Life outside Indonesia's badminton court

For two Kiwi athletes, a month of living and training in one of Asia's badminton powerhouses was a rewarding experience - one they're keen to relive.

Justine Villegas and Adam Jeffrey are New Zealand badminton representatives. Through the BWF Player Development Program and Badminton Oceania, they had the opportunity to train at the Candra Wijaya International Badminton Centre in Jakarta, Indonesia in late 2023.

Earlier on the AMC, Justine wrote about the training the duo received - she returns for a second part here to dive into life outside badminton in Indonesia. 

We were very fortunate to experience the city-life of Jakarta and the countryside on the outskirts of Jakarta. 

For the city life, Indonesians are very passionate about their malls. As one of the drivers said, Indonesia prides themselves on the number and size of their malls. We were warned about the traffic towards the central city, and they were very right about that. It was an experience itself to be on the road of Jakarta, the awareness from all drivers is insane. Adam and I were both mesmerized by the talent they all had in avoiding other vehicles, motorbikes, and people on the road. I was on edge and was constantly pressing on the invisible brakes in the passenger seat, but I was somehow confident that the drivers knew exactly what they were doing - or maybe I hoped they did! 

Once we got to the mall, it was very common to see lines to get into restaurants, this just portrays that the mall itself was just as bustling as the streets. The malls were rich in international and local brands, which we were very spoiled to choose from. Unfortunately, we were exhausted from all the training we had done, so we often parked ourselves in a restaurant. If not, we had the experience of watching movies in Indonesia, which was very cool. We were basically anywhere that had an aircon! 

Kiwi badminton representatives, Justine and Adam, explore Indonesia during their month-long training in Asia. Image: Supplied.

To experience the nature of Indonesia, we travelled 2.5 hours to Sukabumi. Here we really appreciated life away from the city. It was much calmer and cooler than the city. It’s funny to think that 20 degrees Celsius was considered cold but it was. We left the badminton centre early in the morning and arrived at the Situ Gunung Suspension bridge. 

The Situ Gunung Suspension bridge is known to be the longest suspension bridge, located in the middle of the forest, in Southeast Asia. It has been one of the tourist attractions and is part of the Gunung Gede Pangrango National Park. 

Once we arrived, we paid for our entry fees and had the opportunity to be taken to the top of the mountain by riding on a motorbike behind local drivers. Let’s just say they were very familiar with the roads and were very keen to show us how speedy they could get to the top, where the suspension bridge was found. There weren’t developed roads on the mountain so you can’t even imagine how hard I was gripping onto that motorbike seat. 

Being on the mountain surrounded by greenery was a very refreshing experience and was the closest thing that felt like home - minus the motorbike ride. In contrast to the city, it was very cool, fresh and the change in pace was refreshing. We were very lucky to arrive early to avoid heavy foot traffic, therefore we basically got the bridge to ourselves and did not have to wait behind any queues for the bridge or the zip lines. 

When not busy in their badminton training, Justin and Adam explore Indonesia's beauty. Image: Supplied.

Once you cross the bridge, we did a nature walk where we have a couple of stops. One being a waterfall, where you were able to do a few activities such as tube rides and glamping. You were even allowed to swim by the waterfall stream, which is something we all wanted to do, if only we brought extra clothes. So, if you were ever thinking of visiting! Pack extra clothes so you get to experience swimming in freshwater. 

Throughout the walk, there would be mini stalls set-up. So, if you are ever in need of a snack during your walk, bring cash! No paywave during the mountain walk. 

At the start of the walk, you will be greeted with a very lovely restaurant where you have a variety of Indonesian and Western food to choose from. In the middle of the forest, there are also multiple food stalls set up. Here you can try local street food, if your stomach is up for it!

We couldn’t quite risk this as we didn’t want to get sick and miss out on training while we were in Indonesia. But if your stomach is stronger than mine, then I would recommend trying all the food they offer! It looked delicious.

At the end of the walk, you are then again greeted with more food stalls. You can say the Indonesians love their food! Here you can try fresh coconut - which I highly recommend and fresh sugar cane juice! Just a few of my favorite things in Indonesia. 

(L-R) Justine Villegas and Adam Jeffrey travelled to Jakarta, Indonesia in late 2023 for an intense badminton training camp. Image: Supplied

It was very interesting to see the contrast between city life and the outskirts life. But despite that, the Indonesians were always just as friendly. On and off the court! They were all very welcoming, especially at training. It’s very easy to feel like an outcast going into a country where English is not commonly spoken, and the culture is different. But the Indonesians made us feel very welcomed and made 4 weeks of training go very fast. 

We have really enjoyed our stay and would definitely come back for more training sessions! We look forward to seeing the players we trained with in future international tournaments. 

We would like to thank Badminton Oceania, Badminton World Federation, Badminton New Zealand, and the Asian New Zealand Foundation for giving us this amazing opportunity to train at the Candra Wijaya International Badminton Centre.

- Asia Media Centre