The Pink Beach of Komodo: Why Is the Sand Actually Red — And Is It Safe to Visit?

The Pink Beach of Komodo: Why Is the Sand Actually Red — And Is It Safe to Visit?

Bizarre Nature /

There are approximately seven pink-sand beaches in the entire world. Most are remote, difficult to reach, and quietly extraordinary. One of them sits inside a national park patrolled by the largest living reptile on earth. That one is worth talking about. Pantai Merah — “Red Beach” in Indonesian, though the world knows it as Pink […]

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The Bajau Sea Nomads: Indonesia's People Who Evolved for the Ocean

The Bajau Sea Nomads: Indonesia’s People Who Evolved for the Ocean

Bizarre Nature /

In 2018, a study published in the journal Cell stopped biologists in their tracks. A specific group of people in Indonesia had evolved — over generations, through natural selection — spleens significantly larger than those of any other human population on earth. The Bajau people’s spleens were on average 50% larger than those of their

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Why Does Indonesia Have a Lake That Turns Blood Red? The Science and Legend of Lake Kelimutu

Why Does Indonesia Have a Lake That Turns Blood Red? The Science and Legend of Lake Kelimutu

Bizarre Nature /

On the summit of an active volcano on the island of Flores, there are three lakes sitting in three separate craters — so close to each other that you can see all of them from a single viewpoint. They should look identical. Same altitude, same geology, same rainfall, same volcanic activity beneath them. They don’t

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The Real Story Behind the Kris Dagger: Why Indonesians Believe Their Weapons Are Alive

The Real Story Behind the Kris Dagger: Why Indonesians Believe Their Weapons Are Alive

Lost Legends /

There is a dagger sitting in a wooden box in a house in Central Java right now. It has a name. It has a personality. It has dietary preferences — certain foods are placed near it during specific nights of the Javanese calendar. The family that owns it consults it before making major decisions. When

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The Lost Kingdom of Srivijaya: Where Did Indonesia's Greatest Empire Disappear?

The Lost Kingdom of Srivijaya: Where Did Indonesia’s Greatest Empire Disappear?

Lost Legends /

Here is what we know about the greatest empire Southeast Asia has ever produced: At its peak, it controlled every major sea lane between China and India. Its navy was the most feared in the eastern ocean. Its capital was a city of such wealth that Arab traders wrote about it in stunned disbelief —

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Why Indonesians Use Agarwood in Traditional Ceremonies

Why Indonesians Use Agarwood in Traditional Ceremonies (It’s Not About the Price Tag)

Hidden Treasures /

The Wood That’s Worth More Than Gold You’ve probably heard of oud — that deep, smoky, resinous fragrance found in high-end perfumes from Dior, Tom Ford, and Middle Eastern luxury houses. What you might not know is that oud comes from agarwood, and some of the world’s finest agarwood comes from the forests of Borneo,

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Can Tourists Buy Authentic South Sea Pearls in Lombok Villages? (The Honest Haggling Guide)

Can Tourists Buy Authentic South Sea Pearls in Lombok Villages? (The Honest Haggling Guide)

Hidden Treasures /

Lombok’s Best-Kept Luxury Secret Few tourists realize that the shimmering South Sea pearls sold in high-end jewelry stores in Paris, Tokyo, and New York very likely started their journey in a modest floating farm off the coast of Lombok, Indonesia. Lombok — and its surrounding waters near Sumbawa — produces some of the finest South

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