An exotic and swashbuckling history

It is generally believed that Indonesia’s first inhabitants drifted across the Asian continent from India and Burma. They were later joined by migrant tribes from southern China and Indochina, known as the Malays. In the 7th century, powerful Buddhist and Hindu kingdoms were established and, apart from a later and brief period of Muslim rule, these kingdoms endured until the arrival of the Europeans in the 14th century.

CULTURAL MELTING POT Indonesia is home to no less than 600 ethnic groups.

Then come pices and the allure of the exotic Far East. Many a Portuguese galleon was wrecked on the coral reefs of the Indonesian archipelago as it sailed in search of the famed Spice Islands in the late 1300s. The Portuguese took control of the archipelago in 1511, only to slowly lose way to the strong and intrepid commerce of the Dutch East India Company. Dutch colonial rule lasted until 1949, when sovereignty was finally restored to the new Indonesian Republic. Since then, the country has struggled to find its political feet, swaying from a constitutional democracy to stronger ‘guided’ leadership to the ‘New Order’ of a military regime, ultimately coming full circle in a democratic new age of a free press and free elections.

Indonesians have always chosen an independent path and, accordingly, social and religious customs have evolved into the uniquely Indonesian traditional law of adat. Islam is the predominant religion but it is tempered by elements of Hindu-Buddhism. The country claims 600 ethnic groups, with their corresponding languages, and this vibrant cultural fusion is one of the main appeals for foreign visitors. The Indonesian Ministry of Tourism has now decided that the time has come to pay homage to this cultural heritage. Minister of Tourism, Mr. I. Gede Ardika, states, “it is very important to us that we are able to keep and preserve the local and original cultures and traditions. Our philosophy is unity in diversity. Unity means one nation, Indonesia; diversity means keeping the originality of each subculture in the country. Thus, we are developing a cultural tourism and we hope that it will be used as one of the vehicles to bring that culture up to date. This will help our nation develop and build its own character. We are not forming a kind of melting pot, but a kind of salad bowl where we can still see each item and each has its own contribution. Our concept is this, keeping differences and appreciating others but living in harmony as one nation.”