This page was last updated Di 04 April 2023.

Contents: Tours (16)    Cycling info pages (1)   

Indonesia (all)

This page lists all reports that for Indonesia including those that involve other countries too.
Click here for a list of reports that involve only Indonesia.
All descriptions are in English, unless otherwise noted.

Tours

Impressions from Bicycle Travels - Visual stories from around the globe.
by Photographer Paul Jeurissen & his partner Grace Johnson, tour started 2018, submitted 26 December 2018

In 2010 we set off on a multi-year bike trip covering 4 continents. Wherever we go, we search out bike culture, dramatic landscapes, and remote places.

So come pedal with us through the icy Himalayas, the barren Pamir highway, tropical East Africa and the chaos of Dhaka in search of unique cycling images.

Self portrait taken in Dali, China
Tasting Travels - Tasting the Cultures of the world by bike
by Annika & Roberto, tour started November 2011, submitted 1 December 2013
language: en, de, es

Blog entries and Articles about people, places and cultures.

Bicycle Travel as a Model to Cultivate Empathy.

We are currently travelling by bicycle and promoting this idea along the way. We would like to share the wonders of bike travel with the world and help other people to plan their own. We do this by writing about our experiences in our blog, posting articles about people, places and their culture in our website and giving live presentations in schools. We are moved by the strong believe that bike travel is an excellent way to cultivate empathy in our world, not only towards human beings but to other living species. We hope you have fun browsing through our site and we will be happy to hear from you. We look forward to receiving your questions and reading your comments. We are at your service.

Roberto and Annika cycling through Iran in August 2012
Overland touring
by Jacques & Mandy, tour started June 2012, submitted 8 June 2012

It's hard to describe the feeling when you're just about to start an extended overland trip - it's even harder to describe the feeling when that trip is about to end, but the end of one trip however means that you are that little bit closer to the beginning of the next adventure.

We completed our 1st overland trip after 545 days on the road, traveling just over 70,000km and crossing 35 countries.

Our 2nd trip was always going to happen, it was just a matter of deciding how, when and where and after a lot of deliberation we finally decided on the next adventure. Some people think it's a bit extreme when comparing it to our trip from Oz to Cape Town, but what would life really be like without a bit of adventure and challenges. After all, we are all here to live life...!

A bicycle! Yes, that's right, a bicycle!!

We are hoping to cover about 20,000 km over a planned 12 month period starting in Indonesia, heading north from there through SE Asia into southern China before making a u-turn to go south once again through Vietnam before hopping onto a plane to continue in India to finally reach Nepal.

Gobi, Mongolia
One year off: NZ, Australia, Malaysia, Sumatra, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia
by gaia&alessandro, tour started 2009, submitted 10 February 2012
language: it

This is the summary of the e-mail we sent home to friends while cycling during our one-year off bicycle journey. It contains some useful info as well as simple descriptions of our experience.

Italian (we can reply to any question in English!)

See all 2 reports by gaia&alessandro

the most difficult thing is to leave: a cycling tour through New Zealand, Australia, Malaysia, Sumatra, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia
by gaia&alessandro, tour started January 2009, submitted 6 January 2012
language: it

Got married,he asked for a hold, she resigned, rented the flat and we were ready to say our granny and cats goodbye.

See all 2 reports by gaia&alessandro

leaving Finch Hutton Gorge, Queensland
Cycling in Indonesia
by Paul Jeurissen & Grace Johnson, tour started 2010, submitted 16 July 2010
Asia: Indonesia
language: en, nl

Cycling in Indonesia gave us a new definition to the word ``green''. Green is overwhelming, multi-hued and... tropical. So it also means, ``dreaming of a shower'' after a long (hot?) and humid cycling day.

On our Cycling in Indonesia website we show what it's like to travel through this tropical country.

See all 4 reports by Paul Jeurissen & Grace Johnson

Cycling in Sumatra
Where the Heck is Sulawesi?
by Jerry Griswold, tour started March 2009, submitted 28 November 2009
Asia: Indonesia

I've cycled in Indonesia numerous times on the islands of Raiu, Java, Bali, and Lombok. I love Bali and have been there a half dozen times. Bali is a small island so cycling is somewhat limited, but I still find myself going back again and again. I stumbled upon a magazine article about an Australian who did a bicycle tour on Sulawesi, and that peeked my interest. I did some research and decided to travel there and take a look. Sulawesi is considered an exotic destination and therefore attracts a number of foreign tourists.

