Attractions

The unique Baluran National Park is unlike anywhere else on Java. This is a dry country-side of open forests and scrub land, bordered at the coast by marshes, swampy groves and white beaches. Nicknamed ‘Indonesia’s little bit of Africa’ the park is rich in wildlife such as deers, monkey, wild pigs and the extremely rare leopard. Go on safari here and see the thousands of exotic b

Discover the ancient wonders of Indonesia’s royal past and visit the remains of the once great Majapahit kingdom. Founded by Singosari prince Vijaya in 1294, the Majapahit kingdom became the most powerful kingdom in the history of Indonesia, covering territories even beyond present day Indonesia.  The remains of the royal court are today scattered over a large area around the village of

When sailing in the Indonesian seas one invariably meets one of these majestic traditional schooners at full sail. These are the Bugis pinisi, - or sometimes written phinisi - that have for centuries plied these waters journeying as far away as Malacca, Burma, Vietnam and Australia. Today one can see these large traditional boats at anchor along the Sunda Kelapa harbor in Jakarta and at the Ujun

With more than 100 yachts competing from around the world, the 2010 Sail Banda yacht race promises to be bigger and better than ever. Sail Banda is an annual yacht race that takes competitors from Darwin, Australia through to the beautiful and remote Banda Islands. Along the way, participants and spectators will see all the splendid beauty Indonesia has to offer as yachts sail under a bright blue

A new attraction has recently been added to Makassar. Since the beginning of March, an impressive “Changing of the Guard” ceremony takes place at the Ballalompoa Museum, the former Palace of the Sultan of Gowa.

Wearing resplendent bright red costumes, “soldiers” involved in the “Changing of the Guard” at the former Gowa Palace will perform their drill for the p

The Sasak are the indigenous people of the island of Lombok. Like many ethnic groups in Indonesia, they belong to the Austronesians who migrated from mainland Asia some 5,000 years BC to populate South East Asia all the way to the South Pacific Islands. Today 85% of the Lombok population is Sasak. Although Bali has greatly influenced Lombok, yet unlike in Hindu Bali, most Sasak embrace Islam. 

Obscured on an island among the large Indonesian archipelago and frequently overlooked by history, Mount Tambora on Sumbawa is the earth’s monument of the biggest and most devastating volcanic eruption in recorded history. According to National Public Radio, the eruption that took place nearly 200 years ago was estimated to be 10 times bigger than Krakatau’s and more than 100 times big

Visit Bali, travel to its highlands, and you can not but be amazed by the beauty of the thousands of hectares of lush green paddy fields that cascade in terraces from the upper reaches of volcanoes down to the deep valleys below as if sculpted from the mountain side.

Indeed, Bali is blessed with 150 rivers and streams that provide water year round to irrigate this most important staple. Nonethele

Traditional markets function not only as a means of sale and exchange, but in fact have many other important roles. Bolu Market and the Makale Market are the two largest markets in TanaToraja, South Sulawesi, and clearly reflect the culture and civilization of the Torajan people and the surrounding communities. But before learning about the markets themselves, one must first be familiar with the h

The Batak ethnic group inhabiting the intererior of North Sumatra is devided into six sub-groups. They are the Toba, Karo, Pakpak, Simalungun, Angkola and Mandailing Batak. While two subgroups have converted to Islam, the others have mostly converted to Christianity, primarily through efforts of the German missionary.

Nonetheless, ancient beliefs and traditions, customs and rituals still persist