The incredible shapes and colours of the fringing coral off the small island of Bunaken have earned it celebrity status among divers and snorkellers around the world. The marine biodiversity here is extraordinary, with more than 300 types of coral and 3000 species of fish. Drift along the reefs and enjoy the ultimate underwater epic. [...]
Just across the Selat Dampak from Batam, the island of Bintan is twice as large and a mirror opposite. Where Batam is a creation of imported workers, Bintan has a local community of ethnic Hakka and Indo-Malays.
Nowhere in Sumatra is the pace of development more rapid than on Batam. With the island’s proximity to Singapore, Batam is the labour-intensive production leg of the Singapore–Johor Baru industrial triangle. Land and labour are cheaper here than in Singapore and many electronics companies have established production plants in the industrial park of Mukakuning. Much [...]
Manageably small yet offering plenty of contrasts, Maluku’s most prominent island is lush and gently mountainous, indented with two great hoops of bay. Close to Kota Ambon, the main town, villages merge into a long suburban ribbon but further out light sparkles brilliantly through alluring flower gardens and swaying tropical foliage. Religiously divided, the island [...]
Situated right on the equator, Pontianak lies astride the confluence of Sungai Landak and Sungai Kapuas. Some describe the city as bustling…which it is in the wee hours. By midday, though, Pontianak churns with road, river and human traffic in various degrees of haste, all contributing their part in the urban din. The city itself [...]
Before the Americans struck oil, Pekanbaru was little more than a sleepy river port on Sungai Siak. Today it is Indonesia’s oil capital, with all the hustle and bustle of modern cities.
The mainland departure point for Danau Toba, Parapat has everything a transiting tourist needs: transport, lodging and supplies.
Papua’s mystique piques the imagination of the explorer, naturalist, anthropologist, politician and traveller in you. What about Papua (formerly known as Irian Jaya) would not intrigue? The diversity in lifestyle and culture of the indigenous people, who speak more than 250 languages, is matched only by Papua’s biodiversity and geography. The terrain covering half of [...]
Situated on a narrow isthmus, with a broad sweep of sand on either side and a thickly forested national park on the nearby headland, Pangandaran is Java’s premier beach resort. While it can never compete with Bali’s pristine white sands or party atmosphere, it is nevertheless an attractive, friendly and peaceful – or lively, if [...]
Palu, the capital of Central Sulawesi, only came to prominence during the Japanese occupation in WWII. Situated in a rain shadow for most of the year, it’s one of the driest places in Indonesia. Generally the days are hot, and the nights are tolerably cool. Most travellers don’t detour to this part of Sulawesi unless [...]