On my latest visit to Semarang – my hometown – I got the chance to go to a lively traditional market which sits in an unassuming small alley not too far from the Chinatown. Prembaen – the name of the alley after which the eponymous market is named […]
Horrendous traffic. Gray sky. Choking air. It is not a surprise why Lonely Planet says Jakarta is a city many find it hard to love. With more than 10 million people sprawling over narrow streets, dense neighborhoods and filthy riverbanks, many struggle for a […]
In a cold dawn at Cemoro Lawang, James and I are awaken by the loud alarm from my phone and smell the putrid odor of sulphur inside the room. The night wind must have blown away the puffs from Mount Bromo’s crater to the village […]
For the first six months of 2012, my wanderlust has brought me to six countries as well as some destinations in Indonesia. New interesting stories, unforgettable experiences, memorable photographs, new friends, funny-tasting local delicacies and beautiful memories have enriched me in a way only traveling […]
Recently James from Plus Ultra has kindly nominated me to join the Capture the Colour photo competition run by TravelSupermarket.com. The idea is to choose five original shots from your travels, each one representing the colors blue, green, yellow, white and red, and publish them […]
Indonesia. A country of 17,000 islands, 240 million people and series of volcanoes – some are of the deadliest in history. Volcanoes have always played a vital role in the archipelago, and will always do. Their eruptions brought demise to some civilizations, but also a […]
If you think this is a post about food or culinary thing, this is not. You can stop reading now. No, I’m kidding. Please continue reading but when I said that this is not a post about food, I mean it (I thought some of […]
Just a stopover city was my initial thought about Medan. With more than two million residents, Medan is Indonesia’s fourth largest city and the nation’s largest city outside Java. Had it not been due to my visit to Lake Toba, I wouldn’t have intended to […]
Simanindo, a small village at the northern part of Samosir Island, was the last place that I visited on a trip to Samosir’s historical and cultural places. When I parked the motorbike at Huta Bolon Simanindo, I could hear some traditional music instruments were being […]
Ambarita, a sleepy village 10 km north from Tomok was the second historical site which Robin and I visited on Samosir Island. We turned right as soon as we noticed a signboard which reads Batu Parsidangan on the main road. Then we navigated our way […]
Legend has it that King Sidabutar was the first man ever set his foot on Samosir Island. Later on he and his descendants resides in an area which is now known as the small town of Tomok, 5 km south of Tuk Tuk. Before the […]
North Sumatra, especially around Lake Toba and Samosir Island, has been known as the place where Batak people, or simply Bataks, come from and flourish. Physically, Bataks are quite different from other western Indonesians (although to foreign eyes they all look the same). They have […]
What an Amazing World! 