View from Gili Air island back to Bali and Gunung Agung volcano.

Morning in Gili Air island. Gili Air is one of three islands which are similar but each one attracts different kinds of people: Gili Trawangan, Gili Meno and Gili Air.

Evening in Gili Air. Lombok Island in backround.

It is the largest archipelagic country in the world, extending 5,120 kilometres (3,181 mi) from east to west and 1,760 kilometres (1,094 mi) from north to south

View from the hill in Gili Laba island. There is a chance to see not only Komodo and Sumbawa islands from the top of the hill, but some of the islands near Flores too.

Komodo dragon is the largest extant lizard species. The popular interest in the lizard’s large size and predatory habits has allowed this endangered species to become an ecotourist attraction, which has encouraged its protection. Dragon can be found in the Indonesian islands of Komodo, Rinca, Flores, Gili Motang and Padar. Dragons are not to be taken lightly: male lizards can grow up to 3 m long, weigh 70 kg and eat up to 80 percent of their own body weight in one sitting. Though attacks are exceptionally rare, they do occasionally occur, mostly when a park guard lets his focus slip for a moment, or a villager has a particularly unlucky day. As a general rule, Komodo dragons prefer raiding graves to killing people, so natives frequently pile rocks over their loved ones’ tombs as a deterrent.

Some years ago, scientists believed that these scavengers has saliva laden with really deadly bacteria, and that bites containing the spit were potent enough to bring down a water buffalo. In 2009, biochemist Brian Fry tested this conventional wisdom by hunting for dangerous microorganisms inside several Komodo dragon mouths. He learned that, contrary to popular opinion, their chops have proportionally fewer bacteria than most meat-eating mammals do. Furthermore, Fry found no trace of any especially-hazardous ones. What he did find was venom glands. Situated in the lower jaw, these release a nasty cocktail that causes paralysis, extreme blood loss, inadequate clotting, tissue damage, and excruciating pain.

Komodo dragon on Rinca island. Rinca is one of the three largest islands included in Komodo National Park. Rinca island is less known and less visited than Komodo, it is better place to see the Komodo dragons in its natural environment with much less visitors to disturb them.

Western scientists didn't find out about the giant reptiles until 1912. Komodo Island natives had given them the name “ora," which means “land crocodile” in local language.

There are 13 466 islands in Indonesia (according to a geospatial survey conducted between 2007 and 2010 by National Coordinating Agency for Survey and Mapping), about 6000 of them uninhabited. Some sources say there are over 17 000 of island in Indonesia.

Ngada district, an area that maintains its status as the spiritual heartland of Flores. Up to sixty thousand people in the Ngada district speak the distinct Ngada language, and a good proportion of the older generation don’t understand basic Bahasa Indonesian.

There are many "tourist guides" in Bajawa district. Mostly not trained in any way and their primary skill is speaking english or "english" and overcharging. The best way is just hire a motorbike and see the villages at own pace. Of course - to get one of very few educated guides is a lottery-win because of interesting information about the local history, tradition and ceremonies.

No, it is not indonesian Halloween, just local woman during the ceremony in one of village in Ngada district.

Bena is the prettiest and most traditional of the Ngada villages, lying about 13km south of Bajawa. Here they have nine different clans, in a village built on nine levels with nine Ngadhu/Bhaga couplings. It’s the central village for the local area’s religions and traditions, and one of the best places to see festivals such as weddings, planting and harvest celebrations.

Local woman during the ceremony. Young girls are often hanging around taking pictures with mobile phones for their Facebook pages.

Locals beliefs are based on deity (gods), ancestors spirit which their life relies to the nature, have own rituals and ceremonies which are deeply spiritual, worship the ancestors and gods, sure got blessing on their life.

Every year they make special rituals and ceremonies. Ngada tribe in central of Flores island have ritual event schedule be spectacle interesting to see. Ritual procession event held to thankfulness to ancestors and gods for a year and worship for welcoming new year.

Altough villages in Ngada district are more and more popular amongst tourist, it is still (so far) quite in compare to other parts of Indonesia.

Village in Ngada district. Here, despite the growing encroachment of tour groups, indigenous animist religions flourish and the villages maintain traditional houses, megalithic stones and interesting totemic structures.

Graves are everywhere, including the "main square" of villages.

Ikat is a dyeing technique used to pattern textiles that employs resist dyeing on the yarns prior to dyeing and weaving the fabric.

Pet on a barbed wire in Wae Rebo village, Flores island.

The hill village of Bena is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Flores, surrounded by lush slopes and striking volcanoes.

One of the most famous attraction in Flores island for travellers is the tri-colored Kelimutu lake within the summit of the craters at 1690m. It consists of three lakes together of varying colours from each other and also at different times, making them sometimes a bit surreal. These lakes change colour dramatically and unpredictably from blue or green to red or black, making it one of the natural phenomena to be beheld by many.

There's always a risk of being bitten or scratched when interacting with wild animals. They are sneaky buggers. Plenty of people lost their cameras and other belongings because of macaque monkeys attacks.

There is an official feeding ground near Kelimutu summit where visitor can go and feed the monkeys.

The highway between Lewoleba and Lamalera on Lembata island, the largest island of the Solor Archipelago, in the Lesser Sunda Islands in Indonesia.

On the way to the village of Lamalera. Lamalera and Lamakera (village on the neighbouring island of Solor) are the last two remaining Indonesian whaling communities.

