Bali High

First stop, Java

“Makasih” means thank you in Indonesian, and thanks is really one of my feelings after some weeks spent island-hopping in Indonesia.

I had some concerns about going on my first trip to Indonesia during the rainy season (October to April). Many pilot friends told me it could be a risky time if I wanted to go paragliding because it might rain all the time. But, seeing as I really wanted to experience this country, I took the chance. The island of Java was my first stop.

The first paragliding site I went to was Bukit Waung close to Modangan Beach, on the southeast side of the island of Java. You can get there by taking a flight to the town of Surabaya where you can pick up a rental car. It’s then a four-hour drive all the way to the south coast. 

The day I arrived it was pouring rain and several roads were closed with huge puddles of water everywhere, but fortunately that was all the rain I saw for many days on Java. 

When...