Cirebon, Indonesia, 8/28/2023, National Geographic Orion
Aboard the
National Geographic Orion
Indonesia & Papua New Guinea
Today on National Geographic Orion, we had an awesome morning adventure in the city of Cirebon. We were welcomed at the harbour and taken to an area where we met the sultan and enjoyed local performances and food.
The afternoon was spent on board. We enjoyed visiting the galley to see how the incredible food is prepared. This was followed by a presentation from our wonderful naturalist Phil.
Born in Zimbabwe, Ross grew up between a 45000-acre Game Ranch and the small town of Victoria Falls, which is situated inside of the Victoria Falls National Park. Most of his earliest childhood memories were of the wildlife that was always on his doo...
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This morning, National Geographic Orion sailed along the coast of Java to our afternoon destination. Wonderful presentations by Ron and Bergit provided education on the natural history of the Sunda Shelf and Buddhism. After lunch, we set out for the city of Cirebon. On an island of 140 million, Cirebon is a small city with only 330,000 inhabitants. The word "Cirebon" derives from the Javanese word caruban, meaning "mixed," a reference to the city's mix of Sundanese, Javanese, Chinese, and Arabic cultural elements. Above the city center and not far from sea level rose Mount Ciremai, which last erupted in 1951. In the spirit of expedition travel, our dry landing turned wet. A wonderful performance welcomed us to this community before we headed to the mayor’s residence. Taking open air buses, we had a police escort to the residence, and we were greeted by a gamelan ensemble. Two of our guests became the guests of honor and were gifted beautiful leis before being escorted to seats beside our hosts. An array of performances welcomed us before we sat down for traditional dances, such as the mask dance. After the performances, we headed for a little shop that sold the traditional batik cloth this city is known for.
The steaming fumaroles of Krakatoa Island are a dire warning of volcanic violence brewing just below the surface. The island was torn apart with cataclysmic force in 1883, leaving skeletal traces of a once grand landmass. Her last volcanic release in 2018 served as a reminder that Indonesia sits atop the ominous Indo-Pacific Ring of Fire. Despite her turbulent history, many of the islands of Krakatoa now boast stunning black sand beaches, lush vegetation, and gorgeous reefs. Much to the delight of local fishermen, predatory wahoo and giant trevally have returned to Krakatoa’s near shore waters to take advantage of the abundant feeding opportunities. It’s hard to imagine that an island with such a volatile history has now become an alluring playground for snorkelers, kayakers, birders, and beachcombers.
On a calm, tropical morning, National Geographic Orion anchored off the coast of Pulau Belitung, an island in the Java Sea off the east coast of Sumatra. By Zodiac, we landed at the beautiful beach of Tanjung Kelayang to a warm welcome with a dance performance by members of the local community. The beach is very photogenic with many colorful longboats anchored beside the white sand. Under cover and protected from the hot morning sun, we were entertained by the reenactment of a traditional Indonesian marriage ceremony, complete with the requisite gift giving and financial negotiations between the families before the union could be completed! Before heading back to the ship for lunch, guests enjoyed snorkeling around the spectacular granite boulders in the area, which is formally recognized as a UNESCO geopark.
