New Addition to the site: You can now visit our new HDR photo a day page, which includes a very short story each day.

The bat didn’t look like it was going to move out of the way, and since I was going 60kmh on my scooter on a narrow road, it looked like we would be meeting sooner rather than later.

There’s really only one way to describe driving in Indonesia – adventurous.

When you’re not trying to dodge wildlife, other drivers, becaks, cyclists, & horses-and-carts, you’re generally jostling for position at traffic lights or trying to figure out what lane you’re supposed to be in.

This is a summary of Indonesian drivers by Keithlane.com:

At traffic lights, surround by dozens of other scooter drivers, everyone is staring at the bules (Whites). This adds extra pressure on the bule driver who wants to give the impression of being an experienced biker. My body language, I hope, says ‘Yup, I’ve ridden many a road on two wheels’, but the loss of balance and obvious wobble as I begin to move tells everyone I’m a horrible little newbie.

Riding through the country hills one day, Rachel shouts over my shoulder, ‘Do we have enough petrol?’

I shout ‘Yeah, plenty!’

10 minutes later she asks the same question and I reply, ‘Look, it’s full,’ while pointing to the gage.

She shouts ‘No, that means empty.’ She was right. This was our second scooter. The ‘F’ and ‘E’ signs were reversed on this one. In fairness, I should have realised this when I looked at the petrol gage and noticed it had become a little fuller since last time – a self-replenishing petrol tank, genius!

The first time we went to a petrol station I had no idea what to ask for. I rolled up to the guy with the pump and said ’50,000′ (£3.50 or $5). I’d hoped they deal in cash rather than litres since I had no idea what size the tank was.

The worker looked confused, so I said ‘full’. He understood this and filled up the tank. The price for a full tank was 10,000 rupiah ( 70p or $1). I understood why he was initially confused. How on earth was I expecting to put 50,000 rupiah worth of petrol in a tank that holds only a fifth of that?

My Scooter

I’ve always resisted having a bike in Asia. But if the truth be told, public transport is so incredibly limiting that even going to the beach would be a journey of epic proportions.

The price to rent a scooter is stupidly cheap. We pay £3.50 ($5) per day, or £42 ($60) a month, and on a tank a petrol I can drive constantly for about 3.5 hours.

Despite the mayhem and constant confusion of driving on Indonesian roads, I find myself enjoying it more and more. After a while you notice a kind of method to the mayhem, and the roads within Yogyakarta are generally quite slow – unless on the ring-road, I rarely top 30mph.

I won’t become careless, mind you. I may have avoided the bat, but there’s too much happening on these roads for a foreigner to become complacent. We’ve already seen one serious accident, we’ll be sure not to experience one first hand…touch wood.

More information

A guide to driving in Indonesia

Getting a Driving Licence

Unwritten Rules

Jimmy McIntyre is a travel writer, photographer & language learner. He’s currently living in and exploring Indonesia. For the next 2 years he’ll be trawling the world for the next breath-taking shot, the unexpected adventure around the corner, & the next linguistic challenge. Join him on his extremely active facebook community or subscribe to his blog feed.

Families and individual holidaymakers coming to stay at apartments in Budapest will find that they have to go through the Budapest Ferihegy Airport, also known as the Ferenc Liszt Airport. Named after the famous musician, the airport is located to the southeast of the city, 16 kilometers away from the gorgeous city located on the Danube. Those visiting the amazing architecture, the stunning views, and the bustling city of Budapest will find that the Ferenc Liszt Airport provides them with easy access to all the sights and sounds of the city around them.

There are three terminals in the airport, Terminal 1, Terminal 2A, and Terminal 2B. The second two terminals are connected to each other, while Terminal 1 lies a scant 3 kilometers away from the other two. March 2011 saw a unique extension to Terminals 2A and 2B being opened, and the SkyCourt made it possible for many more people to easily reach their destination thanks to the upgraded facilities and increased capacities offered by this extension.

