Deep in the heart of East Kalimantan, along the mighty Mahakam River, the Dayak Bahau people perform an ancestral ritual that merges the eerie with the divine. Known as the Hudoq Dance, this centuries-old performance embodies a prayer for abundant crops, protection from pests, and a harmonious link with the spirit world. Through elaborate wooden masks and trembling leaves that flutter with every movement, the dance tells a story of survival, spiritual belief, and indigenous identity.

From above, Pulau Bungin resembles a jigsaw puzzle of rooftops tightly packed into the sea. No trees. No open fields. Just houses—hundreds of them—squeezed together so tightly that even alleyways feel like afterthoughts. Welcome to one of the most densely populated islands in the world, hiding quietly in the lesser-traveled waters of Indonesia.