Category: Indonesia

12 Favourite Destinations

Exactly ten years ago today, I embarked on my first independent trip. By “independent,” I mean a journey not organised or sponsored by parents, school, or any other organisation. It was the first time I travelled on my own dime, in my own time. I was 19 when a friend and I booked a ticket […]

5 Quirky Things to do in Bali

There’s a widespread misconception that Bali is just another tourist mecca full of beautiful clichés. Granted, there is a fair amount of mass tourism, but the island has so much more to offer. Finding authenticity is a walk in the park, and going off the beaten track is just as easy. Quirks are plentiful, and […]

What’s in Sulawesi?

Maybe I should start by answering the question: “Where is Sulawesi?”Among the 6,000 inhabited islands of Indonesia lies Sulawesi, one of the country’s largest. When I told my friends we were off to explore Sulawesi, they all gave me the same puzzled reaction: “Oh, how lovely… What’s in Sulawesi?”To be honest, I wasn’t entirely sure […]

Torajan Death Rituals

“Would you like to go to a funeral, m’am?” Not exactly the question you’d expect when stepping out of a long distance bus… And yet, what this man was proposing, is quite normal in Tana Toraja. In fact, funerals are the “main attraction” in the region. Visitors mostly come to learn about the Torajan culture […]

Off the Grid: Exploring Indonesia

Disapproving looks are thrown my way as I type this article on my tiny phone keyboard. Who spends time on their phones when they are on a small tropical island?! Well… Me. I’m in Bunaken, a lush island just off the coast of Sulawesi, Indonesia. The sea is warm, the coconut trees are a great […]

2013 Travel Summary, Part II

Resuming the travel summary of 2013, the nomadic year… Read part I here. JULY – Timor-Leste / The Gili Islands If you need to leave Bali for a visa run… why not go completely off-script and head to Timor-Leste? Practical info about the place is scarce, so I went in blind — which may be […]

2013 Travel Summary

2013 flew by so fast, I barely saw the months pass.In terms of travel, it was insane. I moved from Europe to Asia and wound up in a place that “forces” me to leave the country at least every two months just to renew my visa.Not the worst deal, right? Here’s a look back at […]

What it’s like to live in Ubud, Bali in 2013

So… What’s Life in Bali Really Like in 2013? I’ve been asked the question dozens of times:“What does your life in Bali look like?” Every time, I launch into a passionate description of Ubud — the spiritual, artsy town we now call home. Yet somehow, people still look at me blankly and say,“I still don’t […]