The climate is warm there, much warmer than the usual winter temperatures in Northern California. The winter of '08/'09 through January anyway, has been very dry and not near as cold as past winters. My bike ride in Sulawesi will take 23 days, a couple of which I will spend in wonderful Bali before flying on to that island. I invite you to come along with me as I visit the sights to be seen in Sulawesi.

See all 2 reports by Jerry Griswold

Shang Hai --> Padang, West Sumatra - 8000 KM in 3 Months
by Ali G, tour started April 2009, submitted 12 September 2009

A solo cycling journey from Shanghai, China to Padang, West Sumatra During the spring/summer of 2009 I determined to cycle departing from my pre-war apartment in Shanghai and to continue as far as I could in the three months time I had from April 11th until July 11th. 8000 eventful Kilometers later I finally reached Padang, West Sumatra.

Aside from only one ferry ride connecting Penang, Malaysia to the Port of Belawan, North Sumatra the whole trip was by bicycle. During the trip I encountered fierce rains and winds, steep climbs and endless mountains, roads that went from pavement to mud and rocks, monkeys jumping down from the trees, snakes the length of baseball bats, lizards the size of big cats, Hmong Guerillas with AK47's on a misty mountain pass. I experienced the kindness of strangers as well as the indecency of others. I pushed my middle-aged body to the limit and achieved a personal record in northern Thailand by cycling 263 kilometers non-stop in one truly eventful day of fast and hard riding.

It is difficult for the pictures I shot of myself (with my outdated 5 mega-pixel camera's auto shoot feature) to capture the true essence of this journey. They can't capture the nearly 2000 kilometers of continuous climbs from western Guangxi through North/Central Laos and the often steep ascents, fierce winds and heavy rains encountered there. The lonely days of riding up and up and the anguish felt after reaching a pass and realizing there are only more mountains to cross in the horizon. Nor can they capture the lighting fast descents on winding mountain roads with hair pin turns, where I have mastered the act of riding without my hands, singing and strumming along to the thumping tunes on my ipod. Pictures can't capture the restless nights sleeping alone in the jungle, in a bamboo hut open to all the elements, the night creatures taunting and wailing out load as if in mocking and the loud claps of thunder that drown out the sound of the jungle creatures. Pictures can't capture the struggle of lifting a fully loaded touring bike and hand carrying it over mud and rock slides which persist kilometer after kilometer during the rainy seasons in China's western regions. Pictures cant capture the taunting calls of 'hello mister' or 'tourist' by the locals in all of Sumatra or the endearing smiles on faces of Laotian children as I ride by, they can't capture the maddening and often dangerous traffic in parts of China and Sumatra and the disregard of truck drivers and other motor vehicles for the lone cyclist on the rode and they can't capture the army of bugs at dusk flying into my face, eyes and clothes, pelting me as if hail from the skies above. [...]

Tandeming 'round the world' 09
by Art & Judee Wickersham, tour started December 2008, submitted 29 December 2008

We are entering our fourth year on our tandem adventure 'round the world'. We have visited Mexico, Central & South America, New Zeland, Australia, South East Asia, China, and Europe. We are now wintering over on the Costa Del Sol, Spain. Off to Morocco in Feb. 09 then back into Europe for 09.

See all 2 reports by Art & Judee Wickersham

Bicycle World Tour
by Eric Wehrheim, tour started June 2005, submitted 18 January 2008
language: en, de, sp, ko

This is our second big trip with bicycle. It just started 1998 from Germany over Africa up to Asia with the destination South Korea (2000). Now, again on the road, we are travelling by bicycle in South America. We are since 06/2005 again on the road.

Dies ist nun schon unsere zweite grosse Radtour. Es begann 1998 in Deutschland mit dem Weg nach Suedkorea und einem Abstecher in Afrika. Nun, seit 06/2005, sind wir mit unseren Raedern in Suedamerika unterwegs.

See all 2 reports by Eric Wehrheim

Mun Suk & Eric with her bicycles
Cycling around Asia and Australia
by Linda Spadolini, tour started May 2004, submitted 24 October 2007
language: en, it

In May 2004, after having worked for 18 months in China, I decided to hit the road to fulfill my dream of a lifetime: to travel extensively in Asia and Oceania without the pressure of time and the necessity of airplane travel. My idea was to travel mostly overland and give myself enough time to get to know faraway countries and different cultures by living as close as possible to the local realities.

Having met Fred during my last months in China and finding his ``RTW by bicycle'' a very stimulating way of traveling, I planned my journey in such a way as to be able to join him in the Philippines and spend 6 months on the road with him. The experience was a success and when Fred took the road to Europe from India, I decided to continue traveling by bicycle on my own in South-East Asia and finally Australia.

