Go With The Flow – The South East Asia Road Show is underway

Think of Bali, and we think of idyllic beaches, luxury holidays and endless sunshine… But for us, it is also the start of this year’s Editour. Of the 17,508 islands I will only see one, the main island of Java with the capital Jakarta. My first appointments with AJE and Indofood are already behind me, ahead lies a 10 hour drive on crowded motorways and along roads which seem to have more pot holes than actual tarmac. I don’t know which is more painful for my back – a 15 hour flight or a hectic day on motorway.

The weather makes up for all this. With the mercury on 250C, I sit outside on a warm evening, enjoying chicken in a spicy sauce, washed down with a glass of the local brew, Bintang. In the early morning, the muezzin’s throaty summons rouses me from sleep. 90% of the 260 million population of Indonesia is Muslim.

Overall, Indonesia, with 260 million inhabitants, is the fourth most populous country on earth, after China, India and the USA. So I am extremely curious to see how the beverage drinks industry is set up here.

My full reports will follow.