The Heritage And Fascination Of Indonesia

Lawang Sewu – The Magical Place

Amanda — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 21:44:04 +0000

Stand firmly and precisely in the area haunted Tugu Muda Semarang city center, Lawang Sewu during the last few years, this issue is a lot of pro-contra, especially regarding the aspects of usage.

Although the building is currently more used to the office of PT Kereta Api and also once used as office and the Department of Transportation office Komando Local Agency Military Facility (Kodam IV / Diponegoro), toh eksotisme ancient buildings that are evidently able to reinforce the area as Sewu Lawang tourism numbers one.

Towards the era of reform, in which the strength of the New Order government influenced still strong, Lawang Sewu was about to be purchased by Cendana family and will be transformed to five-star hotel. If only the era of reforms failed to be done, to be sure the building Lawang Sewu so that historical changes have now become a form of business areas that are only fun the capitalist. Why are tourists so it’s back and have a strong desire to see Lawang Sewu’s from close? One reason, perhaps this building have thousand ghost magical power.

This is make sense, because in the first period of war, involving Force Youth Rail (youths Semarang) against the troops of the Japanese Kido Buati, building a place Lawang Sewu torture and slaughter. Not clear how many lives have been slaughtered, but the amount could be reached thousands.

Due to the huge number of victims at the time, Lawang Sewu now also get the nickname as the tour Horror. Tense at the same time diverting. Dozens of Paranormal of different corners of the country also had to make this place as a ghost hunting field.

Lawang Sewu-called because the building is typically magnificent building has a door or gate of a thousand or Sewu.

Semarang City Government has entered Lawang Sewu as one of 102 ancient or historic buildings that must protected. Morphology according to rules of architecture building corner, Lawang Sewu have a beautiful model ghotic twin towers located on the right side and left the main gate. Building models of buildings stretching back to the impressive toughness, majesty, and beauty.

A note from history, Lawang Sewu plateau, which is always on the tourist holiday season, the first built in 1903 and inaugurated pengunaannya on 1 July 1907. Obsolescence Lawang Sewu now no less interesting from the Church Belenduk so fenomenal and stand firmly in the Old City of Semarang.

Cibodas Waterfall, Hidden Paradise

Amanda — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 13:11:18 +0000

Cibodas waterfall – West Java – Indonesia.
This is one of the amazing waterfall in Indonesia. There’s a lot a beautiful scenery around the waterfall. So..just don’t forget to come to this amazing waterfall when you visit Indonesia.

Senggigi Beach Lombok

Amanda — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 22:14:07 +0000

Senggigi is the Lombok’s oldest and most famous resort area.
A perfect place to relax, Senggigi boasts a series of white sandy beaches and safe swimming areas. The point at central Senggigi has good waves for surfers. This place has a colourful reef which provides shelter to a variety of marine life and exquisitely shapped coral and makes it a perfect place to snorkle.
In the dry season, there is an interesting variety of boats moored in the bay.The town of Senggigi spreads out along nearly 10 kilometers of coastal road. This road continues north to Bangsal, the port for the Gili Islands.

Getting There
Theres a few alternatives to get Senggigi Beach :
Coming from Lembar harbour, you can go straight to Senggigi by Perama Shuttle bus, or any other Shuttle service available. Lombok taxi available on call for 24 hours of service.
If you are coming by plane, there is a taxi service at the airport that will take you to your hotel destination for Rp. 35,000 (US$4.00).
Public transportation or ” Bemos ” are available from 06.00 AM – 06.30 PM for about Rp. 1,500 (Ampenan-Senggigi, or Senggigi-Ampenan) one way.
Ojek service (ridding the mopeds with advanced bargain deals) are available at night until the bars closed.

Where to Stay
There a lot of diverse range of hotel accommodations that you can choose to stay in Senggigi, from deluxe four-star resort properties to simple home-stays, Such as Holiday Inn, the Oberoi, Sheraton Senggigi, Melati Dua Cottage, Pool Villa Club, Panorama Cottage, and many more.

