Hey, Explorers! There’s a certain rhythm to a weekday afternoon in a Jakarta cafe. Between the hum of the espresso machine and the muffled chatter of the crowd, I usually find my own little pocket of focus—scrolling, clicking, and getting things done on my laptop while the world passes by. It was during one of […]
Hey, Explorers! 恭喜发财! This Lunar New Year reminds me of one place in Indonesia that celebrate this festive season bigger than any other places around the country. This place is called Singkawang. Besides it is known as the “City of a Thousand Temples,” Singkawang during Chinese New Year is more than just a celebration—it’s a […]
Hey Explorers, Happy New Year! Can you believe we’ve officially stepped into 2026? I’ve spent the last few days looking back at our 2025 photo albums—from the golden sunsets of Sumba to the crystal-clear waters of Karimunjawa, Raja Ampat, and beyond—and my heart is just full. It wasn’t only those perfect, big-sky sunsets that stuck […]
While some parts of the world are experiencing a heatwave, here in Indonesia, summer arrives in a different way. Think clear blue skies, golden sunsets, breezy evenings, and that magical combo of sunshine and saltwater… isn’t it pure bliss? This is exactly the picture I have in mind as I type this. It’s that sweet […]
The first quarter of the month has already flown by! April usually kicks off the start of the “busy” season. Last month, I dropped by at the NATAS Fair in Singapore—partly out of curiosity to check out the crowd, and partly to see if the Indonesia Tourism Board had set up a booth. Sadly, I […]
Hey, Explorers! Happy New Year – though it’s a few days late. Ha! I’ve opened and closed this page multiple times, unsure of what to share at the beginning of the year. But… well, here I am. I’ve been reflecting on the past year, 2024. It’s sad to admit that I haven’t been able to […]
I hope everything is going well for all of you! I am still catching up on many things after returning from the summer break, so I just want to drop a quick update on our upcoming trips. Besides these, I might plan some short getaways in between. Please make sure you are on one or […]
Hey, Explorers! We are supposed to be in the midst of the dry season, but it is still raining quite heavily now and then in Jakarta – and other places I visited recently. The unpredictable weather makes it challenging to make plans sometimes. However, one advantage is that it cools down the dry season heat! Phew…Well, […]
Hey, Explorers! I hope the title of this newsletter doesn’t scare you off! I went to Komodo National Park with a small group of friends from UAE. While there, I realized that I had almost forgotten what it felt like to live on board (LOB) in the National Park. Our group had last done the […]
If you have been with me for more than five years, you should have known that we used to have a Meetup Group called “Indonesia Explorers” – that was how we started, as we shared the story here. Unfortunately, I didn’t see much of the activity on the platform plus the three-year shutdown period that […]
