Indonesia is a beautiful country in Southeast Asia that most people dream of visiting one day. That isn’t hard to comprehend when you look at the versatile landscapes and cultural grounds Indonesia possesses. Indonesia has more than 13,000 islands and not all villages on these islands are up to modern standards and it can be hard to reach out in case of emergency. So when you’re planning to travel around Indonesia, make sure to have a prepaid phone with enough phone credit so you can always reach people in case of emergency. You can make an online mobile recharge in one of the internet cafes before you go visit remote villages and islands. When you’re planning to travel around Indonesia, these are five things you should do to have a full Indonesian experience.

Visit the Gili Islands

White sandy beaches, unimaginably clear water and ultimate tranquility, that sums up the Indonesian Gili Islands. The Gili Islands are a group of three islands near the coast of Lombok. Gili Trawangan is the largest of the three and this is the only Gili Island where you can pay with a card instead of cash. Gili Air is the smallest Gili island, but also the most populated one. If you are looking for a real bounty island feeling you must visit Gili Meno. Gili Meno is the middle island, but it is the most quiet of the three islands. The most amazing thing about the Gili Islands is that there are no motorized vehicles. Everyone goes from one place to another by foot, with horse and carriage or by bike. You can get to the Gili Islands by boat.

Discover the reef

Indonesia has one of the most lively underwater worlds in the whole world. Because of its location near the Equator the water is tropically warm and it houses more than 600 kinds of coral and more than 3,000 species of fish, which makes it one of the most diverse reefs in the whole world. When you go diving in the sea around the Gili Islands you’ll swim among the sea turtles and the manta rays in Nusa Lembongan.

Hike around the volcanoes at sunrise

Indonesia had a lot of volcanoes, some are even still active! A must-see is the still active Bromo volcano. The view at sunrise is simply breathtaking. A hike to the Ijen volcano is also an experience that you can’t miss while in Indonesia. The Ijen volcano is the only volcano in the world where they collect brimstone. The heat of the brimstone creates a fluorescent light in the dark. Make sure you cover your nose and mouth while visiting the Ijen crater, because the sulfur gas around this crater is poisonous.

Visit temples

Indonesia has a lot of impressive Hindu and Buddhist temples, so when you visit Indonesia it is an absolute must that you visit at least one of these temples. Two of the most impressive temples in Indonesia are Borobudur and Prambanan. Of course there are many, many more amazing temples in Indonesia, but these two temples are especially impressive. Borobudur is the largest temple in Indonesia and is a Buddhist temple. The temple’s reliefs tell about Buddha and his beliefs and it was built with 55,000 m³ of stone. The relief carvings of Prambanan narrate stories of Vishnu’s incarnations, Hanuman the Monkey King, the Ramayana and other Hindu legends.

Surround yourself with monkeys

Indonesia houses various monkey forests, like the Sacred Monkey Forest of Padangtegal (near Ubud), the Alas Kedaton Monkey Forest (near Tabanan) and the Sangeh Monkey Forest (near Sangeh). These monkey forests are natural reserves, but also spiritual sanctuaries and houses of monkeys (of course). The monkeys that live here are Balinese long-tailed monkeys. These monkeys can be very bold and before you know it, there is one monkey on your shoulder and one monkey checking your bag. So be cautious of your stuff and don’t be surprised when you have suddenly got a monkey on your back.

These five things to do in Indonesia are just to name a few of the many things Indonesia has to offer. The country allows you to really explore nature and visit spiritual places that you can’t find anywhere else in the world.

A proud home to the sporting teams Tigers, Pistons, Lions and Redwings, Detroit is definitely a city to see and take the time to explore its rich history and multicultural areas. Here’s some inspiration:

1. Old Saint Mary’s Church

Source: Flickr

The third oldest German Roman Catholic church in the Greektown district of Detroit, was first built here in 1841, that makes parts of this church really, really old. The inside is extremely impressive and calming. There’s daily mass at 12.15pm, and Sundays at 2pm there’s a whole program to enjoy of music from the choirs, organs and string instruments.

Built in a Romanesque style with Venetian accents, you don’t have to be catholic to enjoy a visit to the Old Saint Mary’s Church, just respectful, as its really, quite beautiful.

2. The Fisher Building

Another wonderful art deco building rich with Detroit history is the Fisher Building. 30 stories and 21 elevators, this building was built in 1928 by the Fisher family. After numerous owners it sold in 2015 at a loss at 12.2 million.

A silver medal for architecture this building is also home to the Fisher theatre, one of Detroit’s oldest live theatre venues, and regularly host art exhibitions. Love your architecture? Then you’ll love the Fisher building.

3. The Detroit people Mover

The Detroit People mover is the city’s light rail train system. Opened in 1987, this monorail was meant to be the next big thing for the city but after small success, and a scale back on planning, this left only one track for the sidecar in completion. The People Mover today is not a bad way to get around town, when you need to travel in one direction. You are touring above the street and get to see lots of the city scoot past as you travel from one station to the next. 13 stops in all, one round trip is very affordable and you can say you’ve been people moved by the city of Detroit. This is an underestimated gem of Detroit and one to get into.

4. William Livingstone Memorial

This great big marble lighthouse was erected April 8, 1930, atop the east end of Belle Isle Park. It commemorated the life and work of banker, publisher and transportation aficionado, and all round great guy, William Livingstone. This lighthouse was built to remember his work shipping on the great lakes and preserved as a memorial because he did so much for Michigan.

