Highlights of a caffeinated trip through Indonesia

(CNN) — After more than two decades of traveling extensively in Indonesia, I sometimes struggle to grasp the true size and diversity of the largest island nation on the planet.

It’s the fourth most populous country in the world (it’s home to an estimated 10% of the world’s languages), yet most people struggle to find Indonesia on a map.

Kopi Dulu means “coffee first” in Bahasa Indonesia – which serves as a second language for many Indonesians. To me, this phrase came to sum up the attitude of unhurried hospitality between the unimaginably diverse cultures that dot the ring of fire of volcanic countries around the Pacific Rim.

Whether Muslim, Hindu, Christian or radical, sometimes it seems that not much happens without a preliminary “cup of java”. This was fine with me since I learned very early on my Indonesian travels that it is not fast; Jam karet (elastic time) is another national expression that is a great antidote to our highly scheduled Western lifestyle.

Where fiction is not different from reality

I visited Indonesia in 1995, chose to travel through central Borneo, and have since visited all the major islands. I must have explored the 100 or so undocumented islands and very few of the estimated 12,000 officially listed as uninhabited even today.

Skeptics will tell you that there are no unexplored regions, but Indonesia offers a level of adventure that few countries can match. My trip around the country naturally took in most of the tourist destinations (including Borobudur Temple, Batak Highlands and Komodo) and relatively few places that are household names to international travelers (including Krakatoa, Maluku). “Spice Islands”, Borneo).

In Palasari, the Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus rises unexpectedly against the backdrop of the steaming forest.

Mark Eveley

I explored the legendary reefs of G-Land, Nias and Occy’s Left and pioneered a previously static wave in the remote Alor Islands.

I sought out orangutans and tracked tigers in Sumatra and spoke to communities throughout the islands about the mythical creatures, ghosts and hantu (ghosts) that seem to occupy every corner of this amazing archipelago.

Indonesian Phoenician Cruisers

While hopping this sprawling chain of 13,466 islands, frequent boat trips were necessary.

The southeast coast of Sulawesi remains the traditional homeland of the Bugis, an ethnic group once known for their fearsome pirates, who according to legend brought the word “Boogeman” to a million childhood nightmares.

Today, the Bugis (and closely related Kino peoples) continue to build the magnificent Sulawesi schooners known as Phinisi.

These ships often represent the only viable way for travelers to visit Indonesia’s remote islands, bringing the benefits of tourism to marginalized and underrepresented communities without leaving a lasting impact.

Plus, there’s an irresistible element of romance about exploring a chain of paradise islands entirely under sail in your bare feet on warm teak.

Sulawesi’s Teluk Palu Festival is an intoxicating explosion of noise and colour.

Mark Eveley

I explored parts of the Ring of Fire in the 65-meter luxury yacht Lamima (the largest Sulawesi schooner ever built), but I often sailed in an infinitely ruder state.

Among them is a traditional fishing boat that I hired to explore the Komodo Islands and hold on the cargo hold for a six-day trip up the Kapuas River (Indonesia’s longest, 1,143 km).

I’ve taken that riverboat trip three times in the past two decades into the true heart of Borneo and think of Kapuas as the Indonesian Amazon.

Tired from the road

Despite extensive deforestation and oil-palm destruction, the rainforests beyond the jungle city of Putusibau represent one of the world’s greatest jungle adventures. Along with local guides from the Dayan Dayak tribe — considered mystical and sorcerous by their neighbors — I paddled canoes into uncharted valleys near the center of Borneo in search of the last of the Kalimantan rhinos.

Indonesia is listed as the second most bio-diverse country on the planet (after Brazil) and boasts more mammals than any other country in the world.

From the wildlife markets of North Sulawesi, from the Sumatran tiger reserve to the Wakatobi marine reserve, I am constantly reminded that nearly a quarter of Indonesia’s 667 mammals are listed as “threatened”.

By the time I reached the easternmost tip of the Far East—in this case, the border with Papua New Guinea—I had made a trip from Seattle to Tierra del Fuego, or the equivalent of a trip. Paris to Bangkok

Thanks to the warm welcome that greeted me in every community, I was tired from the road.

In fact, I wish I could take “rubber time” and turn it on its head.