Trouble in Paradise: Komodo Island, Tourism and Conservation
With Komodo Island gaining popularity in recent years as a favourite expat destination, it’s easy to only come for the...
history
Alfred Raquez’ Trip to Batavia
“Alfred Raquez” is the pseudonym of Joseph Gervais, a bankrupt French lawyer who fled to the Far East in the...
Tambora: Mysteries of a Lost Civilization
In addition to changing the global climate through “The Year Without Summer” and losing nearly half of its original altitude,...
Rebuilding Bima: An Expat’ Perspective on Resilience in the Face of Disaster
After encountering generous and passionate locals in the historical royal city of Bima in October of 2016, Grace Susetyo was...
Opinion: Saving Indonesia from the Mistakes of the West
Indonesia is a place that travellers speak of as a paradise. Advertisements for leisure travel depict pristine white sand beaches,...
Recruit To Revolution
John Coast was 31 when he flew to Bukittinggi in 1948. His life’s journey until that point had been one...
British Bengkulu: A Forgotten Imperial Outpost
Bengkulu, October 1685: The fort stood atop a small hillock on the banks of a coffee-coloured creek. To the west...
Cangkuang, West Java’ Small and Mystical Hindu Temple
Discovering one of the few Hindu-Buddhist relics ever to be discovered in West Java. One Tuesday morning, a gang of...
Life Back Then
Author of Olivia & Sophie, Rosie Milne, explores what expat life was like 200 years ago. My novel Olivia &...
The Influence of Javanese Music on Early Jazz
“Jazz has borrowed from other genres of music and also has lent itself to other genres of music.” – Herbie...
History in the Making: Meet Michael Nicholson
Michael is an HR Consultant and Executive Coach, and founded the BritCham Toastmasters Club in Jakarta when he was on...
Art Appreciation: Meet Bruce Carpenter
Author and co-author of more than 20 books and numerous articles on Indonesian art, culture and history, Bruce W. Carpenter...
Rebuilding Ruins: PT Pembangunan Kota Tua
Most of Jakarta is made of new developments and expanding suburbs, however look to the North and you’ll find Kota...
Tugu Kunstkring Paleis: A Culturally Rich Dining Experience in the Heart of Menteng
On a quiet, leafy-tree street corner set amongst stately white mansions and European luxury cars parked roadside is a structural...
The Mapping of Java
The islands of Java and Bali located 8 degrees south of the Equator in the Indian Ocean are two of...
Settlers, Saints, Kings and Conversions: The Dawn of Indonesian Islam
Author of A Brief History of Indonesia, Tim Hannigan, travels back in time to explore the history of Islam in...
With a Long History in Indonesia, Tobacco Remains an Economic Pillar
Tobacco companies in Indonesia could face challenging times, as regulators tighten. But with power and resources, cigarette firms have cause...
Kamasan: An Ancient Living Tradition
Imagine you are a master Balinese painter, and your King has recently commissioned you to do a piece of work....
The Kids Went Wild in Batavia
“The memory of things gone is important to a jazz musician.” – Louis Armstrong Joey Alexander’s nomination for two Grammy...
Saudara Dalam Sejarah: Exposing the Story of Indonesia’s Forgotten Exiles
In the 1960s, Sukarno sent thousands of students to study abroad, including in China. After the 1965 anti-communist massacre, in...
The Outdoor Museum of Taman Prasasti – a Window to the Past
We take a trip to the Taman Prasasti cemetery in Jakarta, where Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles’ wife, along with many...