Tag: Indonesia

  • How Steven Guo knows a business idea is worth pursuing

    How Steven Guo knows a business idea is worth pursuing

    Steven Guo launched his first business when he was 12 — “basically by accident,” he says. That summer, he developed a Minecraft server and sold in-game perks to players. He ended up making $10,000 within a few months. While he admits he “blew basically all of my money” trying to start a game development company…

  • Is it safe to visit the US? How guns and Trump affect travel interest

    Is it safe to visit the US? How guns and Trump affect travel interest

    More than 90% of travelers from Southeast Asia say that gun prevalence in the United States influences whether they will visit, according to a new survey. The study — which surveyed 6,000 international travelers from the six countries — showed that respondents perceived Hawaii to be the safest state in terms of gun violence, while…

  • Pinang Island is a private island that costs ,000 per night

    Pinang Island is a private island that costs $1,000 per night

    When Richard Kvech first set foot on Pinang four years ago, a dilapidated bungalow used by passing fishermen was the only sign of human life on the island. Kvech and three friends, all from the Czech Republic, slept in hammocks and cooked on the beach, while dreaming of creating an eco-retreat on the 50-hectare Indonesian…

  • Global commodities’ biggest winners and losers this year

    Global commodities’ biggest winners and losers this year

    A farmer collecting grain from a combine harvester during the wheat harvest on a farm near Benfleet, UK, on Monday, Aug. 12, 2024.  Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images The global commodities market has been volatile this year, with prices remaining largely elevated. Orange juice and cocoa futures surged to record highs in the first…

  • Indonesia delays ratification of election law changes as protesters try to storm parliament

    Indonesia delays ratification of election law changes as protesters try to storm parliament

    Demonstrators burn objects amid clashes outside the Parliament building in Jakarta on August 22, 2024 during a protest against a move to reverse the Constitutional Court’s decision altering eligibility rules for candidates in a key election later this year. Bay Ismoyo | AFP | Getty Images The ratification of changes to Indonesia’s election laws was…

  • Indonesian president tries out palace in proposed new capital

    Indonesian president tries out palace in proposed new capital

    Indonesia’s future Presidential Palace in the future capital city of Nusantara, in Penajam Paser Utara, East Kalimantan, on July 11, 2024. The new city is scheduled to begin operating as the country’s new political centre on Aug. 17, 2024 during Indonesia’s 79th Independence Day. Yasuyoshi Chiba | Afp | Getty Images Indonesian President Joko Widodo spent his…

  • Where to take an alcohol-free, sober-curious trip

    Where to take an alcohol-free, sober-curious trip

    Years ago, the manager of a hotel in Koh Samui, Thailand told me about an unusual booking that he once received during the middle of the night. A traveler had flown his entire family via private jet from Brunei to the Thai island after learning upon landing in Brunei that it is a “dry country”…

  • Is the country safe to travel to as protests spread?

    Is the country safe to travel to as protests spread?

    Riot police officers push back anti-migration protesters outside on Aug. 4, 2024 in Rotherham, U.K. Christopher Furlong | Getty Images News | Getty Images A number of countries have now issued travel and safety warnings to their citizens living or visiting the U.K. as riots and street disorder continue to plague the country. India is…

  • What is the best country to visit? One top traveler picks his top five

    What is the best country to visit? One top traveler picks his top five

    I’m often asked: “What is your favorite country to visit?” For an avid adventurer, it’s a confounding question. How to distill culture, vibes, food, scenery, and all the other factors that shape the international travel experience? Identifying the nations I have explored in depth over multiple visits — popular places like Turkey, Nepal, South Africa…

  • Philippines surpasses China to be most dependent on coal-generated power

    Philippines surpasses China to be most dependent on coal-generated power

    Coal-fired power plants in Mariveles, Bataan, the Philippines, on June 6, 2023. Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images The Philippines’ dependency on coal-fired power surged 62% last year, overtaking China, Indonesia and Poland, according to London-based energy think-tank Ember. The Philippines was also the most coal-dependent country in Southeast Asia in 2023, as adoption of…