Discovering the Thousand Island – Pulau Seribu

As the name suggests, these small islands offer a wide range attraction, from tourism to marine life.

Pulau Seribu, the “Thousand Islands”, extend northward from Jakarta in Jakarta Bay. Actually numbering only around 140, they nevertheless offer many point of interest, particularly maritime tourism with white sand beaches, calm water, and underwater coral formations, Most of the island lie within the Maritime National Park; only 37 islands are allowed to be used for commercial purposes.

Pulau Rambut, “Hair Island”, also known as Bird Kingkom Island, is one of the closest to the mainland of Java; you can get there in just an hour from Muara Angke harbor. The status of this uninhabited 45-hectare island has recently been upgrade from nature preserve, because of the rising level of damage within and around the Pulau Rambut area.
In addition to coastal forest, mangrove and mixed secondary forest, the Pulau Rambut Wildlife Preserve is also home of the 61 bird species found there. These include pecuk ular (oriental darter), kuntul (egret), cangak (heron), bangau (stork), and ibis.

A 20-meter bird observation tower stand near the middle of the island. As well as birds, reptiles also live on the island, including monitor lizards, phytons, and geckos. The only mammals found here are bats. There’s also a great diversity of plant life, with tree species including pidada, mangrove, key lime, and banyan.
Also found on this island is a bird species that migrates from Australia, the milky stork (bangau bluwok, Mycteria cinerea), which arrives here in January and leaves in August. Pulau Rambut is the only breeding ground for milky stork in Java.

Not far from Pulau Rambut lies Pulau Onrust, near Pulau Cipir and Pulau Kelor. Onrust contains the remains of buildings, including a shipyard, build by Ducth during the 18th century. Construction at Onrust was started in 1618 by Governor General Jan Pieterszoon Coen. In addition to a pier, he built a shipyard with a windmill to operate the saws.

During the Dutch colonial period, this island was very busy as a port of call for ships of the Dutch East Indies Company (Verenidge Oost Indische Compagnie, VOC), hence the name Onrust, which means “Never Rest”.

Beyond Onrust, another interesting island to visit is Pulau Kotok. The Pulau Kotok Tourist Resort is a good example of a tropical atoll, with the original vegetation, clear seas, and colorful coral formations, makin it a popular destination for divers. This island also a rescue and translocation center for protected wildlife species including the white-bellied sea eagle(elang laut perut putih, Haiaeetus leucogaster) and the brahminy kite(elang bondol, Haliaster indust), the mascot of the province of DKI Jakarta.

Further out, around three hours from Muara Angke Harbor, lies Pulau Pramuka. This island houses The Kepulauan Seribi National Park and the Rare Marine Biota Hatchery and Laboratory, where you can watch and learn about the cultivation of rare marine species.

Pulau Pramuka is a sea-turtle dissemination area for the island of Java, particularly Hawksbill turtles (penyu sisik). Twenty years ago, most of sandy beaches on 108 of the islands provided place where turtles laid their eggs. With the steady increase in human activity and habitation, now the turtles only visit a few islands to lay their eggs, among them Pulau Peteloran Timur, Pulau Peteloran Barat, Pulau Penjaliran Barat and Pulau Penjaliran Timur. The Hawksbill turtle prevention activities at Pulau Pramuka involve collecting the turtle eggs from the beach where they are naturally laid at Pulau Peteloran, The eggs are then taken to Pulau Pramuka, where they are kept in semi-naturan incubation by burying them 40-50 cm deep. The eggs hatch after 40 to 60 days. This turtle conservation activity has made the Thousand Islands a destination for marine conservation and education tourism.

In addition to Hawksbill turtle conservation, other activities on the island include planting of coastal plants – butun, mangrove, and sea grass – and coral reef preservation. The butun trees are being planted in an effort to raise awareness of the importance of coastal forest on small islands. Mangrove planting is done using the Spaced Cluster method, the nationally-approved method for planting mangroves on small islands using coral sand as the medium.

The fabulous underwater panoramas and exoticism of Kepulauan Seribu offer you an action-packed weekend of swimming, snorkeling and diving – a delightful and unforgettable experience.

