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 […]
Venerating Gods and Spirits in Bali
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 […]
An Aftertaste of Istanbul
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 […]
A Taste of the Archipelago
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 […]
Medan’s Chinese Heritage
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 […]
A Glimpse of Malang
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 […]
A Day Without Temples in Jogja
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 […]
Taman Sari: Life in the Sultan’s Own Backyard
“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 […]
Nusa Ceningan: A Safe Haven for Birds
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 […]
Nusa Lembongan: Small Island, Big Allure
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 […]
Bromo: Third Time’s A Charm
Going to Mount Bromo in East Java now seems to be a fortuitous annual trip for me. Having visited the scenic national park in November 2011 on a solo trip and October 2012 with my travel companion, James, last June I visited this quintessential Indonesian […]
The Fading Charm of the Little Netherlands
Semarang is known to have one of Indonesia’s most exquisite collections of colonial buildings. On a recent visit to my hometown I took the chance to do what I should have done much earlier, exploring Kota Lama – the old town quarter. Rows of Dutch buildings fill […]
What an Amazing World! 