First published on Alterity Incredible as it may seem, but just 120km (75 miles) from the bustling metropolis of Jakarta live an ancient tribe of people who eschew the modern world entirely. They are the Amish of Indonesia and are known as the Badui (although they call themselves Kanekes). They number only around 6,000 and [...]

Read the full story

First Published on Latitudes.nu Picture the scene : You’re riding your bicycle along a dirt road near Prolit village near Siem Reap when a tuktuk flies by. Nothing new in this part of the world, right? Until you notice the driver is dressed as Fred Flintstone. Another one bumps along in your rearview mirror. This [...]

Read the full story

1,250 kilometres in 25 days, from Bali to Jakarta, running through the sweltering 32 degree Equatorial heat and 75% humidity, dodging trans-Java buses, trucks and breathing in masses of carbon monoxide – does this sound like your worst nightmare? Just in case it didn’t compute the first time, that’s an average of 50 km a [...]

Read the full story

Wondrous. Other worldly. Wow, what a whale of a time. Welcome to W Hotel, Seminyak, Bali, a place where wishes come true. This immense 8 hectare resort must have been no mean feat to develop and it is one of those places that make you say, “Human beings are pretty smart, really.” What a wonderful [...]

Read the full story

Like endangered species, magical encounters with pure and unadulterated Indonesian traditional culture have become increasingly rare events in the 21st century. While predictions for long-term survival are dark, miraculous surprises can come when least expected. Arriving under the cover of dusk, the reality of an uneasy new national border set up between Indonesian Timor and [...]

Read the full story

“What a great idea – if only I had thought of it: take a trip to paradise, stay in a cozy bed, get around by boat, snorkel and dive everyday like there’s no tomorrow, and look for some interactions with the locals; not too much, but definitely more meaningful.” That was the plan. So. A [...]

Read the full story

Most people don’t get over-excited when you mention the Thousand Islands (Pulau Seribu), myself included, however one of these one hundred or so islands (I know, the ‘thousand’ in the name is very misleading) has captured my hippie heart and soul and is now my favourite weekend break within two hours of the Big Durian. [...]

Read the full story

Jogjakarta and its Hill of Stones Anyone with but the flimsiest knowledge of Indonesia will know the pivotal role Jogjakarta has played. In culture, in rebellion, in battling invaders the Kraton has been at the heart of the Javanese story. And Stamford Raffles is a man forever linked with Singapore despite the fact he spent [...]

Read the full story

The naturalist John Muir is credited with a quote most mountain climbers have memorised and tend to recite after a few beers or moments of beauty and sheer awe. Climb to the top of Rinjani in Lombok and you might hear a few of the brave souls who left camp at 2am to make the [...]

Read the full story

Long and heavy it lies on the wet morning grass, the dew licking its undersides. Young sunlight grazes its skin. Carvings cover it end to end, its trunk hollowed out. You can see them, the two people, one on top of the other, looking out with their silent eyes. Above them rising like a defiant [...]

Read the full story