Karangasem: Memories of East Bali’s Great Kingdom
Before Indonesia became the republic it is now, the Nusantara archipelago was ruled by many kingdoms with distinct territories, cultures,...
Travel
Sons of Sembalun: Guardians of Mount Rinjani
Standing stately at 3,726 metres above sea level, Rinjani crowns the skies of Lombok with vast plains of sun-kissed savannahs,...
Surabaya’ Mountain Retreat
Surabaya may be hot and sweaty, but it’s easy to get out and explore some of the cooler countryside no...
Traveloka is Likely an Undercover Tech Unicorn of Indonesia
Although CEO Ferry Unardi stays out of the media limelight, tech experts aren’t shy about calling his company one of...
Take on Tuban
Exploring the distinctly Mediterranean town of Tuban on the north coast of East Java, home to an impressive crab temple,...
Lake Placid
The mighty Lake Toba remains one of Indonesia’s most impressive stop-offs Outside of Bali, the dodgy pizzas and dishevelled hotels...
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...
Tana Olen, the Forbidden Forest
“We call this place Tana Olen,” Philius, the Dayak elder explained. “In Kenyah Dayak language this means forbidden forest –...
Climbing Mount Lawu
A punishing yet beguiling ascent into the heavens of Central Java Philosophical arguments are usually given when mountaineers explain why...
Nyambu Holds the Secret to Sustainable Tourism in Bali
As an ever-increasing amount of Bali’s farmland is being converted into hotels, resorts and other tourism-related infrastructure, one project is...
Indonesia Aims to Replicate Bali’s Success with Ten New Tourist Destinations
As part of an effort to reduce the nation’s dependence on exporting raw commodities, President Jokowi has chosen tourism as...
The Bare Necessities: Gunung Leuser National Park
Trekking Gunung Leuser National Park in North Sumatra in search of endangered orangutans in another world. Ever since Leonardo DiCaprio...
Menteng Pulo: Field of Honour
The most astonishing experience when entering the Netherlands Field of Honour Menteng Pulo (Menteng Pulo Ereveld) is the silence. Just...
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...
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...
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....