Indonesia -- Gura Ici Islands in North Halmahera

We had the great opportunity to visit and film on Leilei Island, along with an Indonesian TV team from Channel TVOne, at the invitation of the Governor of N Maluku Province in eastern Indonesia. The governor's home island is the most well known of the Gua Ici mini-archipelago chain on the western side of Halmehara Island. It boasts clear waters reflecting every color of blue, white sand beaches, and reputedly great diving, which we were sorry to not be able to see for ourselves. The summit of the hill has a commanding view of the surrounding idyllic islets. We met some friendly villagers who showed us how to make cassava flour. There are guest accommodations, and great hopes to develop the area for tourism. The villagers welcomed us warmly and served us a very nice lunch of local foods and drinking coconuts. The ride to and from Ternate city in the Governor's motor yacht was a real treat too, covering, in a few hours, a distance that took our yacht 10-12 hrs to cover a few days before. Big Thank-yous to the Governor of N Maluku, DRS. H. Thaib Armaiyn, and our guide, Kris Syamsusdin, head of Marketing and Networking, Culture and Tourism Office of N Maluku Province, and to all the nice people of Leilei Island. Filmed in December 2012.