Embracing Sustainable Travel: Tips on How to Make a Positive Impact

Embracing Sustainable Travel: Tips on How to Make a Positive Impact

As you plan your next adventure, ask yourself: “How can I leave a positive legacy?” As we travel and explore the world, it is becoming increasingly important to travel responsibly and sustainably. Mindful travel is about making conscious decisions that prioritise the...
Discovering Sumba

Discovering Sumba

How to Get There:   The easiest way to reach Sumba is to take a flight from Bali. There are daily flights from Bali (DPS) to Sumba’s two airports: Tambolaka Airport (TMC) in West Sumba and Waingapu Airport (WGP) in East Sumba. The flight duration is 1 hr 25 min...
Bali Cliff Glamping

Bali Cliff Glamping

If you love the outdoors and nature, have you ever considered glamping? Bali Cliff Glamping is Bali’s newest hidden gem, where the beauty of camping meets luxury indulgence. Positioned on the clifftop, 20 minutes North of Candidasa, the beautifully appointed tents...
Norway Story – Into the Midnight Sun

Norway Story – Into the Midnight Sun

After a day of losing myself in the historic town of Bergen, Norway, with its narrow alleyways and charming wooden houses, I felt a wave of anticipation as I prepared to board the majestic Havila Castor in the early evening. The thought of embarking on a journey into...
Retirement:  Thriving in the Third Stage of Life – Jakarta Post

Retirement: Thriving in the Third Stage of Life – Jakarta Post

It’s possible to live your best life during retirement, provided you enter it prepared for the two things they say we lose in our retirement years: energy and money. Thoughts of life after work often evoke mixed emotions. On one hand, we eagerly anticipate the...
Embracing The World at A Slower Pace – Jakarta Post

Embracing The World at A Slower Pace – Jakarta Post

More travelers are seeking meaningful and immersive experiences rather than just ticking boxes at a rapid pace. As I listened to these words from Regal Star of Jasri Bay Hideaway, a small but elegant seaside hotel in east Bali, about the rise of slow travel in the...
Kicking around in Kalimantan with Orangutans

Kicking around in Kalimantan with Orangutans

In the early morning, I spotted my first orangutan high up in the trees. I heard him before I saw him. I awoke to branches cracking and some pretty furious tree-breaking overhead. Luckily, I was on a boat, safe from the massive, hairy, reddish-orange male orangutan...
The Whale Hunters of Lamalera

The Whale Hunters of Lamalera

I sat on the beach at Lamalera Village, only a couple of metres from a giant whale carcass, and chatted with my new friend, Benjamin. “We are devoutly Catholic here in Lamalera,” he said. “From late April to early May, our priest conducts a mass to open Leva Nuang,...
Ubud Hidden Gem – Solana Luxury Wellness Retreat

Ubud Hidden Gem – Solana Luxury Wellness Retreat

Solana Luxury Wellness Retreat is a secret find.  A stunning eco-luxury bamboo resort which opened only one year ago. The ten private villas are all unique, and I loved the natural feel of the resort’s layered stone wall features and the stunning high-set bamboo...
Unlocking Emotional Growth and Self-Acceptance

Unlocking Emotional Growth and Self-Acceptance

A decade ago, no one spoke about emotional vulnerability. It was often seen as risky and uncomfortable territory, evoking fear and uncertainty in many individuals. What is emotional vulnerability? It is intentionally putting yourself out there in a conversation with...
Living in a Longhouse – West Kalimantan

Living in a Longhouse – West Kalimantan

When I entered Sungai Utik Village, in the heart of West Kalimantan, I felt very excited when I caught my first glance at the longhouse. This long wooden communal dwelling with one roof stretched for 214 metres and houses 293 people. A delegation of young Dayak Iban...
Dining in Style at Akar Restaurant – K-Club, Ubud

Dining in Style at Akar Restaurant – K-Club, Ubud

A fine dining experience awaits you at Akar Restaurant. It is on another level altogether. When you walk into the restaurant, the vibe is high. Under a domed bamboo roof, you will be delighted by the unique setting at the jungle’s edge. In the evening, a...
Jakarta Best Sunday Brunch

Jakarta Best Sunday Brunch

Sunday brunch is a Jakarta thing to do. Many of the 5-star hotels host a Sunday brunch with an elaborate spread of food and include free-flow drinks. However, which 5-star brunch do you choose? Hands down, without a doubt, try the Hotel Mulia in the heart of Senayan....
Lonely Planet: Top 13 must-see Natural Wonders in Indonesia

Lonely Planet: Top 13 must-see Natural Wonders in Indonesia

Published:  Lonely Planet, Apr 2022 As the largest archipelagic country in the world, majestic Indonesia showcases a wealth of jaw-dropping natural wonders across its 17,000-or-so islands. From leviathan volcanoes and lakes that hang uniquely above the sea to pristine...
Weaving in Bali

Weaving in Bali

Stephanie Brookes writes about Pejeng Kangin, a resilient weaving village just outside Ubud that has united the weavers of Bali and helped revive a long-lost artisan craft. Around 25 years ago in Pejeng Kangin Village, the women were spinning cotton, dyeing with...
The Pasola of the Past Sumba Island

The Pasola of the Past Sumba Island

I stood safely behind a thin rope as a lone Sumba horseman advanced with great speed onto the large grassy field. With spear poised, he challenged his opponent on the other side of the field to come forward. He looked like he wanted blood. Elizabeth, my guide,...
Voices of Unity – A World Music Festival Comes to Bali

Voices of Unity – A World Music Festival Comes to Bali

World music is coming to Bali!  For four days, March 24-27, the IMEX – Indonesian Music Festival is kicking off at the Puri Lukisan Museum in Ubud. Stepping up on stage to dazzle and delight is a dynamic assortment of over 100 musicians and vocalists flying in from...
Wae Rebo – A lost village in Flores

Wae Rebo – A lost village in Flores

A lost village in Flores A last-minute decision to buy a pig before setting off into the isolated mountains of Manggarai, Western Flores proved to be a wise decision. I was about to embark on a three-hour trek to the old Manggaraian village of Wae Rebo and I felt it...
Bali to Banyuwangi – A Women’s Motorbike Adventure

Bali to Banyuwangi – A Women’s Motorbike Adventure

TripbaliGazing over the Indonesian map sprawled out on the table, my eyes turned to the more remote Eastern part of Java. I live in Bali and drive a motorbike, as most of us do living here. I thought, maybe if I rally the troupes, we could ride our motorbikes from...