Useful References

As it is said in Bahasa “Tak kenal maka tak sayang” ..”You can’t love what you don’t know” Prior to your travel, gaining knowledge about your destination’s geography, ecology, culture, history, points of interest, and recent news will greatly enhance your travel experience.

Sources of destination knowledge of course include the internet, including Wikipedia, travel guides, and of course acquaintances who have recently visited the destination.

The Government of Indonesia provides an excellent link at: https://www.indonesia.travel/gb/en/home

 

 

For your convenience, we have highlighted a number of references we feel are quite worthy of a read.

General Travel

  • Indonesia Etc.: Exploring the Improbable Nation, by Elizabeth Pisani. W.W. Norton & Company, 2014
  • Lonely Planet Indonesia, by Tim Bewer, Kate Morgan, Stuart Butler, Anna Kaminski, and Loren Bell. Lonely Planet, 2019 (updates frequently)
  • Bali: Sekala & Niskala, by Fred B. Eiseman Jr. Periplus Editions, 1990.
  • Bali: The Imaginary Museum of the Island, by Francine Brinkgreve. Oxford University Press, 1993.
  • Indonesia: A Personal Journey, by David Bowden. Tuttle Publishing, 2010.
  • Beyond Bali: Sublime Indonesia, by Diana Darling. Chronicle Books, 1998.

Archaeology and Pre-History

  • Indonesian Megaliths: A Forgotten Cultural Heritage, by Jean-Paul Barbier. Yayasan Cipta Loka Caraka, 1996.
  • The Prehistoric Rock Art of Indonesia, by Robert Layton. Ohio University Press, 1992.
  • Prehistoric Indonesia: A Reader, edited by Peter Bellwood, James J. Fox, and Darrell Tryon. Routledge, 1995.
  • Ancient Indonesian Art of the Central and Eastern Javanese Periods, by Helena Spanjaard. Koninklijk Instituut voor Taal-, Land- en Volkenkunde, 2008.
  • Indonesia’s Megalithic Culture, by Jan Fontein. Bijdragen tot de Taal-, Land- en Volkenkunde, 1980.

Human History

  • Indonesia: A Modern History, by Adrian Vickers. Palgrave Macmillan, 2013.
  • A History of Modern Indonesia Since c. 1300, by M.C. Ricklefs. Palgrave Macmillan, 2001.
  • In the Time of Madness: Indonesia on the Edge of Chaos, by Richard Lloyd Parry. Grove Press, 2007.
  • The Making of Southeast Asia: International Relations of a Region, edited by Amitav Acharya and Barry Buzan. Cornell University Press, 2012.
  • Sumatra: Its History and People, by William Marsden. Oxford University Press, 2012.
  • Java: A History of the Island, by Jan Gonda. Princeton University Press, 1986.
  • Divine Dyads: Ancient Civilization in Indonesia, by Pauline E. van der Zee. Sidestone Press, 2019.
  • Violent Order: Understanding Rebel Governance Through Indonesia’s Darul Islam Movement, by Zachary Abuza. Johns Hopkins University Press, 2016.
  • The Korowai of Irian Jaya: Their Language in Its Cultural Context, by Gerrit J. van Enk and Lourens de Vries. Oxford University Press, 1997.
  • Strangers in the Mist: Tales of War and Peace from Indonesia’s Hidden Valley, by Nigel Randell. Little, Brown Book Group, 2009.
  • West Papua and Indonesia since Suharto: Independence, Autonomy, or Chaos?, edited by Peter King. University of New South Wales Press, 2004.
  • Borneo: Memory and Identity, by Wendy M.K. Shaw. University of Hawai’i Press, 2003.

