Tropical Odyssey Between Indonesia And North East Australia

Bali is an Indonesian island at the western-most of the Lesser Sunda Islands, lying between Java to the west and Lombok to the east. It is one of Indonesia’s 33 provinces, with the provincial capital at Denpasar towards the south of the island. Bali is home to the most of Indonesia's Hindu minority, and also the largest tourist destination in the Archipelago. Read more about Denpasar (Bali), Indonesia

Maumere, population 50,000 and capital of the Sika Regency, is the largest town on Flores, the largest island in the East Nusa Tenggara province chain of islands. To the west on this ‘string of pearls’ are Java, Bali and Komodo (to name some of the better-known islands); and to the east are Sumba, West Timor, and independent East Timor. Maumere faces north to the Flores Sea. Read more about Maumere, Indonesia

Alor is the largest island in the Alor archipelago, located at the eastern-most end of the chain of islands that runs through southern Indonesia. The island is of volcanic origin with very rugged terrain, and the only town, Kalabahi, is located on the flat area facing the main harbour. The archipelago offers some of the best snorkelling and diving in Indonesia, but due to intriguing and often very strong currents it is best to snorkel or dive with someone who knows the area well. Read more about Alor Island, Indonesia

The Banda Islands are a volcanic group of ten small volcanic islands in the Banda Sea, about 2,000 km east of Java, and are part of the Indonesian province of Maluku. Until the mid-19th century the Banda Islands were the world's only source of the spices nutmeg and mace produced from the nutmeg tree. These days the islands are also popular destinations for scuba diving and snorkelling. Read more about Banda Islands, Indonesia

Pulau Aiduma is a small island on the south coast of the West Papua province of Indonesia. If you picture Papua New Guinea as a flying duck, then Triton Bay is just under its “neck”, and Aiduma Island is at the south end of the bay, two kilometres off the mainland. The island is in one of the most remote regions of the Indonesian Archipelago, only reached by sea as there are no significant ports nearby. Read more about Aiduma Island, Indonesia

Triton Bay lies on the south coast of the West Papua province of Indonesia. If you picture Papua New Guinea as a flying duck, then Triton Bay is just under its “neck” – does that make sense? The Bay is surrounded by tropical rain forests, rising on one side to a 1060m peak. Read more about Triton Bay, Indonesia

Agats is a village on the remote SE coast of the Asmat region of Papua Province in Indonesia. The province is also known as West Papua and Indira Jaya. The inhabitants are famed for their artistic ‘primitive’ woodcarving, and Agats has an interesting museum filled with woodcarvings and other objects. Read more about Agats, Asmat Region, Indonesia

Cape York is at the tip of the Cape York Peninsula in northern Queensland, and is at the very northernmost part of the Australian mainland, with New Guinea just north of the island-studded Torres Strait. It was named by James Cook in 1770 after His Royal Highness the Duke of York. Tourists now visit throughout the year, as facilities are surprisingly modern for such an isolated spot, and tours are always available. Read more about Cape York, Australia

Lizard Island, named after the numerous large but harmless lizards living there, is a national park in Queensland, Australia. It is situated 90 km north of Cooktown at the northern tip of Australia’s World Heritage-listed Great Barrier Reef. It is also the location of an award-winning and internationally famous resort. Read more about Lizard Island, Australia

Cairns is a Far North Queensland city located on the northeast coast of Australia. This laid-back city is just over a 2 hour flight from Brisbane, Queensland’s state capital. With a backdrop of rainforest mountains, Cairns is known to be the gateway of 2 iconic Australian sites, The Great Barrier Reef and the Wet Tropics Rainforest. Read more about Cairns, Australia