You know you’re isolated when you miss your bus because you can’t get to the road. It was high tide, the water was lapping at the shore and there was no beach in sight. I was staying at Lena House, an extremely peaceful collection of beach huts 28 km away from Maumere, a small city … Read more
“Bule, bule, hello, bule!!” screamed young and old as I passed through their tiny village. Bule means foreigner – I’m not sure if they were really saying hello or they were just alerting their friends that a tourist was in town. I’d wandered a few kilometres from Nemberala, the tourist epicentre of Rote Island, and by … Read more
Indonesia is home to a unique blend of cultures and landscapes, and an equally unique blend of movies which are set there. The Japanese occupation is a well documented part of Indonesia’s history, but less known are the mass killings after the failed coup in 1965. Watch these movies set in Indonesia and you’ll learn all … Read more
I’ve never been a Julia Roberts fan. I think I’m a pretty good judge of character and for some reason she just doesn’t seem like someone I’d like to spend any time with, and I can’t stand watching her on screen. Two things really sealed it: An awful interview on The Late Show with David … Read more
One of the things I love about Southeast Asia is being able to see so many monkeys. I’m not sure why I’m so interested in them (in my defense, they do kinda look like people) but I could spend hours watching them go about their lives. Here are some of the best places to mix … Read more
Everyone knows about Bali, that iconic tourist island in Indonesia, but escape to one of the islands nearby and you’ll have a far different travel experience. I spent a week in Java, starting in Jogjakarta and journeying to some stunning volcanoes and ancient temples. Looking for a one week Java itinerary? You’ve come to the … Read more
I’d heard it was quiet, that tourism died in Lake Toba a long time ago, but I was still surprised by how quiet it really was. I went from one end of Tuk Tuk to the other, around a 40 minute walk, and saw three other western tourists and about 30 guesthouses. This is as … Read more