INDONESIA


All across Indonesia, communities have developed distinct identities, shaped by isolation, environment and centuries of history. On Flores Island, in the Lesser Sunda chain, this heritage takes the form of Caci — an ancestral whip-fighting tradition in which men, dressed in traditional ikat cloth and cattle bells, step into a ceremonial arena (left). Today, it’s performed to mark life’s milestones, from births and marriages to burials and national celebrations. Further east, in the mist-softened Iwang


Gete Highlands, the village of Watublapi preserves a quieter craft. Women dye cotton using pigments drawn from indigo, turmeric and jackfruit, separating fibre from seed before weaving on traditional looms (right). The process is slow and communal, binding generations through techniques refined over centuries. Beyond the villages, aquamarine seas trace the edges of forested islands — a reminder that here, life continues in constant dialogue with the waves.


NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC TRAVELLER – ISLANDS COLLECTION 43


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