Bali is Magical : Simply the World's Best Island for Tourism

Bali is magical. As probably the most famous island in Indonesia, Bali blends spectacular mountain scenery and beautiful beaches with warm and friendly people, a vibrant culture and out of this world resorts.

Travel & Leisure Magazine has awarded Bali the World’s Best Island in 2009, while the Lonely Planet’s Best of Travel 2010 ranked Bali second place among the world’s Top Regions.

Also known as the Land of the Gods, Bali appeals through its sheer natural beauty of looming volcanoes and lush terraced rice fields that exude peace and serenity. Bali enchants with its dramatic dances and colourful ceremonies, its arts and crafts, to its luxurious beach resorts and exciting night life.  For this exotic island has much to offer, from inspirational spirituality to fine dining and meeting experiences, from world class surfing and diving to exhilarating treks in the wild. And everywhere you will find intricately carved temples.

For, the Balinese, who embrace the Hindu religion, are a most devout people where a large part of their lives is dedicated to rites and ceremonies aimed at maintaining harmony in this world.  Indeed, this relatively small island holds many   surprises.

This is a miraculous island indeed, for after decades of popularity, Bali continues to amaze both local and international visitors alike.  Here gather a variety of visitors from around the globe: from those who come to surf the waves of Kuta, Uluwatu and Dreamland, to others who love the panoramic beauty of mountains and lakes at  Batur, Kintamani, or  Lake Beratan at  Bedugul, to those who merely love shopping or spend endless days on the beach.

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Posted in: Bali-Lombok

Visiting Komodo National Park, The Komodo Island, Indonesia

Komodo Island is located in the Nusa Tenggara archipelago, Indonesia. Komodo is one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature Finalist that has announced by New Open Word Foundation.  The Komodo dragon is a large species of lizard found in the Indonesian islands of Komodo island , Rinca, Flores, and Gili Motang. Komodo Dragon is the largest living species of lizard, growing to an average length of 2 to 3 metres (6.6 to 9.8 ft) and weighing around 70 kilograms.

Komodo Dragon, Komodo Island Indonesia

In the wild their range has contracted due to human activities and Komodo Dragon are listed as vulnerable by the IUCN. Komodo Dragon are protected under Indonesian law, and a national park, Komodo National Park, was founded to aid protection efforts.

The Komodo dragon is a vulnerable species and is found on the IUCN Red List. There are approximately living Komodo dragons in the wild. populations of Komodo Dragon are restricted to the islands of Gili Motang, Gili Dasami, Rinca, Komodo and Flores. the Komodo National Park was founded in 1980 to protect Komodo dragon populations on islands including Komodo, Rinca, and Padar. The others live with the people, because they believe the Komodo Dragon is their ancient.

Something that make this island is worth to become one of the new 7 wonders of nature, is because there are so many Komodo Dragons in there.

In Komodo, at least 1300 of Komodo Dragons was noted on August 2009, beside 1200 others that is spread in Rinca (island) and Padar (island).

Beside Komodo Dragon, you could enjoy the best dive site for eastern of Indonesia also in Komodo. Most of the dive masters over the world have unbelieveable dive trip during their visiting to this island.

Natural state of the dry and arid make a uniqueness. The existence of vast savannas, water resources are limited and temperatures hot enough, it turns out to be the habitat favored by a kind of ancient animals Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis).

Much of this national park is savanna with palm trees (Borassus flabellifer) the most dominant and distinctive. Some plants that exist in the Park, among others, rattan (Calamus sp.), Bamboo (Bambusa sp.), Acid (Tamarindus indica), bulging (Sterculia foetida), lote (Ziziphus jujuba), and mangrove (Rhizophora sp.)

In addition to the typical wildlife of Komodo, there are deer (Cervus timorensis floresiensis), wild boar (Sus scrofa), ajag (Cuon alpinus javanicus), wild horse (Equus qaballus), wild buffalo (Bubalus bubalis), 2 species of sea turtles, 10 species of dolphins , 6 species of whales and dugongs are often seen in marine waters of Komodo National Park.

