lingering as much as possible to fill in the free day. I eventually came out of the water for fear of having had too much sun. After a quick shower, I checked the time. It […]
18 July 2016
Making arrangements If you’re wanting to dive in Derawan, it is best to come with friends. Diving around the different islands in the Derawan Archipelago can be expensive and difficult to organise for the solo traveller. It helps to split the cost of long distance boat hire with a friend, unless you’re happy to dive […]
18 July 2016
I did two dives today with Derawan Ocean Dive, whose boss is Osland. Dive mates today were Simon and Karen, both from Netherlands (whom I met earlier in Pontianak). We were headed to dive sites off the island of Kakaban today which is famous for its jelly-fish lake, so it would save us a pricey trip […]
17 July 2016
I woke around 0400, perhaps? I didn’t check my watch. I dozed till 0630 then got up. Checking my emails, I found that Qantas had a good sale for next year. Even better, they had the sale prices available for my Easter 2017 trip to see crucifixions in the Philippines. I spent an hour on […]
16 July 2016
Above: Takes 1h20 in a propeller plane but it takes 18 hours on a bus. Leaving the hotel at 0645 and I got to the Balikpapan’s flash airport in about twenty minutes. It helped being Saturday. I found Wings Air’s check-in desk which was closed. There was a note saying that the flight was delayed […]
15 July 2016
I woke around 0330 and stayed in bed till 0530. I finally opened the bag of muesli which I had brought along and had it with some milk and a cup of coffee. I had investigated taking a taxi to KWPLH Sun Bear Sanctuary but prices came in consistently at IDR400K (NZD40). They were negotiable […]
14 July 2016
Due to the previous days’ early starts I woke up naturally early as well. I didn’t want to eat too early, so walked down to the waterfront and tried to take a shared boat service across the river. The boatman said there wasn’t any as it was too early. He said he would take me […]
13 July 2016
I had time for breakfast at the hotel before taking a taxi at 0700 to Banjarmasin’s airport 45 minutes away. Checkin for my 0925 departure to Balikpapan on Wings Air was swift. Once airside I noticed that yesterday 1555 flight had been delayed till around 0900. And this morning’s ~0615 flight delayed till around 0920. […]
12 July 2016
I had set the alarm for 0430 (which is 0330 Pontianak time where I had come from). I met the Simon & Karen at reception with their lovely guide Nurul Hidayah. We soon boarded a kelotok (boat) from the hotel’s back gate. In the darkness we navigated upriver and saw the sky turn pink. About […]
11 July 2016
Above: Dayak tail on Kalstar ATR (pronounced Ah Teh Eerrr, here). I woke at 0330 even though my alarm was for 0415. Flight departure to somewhere new and exciting, (Banjarmasin, was 0630 so I left the hotel by taxi booked for 0445. It was five minutes late but I still got to the new airport […]