STRAP YOURSELF IN FOR A TOUR OF INDONESIA’S MOST AUTHENTIC AND EXCITING CULTURAL EXPERIENCES. HARUMI SUPIT REPORTS

1 SHAMAN VISIT

MENTAWAI ISLANDS (YEAR-ROUND)

Just hours away from the mainland and gateway of Padang, isolated by strong winds and rough seas, sikerei shamans (pictured) in the remote interior of the islands continue to practice old animistic ways. In the Sibulungan religion, fetish poles placed around the open-air, stilt-raised houses keep away evil spirits, while elaborate tattoos and body ornaments help keep soul and body in balance with the world. The shamans are responsible for communicating with spirits, healing and preserving the harmony of the physical and paranormal.

2 DAYAK LONGHOUSE STAY

BALIKPAPAN (YEAR-ROUND)

Journey back in time up the sun-dappled Mahakam river into Dayak territory, accompanied by a chorus of birds and insects amid corridors of thick jungle growth. Watch for orangutans and flying lemurs through giant vines, before disembarking at a Dayak longhouse for a meal. Built on stilts high off the ground, these wooden dwellings house many families under one elongated roof. Traditional Dayaks still practice ancient traditions such as body tattoos and heavy ear ornamentation, yet their reputation as friendly hosts is well earned too.

3 KECAK PERFORMANCE

BALI (DAILY AT 6PM)

Witness the sunset spectacle of a 100-strong male chorus, bare chested and urging on dancers in the center, in a battle scene from the Ramayana. The dancers, each wearing a checked cloth around his waist, rhythmically chant “cak”, throwing their arms up in unison. There are few more stirring locations than the 11th-century Uluwatu Temple, perched dramatically over sheer, 70-meter high stone cliffs that overlook a dizzying view of the sea and surf.

4 RAMAYANA BALLET

JOGJAKARTA (MAY TO OCTOBER)

The refined, expressive movements of classical Javanese dance come to life in this dramatic, open-air retelling of the Ramayana epic, involving up to 250 dancers and dozens of accompanying musicians. Staged by night in the heart of Central Java, the enactment’s eerie beauty is reinforced by its historic surroundings. Decorated with intricate reliefs of the Ramayana tale, the Prambanan temple complex dates back to the heyday of Hindu power in the 10th century.

5 FLOATING MARKET VISIT

BANJARMASIN (DAILY AT DAWN)

Greet the dawn on the waters at the confluence of the Kuin and Barito rivers amid a flotilla of boats and canoes jostling for position. Laden with local produce, merchants travel hours to attend this daily morning event.

The Kuin market is one of the busiest of several floating markets. Vegetables, fruit, shrimps and fish are traded, while local children look on – making for a colorful and aromatic experience.

6 WAYANG KULIT

JAKARTA (SPECIAL OCCASION)

In this very Indonesian event, the hypnotic gamelan orchestra forms a counterpoint to the sonorous narration of the dalang puppet master, dexterously wielding the flat, intricately carved leather puppets behind a translucent, back-lit screen. The shadows shuffle and leap across the screen agilely, bringing time-honored tales and characters based on the Mahabarata to life. The long and sometimes ribald performances have been described as one of the world’s most subtly sophisticated dramatic forms. Performances can take all night, accompanied by leisurely audience chatter if set outdoors.

7 BROMO FESTIVAL

SEMARANG (SEPTEMBER)

At any time of the year, Mt Bromo, majestically rising from its surrounding sea of sand into the clouds, is a worthwhile stop on any Java tour. Even so, the midnight procession of the annual Kasada Festival, a ritual thanksgiving held by local Tenggerese farmers, is a stand-out experience. Preceded by performances at the foot of the hill, thousands of supplicants, carrying fruit, vegetables or animal offerings, climb painstakingly toward the smoking caldera, where they offer prayers to mountain gods before throwing their offerings into the mouth of the volcano.

8 PASOLA FESTIVAL

SUMBA (10-19 FEBRUARY, 2010)

The annual Pasola festival is possibly the most violent and adrenaline-packed harvest celebration in Indonesia. Ritual fist fights precede the main festival, which consists of the exhilarating spectacle of hundreds of bareback, colorfully arrayed horsemen charging at one another with wooden spears, all accompanied by whoops and shouts. The blunted weapons are still capable of inflicting damage – so beware.

9 BATAK SHOW

LAKE TOBA (YEAR-ROUND)

What better place to experience the Batak love of song and dance than its cultural heart on Samosir Island? Surrounded by South-East Asia’s largest lake, the island’s laid-back atmosphere is reflected in loose, upbeat performances of traditional music and dance, held among the traditional pointed-roofed villages and tourist lodgings. These events are relaxed, with visitors invited to join, and more modern songs often intermixed, in keeping with the spontaneous island vibe.

10 MADURA BULL RUN

SURABAYA (SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER)

Dust billows up behind two pairs of competing bulls as they dash toward the finish line, a gladiator balanced precariously between each pair on a stick. Following a two-month trial selection and days of festivities, prize bulls are brushed, massaged, fed up to 50 eggs a day and adorned with beautiful head dresses. The race is then run in a few frenzied moments, at the annual finals in Pamekasan.