The potential of marine life in this park, there were 259 types of coral and 1,000 species of fish such as barracuda, marlin, yellow tail, red snapper, baronang, and others.

Komodo Island, Indonesia

Komodo Island

Traditional War Dance in Flores

So, I think visiting Komodo National Park and enjoy the dive sites in this island, would be come one of the best trip you have ever had in your live.

Bernard Weber, the founder of New 7 Wonders, said, "If we want to save anything, we first need to truly appreciate it", so don't forget to vote the Komodo for the one of New 7 Wonders of Nature in here http://www.new7wonders.com/.

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Posted in: Nusa-Tenggara

Surfing in Uluwatu, Bali

The name Uluwatu came from the word "Ulu" which means "land's end" and "watu" which means "rock". It's the most exotic temple in Bali, Indonesia. The inner sanctum of the pura is perched majestically on the edge of a steep cliff that towers above the legendary surf breaks of southern Bali. It's a must visit travel destination for surfers and if you only on a vacation, then the spectacular view will satisfied you. Getting trading pins from Bali can make a good collection of memories.

Surfing Heaven

Uluwatu is a well known destination among surfing enthusiasts. Most of the surf spots are only suitable for advanced or expert surfers. Elsewhere on the west coast of the Bukit Peninsula, top class surfing spots are Dreamland, Padang-Padang, Bingin and Suluban.

There are 4 different sections to surf at Uluwatu. Temples has a long, hollow wave that works well on a middle to high tide. The Peak is right in front of the warungs on the cliff and in line with the cave and this break is also best on the high tide. Racetrack is a super fast but makeable barrel that works on a low tide, but does get seriously shallow. Outside Corner is considered by many surfers to be one of the best waves anywhere in the world, The Corner won't even begin to break until the swell is at least around 8' then, if your game, you are in for one long, fast ride.

Another Attractions

Besides surfing, there are lots of attractions and beautiful places you need to see. Kecak Dance (monkey dance, it's a traditional Balinesse dance) performances are held at the temple daily between 6 PM and 7 PM. Also don't forget to visit the temple that mentioned early before in this post. The temple is inhabited by large number of monkeys, who are extremely adept at snatching visitors' belonging, including bags, cameras and eyeglasses. Keep a very close grip on all your belongings and stow away your eyeglasses if at all possible. If you do have something taken, the monkeys can usually be induced to exchange it for some fruit.

When you decided to stay a night here the most recommended lodge would be Bali Cliff Resort. Rates start at US$ 100. Located in the southernmost part of Bali. Very seculed and hard to get to. It is situated high on the eastern side of the Bukit Peninsula with cycloramic views. The resort has a pool that overlooks the ocean. The resort also has a ballroom on site. Breakfast is included and offers a pizzeria, bar and restaurant for dining. There are many other hotels too; Blue Point Bay Villas, Bulgari Resort, Gong, Villa Moonlight, etc...

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Posted in: Bali-Lombok

Indonesia "The Ultimate in Diversity"

If you thrive in the natural world, traveling in Indonesia will delight you. Indonesia is a huge country – about the size of Japan, U.K., Germany, Spain, Italy, and Greece combined. Large parts of it are only semi-tamed and remain a tropical paradise. Indonesia offers the naturalist an almost infinite variety of flora and fauna such as the Titan Arum – the world’s tallest flower, the Rafflesia – the world’s biggest flower, the Borneo and Sumatran orangutan, the Komodo dragon, Sumatran tigers, Javanese one-horned rhinos, and much, much more.

  

Indonesia is a trekker’s heaven that allows you to enjoy breathtaking views from atop any one of the 150+ Indonesian volcanoes or slog through the Sumatran tropical rainforest on your way to attempt to spot the elusive Sumatran tiger.