Sitting 80 feet high you can’t actually go in to the lighthouse, but admire it from behind the fence, which is not too bad, as it’s a beautiful sight to see.

5. Museum of African American History

This museum celebrates and explores the culture and history of African Americans. Established in 1965, the museum aims to preserve black history and is a cultural icon in the city of Detroit. As well as 35,00 artefacts the museum also has a library, a theatre, research centre and gift shop. The run permanent and visiting exhibitions, and have an events calendar running concerts, screening, performances and lectures.

Open Tuesday to Sunday (Mondays as well in February for Black History Month) Tickets are very affordable at $5 for children and seniors and $8 for adults.

6. Mexicantown

Source: Flickr

Mexicantown – The name says it all! You guessed it. This part of Detroit was named for the settling of the Mexican population in the town in the 1940’s. It grew in waves of immigrants then in the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s and is now a vibrant place to see in the city. Colourful buildings, memorials and street art and the neighbourhood is full of restaurants. Are you hungry for Mexican food? Definitely make your way down and try one of the many traditional restaurants in the area, try a few if you have the time!

Further reading:

• Official tourism office on Visit Detroit
• Detroit’s top 25 on The Crazy Tourist
• Timeline of the Rise and Fall of Detroit on The Week

Semarang has loads of options to delight and amaze your tastebuds – everything from very modest food stalls to spectacular fancy restaurants, and almost every dish you come across can be amazing. This central Java city has plenty to attract those in search of great food and decent places to stay and if you appreciate simple online hotels booking Whiz Hotel Semarang makes things easy. The design of the building is awesome and the rooms are clean, comfortable and smell good. Hungry yet?

Lekker
Lekker (similar to what Europe serves as a crêpe) are different across Indonesia. Unlike the ones in Jakarta which are thin and crunchy and only come with chocolate the local favourite, Lekker Paimo comes in a variety of flavours. They are I can absolute taste sensation, you’ll never be able to have just one.

Loenpia

This is an absolute classic dish and one you will find served at all levels of gastronomy, right across the city. These flavoursome little spring rolls full of bamboo shoots, dried shrimp, chicken, and prawns are a real local favourite so you’ll see plenty of varieties. If you really want the best go for loenpia gang lombok or loenpia mbak lien.

Tahu Pong
Fried tofu can be a bit hit or miss, if it’s not flavoured properly it can be quite bland. However, served the local way it’s creamier inside than the normal white tofu, and with a splash of plecing (sweet sauce) it is absolutely delicious. This is one of the traditional foods of the area and you might see it alongside other favourites such as sliced raw cabbage, rice cake, egg, and shrimp fried with flour.

Wingko Babat

This is one of the dishes this city is known for. These luscious little pancakes with grated coconut have a subtle but striking flavour and make a good snack for any time of the day. Get them in either a large, plate-sized cake or small, paper wrapped nuggets of delicious.This one is to be particularly recommended, don’t leave without trying one.

Presto Milkfish
Seafood is always good in this town but this flavoursome dish of fish steamed in banana leaves. Packed full of spices there is enough ginger, turmeric and roasted coriander in the recipe t really pack a punch. When the fish goes in it’s covered in little spikes but the high-pressure cooking method leaves them soft and add texture to this traditional dish. Don’t be put off, they’re a real treat.

There’s lots of European influence to Semarang food and it’s a delight to get stuck into these tasty and fragrant local dishes. Wherever you go you’ll find great value and even greater variety. Go on, get stuck in!

If cycling is your thing then perhaps you should consider spending your next vacation on a cycling holiday. England has some absolutely fantastic places for you to cycle and many areas that are fully geared up for those looking for a biking holiday. Such is the varied landscape of England, there are lots of options for cyclists whether you prefer some adrenalin fuelled downhill biking, some casual cycling along flat roads or something a little more arduous like a cycling tour. In order to help you decide where to go, here is a run down of some of England’s best locations for a cycling holiday.

Yorkshire

Yorkshire has steadily grown a reputation as one of the best places to cycle in the UK, so much so that the 2015 Tour de France actually started in the English county. The Yorkshire Dales is where you should be heading if you are looking for a cycling holiday, a vast region of fields, greenery, wooded areas and most importantly, plenty of cycling trails. The Dales attracts thousands of cyclists each year and as such there is something of a community that has built up over the years which means there is plenty of people to help you find your way and plenty of options for you if you have any troubles.

Cornwall

If cycling along beautifully rugged coastal terrain is what you’re after then look no further than Cornwall on England’s south coast. This part of England has a far milder climate than the rest of the country giving you more days to be able to cycle and along it’s coastline has some beautiful little fishing villages and some busy harbour towns as well. There is a trek available that will take you right the way along the Cornish coast taking in places like Newquay, Padstow and St. Ives, beautiful places to see and lots of options for accommodation in all. Generally speaking the roads are flat and not too arduous but there are some rugged areas to watch out for, remember to stay safe when you cycle and use a helmet, head to Simpson Millar for some more information on how to stay safe when you cycle and what to do if you have an accident.

Lake District

The Lake District is a national park in the North of England, an area that is considered by many as an ideal location for hikers and climbers. Whilst this is true, it is also a perfect location for cyclists of all types. Firstly, there is a huge variety of accommodation available from B and B’s to hotels, hostels and guesthouses. Secondly there are over 100 cycling routes that have been mapped out around these areas that range greatly in difficulty from slow climbs to heart pumping downhill tracks. Finally, you will be cycling through some of the finest landscape in the country, amongst flora and fauna, lakes, mountains and forests, a perfect combination.