Published Garland Magazine (17 July 2020) Updated 07 April 2022 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. The weavers of Bali are dusting...
What’s on your bucket list for 2021? Does exploring Aceh in Northern Sumatra appeal? Once a traveler always a traveller, right? When the world resumes and this pandemic passes, airlines will start flying again and my recommendation is for exploring Aceh. When...
Bali Rice Feld – a Gateway to Balinese Culture and Spirituality The humble Bali rice field, since the 9th century, has used a sophisticated system of irrigation channels or “subak”, which distributes water across the island. In 2012, UNESCO gave the...
When you get curious about other cultures, what are the best ways to explore them? Some of us book a flight, keen for a first-hand experience. Others turn to study, maybe anthropology or indigenous studies at university. Some, like Anniina Sandberg, an adventurous...
Blitar is a quiet, friendly town in East Java. From mystical lakes with god-fish legends to the stunning Bung Karno Museum honouring the founder of Indonesia, it is full of history and intrigue, as well as colourful characters. At the entrance to the Bung Karno Museum...
Walking towards a long line of tall traditional pinisi boats in the historic Paotere Harbour in Makassar, I caught whiffs of freshly cut timber. I watched strong, sinewy sailors navigating gangplanks with great agility, balancing neat stacks of wood on their...
The early morning light touches the rice fields with the stunning back drop of Mount Agung, the spiritual mountain of Bali I stood near the rim of Kintamani volcano, taking in the sweeping views of Mount Batur and its expansive crater lake shimmering in the early...
North Lombok combines a stunning coastline and beautiful terraced rice fields under the shadow of Mt. Rinjani, with plenty of wild spaces where you can get lost amongst nature. The road heading north out of Senggigi town hugs the ocean and winds its way around the...
Sitting on a woven mat, I listened as a Dayak Simpang elder explained, “Our history and our story are told through the old songs.” I was in Ketapang Regency, around four hours from Pontianak, the gateway city to West Kalimantan. I sat captivated as he continued, “We...
The remote Kei Islands are known to have some of the world’s most beautiful beaches, with untouched sand so powdery white that the locals refer to it as flour. This remote island chain sits in the far east of the Maluku province, close to Papua. The Fate of a King I...
The Togean Islands form an archipelago of 56 islands strung across the Gulf of Tomini in Central Sulawesi. This string of beautiful islands has perfect, white, sandy beaches and cottage style wooden bungalow accommodation. In the Togeans you feel a million miles away...
Pulau Weh is a remote little paradise with a laid-back vibe. It offers magical beaches and abundant marine life, including vibrant, colourful corals, only 45 minutes by fast boat from the gateway city of Banda Aceh, North Sumatra. As I relax in the comfortable hammock...
Seram Island in Maluku Province of Indonesia is steeped in tradition. Deep in its mountains and along its coast, several indigenous tribes still hunt with long wooden spears and adhere to their old ways of life. The largest island in the Maluku archipelago, Seram is...
It was love at first sight when I first saw the Hotel Majapahit, Surabaya, in East Java. This glorious colonial hotel has catered to luxury-end guests since it opened its doors over one hundred years ago. Stories about the hotel abound. World-acclaimed novelists,...
Within one day of arriving in Ketambe Village in Gunung Leuser National Park, I spotted three gibbons, five Thomas’ Leaf monkeys, and three Sumatran orangutans. You have to get up early to catch the wildlife; by 5.30 am my forest lodge was a hive of activity. People...
On entering the deserted colonial manor on Banda Neira Island, I immediately felt a chill in the air. This was the former Dutch Governor’s residence, once famed for the elaborate parties held there. Now it was adorned only by the odd cobweb-cloaked chandelier. Its...
As the sun set against the vibrant green rice fields of Keliki Village in Bali, a full moon rose in the sky. The Grand Opening of the 2019 New Earth Festival and World Health Sovereignty Summit in Ubud (June 19-25) Bali was underway. This was no ordinary opening. ...
Published NowBali (June, 2020) The weavers of Bali are dusting off their looms in a small traditional village just outside Ubud. In Pejeng Kangin, a long-forgotten artisan craft is coming back. COVID in Bali has this time, brought a good news story. This is just one...
Life in a Boma Looking for a real African adventure? Met Anniina, a solo woman traveler who left the comforts of home and ventured to Tanzania a few years ago. Going one step further, she decided to stay. Anniina Sandberg is a bold, adventurous solo woman traveller...
“I am Tenggerese, and our people are descendants of the 13th-century Majapahit Kingdom”, the flower seller said as he adjusted his bouquets. “Please leave these flowers on the crater rim and offer a prayer. This offering will make the gods of the mountain very...
