Tour of lush Indonesia

We took a wonderful vacation to Sumatra and Java, Indonesia, Jan. 17-25, 2008, through Floressa Bali Tours (Jalan Gandapura III K / 16 Kesiman, Denpasar 80237, Bali, Indonesia; phone +62 361 467625, fax 467347 or visit www.floressa-bali.com).

I cannot say enough about the professionalism of their guides, the safe transport, the wonderful accommodations and our personalized itinerary, which included ecotourism and cultural tourism.

We started by visiting Medan on Sumatra, then went to Parapat, near Lake Toba, for three nights. It was a bit off the beaten path, but the scenery was wonderful. We saw coffee, clove, tea, palm and rubber plantations plus wild Sumatran tigers and orangutans.

We flew to Jakarta on the lush island of Java for two nights, visiting the city plus the Old City, then flew to Jogjakarta for two nights to see world-famous Borobudur, the Hindu temple of Prambanan, the Buddhist temple of Candi Plaosan and Candi Kalasan.

We hopped to Denpasar for four more nights and saw the entire island of Bali, including Ubud, Lake Batur, Mt. Batur Volcano, Kuta and various temples, always staying at 4- or 5-star hotels.

Including flights on Garuda within Indonesia, lodging and most meals, the trip cost $3,239 for two persons. The additional visa fee and departure fees (even on domestic flights) were minimal.

Indonesia is just a fascinating country of diverse religions, languages, cultures and sights, one of the most enticing in all of Southeast Asia. Kudos go to Floressa Bali Tours and its program director, Paul Edmundus!

PATRICK ROMMEL

Philadelphia, PA