Pantai Songean is the perfect beach. A beautiful cove of black sand, discovered a year ago, in Bali.
Underwater, we do not look only in the blue. In the archipelago of Alor, Indonesia, it is by scrutinizing the bottom that we find treasures.
It is called dugong or "sea cow". I was lucky enough to watch this fascinating animal in its natural environment, in Alor, Indonesia.
Surprise, last Sunday, returning from diving ... There is a crowd on the beach of Gapang, usually almost deserted.
The Dutchman Max Ammer is the "pioneer" of diving in Raja Ampat. A sacred character. He is an eco-adventurer, an enthusiastic explorer and a fabulous storyteller.
Balinese coffee, or kopi Bali, is tasty and full-bodied. Every morning, since my return, I finish waking up in front of a cup of kopi Bali.
I'm in a melancholy mood tonight. I leave Nusa Lembongan to return to Kuta, Bali. The return is approaching. I console myself with a beautiful sunset on the bay of Jungut Batu ...
It is a tiny Indonesian village, between sea and mangrove, in Weda Bay. My visit is the evening attraction for the hilarious kids.
I'll take you back to Sulawesi, in the Toraja country, where I spent a few days in the summer of 2007. On the program: a scooter ride from Rantepao, to discover the sites of Ket'e Kesu, Londa and Tilanga.
This shell is a monster. It is not for nothing that it is called "giant holy water". I have never seen one as big as Raja Ampat.
Diving in Komodo, I dreamed! The reality was beyond the dream ... First video preview, at the fabulous Batu Bolong site.
I'm coming back from Borneo! Highlight of the trip: the dives in Sipadan, Malaysia ... Yes, for me, Borneo has more the color of the sea than the jungle.
Hammerhead sharks make diving enthusiasts fantasize. These sharks have a pretty awesome head, I must say...
I continue the story of my trip to Sulawesi, a trip in July 2007. I will take you back to the Toraja country for a motorcycle ride in the beautiful rice paddies around the village of Batutumonga, north of Rantepao.
This is one of the strangest dives I've done. Feel the earth tremble ... under water, it's really a funny thing. It was in Indonesia, in Sulawesi, in July 2007. In the Togian Islands, exactly.
" So ? Tell! "Tell Raja Ampat, not so simple. I feel like coming back from the end of the world. I do not know where to start ...
"Do not stay under the coconut trees," I am told when I arrive at Triton Bay. Yes, the biggest danger here is to get a coconut on your head!
I had to show you this video, of a manta ray and his girlfriends, met while diving in the archipelago of Komodo, ultimate goal of my crossing of Flores ...
Kuta Beach, finally! First and short stage of my Balinese journey. But I run fast on a scooter a little further north, where it's quieter ...
Eh yes ! I am a little lucky. I saw a mola-mola today at Crystal Bay again. One time is not customary this morning: excellent visibility and little current, both for this beautiful first dive, and for the second, Toyah Pakeh Bay.
The picture under water, it's funny. I love it when the fish take suggestive poses. The coolest are not the ones we believe!
That's the Pascha. Well named boat, on which I lived like a princess, during the six days of my dive cruise in Komodo, in July 2011. Six fantastic days out of time.
Raja Ampat is where I've done some of the best diving of my life. But tourism is booming on these remote Indonesian islands, endangering the seabed and the region's exceptional biodiversity.
The photos of the previous trip are not yet sorted, I'm thinking about the next ... And to think better, I've already returned to a little tour in my favorite bookstore in Rennes: Ariane, the travel bookstore.
The rest of my trip to Sulawesi (Indonesia) during the summer of 2007 ... On the program: the Togian Islands. A little paradise at the end of the world!
These first two days in Bunaken have been going at full speed. The dives are up to my expectations: drop-offs covered with a variety of incredible coral. Side fauna, all the tropical panoply colorful is there.
Now that I am the queen of the mikrolet, I am embarking without hesitation in the first blue minibus that displays "Karombasan" direction "Wanea". Karombasan is the bus terminal south of Manado.
At Pulau Weh, most divers come for the "big", the deep, the current. And I, who never do anything like the others, I'm having fun in a few meters of water on the beach, tracking down the little animals.
Nothing is more annoying to photograph than a seahorse-pygmy. Too small. Too much camouflaged. Too shy. But his delicate plastic is worth a few efforts.
Ah! I like the Liberty wreck in Bali. I go back regularly dive, never tired. She is so beautiful...
In the Lembeh Strait (Sulawesi, Indonesia), live underwater monsters that delight divers-photographers!
"So, did you go back to diving? "I am asked since my return ... Yes! I even realized a dream, combine in one trip two famous spots: Komodo and Raja Ampat.
