When magma, which is usually entirely covered by the Earth’s mantle, rises up to the surface and gets in direct contact with water, then experts are only speaking soberly about phreatomagmatic eruptions but the rest of the world gets confronted with an all too often catastrophic explosive power being that immense like a couple of Hiroshima nukes. Back in 1883 such an epic volcanic eruption happened in Indonesia, between Java and Sumatra Islands. More than 20km3 of rocks and ash got tossed into the air followed by an up to 40m high Tsunami that erased all villages framing the Sunda Strait. The old volcano got almost vaporised but its offspring is already waiting in the wings, the Anak Krakatoa; a place that gets reconquered by life under as well as over the waterline »»

The Bromo-Tengger-Semeru National Park is one of Indonesia’s major sights and destination of not a few busses. You can literally start your travel to the Bromo from every of the country’s bigger cities. Writing that, the main reason why the Tengger caldera isn’t an unhurried place already got spoken out. It is really hard to escape from the touristic bustle and at the latest the plastic bag flooded crater bowl of the Bromo will put you off… The most frequented spot is at the same time the highest peak around: Gunung Penanjakan. From there every morning about 200-300 tourists try to watch the magic colourful sunrise. However, doing so can also lead into quite ugly situations… »»

For many people coming to terms with a globalized everyday life became quite an essential daily task. In the East of the Indonesian island of Java, at the Ijen volcano (Kawah Ijen) to be more precise, courageous men are ruining their health day by day. To make their living, everyone literally transforms into a hell of a guy, when wresting sulphur, the yellow gold, from the fumaroles in a height of 2400 meters. And also for me visiting the Kawah Ijen and its acid lake should mean a test of mettle »»

The town of Ende sounds like the final of a trip, but can also be quite a good start for travelling the Indonesian Sunda Islands eastwards, all the way to Jakarta. On the way to Indonesia’s capital you’ll surely experience plenty of possibilities to get in touch with the most diverse people plus look behind the scenes of illustrious names like Bali or Komodo. Indonesia, that also stands for volcanoes, earth quakes and tsunamis. At first glance that doesn’t sound all too well, but who knows, maybe the creative hand of volcanoes’ was active again when giving birth to unique things of culture like artful batik, huge religious temples or filigree old Indonesian shadow puppetry »»

The multi-coloured crater lakes of the Kelimutu volcano are truly the biggest touristic highlights the Indonesian island of Flores has on offer. To get there, needs some talent for spontaneity, especially in low season. It doesn’t matter where you start your travel, if in Ende, Maumere or Moni, travellers are most welcome; helping them is a matter of importance for the locals »»