https://www.scmp.com/rss/518908/feed Leyla is a freelance travel & food writer based between Indonesia and the UK. She has written for The Guardian, Lonely Planet, Time Out, Wanderlust Magazine and more. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Leyla Rose Leyla Rose Southeast Asia’s largest city is unlike any other, its skyscrapers competing for space with colonial Dutch buildings such as the Jakarta History Museum (formerly the Batavia City Hall), the Bank Indonesia Museum (formerly the Dutch East Indies Bank) and the Jakarta Kota Railway Station. However, many travellers dismiss Jakarta as little more than a transit hub for travel across Indonesia. Spend a little time here, though, and you’ll find cultural attractions aplenty, delicious food and drink,... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/travel/article/3316052/insiders-guide-jakarta-cultural-festivals-traditional-markets-and-hip-coffee-shops?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/travel/article/3316052/insiders-guide-jakarta-cultural-festivals-traditional-markets-and-hip-coffee-shops?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 03 Jul 2025 00:00:12 +0000 My pre-booked boat pushes off from a beach on the Indonesian island of Lombok, gliding through calm waters and passing the emerald-green hills and empty beaches of Sekotong Bay – a welcome indicator of the weekend ahead. Minutes later, my destination draws into focus, stark white sand glistening in the morning sun. Jumping into the shallow waters of Gili Asahan, off the southwest “tail” end of Lombok, is to be transported to a desert-island paradise. Asahan has no roads or motor vehicles, and... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3269279/indonesias-gili-asahan-lomboks-best-kept-secret-island-peaceful-it-beautiful?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3269279/indonesias-gili-asahan-lomboks-best-kept-secret-island-peaceful-it-beautiful?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 07 Jul 2024 10:15:08 +0000