Bali History

Spanning over 17 thousand islands, Indonesia, the world’s largest archipelago, relies heavily on air travel for connectivity. With 683 airports facilitating over 500 thousand domestic flights annually and millions of travellers from abroad, aviation plays a vital role. Astonishingly, it’s just been exactly a century since the first European flight touched down in Indonesia. In

Cockfighting, known locally as tajen or sabung ayam is not merely a pastime in Indonesia; it is a cultural institution deeply intertwined especially with Bali’s spiritual beliefs. Today, it is a familiar image of wicker baskets lining roads around Indonesia, housing roosters as they are toughened up with traffic sounds. In this article, Sake Santema

Sake Santema, from Indies Gallery, showcases a collection of his antique maps featuring early depictions of the Spice Islands. These maps offer unique insight into how, back in the day, spices held a high value even comparable to gold. Spices have been a cornerstone of global commerce for thousands of years, shaping the course of

The bird of paradise, Cendrawasih in Bahasa Indonesia, holds a special place as a symbol of New Guinea and Indonesia, drawing visitors from around the globe to witness these majestic birds in their natural habitat on the second largest island in the world. However, for centuries, these birds remained as mysterious as the prized spices

Each year, millions of globetrotters descend upon the island of Bali seeking a taste of the tropical paradise, from exploring the riches of its pristine beaches to trekking the majestic landscapes, Bali has no limitations when it comes to the plethora of experiences that visitors can discover. However, Bali is first and foremost known for

Today’s travellers may feel envious of those who visited Bali back when it was ‘untouched’, but do not realise the difficulty of not only getting to the island but also the challenges once they arrived. Sake Santema, owner of antiques dealer Indies Gallery, explores early travels to Indonesia and Bali, complemented by prints and images

Celebrated during the 20th-century as an icon in the Bali literature and art spheres, the ultra-talented Mexican Miguel Covarrubias’ witnessed and recorded the distinctions of Bali. His creative endeavours distinguished him from other foreigners. As the door to international tourism reopens, it’s significant to honour his extraordinary contributions and remember Bali’s original allure. Covarrubias’ book,

Indonesia is a nation of 273 million people, 88% of whom are registered as Muslim. Bali is the only region of the country where the majority of the population is Hindu – although Balinese Hindus, make up only 1.7% of the Indonesian population. In Bali, 90% of the population is classified as Hindu, but the

If you’ve ever wondered how Bali became a top tropical destination for globetrotters around the world, you need to look back in time and discover how the quiet village of Sanur became the gateway that introduced Bali to the rest of the world – and birthed the island’s flourishing tourism industry. Long ago, before Seminyak became known as the dining

If you explore the backstreets of Kuta enough, you’ll come across a road named ‘Jalan Tuan Lange’, dedicated to Mads Lange , a Danish man who had a colourful Denmark is about as far from Bali as pickled herring is from nasi campur, but there was a period of 18 years when these two very disparate cultures intertwined in a

A small monument known as Prasasti Blanjong, was carved from a single solid stone pillar that measures around 70 inches and 32 inches in diameter. It is one of the oldest manmade artefacts in Bali that dates back to the 10th century, only found in 1932. It commemorates the victory of King Kesariwarmedewa of Bali’s

Driving north from the main hub of Sanur to the quiet Padang Galak area, a memorial monument of a fatal Pan American flight accident nestled in quite a hidden spot behind abandoned buildings.  In 1974, a Pan American flight flying from from Hong Kong to Sydney with a scheduled transit in Bali, crashed in the