Special tours for your pleasure

The joy of traveling can revolve around the classics: landmarks, monuments, food and so on. But nowadays more tours are catering to the more specific needs of the participants.

For instance, some travel exclusively for sports-related purpose, such as diving, golf or surfing, while some are more eager to witness cultural events and traditional ceremonies, and yet others prefer a relaxing getaway on board a train.

We picked three specific tours available here in Indonesia for you to enjoy as they are or as preludes to more sojourns in the future.

Go surfing with Sri Noa Noa

The archipelago of Nusa Tenggara in Indonesia is an exciting place for surfers to seek killer waves. To get the most of what the region has to offer, go island hopping in the area to discover all its surf spots using the right boat for the occasion: the Sri Noa Noa (www.cruisebali.com).

Owned by Stuart Horstman from Australia, the classic boat can take a small group of a maximum of six passengers for a surf trip starting at the east of Bali.

You can choose from flexible packages, such as a week-long trip around Lombok and Sumbawa, or a two-week cruise kicking off in Rote and ending with a flourish in Sumba.

Tailor-made itineraries are also welcomed, as seasoned surfers and travelers usually have good ideas of where they want to go - a recreational visit to the Komodo Island, for instance. The waves in the area can be enjoyed by all types of surfers, from the novice to the experts.

Aside from surfing, the trip also offers a variety of other activities, such as fishing, visits to villages and exploring the beautiful coastal area.

Interested? You can start planning your trip by contacting the local representative Tota Lambertus at +6281353135337.

Get to know about surfboard making: A day in a surfboard factory

Getting cultured with Gelar

If what excites you the most about visiting the archipelago is its rich, vibrant culture, joining tour programs organized by Gelar might be the right decision.

With more than a decade of experience, this trip producer is known best for its strong local-based approach and in-depth research. All of their trips are targeted to allow participants to experience cultural performances and festivals at the original location accompanied by experts in the field.

Their cultural trips include “Satu Negeri, Seribu Raja” or “One Country, A Thousand Kingdoms”, tracing the path of ancient kingdoms and becoming their royal guests; “The Mask on Location”, witnessing a rare mask dance performed by senior dancers and locals; and “Jalur Rempah”, or “The Spice Trail”, tracing the path of colonialism in Indonesia.

“While most tourists don’t allocate time to enjoy these kinds of performances, Gelar is focused on presenting them for the sake of
sustainability. Our programs are intended to preserve Indonesia’s local wisdom,” said founder Kumoratih Kushardjanto.

Gelar plans to organize 21 trips this year. To book or find out more about their programs, visit www.gelar.co.id or call 62 21 979 59286.

Rail trip with Kereta Wisata

If you are accustomed to flying your way through your vacation, choosing to ride premium-class coach instead can be an interesting experience.

Through its subsidiary Indorailtour, state railway company PT Kereta Api has been offering its Kereta Wisata (pleasure trip train) service since its 1980s.

The service initially caters to VVIP guests such as presidents, vice presidents and their guests, but since 2000, its three coaches (Nusantara, Toraja and Bali) have also served travelers who are willing to spend more to enjoy a comfy trip in the 19-to-22 seat carriages equipped with facilities such as a mini-bar, TV and karaoke.

Aside from providing luxury trips with the pleasure trip trains, Indorailtour also offers various package tours using its regular trains.

A one-day tour to Cirebon, with a starting price of Rp 700,000 (US$72.66) per person, is the company's most popular destination. Its itinerary include a visit to the Keraton Kesepuhan palace and Gua Sunyaragi cave, a sampling of the city's famous cuisine (Empal Gentong and Tahu Gejrot) and a shopping session in Batik Trusmi.

If you have more time to spare, consider the 5-night package tour to Malang, Batu and Bromo. This tour will take you to explore the splendid Coban Rondo waterfall, majestic Mount Bromo and the charming city of Malang.

You can design your own holiday as well, since Indorailtour offers custom-tailored trips as well to any destination reachable by train.

The package tours are currently available only for groups with a minimum of 15 people. But the company has plans to add six coaches to its existing three coaches in the second half of 2013. It is also planning to sell tickets to passengers with customized routes.

To know more about the tour, you can check Luxury on the rails