The Adventure Travel Show in San Francisco

We had a great time and made some wonderful connections at The Adventure Travel Show in San Francisco.  We wanted to thank The Consulate General of Indonesia for all of their kind support.  Ibu Vita, Ibu Nur and the rest of the wonderful people from The Consulate deserve a huge thank you and we look forward to continuing to work with you in the future.  We also wanted to extend a big thank you to Paula from Wakatobi and we look forward to a long and rewarding relationship.

Come visit paradise with us!

Photo of the Day ~ Torajan Marlboro Woman ~ Balifornian Tours and Travel Blog

A woman sells tobacco, betel nut and vegetables at a weekly market in Tana Toraja, Sulawesi, Indonesia.  Betel nut is chewed as part of social occasions or as a part of daily life. Betel nut is a stimulant and traditional local people chew it for recreation, stress reduction, heightened awareness, and suppression of hunger.

Sulawesi and its incredible funerary practices in Tana Toraja is the subject of an upcoming Balifornian documentary.

Copyright © 2010 Balifornian Tours and Travel Blog ~ Michael Doliveck

Our Adventure Photo Safaris ~ Are you a photographer or just love to take pictures?  Contact us to find out about our special tours for photographers.  Take a look at the images in the gallery, as they are good examples of the types of images you will be able to create on our tours.  The tours are led by Michael, a professor of art and photography as well as some very special guest teachers and pro photographers.  Contact us at photo@balifornian.com today for more information.

Do you have some great images from your Indonesian travels you would like to share? Want to submit your fantastic photo for the Balifornian Tour and Travel Blog Photo of the Day?  Please send your JPEG, location and description to photo@balifornian.com  Files must be under 500 kb.

Happy travels! Salamat Jalan!

Michael and Maryam ~

Balifornian Tours and Travel Blog ~ The best website for news and information on Bali and Indonesia.

The Real Home of the Boogie Man (photo)

In Southeast Asia the term is commonly used to refer to the ethnic group The Bugis and Buganese pirates, who were (and to some extent, still are) ruthless seafarers from the Indonesian island of Sulawesi (formerly known as Celebes).

Sulawesi is the home of the age old frightening myth of the "boogie man" propagated in the 15th century by the English to promote negative views of their rivals, the Buginese, who battled the marauding English, Dutch and other Europeans who were trying to obtain strategic control of the lucrative spice trade. In colonial times, cloves for example, coveted by dentists for their anesthetic properties, were more expensive than gold. The cloves only grew on the small ‘spice islands' of Sulawesi. This was also home to many other spices that were desirable the world over.

Sulawesi and its incredible funerary practices in Tana Toraja is the subject of an upcoming Balifornian documentary. 

Photo Copyright 2010 Balifornian Tours and Travel Blog ~ Michael Doliveck

Our Adventure Photo Safaris ~ Are you a photographer or just love to take pictures?  Contact us to find out about our special tours for photographers.  Take a look at the images in the gallery, as they are good examples of the types of images you will be able to create on our tours.  The tours are led by Michael, a professor of art and photography as well as some very special guest teachers and pro photographers.  Contact us at photo@balifornian.com today for more information.

Do you have some great images from your Indonesian travels you would like to share? Want to submit your photo for the Balifornian Tour and Travel Blog Photo of the Day?  Please send your JPEG, location and description to photo@balifornian.com  Files must be under 500 kb.

Happy travels! Salamat Jalan!

Michael and Maryam ~

Balifornian Tours and Travel Blog ~ You're best source for news and information on Bali and Indonesia.

Photo of the Day ~ Javanese Elephants ~ Balifornian Tours and Travel Blog

These majestic creatures were seen on our Bali and Java Adventure Tour while at a wild animal park in Bogor, Java outside of Jakarta.

Bali tours and travel. The best site for information on Bali and Indonesia

Copyright © 2010 Balifornian Tours and Travel Blog ~ Michael Doliveck

Our Photo Safaris ~ Are you a photographer or just like to take pictures?  Contact us to find out about our special tours for photographers.  Take a look at the images in the gallery as they are good examples of the types of images you will be able to create on our tours.  The tours are led by Michael, a professor of art and photography, as well as some very special guest teachers and pro photographers.  Contact us at photo@balifornian.com today for more information.

Do you have some great images from your Indonesian travels you would like to share? Want to submit your photo for the Balifornian Tour and Travel Blog Photo of the Day?  Please send your JPEG, location and description to photo@balifornian.com  Files must be under 500 kb.

Happy travels!

Michael and Maryam ~ Balifornian Tours and Travel Blog ~ The best web site for information on Bali travel and culture

Photo of the Day ~ Candi Prambanan, Yogjakarta ~ Balifornian Tours and Travel Blog

Candi Prambanan in Yogjakarta is considered by many to be the most beautiful Hindu Temple in the world.  Prambanan temple is located in Yogjakarta.  This masterpiece was constructed in the tenth century during the reigns of two powerful kings; Rakai Pikatan and Rakai Balitung. At its tallest, the temple climbs up 48 meters (almost 160 feet, even taller than Borobudur temple).  This photo was taken on our Eco-Adventure Tour while in Yogjakarta, Java.

Prambanan temple has three main temples all facing to the East.  One for Vishnu, Brahma, and Shiva.  temples.  Each of the three also has accompanying temple that faces to the west. The grounds are beautiful, complete with gardens, fountains and 224 more temples!

Copyright © 2010 Balifornian Tours and Travel Blog ~ Michael Doliveck

Are you a photographer or just like to take pictures?  Contact us to find out about our special tours for photographers.  Take a look at the images in the gallery as they are good examples of the types of images you will be able to create on our tours.  The tours are led by Michael, a professor of art and photography as well as some very special guest teachers and pro photographers.  Contact us at photo@balifornian.com today for more information.

Have great images from your Indonesian travels you would like to share? Want to submit your photo for the Balifornian Tour and Travel Blog Photo of the Day?  Please send your JPEG, location and description to photo@balifornian.com  Files must be under 500 kb.

Happy travels!

Michael and Maryam