Moving Around
To go around Senggigi Beach, you can ride cidomos or if you wanted, you can go on foot.

Dining Guide
There are various foreign and local restaurants that offering international and local foods, cafes and entertainment venues. These all are available along the main Senggigi road and on certain areas along the beach. For inexpensive eating, try the food stalls along the beach, especially at the end of the road past the Senggigi Beach Hotel.

Souvenir Tips
There are many souvenir shops along the main Senggigi road that offering you many kind of Lombok souvenir, starting from clothes, paintings, handicrafts, wooden crafts, etc.

Other Things to See or Do
Swimming off the beach is safe.
You can also do canoeing here in Senggigi.
Visit Pura Batu Bolong on a rocky point south of Senggigi.
There’s good snorkeling off the point and in the sheltered bay around the headland.

Travel Tips
Dont forget to equipped yourself with sun protection.
Bring a bathing suit and extra clothing’s.
Several places rent mask-snorkel-fin sets. Try at the beach near tha Art Market or the Senggigi Beach Hotel.
Senggigi nightlife is low key when there are few tourists in town. It’s busier on Friday and Saturday, when young locals come up from the Mataram area.

Grajagan, Perfect Wave For Surfing

Amanda — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 11:39:47 +0000

….G-Land. G-Spot. Gee-Whiz Land!..a world famous wave that is definitely not overrated.. an awesome, overpowering arena..and, until exploitated, it will remain a prime destination of the surfing world, a place where surfers can come to live out a lo
Photo ” G-Land Surf Camp”ng awaited fantasy….

- Recent comments by various surf media about G-Land, or Grajagan, a now legendary surf spot on the southeastern coast of Java. (Indonesia Surfing-Periplus Action Guide)

Exotic surf travel almost never has the kind of grace and logic that it does in magazines and movies. Beautiful, uncharted waves are out there, but its a long, tedious, sometimes dangerous job finding them. Only a few surfers ever sail out into the great unknown. This is why many people today think of Grajagan (G-Land), in southeast Java, not just as a perfect wave, but as a perfect adventure.
More than a name or a place, G-land is a haven. So close but yet so far from Bali, G-land is a magnet for swell and is definitely not overrated. The set up in G-land is simple, the relaxed atmosphere and pumping waves make for an experience like no other surf trip. Starting with the fact that its located at the edge of a jungle filled with birds, reptiles, insects and other creatures not found on the beaches of Sydney or Los Angeles.

G-Land is a long fast wave typical of most Indonesian waves, suggested surf board length at 68 ” 72 Gun ” unless you surf like a top 44 contender, so bring a couple of Guns and your hot-dogger for the small days or down at 20/20s. You should bring at least 2 boards, Indonesian waves are powerful and its possible to break boards, so be prepared and bring at least two boards.

Spot information for surfing at G-land (Global Surfers.com):

Type of break: reef break
Type of wave: fast wave
Direction: left hand
Bottom: coral
Average lenght of ride: long
Suitable for: expert level
Detailed information:

Crowd level: a normal crowd
Best tide: mid
Ideal board size: 6′8-7′4 Mini gun
Ideal wind direction: north,west,south,east

Moving Around

There is National Park called “Alas Purwo” and is open March to November and located just off the beach line.
Photo ” G-Land Surf Camp”

Dining Guide
There are several traditional restaurants and cafs who serve western and Indonesian dishes.

