Manado
Manado is the provincial capital of north Sulawesi, and has a population of about 250.000. The city is located in the Minahasa region at the northern tip of a long and narrow peninsula, and is a trade center for northern Sulawesi. It’s harbor is exposed to the open sea, and Manado’s commercial port is therefore [...]
Trekking in Gunung Leuser National Park
The Gunung Leuser national park is covering an area of about 9.000 sq km, and Bukit Lawang is today the main point of access to this impressive habitat, which wildlife includes tigers, rhinos, tapirs, elephants, gibbons, reptiles and of course the orangutan. There are more than 380 species of birds and a huge number of [...]
Going ape in Bukit Lawang
Bukit Lawang is a pleasant getaway from the polluted streets of Medan. The village sits on the eastern outskirts of Gunung Leuser National Park, a huge sanctuary for the flora and fauna of the region, but BL is maybe most famous for the Bohorok Orangutan Rehabilitation Center. These attractions has made Bukit Lawang one of [...]
Lake Toba
Lake Toba (or Danau Toba in Indonesian) is a lake and supervolcano, 100 kilometres long and 30 kilometres wide, and 505 metres at its deepest point. Toba is Located in the middle of the northern part of Sumatra with a surface elevation of about 900 metres. It is the largest volcanic lake in the world. [...]
Cegog – a forgotten village
On a densely populated and highly modernized island of Java, some people are still facing difficult and hard life. With small and no steady income to sustain their economy, people in Kampong Cegog must work very hard to make the ends meet. Kampong Cegog is located in the village of Rancapinang; sub-district Sumur, regency of [...]
The Prambanan Temple Complex
At the boundary between Yogyakarta and Surakarta there are several temples which are scattered within a distance not more than 1 km. It is interesting to note that these temples belong to a sacred place of two religions: Hinduism and Buddhism. The temples were constructed between the eighth century and the ninth century A.D. Prambanan, [...]
Yeh Pulu
For most people who visit Bali Yeh Pulu remains a well hidden secret. This may not be a grand attraction, but the site is one of Bali’s oldest and contain some of the most mysterious and important sculptures from it’s time, Yeh Pulu is therefore of great importance to the Balinese. Like the nearby Goa [...]
Borobodur
The largest Buddhist monument in the world is located 42 kilometers northwest of Yogyakarta. It was built sometimes between the years 750-850 AD, during the Sailendra dynasty’s rule on Java. The name probably origins from the Sanskrit words “Vihara Buddha Ur”, meaning something like “Buddhist monastery on the hill”.
Aceh
Aceh is the northernmost province on Sumatra and in Indonesia, the provincial capital is Banda Aceh with a population of approx. 150.000. The province is rich on resources, mainly oil and natural gas. The most important agricultural products are rice, coconuts, rubber, tea and coffee. Aceh has because of it’s location always been one the [...]
Besakih
At the foot of the great Gunung Agung mountain sits the most sacred of all Balinese temples; Pura Besakih. A more spectacular location for this huge temple complex would be hard to find. If you are lucky to visit on a clear day you can see Gunung Agung (3.142 m), a background that can give [...]
Batubulan
Batubulan means “moonstone”, and if you like to see or buy any works of stone while you’re on Bali, then Batubulan in the Gianyar region is the place. You will pass this village if you drive from Denpasar to Ubud, it is hard not to notice the kilometers of displayed statues, Buddha figures, demons and [...]
Candidasa
Candidasa can be a good alternative if you’re looking for a pleasant place to stay a few days while you explore East Bali. This is a tourist area about three km long, located along the main road from Semarapura (Klungkung) to Amlapura. A large part of the business is owned by people from the Bali-Aga [...]
Bitung and Lembeh
The port town of Bitung is about one hour drive (55 km) east of Manado. The Lembeh island east of the city protects the area from the sea, and Bitung is today an important commercial harbor for export from Manado and all of east Indonesia. It ia also a point of arrival for travellers who [...]
Padang
Padang on Sumatra’s west coast is the island’s third largest city with a population of about 700.000. It is the provincial capital of West Sumatra and most of the products from this region is exported through Padang. The major export articles are coal, rubber, coffee, spice, tobacco, rattan and tea. Padang is situated at the [...]
Madura
Madura is a large island outside East Java, 5.290 square kilometers, about 160 km long and 35 km wide. It is separated from Surabaya by the narrow Madura strait, and is administered as a part of the East Java district. Main income is fishing, salt, cattle and agriculture. The local capital is Pamekasan. Number of [...]
The high hills of Bukittinggi
Bukittinggi, north of Padang in the Minangkabau highlands, sits at an altitude of approx. 920 m. The name Bukittinggi means high hill or top. This is a charming city with a cooler climate than Padang, and is one of the most important cities of the Minang people, greatly influenced by their traditional culture. The name [...]
Sumba
South of Flores, between Sumbawa and Timor there is an island where the traditional customs are among the best preserved in Nusa Tenggara. This is Sumba, a relatively large island, 11.153 sq. km. with a population that reaches about 600.000, the name of the capital is Waingapu. Much of the island consists of a flat, [...]
Wetar and Liran
Wetar is located just 56 km north of Timor’s northeastern coast. The island is 80 km long in east-west direction and 45 km wide in north-south direction, area about 3.600 sq. km. The interior of the island is mountainous and covered by rain forest, highest mountain is 1.412 m. The climate is in the wet [...]
Gili islands, northwest Lombok
The three Gili islands are located just outside the north west coast of Lombok, and is a great place for snorkeling and diving. Gili Air is closest to Lombok, Gili Meno and Gili Trawangan further out. Boats are leaving Lombok regularly for the different islands from the Bangsal village or Senggigi, it is also possible [...]
Mojokerto and Trowulan
About one hour by car from Surabaya you will find the city of Mojokerto and just east of this the Trowulan village. Trowulan was in the 14th century the capital of the great Majapahit empire, once the mightiest kingdom on Java and the first to control the entire Indonesian archipelago. Majapahit’s rule lasted from 1294 [...]
Padangbai
Padangbai is a popular place to stay for travelers who are on their way to or from Lombok. There are also public boats leaving regularly from here to Nusa Penida. The village is located in a lovely bay, with the large ferry terminal and a long beach surrounded by green hills. A large part of [...]
Gunung Agung
Gunung Agung is Bali’s highest and most sacred mountain. It is 3.142 meter high and can be seen from almost everywhere on Bali and from the neighboring islands, but most of the time it is covered by clouds. The best time of year to see the mountain is August to September and of course early [...]
Makassar
Makassar has a population of about 950.000 and is the provincial capital of south Sulawesi. From 1971 to 1999, the city was named Ujung Pandang, and the two names are often used interchangeably. It is the largest city on Sulawesi, and has for centuries been the commercial center of trade for Sulawesi and the eastern [...]
The Banda Islands
The Banda Sea is one of Indonesia’s deepest oceans, at the most more than 6.500 m deep. It spans a large area, all the way to Sulawesi in the west. At the center of the sea south of Seram there are a small group of ten islands plus some uninhabited small corral islands, called the [...]