It is almost 2pm in Timor-Leste (formerly known as East Timor) as our plane starts its descent towards Dili, the capital of Asia’s newest nation. The rugged green landscape below looks untouched and undeveloped, a stark contrast to an aerial view of Bali – where […]
2013 has been a year of intense travel, both for leisure and business. Since January almost every month I left Jakarta to travel, from a short drive to Bogor – a city to the south of Jakarta – to a 14-hour flight to Istanbul. As […]
Gleaming under the morning sun, a gilded petrified flame sits atop a whitewashed monolith. Emanating from its base, trees cover most of the wide plaza providing shade for visitors – and a few decades ago, deer. Monumen Nasional – widely known by its acronym, Monas […]
Delicately carved wooden statues in realistic proportions embellish people’s houses, floral designs are intricately sculpted on temple figurines, and sturdy yet delicate rock-hewn statues stand at major roundabouts and intersections. It is in Bali where statues hold a more significant role in people’s lives than […]
We were standing under Galata Tower, a 14th century gem perched on the hill of Beyoğlu, a district in the European side of Istanbul. South we headed, where an even more ancient landmark emerged from afar, on top on Seraglio Point. Hagia Sophia, once the […]
It is easy to find Japanese, Italian, French, Middle Eastern, and even Thai restaurants in Jakarta, the capital and economic powerhouse of Indonesia and also home to 10 million people. However sometimes I wonder why it is not the case for Indonesian restaurants elsewhere in […]
It was only half past eight at night but the streets were mostly deserted. Alexander and I walked around the small alleys of Medan to find a place where we could have some authentic Medanese dishes, off the more touristy Kesawan and Merdeka Square. We […]
Crisp cool air refreshed my skin, the wind blew on my face, giving me a chilling sensation I have not felt for a long time from big cities in Indonesia. Yet I was in Malang, one of the biggest cities in East Java. Five years […]
Borobudur? Magnificent. Prambanan? Elegant. Plaosan? Mysterious. The ancient Hindu and Buddhist temples of Java are still the biggest draw for most visitors to Jogja. Arguably the Javanese cultural capital, the city boasts some of the biggest and most elaborate ancient temples in Indonesia, and perhaps […]
“Transport Mister? Water Castle?” all rickshaw drivers kept asking me the same questions during my visit to Yogyakarta (Jogja) in January 2011. It was not my first trip to the city, however I always missed Taman Sari – or better known as the Water Castle […]
The sound is deafening. All of a sudden, we are met with the flapping wings of a bird with striking yellow feathers with black stripes. In less than three seconds it disappears into the lush forest, and everything is quiet again. The Black-naped Oriole (Oriolus […]
Massive waves break onto a narrow niche on a limestone cliff, producing a dramatic swash with a merciless, thundering sound. A thin wisp of ocean spray dampens everything on the shore. Devil’s tears, aptly named for its daunting showcase of Mother Nature’s raw power on […]
What an Amazing World! 