There are more than 41,000 Buddhist temples in Thailand, of which more than 33,000 are actively in use. The term “wat” is a Thai word for enclosure, and now refers to any Buddhist or Brahminical temple. 95% of the 70 million people in Thailand are Buddhists. In 2019, we were “templed out” on our last […]
Indonesia 22 – Toraja 1 – Death is Just a Part of Life
Tana Toraja, the highlands of Toraja, is known for their coffee, spectacular mountain landscapes, and its unique culture. The Torajan people is an ethnic group indigenous to the mountainous area and known for their elaborate funeral rituals, where death is celebrated. We will be going into the rituals they follow for death in detail over […]
Indonesia 20 – Bali 11 – Tanah Lot Sunset
Before leaving Bali, we decided to visit Tanah Lot Temple, which is one of the most popular tourist destinations with more than 9,000 visitors daily. Tanah Lot is still an active pilgrimage site, and there were thousands of people bringing offerings and praying at the temple. It is also one of the best locations for […]
Indonesia 17 – Java 7 – Ramayana Ballet
We frequently appreciate seeing the cultural activities of the countries we visit. While in Java, Indonesia, we attended the masterful Ramayana Ballet in Yogyarkarta, which is considered a highly stylized dance form. This Javanese ballet combines music, dance and drama, and is performed outdoors with the base of the ancient Prambanan Temple as the back […]
Indonesia 16 – Java 6 – Bromo Village
After we were refused entry to the Yadnya Kasada Festival, we searched for alternative activities, since we could not enter the festival boundaries. The local guide asked permission for us to attend the Reception Night, where East Java governor Khofifah Indar Parawansa, the first woman governor in Java, would be attending. She was being inaugurated […]
Indonesia 15 – Java 5 – Bromo Festival
We showed some photos and a time-lapse of Mount Bromo and Mount Semeru a few days ago. The view was so spectacular that we figured it was worth repeating… ☺ The smoke fuming above is from Mount Semeru, which last erupted on December 4, 2021, and is the tallest mountain in Java. The Kasada Cultural […]
Indonesia 14 – Java 4 – Yogyakarta Market & Region
Terraced rice fields and paddies around Yogyakarta in rural parts of Java. East Java is the biggest rice producing province within Indonesia. Indonesia is ranked third among the biggest rice producers in the world, and is also among the largest rice consumers in the world. Indonesia continues to experiment to increase yields, including increasing the […]
Indonesia 13 – Java 3 – Harvesting
The rural areas surrounding Malang, Java are quite picturesque, so we had an opportunity to work on photographing landscapes. One stop was to the Wonosari Tea Plantation, located on the slopes of Mount Arjuna in East Java. It is the oldest tea plantation in East Java and the government operates this as an Agro-Tourism site, […]
Indonesia 12 – Java 2 – Sunrises
As a photographer, waking up at three in the morning to capture photos of beautiful landscapes is a given. When you add the blue hour, you add up to another 30 minutes. The Indonesian island of Java is almost entirely of volcanic origin and has 45 volcanoes which are considered active. Indonesia has the most […]
Indonesia 17 – Java 1 – Malang Village of Color
We next flew to Java, for a week to explore that portion of Indonesia. Our first stop in Java was Malang, located in the highlands of East Java with a population of 844,000 people. It was formerly a Dutch colony prized for its mild weather, and thus much of the architecture has Dutch influence. At […]