5 destinations to mend a broken heart

The Jakarta Post/Asia News Network | Thu, Mar 20 2014
5 destinations to mend a broken heart
Edna Tarigan
INDONESIA – If you are one of those people who have recently walked out on a heartbreaking relationship and are looking for some quiet time and comfort, or perhaps a little bit of adrenaline to get away from your heartbreak, here are five mood-boosting locations in the country that you can escape to and, hopefully, find the desire to start over and be happy again.

Contemplating in Galau Beach, Jailolo
Taking some time to absorb breathtaking scenery while calmly sitting down at the beach’s wooden dock will help you forget your current love-life situation. It might give you some inspiration to decide your next step as well.
Especially on a beach named how you might be feeling at the moment, miserable, or in Indonesian, ‘galau’.
Originally named Bobanehena Beach and also popularly known as Tanjung Kenangan (Cape of Memories), this particular place is famous among the locals as Galau (miserable) Beach.
Located in Bobanehena village, about 20 minutes’ drive from the centre of Jailolo subdistrict, West Halmahera regency in North Maluku, the beach has a spectacular panoramic sky — with several different colors mixed together and rapidly changing as the sun slowly disappears, resulting in a beautifully blended mess in the sky.
Take a diving course in Tulamben, Bali
Elizabeth Gilbert, as recounted in her book “Eat, Pray, Love”, went to Bali to fix her broken heart. Indeed, Bali as a destination offers plenty of gorgeous landscapes and unforgettable new experiences to cheer up someone who’s feeling blue.
If you’re a diver or planning to get your diving license, head to Tulamben. This small fishing village on the north-east coast of Bali has one of the most popular dive sites on the island, yet the easiest one to dive.
Its main attraction is the wreck of the USS Liberty — which was torpedoed by the Japanese during World War II.
There are also diving schools certified to give you a diving license after a 3-4 day course. This course will keep you busy and will definitely help you to escape from the heartache.
Those who prefer snorkeling can explore the ship’s stern for it is located only 6 meters beneath the surface with average visibility of 12 to 30 meters.
Aside from the historical wreck, Tulamben is also home to one of the densest underwater populations — making it a popular site for night-diving as well as heaven for hunting objects for photography.
Reading a self-healing book in Tuk-tuk, Samosir
Tuk-tuk, a small village in Samosir Island in North Sumatra, is famous both as a perfect spot to view Lake Toba’s landscape and still-preserved traditional life.
If you’re seeking consolation at a rather quiet and far-away place, it also offers convenient yet affordable accommodation suitable for a long and peaceful stay.
A small cottage with direct access to the world-famous lake, for example, can be a great place to relax and free your mind from all the pain and sorrow while reading self-healing books such as Swami Rama’s “The Art of Joyful Living”.
If you happen to run out of books to read, do not worry since the village, though small and quite traditional, has a small book rental where you can go to find new ones.
Other than reading, you can also rent a bicycle or motorcycle to explore Tuk-tuk and its indigenous life as well as other villages and tourist spots nearby.
Cruise through Komodo National Park, West Manggarai
Going on a solo trip can be a great way to help you forget the past, experience new things, talk to strangers and, hopefully, find someone new.
And what could be a better way to meet new people and make friends than being on the same boat, sharing the same interests for a couple of days together.
There are plenty of cruises in Komodo National Park, usually lasting three to five days, with plenty of diving.
Besides the new friends you might meet, the real reason to dive here is the hundreds of species of fish and coral and the vast pristine underwater reef life you will encounter. From nudibranch to manta rays, this water has one of the richest marine diversities on earth.
There are nice long surface intervals also in between the dives. So when you are not diving or eating, you can have a beach trip or do a bit of snorkeling in the calm bays.
After five days absorbing the scenery and the breathtaking underwater panorama, while accompanied by new friends, you will definitely be in the mood to start a new life.
Paragliding in Puncak, West Java
If you happen to be in the capital city, one of the best nearby escapes is Puncak in West Java, only two hours’ drive from Jakarta.
Here you can test your adrenaline.
Head to Paragliding Bukit Gantole and enjoy 10 minutes of adrenaline rush, gliding on a parasail.
With the wind slamming your face while you admire the aerial view of the tea-plantation landscape, you will surely forget you ever had heartache and finally see life from a more uplifting point of view.