10 min read
How to Travel Indonesia in the Rainy Season
The wet season is Indonesia's cheapest, greenest and most misunderstood half of the year. Here is how to travel it well, region by region, without gambling.
On the Ground Indonesia
Insights, updates and local perspectives to better understand Indonesia as it evolves.
All articles
10 min read
Indonesia's Geopark Decade: 12 UNESCO Sites Redrawing the Slow-Travel Map
Indonesia is now third in the world for UNESCO Global Geoparks. The label is quietly becoming the most useful map a slow traveller has for the archipelago.
11 min read
Lombok Beyond Rinjani: The South Coast, Sembalun and the Slow Loop
Most visitors see Lombok as a launch pad for Rinjani. Spend two weeks there instead and you find a slower island of surf bays, highlands and Sasak weaving.
9 min read
Indonesia's Ferries in 2026: Online-Only Tickets and ID Checks
Indonesia's main ferry crossings no longer sell tickets at the port. What Ferizy requires, why names must match passports, and how the new port rules work.
9 min read
Bali's Transit Reset: What the Scrapped Subway Means for Travellers
In August 2026 Bali abandoned its subway for a trackless tram. What changed, what is realistic by 2027, and how to move around the island in the meantime.
9 min read
How to Learn Enough Bahasa Indonesia to Travel Well
You do not need fluency. Around forty words, a handful of politeness rules and four weeks of light study will change almost every encounter you will have.
11 min read
East Java Overland: Malang, Bromo and Ijen Without the Rush
East Java rewards patience. A slow overland loop from Malang through Tumpak Sewu, Bromo and Ijen, with the 2026 booking rules that now shape every day.
8 min read
Indonesia's Flight Reshuffle: New Routes, Higher Fares and Where You Land in 2026
Indonesia added dozens of routes in 2026 while fuel surcharges rose and VAT was suspended. What the aviation reshuffle means for slow travellers on the ground.
10 min read
How to Stay Healthy in Indonesia: Mosquitoes, Water and Remote Medical Care
A practical health guide for slow travel in Indonesia: vaccinations, dengue and malaria, rabies, food and water, pharmacies, hospitals and evacuation cover.
9 min read
Climbing Mount Rinjani in 2026: Permits, Quotas and Mandatory Insurance
Rinjani now runs on the e-Rinjani permit system, daily quotas, licensed guides and compulsory trekking insurance. Here is what has changed and what it costs.
11 min read
North Sulawesi: Bunaken, Tangkoko and the Minahasa Highlands
A slow-travel guide to North Sulawesi, where coral walls, tarsier forests and volcanic highlands sit two hours apart and few travellers stay long enough.
9 min read
Indonesia's Volcano Effect: How Ash Clouds Are Reshaping Travel in 2026
Ash from Flores has closed Bali's airport three times since 2024. Indonesia's volcanoes are no longer a sightseeing topic; they are a planning constraint.
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