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, and by 5.30 am, the forest lodge was already a hive of...
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...
