The Archipelagos of Southeast Asia Issue

In this edition of The Archipelagos of Southeast Asia, we travel to Malaysia, Indonesia, and The Philippines where we uncover the history of indigenous migration into Southeast Asia, discover the 1,500 year old hut-dwellings of Wae Rebo, meet the seafaring Bajao communities, encounter the wisdom of the Baduy people of Java, witness the cultural spectacle of the Caci Whip fights with the Manggarai Warriors of Flores Island, and transport to Western Papua with the tree-dwelling Korowai.

You’ll find the last mambabatok, the last traditional tattoo artist in the Philippines, Whang-Od Oggay. Then, you’ll meet the bangkeros, where you’ll find yourself reflecting on the lives of these Filipino boatmen. You’ll transport yourself back in time where we visit the early 20th century with the Sakadas, the Filipino laborers who migrated to the Hawaiian Islands to work on sugar plantations.

You’ll taste Malaysia’s history through kuih, the heritage snack of the archipelago, lose yourself for a moment in Kuala Lumpur, and revel in the presence of the Dipterocarp tree of Borneo.

You will walk away knowing the critical and global importance of Southeast Asia’s biodiversity and understand the responsibility we carry to change the way we both impact and engage with wildlife.