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Mr. Cool: Layla’s Story (Video Blog)
Blog: Kiva Stories from the Field - 22 December 2011
By Laurie Young, KF16 Awhile ago I attended a Kiva loan disbursement for VisionFund Indonesia with my Kiva Coordinator, Valentine. She and I were both intrigued by a product called Mr. Cool that Layla, the leader of the group, has a business turning into ice cream pops.
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From Russia with Love
Blog: ContemporaryNomad - 19 December 2011
As we settled in for the night on our overnight Komodo cruise, Captain Marasuki passed out four beige blankets and proudly announced with a big smile, “These are good blankets from Russia.” Clearly, he associated Russia with quality bedding. He explained that, on a previous trip to Komodo, Russian tourists had given him these blankets [...]
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Pura Tanah Lot, Bali: Too touristy? Who cares?
Blog: The Art of Slow Travel - 19 December 2011
This post is part of the Slow Bali article series. The Sea Temple of Pura Tanah Lot in Bali is one ginormous tourist magnet, surrounded by a conglomeration of tourist shops as dense as a Mediterranean man’s chest hair. For the privilege of walking through an army of persistent sellers of anything from chicken wings [...]
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The Dragons of Komodo and Rinca
Blog: ContemporaryNomad - 15 December 2011
I guess it’s a testament to Komodo’s underwater attractions that it has taken us almost two weeks to visit the world-famous dragons. But now, the time has come… for dragons, megapodes, cockatoos and more. Known locally as ora, the “Komodo dragons” not only occur on Komodo, but also neighboring Rinca (pronounced reen-cha) and mainland Flores [...]
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Captivating Kanawa
Blog: ContemporaryNomad - 13 December 2011
Ten days on Seraya just whet our appetite for more tropical bliss here on Kanawa, a tiny island located between Labuanbajo and Komodo. In addition to lazing on more white-sand beaches, we also came here to do some night dives on the house reef as well as the wall off of neighboring Sebayur Besar. As [...]
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Bali: Meet the local
Blog: The Art of Slow Travel - 12 December 2011
This post is part of the Slow Bali article series. After a couple of hours walking through the rice fields with our guide, we reach a DIY structure covered by a tin roof and filled with scraps of metal and other bits and bobs, surrounded by coconut trees. An old, wiry Balinese man appears from [...]
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Thomas’ 100th Dive
Blog: ContemporaryNomad - 11 December 2011
Hip, hip, huray! I’m lucky enough to have just celebrated my 100th dive while here in Komodo, considered one of the best dive spots in the world. It is custom for the 100th dive to be done in the nude. Being a free spirit, I considered it for a moment, but decided a wetsuit was [...]
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Dining Experiences at Bintan Island – Seafood, International and Local Cuisine
Blog: PassportChop.com Travel Blog - Reviews, Travel Experiences - 11 December 2011
Besides fun activities and beautiful beaches, Bintan Island also offers lots of dining experiences with lots of different cuisines to choose from – perfect for food lovers hoping to embark on a gastronomic adventure during this getaway.
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Bali’s cutest dog, and (on a more serious note) dogs and rabies in Bali
Blog: The Art of Slow Travel - 9 December 2011
Meet the cutest dog on the entire island of Bali, which I shall call, beg-for-fish. I met beg-for-fish while I was enjoying a simple, yet delicious meal of mahi mahi at a beach side warung in Sanur. With one of the sweetest dogy eyes I’ve ever seen in my life, he (or actually she, for [...]
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Komodo, Diver’s Paradise
Blog: ContemporaryNomad - 7 December 2011
It’s not exactly a secret among experienced divers, but Komodo has some of the best diving in the world. While land-lubbers are more focused on the famous dragons, underwater fans realize that Komodo National Park protects some of the best preserved coral and underwater life on the planet. Why? As with Nusa Lembongan, deep channels [...]
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Rats!!!
Blog: ContemporaryNomad - 5 December 2011
Years of traveling have taught us never to leave anything edible laying around in a thatched beach hut. So, clever as we were, we packed all of our food items in a plastic bag and suspended it from the central ceiling beam. Little did we know that Seraya’s rats are quite the acrobats. In the [...]
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Ubud is about the rice fields
Blog: The Art of Slow Travel - 5 December 2011
This post is part of the Slow Bali article series. For me, Ubud was about the rice fields. The village itself did not impress because it had been taken over by greed and tackiness, but at the edges of Ubud are its verdant rice fields, and a rice field walk was one of the highlights [...]
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Bintan 3D2N Weekend Getaway Trip Summary
Blog: PassportChop.com Travel Blog - Reviews, Travel Experiences - 4 December 2011
Whether you are planning a romantic weekend getaway with your loved one or fun vacation with your family and friends or you just want a short getaway from Singapore, Bintan Island is the best place for it.