If you have rented a car and are planning to come from the airport into the city to reach your Budapest apartment, you will find that the E60 will take you exactly where you need to go, and the signs make it easy for even a first time visitor to the city to easily find their way around. Buses depart from both terminals, and there are two buses – 93 and 200E – that will get you directly to the Kobanya-Kipest rail station. The Blue Line metro station will get you to Deak Ferranc Square in just around 20 minutes. Trains depart from Terminal 1, heading to Budapest’s West Railway Station. For only 300HUF and less than 30 minutes later, you will arrive at the rail station. Taxis are also available immediately outside the doors of both terminals.

There are a number of VIP lounges in Terminals 2A and 2B, making it possible for you to wait for your flight in comfort. Those looking to connect to the Internet will find that there are connections in all three terminals, with free hotspots for all devices. . You will find that there are many accommodation options, including some gorgeous holiday Budapest apartments within a short distance of the airport, so you will be able to easily find a wonderful place to stay while visiting the city.

If you feel hungry and would like to have a quick bite while waiting for your plane, you will find some cafes, restaurants and bars, both in the land and airside of the airport. ATMs and Cash Machines are also distributed liberally around the airport, and there is a luggage locker storage section available where you can store your luggage, should you need to leave the airport for any reason. Car Rental stations are numerous, with international companies like Hertz, Avis, Budget, and Europcar all making it easy for you to travel around the city in style.

Enjoy the beautiful capital of Hungary at its best, let yourself go free and Budapest will guide your adventure.

Hans Beltran is a world traveler, who enjoys writing everything regarding holidays and vacations. Passionate about SEO and world history, found in writing the perfect way to share his experiences with his fellow travelers.

Our conversation partners are now more like friends. We meet for coffee or beers and chit-chat about anything and everything.

The other people we’ve encountered have also been lovely – apart from the kid who called me Pinocchio, or the fella who called me Mr Bean.

In the absence of an authority figure, we’ve established an unusual sleeping pattern of going to bed at 3:00am and getting up at 10:00am.  We still don’t have a great work pattern established, but we’re hitting the targets we initially set ourselves so we’re not panicking.

One thing I really must do is re-start my French studies. I picked up a French novel the other day and found I understood the majority of it. I think my speaking is what I really need to concentrate on.

I remember talking to a Belgian girl in Thailand a couple of years back. She told me I sounded like a cute child when I spoke. Hopfefully I can avoid that before our move to France.

Currently we live in what could probably be described as a small villa. We have a handful of unwanted pets, including two geckos and a cat that I said hello to once. We also have a family of roosters that live in the house next door. If I ever see them walking on the road I’m going to splatter them with my bike.

I’m yet to find a butler monkey.

My coffee addiction is stronger than ever. In fact, we seem to have explored more coffee shops than anything else in Indonesia.

Here’s a cool little ornament I found in a coffee shop recently

I’ve also taken to drinking iced tea apple juice – it’s a delight for the taste buds, but more importantly it has wonderful caffiene in it.

Our list of places to visit gets longer by the day, but before that we’ll be spending some time in Vietnam.

In the next week or two we’ll be making a few changes to the blog, most noticably a photo-a-day section will be added. There are too many incrdible things to see in this lovely country, I find myself with a backlog of photos that I have no place for on the blog.

Our flights for our brief return to the UK are booked for the 21st of August. That leaves us with 3.5 months to sharpen our Indonesian and French, improve upon our working habits, drink more coffee, and explore the country.

Information on living in Yogyakarta

Rent apartment

Yogya Weather

Yogya Information

Jimmy McIntyre is a travel writer, photographer & language learner. He’s currently living in and exploring Indonesia. For the next 2 years he’ll be trawling the world for the next breath-taking shot, the unexpected adventure around the corner, & the next linguistic challenge. Join him on his extremely active facebook community or subscribe to his blog feed.

Another week of photos, and yet again we have another wonderful selection. This time we had shots from South Africa, England, Scotland, Nepal, and an Indonesian super-moon.

In fact, Ryan Cragg, the photographer who captured the super-moon, not only received 54 likes on his picture on our page, it was also shared 21 times!