Culture & Art

  • Indonesia: A Modern History, by Adrian Vickers. Palgrave Macmillan, 2013.
  • A History of Modern Indonesia Since c. 1300, by M.C. Ricklefs. Palgrave Macmillan, 2001.
  • In the Time of Madness: Indonesia on the Edge of Chaos, by Richard Lloyd Parry. Grove Press, 2007.
  • The Making of Southeast Asia: International Relations of a Region, edited by Amitav Acharya and Barry Buzan. Cornell University Press, 2012.
  • Sumatra: Its History and People, by William Marsden. Oxford University Press, 2012.
  • Java: A History of the Island, by Jan Gonda. Princeton University Press, 1986.
  • Divine Dyads: Ancient Civilization in Indonesia, by Pauline E. van der Zee. Sidestone Press, 2019.
  • Violent Order: Understanding Rebel Governance Through Indonesia’s Darul Islam Movement, by Zachary Abuza. Johns Hopkins University Press, 2016.
  • The Korowai of Irian Jaya: Their Language in Its Cultural Context, by Gerrit J. van Enk and Lourens de Vries. Oxford University Press, 1997.
  • Strangers in the Mist: Tales of War and Peace from Indonesia’s Hidden Valley, by Nigel Randell. Little, Brown Book Group, 2009.
  • West Papua and Indonesia since Suharto: Independence, Autonomy, or Chaos?, edited by Peter King. University of New South Wales Press, 2004.

 

⦁ Traditional Architecture of Indonesia, by Barry Dawson. Thames & Hudson, 1994.
⦁ Indonesian Heritage Series: Architecture, by Marianne Yaldiz. Archipelago Press, 1999.
⦁ Indonesian Houses: Tradition and Transformation in Vernacular Architecture, by Avianti Armand. Editions Didier Millet, 2009.
⦁ Indonesian Food: 50 of the Best Indonesian Dishes You Should Try, by Daniel Humphreys. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2016.
⦁ Traditional Indonesian Textiles, by John Gillow and Barry Dawson. Thames & Hudson, 1995

Fiction

⦁ Supernova: The Knight, the Princess, and the Falling Star, by Dewi Lestari. Amazon Crossing, 2016.
⦁ Beauty is a Wound, by Eka Kurniawan. New Directions, 2015.
⦁ Man Tiger, by Eka Kurniawan. Verso, 2015.
⦁ Saman: A Novel, by Ayu Utami. Hyperion Books, 1999.
⦁ Beyond the Horizon: Short Stories from Contemporary Indonesia, edited by Maggie Tiojakin. Lontar Foundation, 2015.

Natural History

General

⦁ The Malay Archipelago, by Alfred Russel Wallace. Periplus Editions, 2008.
⦁ The Spice Islands Voyage: In Search of Wallace, by Tim Severin. Abacus, 1998.
⦁ The Ecology of Sulawesi, edited by Tony Whitten, Stuart Hawkins, and John E. M. Baars. Periplus Editions, 2000.
⦁ The Ecology of Kalimantan, edited by K. Eduard Linsenmair, Oliver Parthasarathy, and Herbert Sukopp. Periplus Editions, 2000.
⦁ The Ecology of Java and Bali, by Tony Whitten. Oxford University Press, 1996.
⦁ The Natural History of Orang-Utans, by John MacKinnon. Andromeda Oxford Ltd, 1974.
⦁ Reefs and Rain Forests: The Natural Heritage of Malaysian Borneo, by John MacKinnon and Karen Phillipps. Oxford University Press, 1997.
⦁ The Ecology of Papua: Part One, by Andrew J. Marshall and Bruce M. Beehler. Periplus Editions, 2007.
⦁ Papua’s Hidden Treasures: A Biological Exploration of Papua New Guinea, by Peter J. Unmack and Michael P. Hammer. University of Papua New Guinea Press, 2016.
⦁ Trees and Forests of Tropical Asia. Peter Ashton and David Lee. The University of Chicago Press. 2022.

Birds

  • A Photographic Guide to Birds of Indonesia. Morten Strange. Tuttle Publishing 2012.
  • Birds of the Indonesian Archipelago: Greater Sundas and Wallacea, by James A. Eaton, Bas van Balen, and Nick W. Brickle. Lynx Edicions, 2016.
  • A Photographic Guide to Birds of Java, Sumatra and Bali, by Paul Jepson and Indonesian Images. New Holland Publishers, 2001.
  • Field Guide to the Birds of Borneo, Sumatra, Java and Bali, by John MacKinnon and Karen Phillipps. Oxford University Press, 1993.
  • A Field Guide to the Birds of Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore, by Allen Jeyarajasingam and Alan Pearson. Oxford University Press, 1999.
  • A Photographic Guide to Birds of Borneo, by G. W. H. Davison and Chew Yen Fook. New Holland Publishers, 2008.
  • A Naturalist’s Guide to the Birds of Indonesia, by Gadjah Mada University Press. John Beaufoy Publishing, 2015.

