Stories

Notes from the archipelago

Occasional writing from the places we work in — what a season is really like, and where to go when everyone else is somewhere else.

Raja Ampat travel guide: how to plan a trip to one of the richest reefs on Earth

Raja Ampat lies far from Bali, and that distance is part of why its reef has fared so well. How to get there, when to go, what you pay and where to spend your days.

Guide · Islands

Swimming safely in Bali: currents, reefs and the calmest beaches

The ocean around Bali is beautiful and strong. How to read the water, get out of a rip current and choose a calm beach, for adults and for children.

Guide · Bali

Travelling alone in Bali as a woman: where to go and how to plan it

Bali is one of the easiest places for a woman to travel alone. Four trips beyond the south, and where a private driver or guide makes the day simpler.

Guide · Bali

A Yacht in Bali: From a Day at Sea to a Celebration on Deck

The same day on the ocean can be lived in very different ways. Six formats for a private yacht off Bali, and how to tell which one is yours.

At sea · Bali

Where to Go After Bali: Komodo, Sumba, Raja Ampat and the Sea Beyond

Bali is the doorway, not the whole house. Five islands that continue the journey, and how to tell which one is yours.

Ideas · Routes

Indonesia Beyond Bali: Flores, Papua and Borneo

Three Indonesias that begin where Bali ends: a village in the clouds on Flores, the Baliem Valley in Papua, and the orangutan rivers of Borneo.

Guide · Islands

When to Visit Komodo: The Right Season for the Journey

On Komodo the sea sets the calendar, not the thermometer. The seasons month by month, the dragons, the mantas and the park's new daily limit.

Guide · Komodo