Souvenir Tips
Sea-related products, and wooden carving

Other Things to See or Do
Visit the Alas Purwo National Park
Marvel at the diversity of the plants and animals (birds, reptiles, insects and mammalians)
Swim on the pristine beaches.
Snorkel to glimpse the diversity of the marine life.
Visit a traditional village in order to observe their way of life.
Photography

Travel Tips
Condition of surrounding areas since the camp is exclusively situated near the jungle where there are big trees as well as many bushes spread out everywhere plus a humid air resulted by such natural circumstances. Accordingly , these could probably a proper habitat for mosquitoes that may unexpectedly lead to malaria disease. However, during this season actually there are seemingly very few mosquitoes found, as weather is quite dry. Yet, it’s still very much advisable for all guests to follow these helpful tips as:
Take an anti malarial Prophlactic medication (Chloroquiet Progvanil, Larium or Doxylycline).
Take measure against being bitten, e.g. by wearing a long shirt and trousers and mosquito nets anytime when sleeping.
In addition, at Jungle Surf Camp, the medical facilities are also equipped with emergency medical supplies like: detection first-aid kits for malaria along with proper treatment as well in case any guest get contacted with this disease.
More impor-tantly, the sun is very strong and hot, hence, bring enough sun block, protect your skin from sun-ray’s direct exposure which might be seve-rally causing any serious sun burn case. Besides, it is pretty useful to use hat, helmet with the visor, sun glasses especially in the late after-noon.

Here are some tips what you should take to G-Land:
-A good hat and water-proof sun-screen.
-Basic first-aid kit, antiseptic dressing, etc.
-Sand-shoes and thongs.
-Board-shorts, t-shirts, 1 pair light-weight, long-pants and long-sleeve wind cheater.
-Two towels and sun-glasses.
-Personal toiletries, after-sun cream, insect repellent.
-Walkman, camera, handy-cam and books.
-Booties, 2 surf-boards.
-Light-weight wet-suits, rash-vest, gate helmet and spare leg-ropes.

When The Sun Goes Down

Amanda — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 22:17:45 +0000

Bromo – the most amazing scenery in Indonesia. Bromo is located in East Java, Indonesia, the area is part of Semeru mountain (The highest mountain in Java). It is surrounded by very stunning crater. Within this crater, a host of picturesque mountains, including the dramatic, still-smoking Gunung Bromo (2392m), rises up from the “Sea of Sand”, the sandy plain at the crater’s base. Hundreds of thousands of visitors come here each year to climb Bromo for the sunrise – a stunning sight, and less strenuous than many other Indonesian peaks. You will be on the heaven on earth.

Mount and Lake Batur, Kintamani Bali

Amanda — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 12:31:51 +0000

The mountainous region around Kintamani, Bali, Indonesia, centering on the spectacular volcanic caldera of Mount Batur with its deep crater lake and bubbling hot springs, is rugged with a high and wild beauty.
Wonderful mountain air and dizzying views in all directions, as well as several important temples, are what makes Kintamani one of the most memorable stops on the Bali tourist itinerary.

Mount Batur is actually just a small volcano, but its setting is in the heart of a huge crater 14km in diameter. Adjacent to the volcano is the large crescent-shaped Batur Lake, all surrounded by the high walls of the crater rim. The sheer size of the crater conjures up images of the massive eruption of the original Mount Batur that occurred tens of thousands years ago.
The volcano is still active today as Balinese all over the island who still remember the great eruption of 1917 will testify. It claimed thousands of lives and destroyed hundreds of temples. Old people might tell you this was “the year when the world shook” Other eruptions have taken place since, forcing the local population to be relocated, along with several of their temples including one of the main Bali temples, Pura Ulun Danu. Initially inside the huge crater, this temple has been relocated to the top of the ridge overlooking it. Here it now offers an impressive view of Mount Batur.

Getting There
You can go there by taxi or just rent a car. You can also join a tour to visit Mount Batur and Lake Batur. Tourist shuttle buses between southern Bali and Lovina stop off at Kintamani.

Where to Stay
There are several accommodations ranges from star hotels to Home stays in Kintamani. You may choose one of them to stay.
Moving Around
To move around Batur area, you just need to take a walk or you can rent a bike also.

Dining Guide
At Penelokan (translated as ‘viewing spot’) there are several restaurants from where to repose and get a well-deserved bite.