Remember: during my stay on the island of Bunaken (north-Sulawesi) in July 2007, I had dive with the Froggies center, directed by the amazing Christiane Muller, who had been there for about fifteen years .
Alor and Raja Ampat: two distant archipelagos in Indonesia. I am back from it. I reconstructed in video my itinerary ... Total: 13 planes!
The huge island of Sulawesi (Indonesia) amazed me. I take you to cool off at the Saluopa waterfall buried in the jungle, near Tentena and Lake Poso.
Back to Manado for a day trip, the time to book my plane tickets to the Toraja Country and organize my trip to the Togian Islands. I'm learning to travel in mikrolet, these blue minibuses that crisscross the city ...
At 7 o'clock sharp, as expected, Anto is there with his bike. First step of our journey, concocted for us by the guide Yoce: Mount Mahawu. Easy climb, even for a non-walker like me.
Reef Seen Dive Center in Pemuteran hosts children's dance classes. Adorable little girls Balinese dancers ...
Here is Learning Indonesian: podcasts to learn the basics of bahasa indonesia, the Indonesian language, close to bahasa melayu, spoken in Malaysia.
At Bangka Island (Sulawesi, Indonesia), on the cute beach of Murex Resort, it's total relaxation: diving, eating, sleeping. Happiness !
I arrived on Tuesday in Pemuteran, a village on the north coast, just west of Bali. In this area of arid mountains, bordered by black sand beaches, all the activity of the village is turned towards the protection of the coral reef.
During the day, turtles from Derawan Island (Borneo, Indonesia) swim under the jetties. At night, they lay their eggs in the still-warm sand.
It's just a fish, I know. No misery moved. Still, it's sad to see, a mola-mola in agony ...
This tiny sea horse is hidden in the branches of the sea fans. In Pemuteran (Bali), we see each dive! I do not get tired of photographing them.
Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia. I'm there !!! A real end of the world, still virgin, wild and beautiful, on land and under water.
The rest of my trip to Sulawesi !!! We are Saturday, July 14, 2007. Departure from Rantepao, in the heart of the country Toraja at 7am, under a bright sun. Arriving twelve hours later, at night, in heavy rain, at Siuri Beach Cottages, on the west bank of the huge Poso Lake.
I like hanging out in Asian markets. During my stay in Sulawesi (Indonesia), last summer, I went for a ride in that of Rantepao, in the heart of Toraja country. Here are some pictures of atmosphere ...
My short stay on the small Indonesian island of Derawan last July allowed me to attend no less than two weddings! Two almost identical weddings, with kitschy decor and pop-marshmallow orchestra.
I take you diving among the underwater volcanic bubbles of Pulau Weh (Sumatra, Indonesia). These hot springs are a real underwater jacuzzi!
Borneo is adventure! I saw again the Indonesian island of Kakaban and its mysterious jellyfish lake. I even went back to swim there. Video evidence.
I suck at self-promotional teasing! I should have talked about it earlier here: two of my articles were published on February 15, 2009 in dimanche Ouest-France. They are two subjects inspired by trips I've already told you about, to the Dominican Republic and Bali.
I dream of it, I want to see them, the mantas of Sangalaki. Will they be there? Will I have the chance to meet them, to admire the graceful underwater ballet of these harmless giant?
During my stay in the archipelago of Alor, in Indonesia, my place of walk, between two dives, is the splendid beach of the island of Pantar.
Fancy Indonesia? I will take you diving in the waters of Sali Kecil, a remote little island on the west coast of Halmahera. Magnificent!
In Bali, all people seem to have the same name. You cross three Nyoman and five Wayan during the day. Bizarre. A joke made to tourists? But no !
Me in jet-lag, back from Raja Ampat in West Papua (Indonesia), on the phone with a friend: "You know, this is perhaps the most extraordinary trip I've done ..."
In Raja Ampat, we do not only find coral under water. There is also scrap of the Second World War. Fallen from the sky!
After my malaise trip from summer 2006 to the northeastern tip of Borneo (Sipadan Island), I feel the urge to return to soak my palms in the sea of Celebes. A little further east, this time: on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi.
Here I am in Toraja country (Tana Toraja) in Sulawesi. Here again, a very Christian population, and very attached to its traditions. I attended a funeral ceremony at the village of Rembon, near Rantepao. Spectacular introduction to the customs of the country ...
Already my last day in Bunaken! I'm a little sad at the idea of leaving tomorrow ... I'm already starting to take my little habits here. To do with mosquitoes (nyamouk), the fresh and salty shower of mandi, grilled fish-rice of the evening, the fabulous lunch buffet at Froggies, the inexhaustible kindness of the locals.
