Attractions

Uma is the name for the traditional house built by the indigenous tribal communities of the Mentawai Islands in the province of West Sumatera. Although it looks simple, the Uma is not only important as a place of dwelling, but as a cultural center as well.  

An Uma is typically occupied by 5 to 7 descendants from the same family, following patrilineal lineage. Women living in the Uma are usu

Although perhaps not as popular as the traditional Batik from Java, Songket from Palembang or Ulos from Medan, the openwork embroidery found in province of Gorontalo, north of the Bay of Tomini, in Sulawesi, is of equally high artistic value. The uniqueness of the work, intricate beauty of the motif, quality and artistry possessed by a single piece of Kerawang makes it an increasingly valuable cul

The Topeng or Mask Dance on the island of Bali is one of the most popular dance-drama loved by the Balinese as it tells about local lore and historical tales of royal lineage performed in scenes of every day life.

The Topeng dance is both entertaining at the same time it instills profound wisdom. It has both slapstick comedy and sophisticated refinement.

Popular comedy and wisdom is presente

Among Indonesia’s masks dances, the Tari Topeng from Cirebon is one of the most renowned.

The town of Cirebon, once a thriving kingdom and busy harbor town, lies on the north coast of Java, right on the border between West Java and Central Java. Its culture, therefore, mixes West Java’s Parahyangan elements with traits inherited from the Central Javanese Mataram kingdoms.

In the Cirebon

One of the most unique traditional musical instruments of the East Nusatenggara Islands is the “Sasando”. However, with modernization its popularity has waned, but now new efforts are made to revive this ancient instrument and to have it blend in with modern musical instruments.

Originally played by the people of Rote island, located south of the island of Timor , Sasando is a stringe

The island of Nias, located in the Indian Ocean off the west coast of North Sumatra, lies exactly on the fault line where the Eurasian plate meets the Indo-Australian tectonic plate, making the island prone to earthquakes.

In the last devastating Indian Ocean earthquake and Tsunami of December 2004, followed by another one in 2005, Nias lost no less than 900 lives. But experts have now di

Zapin Dance is a Malay dance which is imbued with religious and educational messages. The dance has its roots in the Malay culture and traditions of Riau that hold diverse values in their lives. This traditional dance is highlighted by its beautiful diverse movements originally born out of the skillful movements of the feet as originally performed by Arabic and Persian males. The Zapin Dance in In

Mak Yong is a Malay performaning art that incorporates ritual, dance, drama, song and traditional instrumental music in a captivating form of folk theatre. Mak Yong has taken root in communities in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand. It is believed that this form of theatre originates in southern Thailand, which was then brought to Bintan in the Riau Islands via Singapore.

In the Riau islands, Mak

The wonderful cultural diversities of the Indonesian Archipelago are fused together in the spectacular performance: Devdan -Treasure of the Archipelago that is regularly staged at the Nusa Dua Theatre, at Nusa Dua, Bali.

“Devdan – Treasure of the Archipelago” is not a musical, nor it is a drama, instead it is a contemporary acrobatic and dance performance that is inspired by the

Tanah Rencong or the land of the Rencong is a title widely attributed to Aceh, the most north-western province of Indonesia. The name derives from the traditional weapon that is not only legendary but is also considered a heritage that has passed down the generations from their ancestors.


The Rencong (or sometimes known as  Reuncong or Rincong) for the Acehnese is more than just a combat weapo