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Stunning Seraya
Blog: ContemporaryNomad - 3 December 2011
Just one hour north by boat from Labuanbajo lies beautiful Seraya, a steep, narrow island blanketed in velvety golden grasses dotted with emerald trees. White-sand beaches, mangrove forest and rocky outcrops line the shore. And right offshore, a shallow, well-preserved coral reef surrounds the island. Yes, Seraya is a rare discovery. Although there are over [...]
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Crossing Sumbawa
Blog: ContemporaryNomad - 1 December 2011
Ugghhh! Well, we intended to make it easy for ourselves, but comfort doesn’t seem to be in Indonesia’s master plan. Eager to avoid the marathon 26-hour bus from Lombok across Sumbawa to Flores, we did everything in our power to simplify this stretch of Nusa Tenggara on our way east. Attempting to break the bumpy, [...]
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Mysterious Sand
Blog: ContemporaryNomad - 30 November 2011
Although Kuta’s main beach, Pantai Segar, is often overlooked due to the more beautiful white-sand beaches outside town, a closer look reveals a rather extraordinary natural phenomenon. Each tiny grain of sand looks like a hand-chiseled work of art. Sure, the perfect little spheres are pretty, but walking across them is like walking across a [...]
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The Sasak Tribe
Blog: ContemporaryNomad - 28 November 2011
Our journey across Nusa Tenggara, the island chain that stretches across central Indonesia from Lombok to Alor, should carry us through a series of different tribal groups that call the region their home. The Sasak people are the first of those tribes, and we had the opportunity to witness a bit of their life in [...]
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Update from the Field: Adapting for Borrowers by Borrowers, Microinsurance +SKFL
Blog: Kiva Stories from the Field - 28 November 2011
Compiled by Jim Burke, KF16, Nicaragua This week’s Fellows Blog focuses on adaptability: Adapting microinsurance to poor households in Indonesia, an MFI in Turkey adapts to the needs of women entrepreneurs, a multifaceted borrower in Nepal adapts to market pressures, and a Kiva Fellow adapts to changing expectations. In a continuation of The Stuff Kiva [...]
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My favourite bit of Ubud: The Monkey Forest
Blog: The Art of Slow Travel - 28 November 2011
This post is part of the Slow Bali article series. While I did not fall in love with Ubud as a whole, I am completely in love with the sacred monkey forest. Everyday, I walked through it in order to reach Ubud, as my hotel was situated in the South, right by the forest. I [...]
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Beaches of Southern Lombok
Blog: ContemporaryNomad - 25 November 2011
Sane Visitors to Indonesia don’t necessarily associate the name “Kuta” with pristine nature and tranquility… or do they? Kuta in Lombok has the same name as Bali’s (in)famous tourist hub, but Kuta, Bali and Kuta, Lombok have very little in common. Although both are known for epic waves and endless beaches, Kuta Lombok lacks the [...]
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10 Must-See Destinations for Backpackers in Southeast Asia
Blog: GoBackpacking - 22 November 2011
This is a guest post by Will Peach. outheast Asia casts an allure like no other. From pristine beaches to bustling cities and everything in between, this magical part of the world is hugely popular with backpackers the world over. Picking a top 10 of must see destinations from Southeast Asia is no easy feat. [...]
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Microinsurance in Indonesia: Current Challenges and Innovations
Blog: Kiva Stories from the Field - 22 November 2011
By Laurie Young, KF16, Indonesia I was fortunate enough to be invited to accompany the Director of VisionFund Indonesia to attend the ‘First Microinsurance Marketplace in Indonesia’ coined ‘MIMPI.’ The event was a joint effort by the Indonesian Insurance Council, World Bank and the IFC.
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Tulamben Underwater Pictorial
Blog: ContemporaryNomad - 21 November 2011
As Thomas mentioned in his piece on independent diving in Tulamben, one of our major goals during our 14 dives here was to practice our underwater photography skills. We spent hours exploring every inch of the U.S.S. Liberty as well as the neighboring sites of Coral Garden and the Drop-Off. We sat at 25 meters [...]
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Ubud, I do not love you
Blog: The Art of Slow Travel - 21 November 2011
This post is part of the Slow Bali article series. Ubud, I do not love you, because people have ruined you with their greed. Before visiting you, I was told by many travellers how much you were loved, and how beautiful you were, but when I arrived, I found a Disneyland. Your people are master [...]
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Festival of People and Tribes in Bali, Indonesia (Pt 2)
Blog: Malaysia Asia - 18 November 2011
Festival of People and Tribes in Bali, Indonesia is the second part of my photo series. I visited Bali back in June 2011, I was fortunate enough to attend a massive local festival which showcased the many different people and cultures of Indonesia in one big event.