Yes, I bring you (again) under the surface ... To finish with the wreck of the Liberty in Bali, I propose below a small series of underwater photos.
The flamboyant little mandarin-fish does not dare to come out of his coral den until dusk. I found it in Bangka (Sulawesi, Indonesia).
At night, the reefs are not gray. A blue light and an orange mask reveal the fluorescence of corals and underwater creatures.
Yes, I know ... The Sulawesi section has remained stale. At the moment, I had excuses: impossible to find an internet connection in the regions visited!
Here, cliffs covered with jungle strangling the sea. This is one of the mythical sites of Raja Ampat: The Passage.
Among my most beautiful memories of Bali: the sunsets on the Agung volcano in Amed and the molas-molas, gigantic moon-fishes crossed off Nusa Penida ...
"Where are you going this time? To put it simply, I say, "In Indonesia. In fact, I'm leaving the end of Indonesia: in West Papua! I am going to dive in the archipelago bearing the beautiful name of Raja Ampat, "the four kings".
It is one of the treasures of the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, to discover underwater. The delicate beauty of nudibranchs, these small sea slugs with shimmering colors, is a delight!
Manta Sandy is the most famous dive site of Raja Ampat. Normal, it's a real "spa" with manta rays! The proof in photos and video.
I'm reconciled with Lovina Beach! Thanks to two very nice dives, a traditional ceremony facing the sea and a splendid sunset.
![In Indonesia, Obama is the pride of the students of the school in Jakarta where he was in class when he was little. [© Bay Ismoyo / AFP]](https://petitesbullesdailleurs.fr/petitesbullesdailleurs/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/obama1-370x247.jpg)
The election of Barack Obama is the pride of a school in the district of Menteng, Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, where he was in class, child.
The bay of Maumere, in the east of the Indonesian island of Flores, is full of beautiful underwater sites. My favorite dive site is Fish Soup. Here, the fish soup is at sea, to be savored under water!
The more I dive, the better! I have never seen so many manta rays as last year. The proof, with this new video, brought back from Komodo National Park (Indonesia), where I was in July 2011.
That's it !!! Finally ! I met him! Today in Crystal Bay. I'm happy, happy, happy! My new friend is called mola-mola, or moon fish.
A new start, very soon ... Three years after my first trip to Sulawesi, I return. On the program: Bangka Island, Lembeh and the Toraja country.
Batutumonga. This strange and beautiful name is synonymous for me, a fantastic scooter ride in the heart of Toraja Country, in central Sulawesi. Rice fields sublime ... but rotten roads! I almost stayed in the mountains sleeping because of a flat tire.
Guilhem, my dive buddy in Derawan (Borneo), was kind enough to send me two underwater videos he made this summer in the sea of Celebes.
I remain under the spell of Pemuteran, in northwestern Bali. Between two dives, I even attended dance rehearsals and preparations for a wedding ceremony.
These tiny sea horses are a-do-ra-ble !!! But they are shy, who hate to be photographed ...
My stay in Amed, in north-east Bali, ends (sigh). I like this place !!! Here are two souvenir images: a sunset over the Agung volcano and a toad fish photographed in Tulamben.
Do you dream of tropical beaches? Do not go to Tawau! People are nice, but this Malaysian city in northeastern Borneo is a mochissime. Its only attraction is to be the entry point to Indonesia ...
I have been in Pemuteran, a small village in western Bali, since Tuesday. I love it! Here, the entire population is focused on the conservation of the coral reef.
Raja Ampat! I fell in love with these lost islands in the depths of Indonesia. I was there in March. I went back in July. Even dazzling.
Oh dear ! Not yet had the time to tell all my dives in Amed, that already, I attack those of Nusa Lembongan. And no half measure: I take you directly to Manta Point !!!
The beach, the light, the blue ... I take you back to the southwest of Lombok, Indonesia, filling your eyes with the beautiful bay of Belongas.
Yes, yes, I swear! It's exhausting to walk up and down this beach. From the losmen (small hotel) to the dive-shop (dive shop), then the dive-shop to the restaurant, the restaurant to the bar, then the bar to the losmen ... Crevant, I tell you!
Nature, calm and pleasure ... In North Sulawesi, Indonesia, I headed for a dream island. His name: Bangka.
The drones are the new gadget fashionable travelers ... On the boat that takes me to Komodo, Indonesia, two of my little dive friends have one!
I'll take you back a few weeks in July 2008. Not quite in Bali, but right next door. A little further southeast, on the small island of Nusa Lembongan. A place I loved, where almost all the inhabitants are seaweed growers.
A drone over Raja Ampat, it gives stunning images! Small video south of Misool Island, among the cliffs that plunge into the turquoise water ...
