Listen to all the chatter about Indonesia on news web sites and travel blogs and you might never set foot on the archipelago. But search for some media that is produced closer to the source and you will find some more balanced opinions. Take The Java Jive as an example. An expat blog written by American transplant Brandon Hoover, it gives a realistic view of life in the rough-around-the-edges metropolis of Jakarta, and beyond the city limits, with plenty of photos thrown in. In fact, it is the photos, as it so often is, that provide a true sense of place. And a picturesque and diverse place it is.
While the island of Bali remains a big tourist draw, most of the rest of the country does not welcome a high number of tourists. Last year, Thailand, a nation 1/5 the size of Indo, welcomed twice as many visitors. Is it that the tourist attractions aren’t there, or is it just that they aren’t advertised? If you peruse Hoover’s photos and blog, you’ll find that, while Indonesia might not be the breezy travel proposition that Thailand is, it has plenty to offer.