The civilisation of Java boasts of intricately artistic traditional architecture that stands the test of time. But people often forget that Java is not only home to the Javanese and the Sundanese. One of these lesser-known ethnic groups is the Osing of Banyuwangi. After a temple-hopping journey across Java, I ended up in Banyuwangi—my final [...]

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In this sick and twisted world, there is an elite group of the most sick and twisted countries. Adding a new layer of twistedness to the tragedy of the existence of such countries, there are hockers of gawkers: those who are turning a profit on bringing shamelessly curious tourists to the edge of these tragedies. [...]

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Little is known of the Sriwijaya Empire, a polity that in its prime spread its tentacles across much of Southeast Asia from Central Java to the narrow Thai peninsula. From its centre in Palembang, Sriwijaya controlled the strategically vital Melaka Straits, levying tolls on the vessels that traded between China and India. Long before business [...]

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Being an archipelago spanning 5,248 kilometres over three time zones, Indonesia has thousands of destinations to satisfy the curious traveller’s senses. But it’s easy to forget that if your daily life in Indonesia mostly consists of swimming from meeting to meeting in the traffic jams of Jakarta. If you’re like me, you’re probably guilty of [...]

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Tourist excursions to Indonesia’s West Papua province are often dreamt about and rarely undertaken. Those who do head to Papua usually congregate in the Baliem Valley, in Papua Province’s Highlands, or in Papua Barat’s northern Raja Ampat. In the Baliem, trekking is popular, as is climbing: Trikora is a popular peak, as is Puncak Jaya. [...]

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With a marine area of 93,000 square kilometres interlacing throughout some 17,000 islands, a good navy force should be one of Indonesia’s top priorities. The strategic location sandwiched between two continents and two oceans means that Indonesia’s waters accommodate the traffic of numerous international submarines on any given day. Moreover, Indonesia’s waters are rich with [...]

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Indonesia is the world’s largest archipelago and is a place of rich and diverse culture and natural beauty, much of which is off the main tourist trail and therefore has managed to retain its original charm. The local people are always quick to offer a friendly smile and show you warm and welcoming hospitality, which [...]

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Being the multicultural country that it is, there are many ways of celebrating Christmas in Indonesia. Even the weather is a departure from the Northern Hemisphere’s white winters. And the customs pose surprises. They range from gala dinners in fancy hotels to charity runs in shantytowns, from unfamiliar carols in exotic languages to Hillsong-style megachurch [...]

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I have long held a fascination with the tear shaped island clinging meniscus-like to the Indian sub continent. Their cricketers – always the bravest underdogs – have been my “other’ team since the first Cricket World Cup, 1975 when Mendis & Co. endured a terrible battering from the fearful Lillee and Thomson. Decades later I [...]

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The Komodo National Park, an area of 1,817 square kilometres made up of three main islands, Komodo, Rinca and Padar, as well as several smaller ones, was earlier this year awarded the prestigious title of one of the New Seven Wonders of Nature. A protected area where one can find prehistoric gigantic lizards, turquoise-blue sea, [...]

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Old Dhaka is a mish mash of narrow lanes, crumbling houses home to a myriad of artisans and a history that dates back more than 400 years. There are no accurate maps to the area, there are very few road signs and hardly anyone speaks English. But wandering these historic streets will bring you up [...]

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A public awareness campaign uncovers Jakarta’s few suitable but forgotten parks, whetting local appetites for green spaces they can use. When Samsuri moved into the park custodian’s cottage at Taman Langsat in South Jakarta’s Kebayoran Baru, he asked a family member to bless his new sturdy home and make peace with the ghosts that he [...]

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Celestial Wonders of the Southern Sky “Bandung” often evokes images of the star-studded café and shopping scene. Granted, Bandung does have a glamorous charm that gets Jakartans begging for more, even if it means moving traffic hell two-and-a-half hours away down the toll road. On this visit to Bandung, though, I thought of a real [...]

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We have all seen it, the iconic image of a sunrise filtering through a vast cloud filled caldera with Mount Bromo, Mount Batok, and Mount Semeru stoically puffing away. Nicely packed into a picture perfect shot, this is the ethereal Bromo-Tengger-Semeru National Park. This park covers a whooping 800 square kilometres, lying 2,100 metres above [...]

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