I finally passed under the surface, with delight, in the waters of Pulau Weh. The underwater fauna is dense, varied. The two short weeks of my stay here will not be enough to explore everything!
The Togian dives seemed less spectacular than those of Bunaken or Lembeh, during this July 2007 trip: coral more damaged, life less abundant. Yet, taking his time, we discover a lot of treasures.
I often go back to Bali while traveling in Indonesia. The island always brings me back to her. The more I go back, the more I love it.
It is a desert island in Indonesia near Borneo. In his mangrove necklace, Kakaban holds the water jade of a huge lake, filled with jellyfish ... which do not sting! The proof in video and in photos.
In December, I returned to Indonesia. Not to dive, this time. I was reporting on the 10th anniversary of the December 26, 2004 tsunami.
In Indonesia, the word "biodiversity" makes sense. Here in the Sea of Celebes, the underwater world teems with bizarre and fascinating creatures, often tiny.
From the Maluku Islands to Raja Ampat, I experienced a fabulous adventure in Indonesia, aboard a beautiful ship like a pirate princess ship: the Waow.
Lovina Beach ... The name is nice, but I'm a little mixed about the place. Here, the tourist pressure is certainly less than in Kuta-Legian-Seminyak. Yet I feel to have been more solicited than elsewhere by the indefatigable sellers of sarongs and other trinkets!
Take photos under water, I love it. But palmer, much less. I realized this well by diving in Alor, Indonesia.
This is a rare event that I witnessed between two dives during my last trip to Indonesia. The rendezvous of the Sun with the Moon!
Derawan is a tiny Indonesian girl on the east coast of Borneo. I had already been there in 2009. But for this 2013 trip, I have revised my itinerary.
Return to diving in Indonesia ... A haunting desire, which tormented me all winter! So, in mid-March, I flew to Halmahera and Weda Bay.
Ten days off. Ten days of freedom. From May 10 to May 20, 2014, I left. In Pulau Weh, Indonesia.
I can not resist the pleasure of showing you on video the dance of the mola-mola (and, of course, the mola-mola), after having (finally) met this big moon fish in the waters of Nusa Penida.
The Liberty is Bali's best-known (and most popular) wreck. It is located in Tulamben, near Amed, on the northeastern coast of the island.
Let's go for a little motorcycle tour in the Amed region, in the north-east of Bali. On the program: rice fields, temples, markets and... cockfighting!
I bring you back to Toraja Country, Sulawesi (Indonesia). After the photos of the traditional funeral ceremony I attended, in the village of Bori, here is a small video that gives a good idea of the atmosphere.
I like being under water. But I also like being on the water. Between two dives, in Weda Bay, I enjoy the pleasure of sailing, from one reef to another, from one creek to another, under the Indonesian sun.
Off Borneo, Indonesia, the island of Derawan and its archipelago are an incredible place to observe turtles.
I was (still) gone. A short trip of 15 days in Indonesia. On the program: rest and dives at Halmahera (North Maluku) and Bangka in North Sulawesi.
Today I fly to the other end of Sulawesi with Lion Air. Flight Manado-Makassar, departure 7:55, arrival 8:30. The plane is full like an egg. I am the only Westerner.
I finally decided the stages for my Malaysian-Indonesian trip of July: Perhentian, Mabul (Sipadan), Derawan. Nothing but islands! These holidays will be insular and aquatic.
In Kuta (Bali), people are photographed in front of the monument to the Bali bombings of October 12, 2002.
The Indonesian look-alike of Obama is Ilham Anas. He is a photographer in Jakarta and has become a celebrity in Asia.
The place is called "Kilometer Nol". Zero Kilometer. This is where Indonesia begins. It is the most westerly and northernmost point in the archipelago, just north of Pulau Weh, near Sumatra.
Since the time I speak (Air Asia here, Air Asia by that), this time, that's it! I finally tested the brand new Air Asia X line from Paris to Kuala Lumpur. The link was launched by the Malaysian lowcost company in February 2011.
I'm leaving for Malaysia in July, and I still do not know what my route will be. Only certainty: I go back to Borneo, dive to Sipadan.
Another Indonesian island I love: the beautiful and peaceful Bangka. I take you first under the surface, among the fish, on video.
To fight the spleen of the return, I walk on the beach again. The one in Kuta-Legian-Seminyak, known as Kuta Beach. An immense and splendid tongue of grey sand, well packed as it should be, which I love to walk in one direction, then in the other, until the time of the fabulous sunset.
The Indonesian archipelago of Raja Ampat sometimes has an air of Jurassic Park. The pretty little island of Mioskon is home to thousands of bats.