The 5 photos with the most likes this week came from Stephen Pattison, Jay Gurung, Oupa Coetzee, Lisa Simpson & Ryan Cragg.

If you’d like to participate in our travel photography community, you just need to ‘Like’ our page and post your favourite shots to our wall, and don’t forget to include your facebook page URL or website if you have one.

At the end of the post you’ll also see my choice for the best picture on the internet this week.

The top five pictures this week (in no particular order).

1. “this field at the moment is flooded with water and sheep !” by Stephen Pattison

2. Pokhara, NEPAL by Jay Gurung

3. Clarens – Eastern Free State Province- South Africa by Oupa Coetzee

4. “From the top of Fyrish Hill, Easter Ross, Scotland” by Lisa Simpson

5. Super Moon , Indonesia by Ryan Cragg.

My favourite photo on the internet this week is of San Fransisco by mimikate

Jimmy McIntyre is a travel writer, photographer & language learner. He’s currently living in and exploring Indonesia. For the next 2 years he’ll be trawling the world for the next breath-taking shot, the unexpected adventure around the corner, & the next linguistic challenge. Join him on his extremely active facebook community or subscribe to his blog feed.

Although going on holiday is an exciting time for everyone, the stress of sorting your finances, organising your home while you’re away and getting packed can sometimes get on top of you. Staying at one of the Gatwick hotels near to the airport can ease the usual pre-travel stresses.

Plan not only your week away, but the week before too. Get the suitcases out days before you leave and pack as many items as you can as soon as you can. Avoid the rush and panic of last minute packing which leads to late nights and stressful mornings before your trip.

Invest in a travel documents wallet and keep all important information regarding your time away together. Your passports, tickets, hotel information and any legal or health related documentation. Create a check list of everything you need to travel and go through the wallet before you leave. A missing bikini is replaceable but a missing passport is a little more problematic.

Organising yourself and your family means you can invest in a budget night away at one the Gatwick airport hotels from Travelodge. These cost-effective stays mean that you are on the doorstep of the airport on the morning of your flight.

WiFi is available at Gatwick airport hotels from Travelodge, chargeable in varying time slots.  Kids who can’t stay away from their App stores won’t be disappointed with the connection services and parents can give their emails one last check before they disconnect from their working week.

Gatwick airport hotels from Travelodge also have eateries and bars, with a shuttle service running to various airport terminals; a genius way to get away without glitches.

This is a guest post written on behalf of Travelodge

I hauled myself onto a fragile, wooden platform on the roof of our hostel in Jakarta, Dr Frankenstine-esque, to get closer to the ensuing storm. Lightning burst through the sky in different directions. I wasn’t sure where to point the camera. I set up the equipment, composed the shot, and considered how long it would be before the lightning would be over me and I’d have to start running.

I had the wrong lens and a shaky tripod – neither of which were going to make the task of capturing lightning an easy one. I set the shutter speed to 30 seconds, braced the camera, and waited. No lightning. I did it again. Nothing happened. 10 minutes later without success, I was considering calling it a day.

Then the lightning struck. I got it. Disappointingly, the tripod must have moved – the shot was blurry. I tried for another 5 minutes, and again, lightning struck, and in the same place, no less. This time the shot was fairly sharp.

I became greedy and waited to see what else would come my way. It turns out the storm was closer than expected. Lightning flashed across the sky above me. Milliseconds later, my wooden platform (and me) was shaken by the thunder. Needless to say, I didn’t hang around for long.

Considering the poor choice of lens, I’m not too disappointed with the results.

This is the first shot, that was too blurry, after a bit of editing

The final shot

More shots of lighting here

And here

Jimmy McIntyre is a travel writer, photographer & language learner. He’s currently living in and exploring Indonesia. For the next 2 years he’ll be trawling the world for the next breath-taking shot, the unexpected adventure around the corner, & the next linguistic challenge. Join him on his extremely active facebook community or subscribe to his blog feed.

There is one area of the world that has only started attracting the attention of the travel industry, and that’s the Middle East. Many people are put off by the constant conflicts and a skewed perception of Islam, but even the tamest travellers will enjoy a trip to the Holy Land.

