A Pleasant Day Trip to Loveland
For years I was so strongly advised against riding the trains around Jakarta, and down to Bogor, that I avoided them:...
Travel
Bunaken: Two Sides of an Underwater Paradise
The Sulawesi city of Manado is known for many things: its spicy (and sometimes wacky) food, its cosmopolitan and beautiful...
The History of Coffee in Indonesia
Imagine a world without coffee! Even if you are not a coffee drinker, imagine the shopping centres and high streets...
Surabaya: Beyond Expectations
Look in a travel guide and the description of Surabaya won’t exactly allure you. For many years Lonely Planet described...
Embracing the Spirit of Ramadhan
The Muslim fasting month of Ramadhan is now in full swing. For recently arrived non-Muslim expatriates in Indonesia, it can...
Krakatau Sojourn
The mention of Krakatau, located in the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra, arouses a variety of gut feelings to...
Staying Safe on Your Travels
This is the time of year when many of us are travelling on leave and staying in hotels. I have...
A Culinary Pilgrimage to Gresik, East Java
It was still midday, but the beautiful scent of stir-fried garlic and galangal paste had already made me hungry. My...
Lutfi the Law Clerk: Finding Peace at Ramadhan
Sahur, the pre-dawn meal Muslims take before the first call to prayer during Ramadhan is tricky. Most Indonesians wake...
Lempad, a Timeless Balinese Master
Thirty six years after his death at the age of 116, the first complete presentation of the works of I...
South Solok: a Place with One Thousand Rumah Gadang
South Solok, located along mountain ranges of Sumatra, has a cool climate. While taking a trip from Padang city to...
The Salvador Dali Quest
After living in Southeast Asia back and forth for over twenty years, I have come to realize that most of...
Sailing the Spice Islands
The great arc of the Indonesian archipelago starts north of the island of Sumatra and curves south and east until...
Isen Mulang – A Cultural Extravaganza
A very special event occurs in Central Borneo on May the 18th each year. Thousands of Dayaks converge on the...
Mount Bromo: Where Heaven and Hell Meet
Mount Bromo (Gunung Bromo), an active volcano two hours’ drive east of Surabaya, East Java, is by far the most...
The July 9 Election: a Toss-up
One month before the July 9 presidential election day, a poll held by Kompas showed that about 40% of voters...
Selamat Pagi, Malam: Good Morning, Night
Jakarta is so much more than meets the eye. Behind all the night lights and afternoon smoke of pollution and...
Adventures into the Heart of Borneo with Michael Palmieri
Borneo is the third largest island in the world, which is politically shared by three countries, Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei....
A Night at Charlie’
The Eurostar is actually not the fastest way to travel to Paris and London. In Bali, you can enjoy hopping...
Indonesia’s Mountains of Fire
With approximately 127 active volcanoes spread across the country, it can be difficult to know where to begin if you...
Rut Dini: the River Guardian
Dini is a passionate defender of the rivers of Borneo, which is not surprising, as her memories of growing up...