Living in Cipete, Jakarta
Cipete sits south of Kemang and has long been overshadowed by its more famous neighbour in expat conversations. That is changing. In recent years, and particularly since the opening of the MRT, Cipete has quietly established itself as one of South Jakarta’s most practical and appealing places to live — offering a more residential, less […]
Living in Kemang, Jakarta
Kemang was never planned — it grew organically, and that unplanned quality is both its greatest charm and its most persistent frustration. For decades, it has been one of the most beloved addresses in South Jakarta, drawing expat families back posting after posting with a personality that is genuinely hard to find elsewhere in the […]
Living in Menteng, Jakarta
Menteng is where Jakarta’s history lives. Set in Central Jakarta just east of the main Jl. Thamrin/Sudirman thoroughfare, it is one of the oldest and most prestigious neighbourhoods in the city — a place of stately Dutch colonial-era mansions, tree-lined boulevards, embassies, and a quiet gravity that newer developments simply cannot replicate. For the right […]
Living in Ubud, Bali
Ubud is unlike anywhere else in Bali. Sitting inland among terraced rice fields, river gorges and ancient temples, it attracts a very specific kind of expat — those who value culture, spiritual life, nature and a slower pace over beach clubs and nightlife. If that sounds like you, Ubud may be the most compelling place […]
Expat Living in Bogor, West Java
Bogor is the 14th largest city in Indonesia, with a population of approximately 1.231 million (2023 census). CIFOR-ICRAF (www.cifor-icraf.org) — formed by the 2022 merger of the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) and the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) — continues to bring foreign researchers to Bogor for short-term study, research projects and meetings, and […]
Expat Living in Semarang, Central Java
Semarang is the capital of Central Java and one of the most comfortable medium-sized cities in Indonesia for expatriates who want a slower pace of life than Jakarta, but still need good schools, hospitals, shopping malls, airport access, and easy weekend escapes. The city continues to grow and offers a practical balance between business life, […]
Living in Solo (Surakarta)
Solo, also known as Surakarta, is located in Central Java and has long been considered one of the cultural hearts of Java. With a population of just over half a million people, it is smaller than nearby Yogyakarta or Semarang, yet it has a strong cultural identity and a long royal history connected to the […]
Expat Living in Yogyakarta
When people say Jogja is “teeming with students,” they mean it quite literally. The Yogyakarta Special Region is home to four state universities, around 16 private universities, and many specialist institutes and academies covering subjects such as art, science, technology, education, agriculture and business management. The best known is Gadjah Mada University, Indonesia’s oldest and […]