The village of Lamalera is located on Lembata Island in Eastern Indonesia along a coastline formed from jagged volcanic rock. The village was first settled in the year 1410 when refugees from a tsunami disaster on nearby Lapan Batan Island arrived after their community was destroyed by the huge waves. Whaling was already a tradition on Lepan Batan Island, and the new community of Lamalera also adopted it as their primary livelihood. Today more than 1,700 people live in the village and whales are still the most important source of meat for their diets. Whale meat is also used at the local market to barter for fruits, vegetables and other commodities.

Tasty breakfast, fresh proteins. Lamalera village, Indonesia.

Forget about new technologies. Bamboo and piece of rusty iron as a spear is the harpoon.

Fishermen from the small whaling village of Lamalera, on a sunbaked island in remote eastern Indonesia, have been hunting whales for centuries. They still do, now with permission from the Indonesian government, as long as it is for their own consumption and not for commercial sale. They may also hunt dolphins and mantas for their own use.

Harpooner after he missed the hammershark. Villagers catch pilot whales, dolphins, mantas and sperm whales. Or anything from the sea. But there are taboos for the Lamaleras when it comes to whale hunting. For example, it is forbidden to hunt pregnant whales, young whales, and mating whales. This capacity to recognize these specific taboos can only be learnt through extensive periods of experience.

While they still use sailboats to harpoon sperm whales, they sometimes use motorboats to tow the sailboats to the whales to speed up the chase.

The actual hunting is still done on traditonally flimsy wooden boats, called peledang. These are manned by between 7 – 14 helmsmen, oarsmen and harpooner, where each is assigned his special duties. The most agile of the team stands on the bow ready with a barbed harpoon.
When a prey is sighted, he throws his harpoon into the animal jumping down on the harpoon itself so as to give it his additional weight. When the target is a huge sperm whale and it is a hit, other team members throw more harpoons on the prey. And when it is finally disabled, together all team members heave up the heavy body onto the boat.

Here traditional whaling is carried out from small boats powered by oars and rattan sails. The most dangerous job is performed by the “Lamafa” who leaps off the boat with the grace of a ballet dancer and the strength of an Olympic diver, using his body to embed the harpoon in the whale, shark or dolphin.

The village’s hard and rocky soil makes growing crops impossible, so villagers have no choice but to take full advantage of what the sea provides. Dried dolphin meat and canoe with bamboo harpoon.

Kupang is the capital of the Indonesian province of East Nusa Tenggara, and has an estimated population slightly under half of million. It is the biggest city and port on the island of Timor.

Kupang's a regional transport hub, so you will do time here. Just don’t be surprised if between trips to the interior, Alor or Rote, you discover that you actually dig it. England’s Captain Bligh had a similar epiphany when he spent 47 days here after that emasculating mutiny on the Bounty incident in 1789.

Pūjā or Poojan (sometimes spelt phonetically as pooja or poojah) is a prayer ritual performed by Hindus of devotional worship to one or more deities, or to host and honor a guest, or one to spiritually celebrate an event. It may honour or celebrate the presence of special guest(s), or their memories after they die. Puja rituals are also held by Buddhists and sometimes is called Sembahyang in Indonesia.

There are many stone statues of guardians in and around Balinese temples.

There are over 20,000 pura (Balinese for temple) in Bali at last count, mostly full of stone carvings a statues covered by vegetation.

Rice production has remained very dynamic in Bali since the 11th century (altough Balinese people have depended on this method of agriculture for almost 2000 years), making Indonesia the highest rice yielding country.

Maintenance of crops in Bali has evolved with the establishment of Subak, which is a self-sustained socio- religious organization and finds its roots in Balinese culture, social and religious environment. This Subak system is basically a blend of various units.

There are over 150 rivers and streams in Bali, which facilitate the irrigation of ricefields.

The irrigation system for paddy fields in Bali was enlisted as a Natural UNESCO world heritage site in June 2012. The Rice goddess, Dewi Sri, is the favourite manifestation of God amongst the Balinese. She is male and female, as indeed are all the gods, people and things in the cosmos. At important times in the rice cycle, images of Dewi Sri, made of rice stalks, are set up in the rice fields, in the shape of two triangles, with a pinched waist. This is called a Cili.

Rice grows very well in Bali and the quality is excellent. Padi Bali is the old traditional Balinese rice, grown from time immemorial, but now largely replaced by “new” or “miracle” rice. Padi Bali takes 210 days to grow, the length of the Balinese year.

There are three types of rice grown in Bali White rice is normally used for daily religious offerings in Bali and can be clearly seen by tourists hanging everywhere, which brings good luck to them according to their sayings. This rice is the actual staple food in Bali.
After white rice comes the black rice called Injun in Bali. It produces a much lesser yield than the former one and remains undifferentiated from the white rice in the fields, and turns into black when the time of harvest approaches. It is also used as an ingredient in desserts and toppings. The least grown and the most expensive rice produced in Bali is the red rice. It appears pink rather than red in color. It is mostly used in temple offerings.

Although tourism produces the GDP's largest output, agriculture is still the island's biggest employer. Notably, villages typically adopt a single product like coffee or rice.

Petrol station in Bali. Petrol is available in bottles or even plastic bags and plenty of these stations are very usefull particularly in remotes areas.