Souvenir Tips
Up the road going north is a market, busy every three days on Hari Paseh in the Balinese calendar. This is interesting to visit to see the variety of produce from surrounding mountain farms – oranges, corn, vegetable, fruit and the usual vast array of flowers, dried fish, tools, livestock, pots and baskets, plus a big clothing market. You may also see men cuddling big furry Kintamani puppies highly prized all over Bali.

Other Things to See or Do
Pura Ulun Danu Batur – near Batur village. This is most important temple after Besakih, housing more than 90 shrines. Worth visiting at any time of year, especially during the Odalan festival, usually in March depending on the full moon, which is dedicated to the goddess of the crater lake, who is said to control the irrigation systems for the entire island.
Trunyan Village – mortuary traditions. From Toya Bungkah, lot of boats will cross the lake to a Bali Aga village called Trunyan. This place is notorious for its mortuary traditions. Instead of cremating the dead, as Balinese do throughout most of the island, the Trunyan communities leave the bodies to decompose naturally in a special cemetery.
Trekking Around Gunung Batur. The most popular trek is from Toya Bungkah to the top of Gunung Batur for sunrise. You may ask for this to a group of local guides or some of tourist service there.

Travel Tips
Theres a brilliant view from Penelokan, if its clear. But prepared for wet, cold and cloudy conditions and aggressive souvenir selling.
Remember to bring along a camera, as the breathtaking view is one to be cherished and shared back home.
There are many street hawkers selling some souvenirs. If you don’t want to buy from them, don’t make any contact to them otherwise you will be followed until you give up and buy from them.
Its better to visit mount and lake Batur in a dry season. It would make lakeside activities available and enjoyable. The rainy season was just too foggy and wet to enjoy to its fullest.

Javanese Cultural Heartland Yogyakarta

Amanda — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 23:40:44 +0000

So much to offer, all close by..

Jogja or Yogyakarta is one of famous tourism and travel destinations in Indonesia. This city also famous as the center of culture, craft and beautiful natures. Yogyakarta city is known as a center of classical Javanese fine art and culture such as batik, traditional dance, drama, music, poetry and puppet shows.

Located near majestic Mount Merapi, a still-active volcano whose fertile outpourings have played such a prominent role in the area’s development as a population center in ages past, the historic city of Jogjakarta offers visitors a copious variety of cultural experiences. Prambanan and Borobudur temples from the Hindu-Buddhist epoch of the first millennium, built on a grand scale, speak of rich, ordered, quiet, lives bound to the cycles of nature. This epoch is echoed in the refined, intricate movements of the richly costumed dancers in the regular performance of the Hindu Ramayana epic poem, whose great lessons of life are still relevant, ensuring its future survival. The Historic Sultan’s Palace in the City’s heart, showcases the splendors of a bygone age and is the home of the highly evolved Central Javanese court culture.

Jogja is a very lively city and a shopper’s delight. It offers some good shopping and has a wide range of tourist facilities. The main road, Malioboro Street is 2 kilometers in length and always crowded and famous for its night street food-culture and street vendors which offers various kind of handicrafts. Many tourist shops and cheap hotels are concentrated along this street or in the adjoining tourist area such Sosrowijayan Street.

How to get there to Yogyakarta is not difficult to answer as there are several modes of transport making it all easy.

Warning: While Yogyakarta is safer than Jakarta, it’s not free from pickpockets. Most of the time, Malioboro sidewalk is overcrowded, take standard precautions to protect your belongings.

Exotic Rinjani Mountain

Amanda — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 12:14:01 +0000

This is a beautiful captured of Rinjani mountain. There is a new mountain born in the middle of the lake. The lake (Segara Anak) is the part of Rinjani Mountain. From the rim you can see the beautiful turquoise lake, Segara Anak inside the massive crater, with the small perfect cone of Gunung Baru rising on the far side. Having lain dormant since 1906, Gunung Baru erupted again in August 1994, closing the mountain for several weeks and raising fears of a major disaster; fortunately, all has gone quiet again, and Gunung Rinjani itself has been inactive since 1901.