Bali, Indonesia Most Popular and Affordable Vacation Destination

The word paradise is used a lot in Bali, and not without reason. The combination of friendly, hospitable people, a magnificently visual culture infused with spirituality and (not least) spectacular beaches with great surfing and diving have made Bali Indonesia's unparalleled number one tourist attraction. Eighty percent of international visitors to Indonesia visit Bali and Bali alone.

Bali's best-known attractions are its countless Hindu temples. Even the smallest villages usually have at least three, but the nine directional temples (kayangan jagat) are the largest and most important. Uluwatu, at the southern tip of Bali, is easily accessed and hence the most popular, with Tanah Lot a close second. However, for the Balinese themselves, the "mother temple" of Besakih on the slopes of Mount Agung is the most important of all.

SunSet in Kuta Bali

Benoa Beach Bali

Tanah Lot Bali

The Patra Bali Resort and Villas and Ulu Watu Bali

Taman Mini Indonesia Indah (TMII), The Culture Park Archipelago

Taman Mini Indonesia Indah (TMII) or "Culture Park Archipelago” is a culture-based recreational area located in Pondok Gede East Jakarta, Indonesia. It has an area of about 250 acres. TMII presented the beauty of Indonesian nature and all aspects of its arts and culture in miniature of Indonesia's customehouse.

This idea of building this smaller scale of Indonesia as whole was originally came from former Indonesian first lady, Siti Hartinah or best-known as Tien Suharto. The idea came out at a convention on 8 Cendana Street at March 13, 1970. Through this recreational site, she hoped more people will have more national pride than before. The project called "Indonesian Miniature Project" was started by Harapan Kita Foundation in 1972. The concept of building this recreational area was taken from the fact that Indonesia has unparalled richness from many different sources.

TMII presented the beauty of Indonesian nature and all aspects of its arts and culture in miniature of Indonesia's customehouse. You can see the rich of Indonesia's nature by seeing Bird-Garden, Orchid-Garden, Floral-Garden, Floral Golden Snail, Insects-Garden and others. TMII has the at least three miniature of Indonesia's customehouse from every province that presents not only the architecture of exterior building, but also the ornaments of each lore.

Entering one to another miniature impresses that Indonesia is very affluent of architectures. There are Rumah Bagonjong from Ranah Minang in West Sumatera, Lamin for Dayak-tribe in rural East Kalimantan, Tongkonan at Tana Toraja, North Sulawesi, Bolon House in Batak tradition, South Sumatera and Joglo-House in Java.

Apart from that, there is a lake with a miniature of the archipelago in the middle of it, cable cars, museums, a theater called the Theatre of My Homeland (Theater Tanah Airku) and other recreational facilities which make TMII one of the most popular tourist destinations in the city.

Prambanan, The Largest Hindu Temple in Central Java

Prambanan is located in the village of Bokoharjo, Sub District of Prambanan, Regency of Sleman approximately 18 km east of Yogyakarta. Prambanan is the masterpiece of Hindu culture of the tenth century. The temple complex can be said to be the highest level of ancient architecture in the world. The temple is extraordinarily beautiful building constructed in the tenth century during the reigns of two kings namely Rakai Pikatan and Rakai Balitung. Soaring up to 47 meters (5 meters higher than Borobudur temple), the foundation of this temple has fulfilled the desire of the founder to show Hindu triumph in Java Island. This temple is located 17 kilometers from the city center, among an area that now functions as beautiful park.

It was built around 850 CE by either Rakai Pikatan, king of the second Mataram dynasty, or Balitung Maha Sambu, during the Sanjaya Dynasty. Not long after its construction, the temple was abandoned and began to deteriorate. Reconstruction of the compound began in 1918. The main building was completed in around 1953. Much of the original stonework has been stolen and reused at remote construction sites. A temple will only be rebuilt if at least 75% of the original stones are available, and therefore only the foundation walls of most of the smaller shrines are now visible and with no plans for their reconstruction.