Mammals

  • A Field Guide to the Mammals of Borneo, by Junaidi Payne and Charles M. Francis. Sabah Society, 1985.
  • Mammals of Southeast Asia, by Charles M. Francis. Princeton University Press, 2008. 
  • A Photographic Guide to the Reptiles and Amphibians of Java, Bali and Surrounding Islands, by J. Van Rooijen and J. Vogel. Chimaira, 2008.
  • The Mammals of Sulawesi, edited by Anang S. Achmadi and Tim F. Flannery. Australia National University Press, 2008.

Plants

⦁ A Naturalist’s Guide to the Trees of Southeast Asia. Saw Leng Guon. John Beaufoy Publishing. Penang Botanic Gardens. 2019.
⦁ Plants of Southeast Asia: A Field Guide to the Trees, Shrubs, Palms, Climbers, Bamboos and Herbaceous Plants of Southeast Asia, by Tony Lamb and Miguel David de Leon. Timber Press, 2014.
⦁ Vegetation and Ethnobotany of Bali. Kuswata Kartawinata, Roemantyo, Ary Prihardhyanto Keim, & Wawan Sujarwo. Sujarwo–Jakarta: BRIN Publishing. 265 pp. ISBN 978-623-7425-73-1 (e-book).
⦁ The Flora of Java, Volume I-III, by J.J. Smith. N.V.P. Noordhoff, 1977.
⦁ Wild Flowers of Bali, by Ria van der Meijden. Periplus Editions, 1997.
⦁ Orchids of Sumatra, by J. B. Comber. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, 2001.
⦁ Field Guide to the Pitcher Plants of Sumatra and Java, by Charles Clarke. Redfern Natural History Productions, 2006.

Insects

  • The Insects of Indonesia, by H. Franz and G. Franz. Brill, 2016.
  • Butterflies of the Malay Peninsula: A Pocket Guide, by Alexander Monastyrskii and Paul Zborowski. Periplus Editions, 2008.
  • The Butterflies of Sulawesi: Annotated Checklist for a Critical Island Fauna, by George T. Austin. Brill, 2008.
  • Butterflies of Indonesia, by T. Barlow. Periplus Editions, 2003.
  • The Moths of Borneo: Family Notodontidae, by M. Fibiger and A. Hausmann. Brill, 2007.
  • Beetles of Eastern Indonesia: An Introduction to the Families of Coleoptera, by M. A. Jäch and I. Balke. E.J. Brill, 2008.

Marine Fish and Invertebrates

  • Reef Fishes of the Indo-Pacific. Matthias Bergbauer and Manuela Kirschner. John Beaufoy Publishing 2014.
  • Coral Reef Fishes: Indo-Pacific and Caribbean, by Ewald Lieske and Robert Myers. HarperCollins Publishers, 2001.
  • The Comprehensive Guide to Marine Life of Indonesia, by Allen Collins and Mark Erdmann. Tuttle Publishing, 2021
  • Marine Fishes of Tropical Australia and South-east Asia, by Gerry Allen. Western Australian Museum, 1997.
  • A Field Guide to the Seashells of Java, Bali and Sumatra, by Timothy O’Hara. The Natural History Museum, London, 2002.
  • Indonesian Shells I: Gastropods, by D.W. Dance. Verlag Christa Hemmen, 1983.
  • Indonesian Shells II: Pelecypods and Scaphopods, by D.W. Dance. Verlag Christa Hemmen, 1986.

Reptiles & Amphibians

  • Reptiles and Amphibians of Southeast Asia, by Indraneil Das. New Holland Publishers, 2010.
  • A Field Guide to the Snakes of Borneo, by Robert F. Inger and Tan F. Lim. Natural History Publications (Borneo), 2010.
  • A Guide to Amphibians and Reptiles of the Krakatau Islands, by Djoko T. Iskandar and Jimmy A. McGuire. Raffles Bulletin of Zoology, 2000.