In the mists of gede-pangrango

A four-day jaunt in Java features towering trees, birds and other exotic wildlife, Chen Liang reports Chen Liang

When many Chinese think of Indonesia their minds fly to the island of Bali. To the better informed and the more traveled the sprawling archipelago looms a lot larger, and in addition to Bali the island of Lombok and the ancient city of Yogyakarta in Java may spring to mind. Even the country's capital, Jakarta, has long been off the radar for Chinese tourists.

It may come as a surprise that Indonesia offers tourist visas to Chinese citizens free of charge, which is just one reason, even if among the least important, why the country ought to appeal to Chinese travelers.