Prambanan temple has three main temples in the primary yard, namely Vishnu, Brahma, and Shiva temples. Those three temples are symbols of Trimurti in Hindu belief.

There is a legend that Javanese people always tell about this temple. As the story tells, there was a man named Bandung Bondowoso who loved Roro Jonggrang. To refuse his love, Jonggrang asked Bondowoso to make her a temple with 1,000 statues only in one-night time. The request was nearly fulfilled when Jonggrang asked the villagers to pound rice and to set a fire in order to look like morning had broken. Feeling to be cheated, Bondowoso who only completed 999 statues cursed Jonggrang to be the thousandth statue.

Prambanan also has panels of relief describing the story of Ramayana. Experts say that the relief is similar to the story of Ramayana that is told orally from generation to generation. Another interesting relief is Kalpataru tree that - in Hindu - the tree is considered tree of life, eternity and environment harmony. In Prambanan, relief of Kalpataru tree is described as flanking a lion. The presence of this tree makes experts consider that Javanese society in the ninth century had wisdom to manage its environment.

Just like Garuda, Kalpataru tree is also used for various purposes. In Indonesia, Kalpataru is used as the logo of Indonesian Environment Institution. Some intellectuals in Bali even develop "Tri Hita Karana" concept for environment conservation by seeing Kalpataru relief in this temple. This tree of life is also seen in the gunungan (the puppet used as an opening of traditional puppet show or wayang kulit). This proves that relief panels in Prambanan have been widely known throughout the world.

If you see the relief in detail, you will see many birds on them; they are real birds as we can see on the earth right now. Relief panels of such birds are so natural that biologists can identify their genus. One of them is the relief of the Yellow-Crest Parrot (Cacatua sulphurea) that cites unanswered question. The reason is that the bird only exists in Masakambing Island, an island in the middle of Java Sea. Then, did the bird exist in Yogyakarta? No body has succeeded in revealing the mystery.

The ganesha statue, at Prambanan, Central Java, Indonesia

The Reliefs, at Prambanan temple, Central Java, Indonesia

Yogyakarta

Yogyakarta (Jogja, Jogjakarta, or Yogya),the Special Region of Yogyakarta (Indonesian: Daerah Istimewa Yogyakarta, or DIY) is a city with outstanding historical and cultural heritage. Yogyakarata is the smallest province of Indonesia (excluding Jakarta). It is located on the island of Java. It is the only province in Indonesia that is still formally governed by a precolonial Sultanate: the Sultanate of Ngayogyakarta Hadiningrat.

Located within the Yogyakarta province, Yogyakarta city is known as a center of classical Javanese fine art and culture such as batik, ballet, drama, music, poetry and puppet shows. It is also famous as a center for Indonesian higher education. At Yogyakarta's center is the kraton, or Sultan's palace. While the city sprawls in all directions from the kraton, the core of the modern city is to the north.

Yogyakarta has numerous thousand-year-old temples as inheritances of the great ancient kingdoms, such as Prambanan temple, Borobudur temple established in the ninth century by the dynasty of Syailendra. More than the cultural heritages, Yogyakarta has beautiful natural panorama. The green rice fields cover the suburban areas with a background of the Merapi Mountain. The natural beaches can be easily found to the south of Yogyakarta.

An artistic atmosphere is deeply felt in Yogyakarta. Malioboro, as the center of Yogyakarta, is overwhelmed by handicraft from all around the city. Street musicians always ready entertain the visitors of the lesehan food stalls.

The History of Yogyakarta

The Yogyakarta Sultanate, formally the Sultanate of Ngayogyakarta Hadiningrat, was formed in 1755 when the existing Sultanate of Mataram was divided by the Dutch East India Company (VOC) in two under the Treaty of Giyanti. This treaty states that the Sultanate of Mataram was to be divided into the Sultanate of Ngayogyakarta Hadiningrat with Yogyakarta as the capital and Mangkubumi who became Sultan Hamengkubuwono I as its Sultan and the Sultanate of Surakarta Hadiningrat with Surakarta as the capital and Pakubuwono III who was the ruler of the Sultanate of Mataram as its Sultan. The Sultan Hamengkubuwono I spent the next 37 years building the new capital, with the Kraton as the centerpiece and the court at Surakarta as the blueprint model. By the time he died in 1792, his territory exceeded Surakarta's.

