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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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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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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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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If you’ve ever dreamt of riding through the hills and rice terraces of West Java on a trail bike, dream no more. Now it’s possible. Not only that but, as I discovered when I took a friend who was a complete biking novice with me on my second visit, even total beginners to bike-riding can [...]

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The sun is shining, the weekend lies ahead. What better way to spend the free time than unwinding far from the stresses of city life by catching some rays on a beach or chilling on a mountain slope? Jakarta’s residents are spoilt for choice when it comes to weekends away. There are beaches, nature, indigenous [...]

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Bandung, with its factory outlets and bakeries selling the ubiquitous brownie, this city has long been a favourite destination for Jakarta folk looking for a cooler shopping experience. Now, of course, with the advent of budget airlines it’s not only Indonesians flocking to splash the cash. People from Malaysia and Singapore are discovering it makes [...]

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Jakarta is sadly lacking in opportunities for a pleasant day trip out of the city. The traffic, not to mention the crowds, on a visit to Bandung, Bogor or Puncak are enough to put many trippers off while the attractions of factory outlets, tracking down that perfect brownies or hot springs soon fade for people [...]

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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 [...]

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Halo Cuny Schuurmans! The Dutch lady from The Hague who can look after all your travel needs.   How long have you been living in Indonesia? 15 years now. We came in 1987 for a holiday and we loved it so much so we decided, also due to family ties, to move here permanently.   [...]

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Bonjour Catherine Parent! The French Canadian dance teacher who’s fanatical about diving.   What do you prefer to be called? Nobody can pronounce my name properly because I’m French Canadian and my name should be pronounced Katerine with the rolling ‘r’, but since nobody can say that, most people just call me Cat.   So [...]

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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 [...]

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