Paradiso, in Ubud, Bali hosts Indigenous Movie Nights every month in a lead up to the second annual Indigenous Film Festival – Bali, May 10-12, 2019. Paradiso movie theatre in Ubud was packed out with a full house for its Papua-themed Indigenous Movie Night on...
On a sailing voyage through the Maluku Islands, I found myself in Ambon. The Portuguese sailed into these waters in the 16th century with their tall ships, on a quest to conquer the islands. They built forts and attempted to monopolise the spice trade, which was...
The long trek to the village of Jungutan, East Bali, the site of the Karangasem World Cultural Village Festival was well worth it. I met Miliwanga Wurrben, an Australian aboriginal elder and healer, in a most unlikely place. We came across each other in the remote...
I spotted a small unassuming wooden sign and on the spur of the moment decided to take the tiny dirt track to Jasri Bay Hidden Hideaway. The sign was on the main road, just past the busy little seaside town of Candi Dasa. The track passed a river, wound through a...
Each month, NOW! Jakarta brings you tales of hidden heritage from our intrepid traveling Stephanie Brookes, writer. During 2018 they have brought stories back from Lombok, Sumba, Lembata, Belitung, Sulawesi, Kalimantan and Bali. From meetings with traditional whalers,...
—There’s more to Bali than beach clubs and Bintang. Stephanie Brookes gets an intimate glimpse into the elaborate preparations for Galungan, a festival that reminds you of the spiritual charms of the island— Galungan is a wonderful time for the Balinese, Ibu Wayan, an...
Leaning over the sturdy railing at the waterhole, I made sure to look up to check no lazy cats were lounging in the nearby trees. This was macan tutul country – home of the Javan leopard in Baluran National Park, East Java. I asked the ranger, Pak Teguh if he had...
The Baduy people live only 167 kilometres from Jakarta. They live in the Kendeng Mountains, follow a traditional way of life and do not embrace any aspects of modern living. It is, for example, forbidden to use a wheel or travel in a vehicle with a wheel. They do not...
Journeying through Tana Toraja Regency in South Sulawesi, one comes across many extraordinary sights and experiences. The region offers stunning landscapes including lofty mountains, lush highlands and ancient terraced rice fields. Perhaps most interesting of all is...
The best way to start to explore the historical and cultural side of Jakarta is to take a walking tour around Fatahillah Square. It is named after the national hero who gave Jakarta its name, ‘Jayakarta’, meaning “town of victory”. Some of the best-preserved colonial...