Ubud Bali’s Cultural Heart

Amanda — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 22:57:43 +0000

But, Bali is so much more than beaches. It’s emerald-green rice terraces dotting lush interior landscapes of mysterious, monkey-filled forests. We have one question: Could anywhere on God’s green earth be greener than Ubud?

While it seems clear that the Balinese are only too happy to cater to the whims of the international traveler – their reputation for service certainly proceeds them – what stays with you is how, apparently without effort, they manage to remain so true to themselves, and their own unique way of life where everyday tasks, art, and religion all merge together.

Nowhere is this more apparent than in the verdant foothills of central Bali. This is Ubud. Ubud can be described as a magical, wonderful, cultural center and the spread of workshops along the main roads in and out of town. And could anywhere on God’s green earth be this green? From the fluroscent emerald flash of young rice fields to the thick curtains of foliage that drape across the landscape, only greener for the scarlet accents of ginger and hibiscus. Anything that begins as another color be it brick wall or pebble pathway, soon becomes green with shaggy moss. Even the air seems to possess a pale green cast, as the moisture suspended in it picks up the pervasive glow of the verdure.

Magic is one of those words that travel writers’ overuse with alarming alacrity, but undeniably there’s a kind of magic here. When Balinese people lose something, they consult a balian a benign sort of sorcerer, who tells them where they’ll find it. Balians can interpret dreams, cure sickness, go into trances and speak in the voices of ancestors. And magic, in the form of the island’s unique religion, a blend of Hinduism and nature worship, is at the core of Bali’s arts, underlying the aesthetic everywhere.

Ubud is almost always referred to as Bali’s cultural heart, and with good reason. Galleries are, almost literally, on every corner. Someone once said that every Balinese is an artist, and no matter how they choose the express their art, be it painting, stone or wood carving, weaving or dance, a real sense of beauty permeates the air.

As a center of the arts, Ubud is famous for it’s regularly nightly traditional dance and shaddow puppet performances, which are part of the traditional culture and are arranged for tourists on a regular schedule and plenty of spas for resynchronizing your healing chakras. Ubud is generally quieter and the streets calmer than the more urbanised parts of Bali, and whilst traffic is slower than downtown Kuta. Central Ubud can be covered on foot, but you’ll need wheels to explore the extended vicinity. The easiest option is to join a tour, or just charter a taxi/bemo for a few hours. You should not be surprised to run into a foreigner who happens to be living in Ubud, meditating or soul searching for his next book or poetry collection. Most hotels in Ubud are small, homely hotels and homestays that will provide you with a room that faces the ricefields with bird sonatas togently wake you in the morning.

Another Fascination:

Tanjung Puting National Park Borneo

Amanda — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 10:34:44 +0000

Tanjung Puting Reserve, national park in central Indonesia, on the southwestern coast of the island of Borneo. Tanjung Puting means “Cape Waterspout.” Located in Central Kalimantan Province, Tanjung Puting Reserve was founded in 1984, though a portion of the park was protected as early as 1936. It covers 3,050 sq km (1,178 sq mi) of tropical rain forest, mangrove forest, and swamp on mostly flat, low-lying plains with higher ridges in the northern part of the park. The park is accessible only by boat from the town of Kumai, located on the Kumai River, which is near the western boundary of the park.

Tanjung Puting is important for its orangutan rehabilitation centers, which help orangutans that have been raised illegally as pets adapt to wilderness. Camp Leakey, one of the centers, has operated since the 1970s. Other primates in the forests include crab-eating macaques and proboscis monkeys. The area is also significant for marine animals, including crocodiles, hornbills, dolphins, mudskippers, and dragon fish. The dragon fish, highly prized by collectors, are vulnerable to poaching.

Another Fascination:

Cimaja beach surfing