The ruler Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono IX (April 12, 1912 - 1988) held a degree from the Dutch Leiden University, and held for a time the largely ceremonial position of Vice-President of Indonesia, in recognition of his status, as well as Minister of Finance and Minister of Defense.

In support of Indonesia declaring independence from the Dutch and Japanese occupation, in September 5, 1945, Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono IX of Yogya and Sri Paku Alam VIII in Yogya declared their sultanates to be part of the Republic of Indonesia. In return for this support, a law was passed in 1950 in which Yogyakarta was granted the status of province Daerah Istimewa (Special Region Province), with special status that recognizes the power of the Sultan in his own region's domestic affairs. By this act, Sultan Hamengkubuwono IX was appointed as governor for life. During the Indonesian National Revolution against the Dutch after World War II (1945-1950), the capital of the newly-declared Indonesian republic was temporarily moved to Yogyakarta when the Dutch reoccupied Jakarta from January 1946 until August 1950.

The current ruler of Yogyakarta is his son, Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono X, who holds a law degree from Universitas Gadjah Mada. Upon the elder sultan's death, the position of governor, according to the agreement with Indonesia, was to pass to his heir. However, the central government at that time insisted on an election. In 1998, Sultan Hamengkubuwono X was elected as governor by the provincial house of representatives (DPRD) of Yogyakarta, defying the will of the central government.

Transportation

Yogyakarta is served by Adisucipto International Airport. There're two train stations named Lempuyangan and Tugu. And also, there is a biggest bus station in Indonesia, called Giwangan.

Train, You may reach Yogyakarta by train from Jakarta, Bandung, or Surabaya.

Bus, Yogyakarta is reachable by bus from Sumatra Island, Bali Island, and most cities of Java Island.

Plane, recently, international direct flights from Kuala Lumpur are established to Yogyakarta. In addition, domestic flights to Yogyakarta from Jakarta, Denpasar, Balikpapan, and many others, are available now.

Surabaya, The Heroic City

Surabaya is Indonesia's second-largest city, and the capital of the province of East Java. It is located on the northern shore of eastern Java at the mouth of the Mas River and along the edge of the Madura Strait.

To Indonesians, it is known as "the city of heroes", due to the importance of the Battle of Surabaya in galvanising Indonesian and international support for Indonesian independence during the Indonesian National Revolution.

As the main seaport and commercial center in the eastern region of Indonesia, Surabaya has become one of the largest cities in Southeast Asia. Today, Surabaya's population is around five million, and the surrounding metropolitan area houses at least 7 million. The areas surrounding Surabaya include Lamongan to the northwest, Gresik to the west, Bangkalan to the northeast, Sidoarjo to the south, and Mojokerto and Jombang to the southwest.

Currently, the Indonesian government is building the Suramadu Bridge between Surabaya and the island of Madura; when completed, it will be the longest bridge in the country. Madura is currently accessible by a ferry service that operates regularly from Surabaya's port, Tanjung Perak (which literally means: "Silver Cape" in Indonesian).

Surabaya is home to the Eastern Armada, one of two in the Indonesian Navy. Its strong maritime heritage is also reflected with the Submarine Monument, a real retired Russian submarine, called Pasopati, that was converted into a museum ship in the city centre.

The Interesting Places in Surabaya

Masjid Agung Surabaya(Grand Mosque of Surabaya), the largest mosque in East Java

Jales Veva Jaya Mahe Monument, a large, admiral-like statue which commemorates the Indonesian Navy.

Tugu Pahlawan (Heroic Monument) is the main symbol and one of the attractive tourist destinations in Surabaya and Southeast Asia.

And more interesting places to visit and enjoy while in Surabaya.

