Photo Stories

My Mentawai Family – My Story – I visited the Mentawai tribe on Siberut Island for the first time in 1990, as an ordinary tourist in a small organized group tour. In the late 80s and early 90s West Sumatra was a booming tourist destination and dozens of freelance guides…

A personal experience and journey with the Mentawai tribe on Siberut Island, West Sumatra, Indonesia. Covering over 30 years of my time and experience living with and visiting the Mentawai family that adopted me as one of them and made me part of their community. Eventually this will be their…

High up in the mountains of Northeast Bali, on the shore of lake Batur in the ancient Batur caldera lies Trunyan, one of three remaining traditional Bali Aga villages. The Bali Aga are the original Balinese and their culture pre-dates Hinduism, which came to Bali with the migration

Derived from the Balinese word kepung. Meaning ‘chase’, Makepung is a traditional Balinese water buffalo race, only held in Jembrana, in West Bali. “Lampit” is a traditional wooden plank that is pulled by a pair of water buffaloes, to flatten a wet rice field after it has been plowed and

In October 2015 I was fortunate and privileged to be able to attend a royal funeral in the traditional East Sumba village of Praiyawang, 70 kilometer east of Waingapu, Sumba’s largest city. The island of Sumba, in eastern Indonesia, is one of a few places in the world where megalithic

The Balinese mountain village of Trunyan can be found at the foot of the Gunung Abang mountain, at a remote and isolated location on the eastern shore of Lake Batur. The people from Trunyan are often referred to as Bali Aga (mountain Balinese), which refers to a conservative, pre-Hindu culture

Baluran National Park in East Java, often called the little Africa of Java, is one of the oldest national parks in Indonesia and the area has been protected since 1928, initiated by a Dutch hunter. In 1937 it became a wildlife refuge and in 1984 it was declared a national…

TAKSU is a unique Balinese concept meaning charisma, spiritual power and artistic inspiration needed to truly capture eyes, minds and hearts of the audience, both human and divine. Every artist in Bali strives for TAKSU. Mask dancer Ida Wayan Gotama, from the East

Caci is a ritual whip fight and a major element of the Manggarai cultural identity in the western part of the island of Flores. Caci is played out by two men, with one in the role of aggressor and the other one in the role of defender. Caci equipment, consisting of a whip, a shield, masks,

The Ngada Regency in central Flores might be one of Indonesia’s poorest regions, but culturally it is certainly one of its richest. The green valleys of Ngada are dotted with traditional villages with unique megalithic stone structures, against the backdrop of the towering Inerie volcano.

Sumba is one of the Lesser Sunda Islands, in eastern Indonesia. To the northwest of Sumba is the island of Sumbawa, to the northeast Flores and to the east is Timor. To the south, across part of the Indian Ocean, is Australia. The largest town on the island is the…

The ancient village of Tenganan Pegringsingan in East Bali is home to the Bali Aga, descendants of the original Balinese. The Bali Aga of Tenganan still follow their pre-Hindu rules and traditions and do not recognise casts like the Balinese Hindu do. They follow written rules inherited

I was very fortunate to be able to attend a very rare large purification ceremony, Karya Agung Panca Wali Krama, at the Pura Samuan Tiga temple in Bedulu, near Ubud. This ceremony was last held about 20 years ago and preparations had started more than 6 months ago.

Less than 3 hours from bustling Jakarta lives a community isolated in time and space, as they’ve lived for hundreds of years. The Baduy, who call themselves Kanekes, are a traditional community living just a three hour drive west of Jakarta, in the hills near Rangkasbitung.

Gunung Bromo is an active volcano in the spectacular Bromo – Tengger – Semeru National Park in East Java, Indonesia. The 800 square kilometres park is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the country and consists of the the caldera of the ancient Tengger volcano and

West Bali is famous for its thrilling water buffalo races, known as Makepung, introduced by Madurese migrants to celebrate the end of the rice harvest. The competitive races take place outside Negara in the regency of Jembrana, on make-shift circuits laid out on dry dirt tracks in