See all 3 reports by Linda Spadolini

Cycling on the beach in Kerala, India
wish tour (world bicycle tour) photos and stories from a bicycle tour around the world
by Rick Gunn, tour started July 2007, submitted 8 July 2007

Welcome to the Wish Tour!

Below you will find the photos and journal from a two-year, 20,000-mile bicycle journey around the world.

Starting in July 2005, this journal will take readers across the United States, Europe, Turkey, Uzbekistan, Kyrgystan, China, Tibet, Nepal, India, Bangladesh, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia, Borneo, Indonesia, Australia and New Zealand.

The journey began more than 20 years ago, as the seeds of a dream to circumnavigate the globe were cultivated from a deeply personal and painful experience.

[Absolutely stunning pictures.]

Cycling Home From Siberia
by Rob Lilwall, tour started 2006, submitted 23 January 2007

A 40,000 km. 3 year ride through 30 countries, from far eastern Russia (Siberia) in winter, to London England, via Australia. Trying to cover the whole route by bicycle and boat only. I have encountered plenty of good times and a few tough ones, noteably in Siberia (camping at minus forty), Papua New Guinea (pushing my bike down a beach as no roads) and Tibet (in winter).

In Siberia (2004)
Brink Expedition
by Kendon Glass, tour started October 2002, submitted 26 February 2006

The Route:

Americas: Venezuela, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, Argentina
Atlantic Traverse: Azores Islands [Portugal]
Europe: Spain, France, Italy, Greece, Turkey
The Middle East: Iran
Central Asia: Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, China, Pakistan, India
South East Asia: Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia
Australasia: Australia

Welcome to the Brink Expedition!

Imagine attempting a global traverse that would take you 50,000 kilometres through some of the most difficult terrain and extreme weather on the planet, all the time attempting to use only human power and the natural elements.

Starting deep in the heart of Amazonian South America the Brink Expedition will encounter unforgiving Patagonian winds, snowed over Himalayan Mountain passes, monsoons on the sub-continent and the oppressive heat of Australia's Red Centre.

So while the clock ticks, the seasons will turn, making this a full-throttled Race Against the Elements!

Five continents on the bike 2001-2006
by rolmaatjes, tour started August 2001, submitted 8 October 2005
language: nl

In 2001 vanuit Nederland vertrokken en nu okt 2005 meer dan 65.000 km en al meer dan 40 landen doorgefietst.

Op de achtergrond het beroemde operagebouw in Sydney
Nederland Azie op die fiets
by Jurgen en Saskia, tour started September 2001
language: nl

Ja, hebben jullie het al gezien, we zijn meer dan 4 jaar onderweg. Wat een tijd en toch.... we genieten er nog elke dag van. Nu zijn we in Jujuy, noord Argentinië. Via Chili gaan we binnenkort naar Bolivia, waar we een tijdlang niet zullen kunnen internetten. We zullen op grote hoogte gaan fietsen, hoogtes waar we nog niet eerder waren. Of dat prettig is.. jullie zullen het later lezen.

Cycling info pages

Bicycles - World's Most Efficient Means of Transport
by Hostelio, , submitted 2 September 2009

Man on a bicycle can go three or four times faster than the pedestrian, but uses five times less energy in the process. He carries one gram of his weight over a kilometer of flat road at an expense of only 0.15 calories. The bicycle is the perfect transducer to match man's metabolic energy to the impedance of locomotion. Equipped with this tool, man outstrips the efficiency of not only all machines but all other animals as well. [...]

Bicycles are not only thermodynamically efficient, they are also cheap. With his much lower salary, the Chinese acquires his durable bicycle in a fraction of the working hours an American devotes to the purchase of his obsolescent car. The cost of public utilities needed to facilitate bicycle traffic versus the price of an infrastructure tailored to high speeds is proportionately even less than the price differential of the vehicles used in the two systems. In the bicycle system, engineered roads are necessary only at certain points of dense traffic, and people who live far from the surfaced path are not thereby automatically isolated as they would be if they depended on cars or trains. The bicycle has extended man's radius without shunting him onto roads he cannot walk. Where he cannot ride his bike, he can usually push it.

The bicycle also uses little space. Eighteen bikes can be parked in the place of one car, thirty of them can move along in the space devoured by a single automobile. It takes three lanes of a given size to move 40,000 people across a bridge in one hour by using automated trains, four to move them on buses, twelve to move them in their cars, and only two lanes for them to pedal across on bicycles. Of all these vehicles, only the bicycle really allows people to go from door to door without walking. The cyclist can reach new destinations of his choice without his tool creating new locations from which he is barred. [...]