Bandung, The Parijs van Java

Bandung is the capital of West Java province in Indonesia, and the country's fourth largest city. Located 768 m (2,520 ft) above sea level, Bandung has relatively year-around cooler temperature than most other Indonesian cities. The city lies on a river basin and surrounded by volcanic mountains. This topography provides the city with a good natural defense system, which was the primary reason of Dutch East Indies government's plan to move the colony capital from Batavia to Bandung.

The Dutch colonials first opened tea plantations around the mountains in the eighteenth century, followed by a road construction connecting the plantation area to the capital (180 km or 112 miles to the northwest). The European inhabitants of the city demanded the establishment of a municipality (gemeente), which was granted in 1906 and Bandung gradually developed itself into a resort city for the plantation owners. Luxurious hotels, restaurants, cafes and European boutiques were opened of which the city was dubbed as Parijs van Java.

After Indonesian independence, the city experienced a rapid development and urbanization that has transformed Bandung from idyllic town into a dense 15,000 people/km² metropolitan area, a living space for over 2 million people. Natural resources have been exploited excessively, particularly in the conversions of protected upland area into highland villa and real estates. Although the city has encountered many problems, ranging from waste disposal, floods to chaotic traffic system, Bandung however still has its charm to attract people flocking into the city, either as weekend travellers or living in.

Culture

Bandung is the capital of West Java, a province of which most of its residents are mainly Sundanese people. Sundanese language is spoken as the first language and is commonly used as informal language for communication in streets and markets, while Indonesian - Indonesia's national language and a lingua franca among its many ethnic units - is used as a second language and the language of government, businesses, and instruction at schools.
A popular traditional musical instrument is angklung, made of parallel bamboo tubes tuned to specific frequencies with a hammer and is shaken to produce certain notes. Music is performed by a choir of angklung players, each of whom are responsible for sounding certain notes. Its melody is only slightly different from that of Central Java's gamelan ensembles.

Tourism

Bandung has served for popular weekend-break destination for people living in Jakarta for many reasons. The cooler climate of highland plantation area, the varieties of food, the cheaper fashion shops located in factory outlets and distros, golf courses, and the friendliness of local people have become the main attraction of the city.

In the 1990s, local designers opened denim clothing stores along Cihampelas Street which gave Bandung another nickname, the "Tourist Shopping City" (Kota Wisata Belanja). It was a success as the-then residential street had been fully transformed into a "jeans street". The city attracts people from other big cities to buy local fashion wears, as they are cheaper than branded items.

The city gained more shoppers to come when textile factories in the outskirt of Bandung opened a fashion store that sells their products directly from the factory. The products are tagged as sisa export (rejected or over-produced export quality items) and these shops are called factory outlets. The trend was followed by another factory outlets.

Tugu Monas, National Monument of Indonesia

Monumen Nasional or the popular abbreviated with the Monas or Tugu Monas is one of the monuments which established to honor people's resistance and struggle against the Dutch colony of Indonesia.

The monument is located in central Jakarta close to the Presidential Palace, it is at the Lapangan monas (Monas square). The monument, with its unique style and is 137 m in high, was made of marbles with phallus form symbolizing the fertilizing. The architect for this monument was Soedarsono and F. Silaban and the consultant was Ir. Rooseno.

At the top of the National Monument there are cup-shaped to support the flame torch bronze weighing 14.5 tons, and coated by 35kg of gold. The flame or torch is a symbol of the struggle of the people of Indonesia who want to achieve independence.

As one of tourist destination in Jakarta, Monas has become more fascinating with the 80-hectare park and its various plants. This park has become the lungs of Jakarta. The entrance fee is quite cheap, that is Rp2,500 per person. Monas is opened every day from 09.00-16.00 WIB.

There are some horse-riding-guys would chauffeur you with the chariot that the local people called as Bendi or Dokar. You have to bargain the price.

Want to view Jakarta from the top? Visitors can take an elevator up to a platform, the fee is Rp. 15,000 per person. From the highest point of the monument, you can see Jakarta and surroundings such as Medan Merdeka Park, Istiqlal Mosque, and the city. Inside the base of the monument is an exhibition on the country's Declaration of Independence and several dioramas showing the history of Indonesia. However, don’t be surprise, if the wind was pretty strong from up there.