ethnic tourism

While the rest of the world was entranced by the dilapidated decadence and unbridled passion and freedom of America’s revolutionary ‘beat’ literary movement, Indonesian Frans Nadjira was living the dream. An ‘artist’ in the true sense of the word, Nadjira gave rein to his artistic fervor at an early age. “When people meet, lives change” chimes the advertising copy-but in Nadjira’s case it wasn’t a person he met, but a magazine. It was a Dutch periodical on the arts, discarded in a trash can, which fell into the hands of a starry-eyed juvenile hipster, and like sails raised in a strong wind, gave his life perpetual direction. “It was an article about the work of Wassily Kandinsky,” Nadjira reminisces, “and it changed my life forever. It was like I had found my calling.”

Around Ubud and before dawn, the first light of the day cracks through from the kitchens, and bubbling hot water steams away and blends with the misty morning air. Sounds of spoons clinking against glasses filled with fine powdered coffee, sugar and hot water stir the sweet morning brew. Food is a vital part of the local life and culture, and is seen throughout the village in many different forms.

Christian families in various parts of the earth simultaneously celebrate Christmas this December. Each place has its own way and unique tradition in accordance with the culture in which they live. How splendor of Christmas celebrations in different countries?
1. Christmas in Spain
In Spain, when celebrating Christmas, usually nacimiento (the word “palungan” in Spanish) is placed [...]

The Eart has given birth to a grain as valuable as gold. Carried by the winds, it has conquered half the world. This cereal, equal to the Gods in some countries, has been growing with mankind nourishing the ever-growing population of the planet for centuries. It developed into thousands of varieties, creating different flavours and adapting to all kinds of surroundings, climates and soils. It has also been bending and torturing the spines of farmers, but in return it lets their children live and grow.

Here’s a tip from an expert: to successfully live in Jakarta (Indonesia’s teeming capital city with a population easily in excess of 10 million) without developing a crippling case of cabin fever, you have to make it a rule to get away, regularly. A good rule of thumb is to leave the “Big Durian” behind for at least one, or preferably two, weekends a month.

One of the great pleasures of going on holiday, apart from the sightseeing and touring, has to be the shopping. The thrill of finding the perfect item at the perfect price is universal. Whether it’s down an alley in some bustling marketplace, or in the airconditioned comfort of a modern shopping mall, the options for [...]

Dust rising from a barren track which wound its way through cacti ravaged hills of rock and dry soil; setting off for Amed on the coastal road from Ujung was more reminiscent of T.S Elliot’s Wasteland than the images of lush green paddies for which the island is better known.

Sampling regional dishes of Minahasa in North Sulawesi one will most certainly be offered the most renowned dish of all the bubur manado, a traditional porridge of rice and vegetables served with sambal dabu-dabu and roa, the smoked fish of the region. Should chili “hotness” appeal to you, chicken rica-rica will be served. A more exotic approach to the food is tumis bunga pepaya from the flowers of the male papaya tree (yes there are male and female papaya trees!) with kangkung (water convolvulus).

It’s like a scene from one of the Indiana Jones movies. Trekking through the dense jungle, the guide ahead wielding his machete left an right, hacks a narrow path trough the undergrowth. Ascending the last few metres up a steep rise we arrive at a small clearing. There, in the dappled sunlight filtering through the forest canopy, stands a carved megalithic statue - a human figure,perhaps thousands of years old, its impenetrable gaze staring out across the valley and across the centuries. It’s not a movie though, we’re in the Besoa Valley of Central Sulawesi inside the Lore Lindu National Park. And this kind of adventure travel is typical of the myriad of exciting destinations just waiting to be discovered in Indonesia - the world’s largest archipelago.

Saung Angklung Udjo, Battle Between Traditional culture vs Factory Outlet
Bandung, the capital city as a cultural sundanese, indeed, have many treasury of traditional art and culture. One of them is the art of traditional instrumental Angklung. Flutter between modernity and elegance in the form of infecting a tour of clothing factory outlets, Saung Angklung Mang [...]