More young locals now exploring Southeast Asia
Evi Mariani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The subject of the e-mail on the indobackpacker.com mailing list was "Traveling to Southeast Asia for only Rp 3.5 million (US$350)".
Shortly after it was posted, the e-mail got responses from several interested members, asking the itinerary of such a trip.
Independent traveling or backpacking to Southeast Asian countries like Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos has become more popular among young Indonesian professionals who earn a relatively decent income.
Inexpensive online booking from airlines like Air Asia and Singapore's Tiger Airways have also boosted some renewed interest among Indonesian budget travelers.
On top of that, improved overland access from Thailand to Cambodia's Angkor Wat and Phnom Penh as well as to Vientiane, Laos and the World Heritage site at Luang Prabang has made Southeast Asia's itinerary more feasible.
Aris Yanto, one of the operators of the mailing list and the website www.indobackpacker.com said that the group started with 10 people in September 2004 and within a year had increased to almost 800 members.
He said that from what he observed, most members were young professionals like information technology employees, like himself, or those in the banking industry.
In the first e-mails, the members indicated that the mailing list aimed to provide space for outdoor activity lovers. However, over the course of time, the exchange of information extended to independent traveling to cities.
From some of the e-mails, it has become obvious that the members take pride in traveling freely and sometimes in what others might consider miserable conditions. They do not like being called tourists and they love adventurous trips. Most of them agree that they are willing to go through relatively difficult times to make the trip cheaper -- and more of an adventure.
The group has arranged six trips together to places around the Indonesian archipelago. All trips cost the members a little money and provide a lot of fun.
"The trip to Karimun Jawa for three days and two nights cost each person just Rp 380,000 (US$38), covering all expenses, including transportation from Jakarta, accommodation and meals," Aris explained to The Jakarta Post.
Almost all them soon got the "travel bug" after that first trip.
"Be careful, it's dangerous, you can get addicted," Yudhi Widyantoro, a yoga instructor in Jakarta, said, laughing.
"Now I work so I can earn money for traveling. Every time I have enough saved, I go. That's why now I don't have anything except for this motorcycle," he added.
Since 1996, he has traveled independently to Cambodia, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, India, Nepal and Tibet.
He plans to explore the Pacific early next year.
"I will attend a workshop in New Zealand early next year. I studied the globe and I thought why not go to the Pacific like Fiji and the Samoa Islands afterwards," he said, saying that he had learned that the flights from New Zealand to Fiji would cost him about US$1,000 one way.
He realized it was quite costly but he said he wanted to see the life in the Pacific.
"As long as I'm still single, why not," he said.
While his statement is largely true, some indobackpacker members, however, are married couples who have a passion to see the world as much as possible with their own eyes.
And indeed, it is fun and well worth it.