Nutmeg is everywhere in Banda, in jam, cakes, syrups, and curries.

Last week I visited Bumi Langit Farm, located in a hilly area in Imogiri old town, precisely at Jalan Mangunan KM. 3, Giriloyo village, Wukirsari, Imogiri, Bantul, Yogyakarta. This hilly area is the beginning of the Gunung Kidul hills line, an area known for its long dry season. Located on 350 m above sea level, […]

A guest post by Jade Ella Trapp. Jade is a naturopath and midwife living sometimes in the NSW town of Lismore and other times in Central Java.  She developed an interest in jamu when she first moved to Java as a student in 2000. A late afternoon stroll through the heavily concreted inner-city suburb of […]

I am writing from Banjarmasin, in South Kalimantan, one of the four Indonesian provinces on the island of Borneo. Banjarmasin, ‘the city of a thousand rivers’, is an urban edge in itself, settled on a delta island near the junction of the Barito and Martapura rivers. Banjar language is a result of the fusion of […]

Cities in Java have many obstacles to walking. Surabaya, Indonesia’s second largest city, is no exception: Footpaths are difficult to find, non-existent, or in disrepair. Traffic is ruthless. Maps are inaccurate. The weather is oppressively hot. Despite this situation, jalan-jalan (walking without a specified aim) is still the best way to explore the city and […]

Jakarta can feel oppressive for residents and visitors. If you’ve heard stories about the traffic, the reality is much worse. As in any city though, there are many people doing good things. Journalists Fergus Jensen and Rebecca Henshcke have been living in Jakarta for around 15 years. For the last nine of those they have […]