Soekarno “We shake the heavens and rock the earth, that we may live not only on ¢2.50 a day.”
SBY “You may read of small radical groups. But mainstream Indo will always be moderate and tolerant.”
Recently my Indonesian followers on Twitter have wondered why all I speak about is Bali and the truth is that just like so many Westerners I know little about other parts. So I asked the question “What’s your favorite part in Indonesia?” and in response I have received some great pictures of areas I have [...]
You may have heard or read about the ‘rivalry’ between Indonesia and Malaysia in relation to the ‘ownership’ of batik heritage. Last September, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) officially recognized Indonesian batik as one of the world’s important cultural tradition. For the full story, go here. Admittedly, the batik is found [...]
Palu, the capital of Central Celebes was the first city we visited during our two-week business trip to have a look at our landfill projects in Indonesia. With its population of 400,000 people, Palu seemed tiny compared to Jakarta, where I am from. There are no wide 4-lane main street or a 6 story mall [...]
Mt. Tangkuban Perahu is an active volcano located north of Bandung (West Java) in the direction of Lembang. It is Bandung’s most famous tourist destination as it offers a variety of possibilities: from exploring the crater, hiking, to just enjoying the view. Seen from Bandung, the mountain resembles a boat turned upside down, which stimulated [...]
It was to my surprise the change of Bangka has been so amazing beyond my expectation since I left the island about half a century ago. So far as I remember, there were no hotels, no tourist facilities whatsoever. The only kind of accommodations available on the island were the guest houses of the state [...]
Jakarta old town or also known as Old Batavia is a small area in Jakarta, Indonesia. In the 16th century the city Jakarta was named Batavia by the Dutch colony. It is named “the Jewel of Asia” or the “Queen of the East” by European sailors. Back in 1526, the Sultanate of Demak sent Fatahillah [...]
The locals of Lombok will tell you that you can not consider yourself having set your foot on Lombok, Indonesia if you have never gone to the Gili Islands of Lombok. The word ‘Gili’ is in the Sasak local language which means ‘small islands’. The Gili Islands consists of three small islands named Gili Air, [...]
Mount Rinjani is the third highest mountain in Indonesia which rises to 3,726 meters above sea level. It is an active volcano on the island of Lombok. The most recent eruption was in May 10, 2009. The oval shaped caldera of the volcano is filled with crater lake named “Sagara Anak” which is in the [...]
If you haven’t read the myth about Malin Kundang yet, you can do so by clicking here. If you want to see the rock formation of Malin Kundang and his ship, cursed by his mother into a stone, go here. Malin Kundang’s hometown is Padang, the capital city of West Sumatra on the island of [...]
Indonesia’s Komodo island is not only home of the endangered fearsome Komodo Dragon but also Asia’s most spectacular diving spot. As the first Indonesian diving pioneers discovered this amazing area a couple of decades ago, it is no longer a true frontier diving. But still, you will hardly ever see another boat or person for [...]