Dubai

The perfect gateway to the Middle East, Dubai somehow manages to keep Western visitors happy whilst managing not to upset their strict Muslim neighbours. Flights to Dubai are world renowned for their comfort and luxury, but remember that you’re visiting a Muslim country and any pork products or gambling paraphernalia (such as playing cards) will be confiscated on arrival.

Things to see: In New Dubai, check out the world’s tallest building (Burj Khalifa) and largest man made islands (The Palms). Take a wander through the Bastakiya District of old Dubai for a glimpse of the small desert town that once was.

Jordan

Another “liberal” country, ladies needn’t worry about wearing a burka (although it is respectful to keep cleavage and legs covered; have some class). Jordanian people take pride in being friendly and gracious hosts: they consider it a failure if you leave hungry. With the feasts of mezze, mansaf, and schwarma on offer it’s unlikely that you will.

Things to see: The rock cut city of Petra: your mind will be blown. A camel or hot air balloon ride through the Wadi Rum desert at sunset or sunrise will be an experience that you will tell your grandchildren about. You can cool off by floating in the Dead Sea; remember to slather yourself with the mineral rich mud.

Israel

When you tell people that you’re planning to visit Israel, expect wide eyes and warnings about how dangerous it is. The war between Israel and Palestine has been raging for decades, but don’t let that put you off visiting one of the holiest places in the world. Israel is beautiful, vibrant, and modern with urban cities like Tel Aviv.

Things to see: Cover up and visit some of the world’s holiest sites. If you enjoy walking try the 65km Jesus Trail, which connects famous Christian sites in Galilee, or follow in the footsteps of Mary and Joseph on the Nativity Trail from Galilee to Bethlehem.

Turkey

Ease yourself back into Western Culture with a visit to Istanbul in Turkey. Straddling the Middle East and Europe, Istanbul has really started to draw attention to itself in recent years with an abundance of nightspots, world-class restaurants, and a burgeoning arts and fashion scene. It’s also the perfect place to unwind with a visit to a Turkish bath.

Things to See: Topkapi Palace and the Blue Mosque will elicit gasps from even the most jaded of travellers. The Grand Bazaar, which has been open since 1461 and once laid claim to being the largest covered market in the world, is worth a wander too. Just try not to get lost in the labyrinth of four thousand shops.

This is a guest post, written by James at Skyscanner.net

Another fantastic week of photos, and more people than ever voted in our wonderful community!! Every week we see great pictures added to our page, and every week I become more and more inspired to explore places I’d never considered before.

p.s. I’ve created a selection of 18 of my most popular HDR pictures. Feel free to have a look.

The 5 photos with the most likes this week came from Stephen Pattison, Ben Fewtrell, Laura Leon, Noppera Bosri & Ryan Cragg. However, I decided to add an extra photo from the ones posted that I absolutely loved, a picture by Mike Hardisty

If you’d like to participate in our travel photography community, you just need to ‘Like’ our page and post your favourite shots to our wall, and don’t forget to include your facebook page URL or website if you have one.

At the end of the post you’ll also see my choice for the best picture on the internet this week.

The top five pictures this week (in no particular order).

1. This is Pack Horse Bridge just along the river ( Nidd ) - Stephen Pattison

2. Sydney Harbour Bridge by Ben Fewtrell

3. Nitobe Memorial Garden @ University of British Columbia Campus, Vancouver, BC, Canada by Laura Leon

4. A Thai Fishing Boat by Noppera Bosri

5. Mozambique, Africa by Ryan Cragg

6. If you ever visit Weston-super-Mare in North Somerset you can’t miss Lorrain’s on the beach. It’s been there ever since I can remember – By Mike Hardisty

My favourite picture from the internet this week.

I saw this wonderful photo by Jeffrey Klein of Photography  Critique, in a facebook photography group I’m a member of. I consider this to be a near perfect example of HDR and other post-processing techniques.

Jimmy McIntyre is a travel writer, photographer & language learner. He’s currently living in and exploring Indonesia. For the next 2 years he’ll be trawling the world for the next breath-taking shot, the unexpected adventure around the corner, & the next linguistic challenge. Join him on his extremely active facebook community or subscribe to his blog feed.

Occasionally you catch a sunset, where the sun’s rays penetrate the trees guarding the paddies, or a flooded paddy that beautifully reflects the sky, or even better, an ancient hut or unused building watching over the fields.

Here are a few pictures I’ve taken over the past couple of weeks.

What other blogs are saying about rice paddies in Indonesia

Getting Lost

Great Picture

Frontiers

Vedic Odyssey

Jimmy McIntyre is a travel writer, photographer & language learner. He’s currently living in and exploring Indonesia. For the next 2 years he’ll be trawling the world for the next breath-taking shot, the unexpected adventure around the corner, & the next linguistic challenge. Join him on his extremely active facebook community or subscribe to his blog feed.

The news was showing violent protests against rising fuel prices. Students and police clashed, with petrol bombs and rocks the weapons of choice for the students. This wasn’t anything new. Protests have raged on over BBM (fuel) since we arrived. It was the first time, however, that it had happened on our back door, literally 10 minutes from our house, at the University of Gadjah Madah.

An hour later an earthquake struck.

Despite some government warnings, I’ve never considered Indonesia a dangerous country. We go about our daily lives without fear or worry. And although con-artists and petty-thieves are everywhere, the people are generally very friendly.

In fact, the only time Rachel and I feel slightly unsafe is when we’re walking anywhere. The paths are massively under-developed here. Mostly we’re forced to walk along the side of the road. Indonesians don’t walk, they drive everywhere. Everyone has a motorbike or car, and the roads are jammed, all day long.

The traffic lights in Yogyakarta have no little green men on them. They’re designed to control the traffic, not to help the pedestrian. It’s like mission impossible trying to cross the street.

When the ground beneath us shook, I felt a tinge of excitement. ‘Cool, my first earthquake!’ I thought. At 4.2 it was just a baby. Rachel’s face told a different story. 6 years ago, almost to the day, a massive earthquake shook Yogyakarta, killing 5,782 people, and injuring around 36,000.

‘We need to move to a different apartment!’ Rachel said, after researching earthquake-survival methods. Eventually we found one that fulfilled Rachel’s stringent requirements.

News of the massive earthquake off the coast of Aceh a few weeks ago reached us via emails from concerned relatives. Fortunately, that region was spared a potentially devastating repeat of the 2004 tsunami that killed so many.

Standing at the foot of Merapi last week, watching the steam rising from the mouth of the volcano, I got a real-time sense of how unstable this region can be. Just a year ago, Merapi erupted, killing hundreds and displacing thousands more.

2 weeks ago, a bomb expoded outside Yogya’s football stadium. No one was hurt.

We hear on the news about outbreaks of dengue fever, malaria and rabies.

At this point, my friends and family would be asking me ‘why on earth are you living there?’

Anyone who’d spent any length of time here would know the answer. Yogya is an exceptional place, where one can watch the sunrise from a volcano, spend the day visiting ancient temples and caves, and finish the day lying on the beach watching the reddest sunset you’ve ever seen.

The city has a wonderful vibrancy to it, and I’ve never come across a population so proud of their region.

Indonesia, on the whole, is not a dangerous country. But even if we considered it to be so, we’d still be here. Rachel and I decided long-ago to leave the comforts of home behind us. In exchange, we experience excitement, occasional worry, adventure, but most importantly, a life that we’re trying to live on our terms, and one without regret in years to come hopefully.

These photos are some of the reasons we’ve chosen to stay in Yogya

Merapi's Peak

Old Mosque

Ratu Boko

Borobudur

What others are saying about Indonesia:

Indotraveltips

Indonesia FAQ

Is Indonesia Dangerous

Jimmy McIntyre is a travel writer, photographer & language learner. He’s currently living in and exploring Indonesia. For the next 2 years he’ll be trawling the world for the next breath-taking shot, the unexpected adventure around the corner, & the next linguistic challenge. Join him on his extremely active facebook community or subscribe to his blog feed.