If modern society and culture is your thing, head for Indonesia’s capital - Jakarta - where you can don your tuxedo or evening gown and join the elite of Indonesian society and diplomats from around the world for an evening at the Jakarta Symphony.

  

Those into indigenous culture could get lost in a world unto itself. Immerse yourself among the 300+ tribal communities spread throughout this archipelago nation of 17,508 islands. Visit the Kabu, Bakak, Minangkabau, Dayak, or the Dani people. Drink in their culture, learn about their customs, be entertained by their traditional dance, and enjoy their traditional tribal art in the form of woodcarvings, ceramics, textiles, basket weaving, beadwork, puppets, metalwork, and jewelry. But be careful, you may have to hire a container ship to take all those memories of your Indonesia travel experience home.

  

Those who surf Indonesia are thrilled by the waves off Nusa Lembongan or one of the many other excellent surfing destinations. Indonesia hosts a number of professional international surfing competitions each year and is widely recognized for excellence by surfing professionals.

Beach lovers are sure to find their perfect beach. With over 50,000 kilometers of coastline – enough to wrap around the earth and have enough left over to go from London to New York, your perfect spot in the sun will find you.

Do you like to eat? Well, Indonesian food will capture your soul. The food here is full of flavor from chili, cumin, coriander, garlic, and a wide variety of other spicy tidbits depending on the region you are in, and whose mother's recipe is being used. Most food in Indonesia is home cooked and sold on the street in "Warungs" which are simple outside eateries, or by roving vendors who clang a bell or make some other unique noise as they make their way down the street. Don't miss the Nasi Uduk – rice cooked in coconut milk and served with meat or tofu, and sometimes vegetables.

Scuba divers will find world class diving throughout Indonesia. From the deep waters off Pulau Weh, where the Andaman Sea joins the Indian Ocean, to the incredible Lembeh Strait in North Sulawesi, to stunning Tulamben Bay in Bali, diving in Indonesia promises a rich experience exploring the natural underwater world.

If all this adventure stuff is not for you, don't despair. Indonesia offers tourists a whole host of 5-star luxury havens that will pamper you and succumb to your every desire. Stay in one of these oases of comfort and they will bring Indonesian food and culture to you, to enjoy in air-conditioned comfort.

The Indonesia travel experience is one which invites travelers to witness history in the making - a young emerging nation racing to blend the ancient economic, political, and cultural ways of the orient, with those of the modern age of globalization.

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Borobudur Buddhist Temple

Have you ever heard about Borobudur Buddhist Temple in Indonesia? It's a unique 9th century temple which built as a single large stupa. A stupa is a mound-like structure containing Buddhist relics, typically the remains of Buddha, and used as a place of worship. Measuring in 123×123 m (403.5 × 403.5 ft), Borobudur temple is the largest Buddhist structure in the world.

Architecture

Borobudur Buddhist Temple has 2672 relief panels and 504 Buddha effigies in its complex. Borobudur is constructed as a ten-terraces building, represents the ten levels of a Bodhisattva's life which he or she must develop to become a Buddha or an awakened one.

The height before being renovated was 42 meters and 34.5 meters after the renovation because the lowest level was used as supporting base. The three upper terraces feature 72 small stupas surrounding one large central stupa. Each stupa is bell-shaped and pierced by numerous decorative openings. Statues of the Buddha sit inside the pierced enclosures.

You can see the 72 stupas in Borobudur's upper platform

As a single large stupa, when viewed from above, Borobudur temple takes the form of a giant tantric Buddhist mandala, simultaneously representing the Buddhist cosmology and the nature of mind. The base form also can be viewed as a Lotus, the sacred flower of Buddha.

Borobudur was finished in the time of King Samaratungga's reign. He is one of the kings of Old Mataram Kingdom, the descendant of Sailendra dynasty. Based on Kayumwungan inscription, an Indonesian named Hudaya Kandahjaya revealed that Borobudur was a place for praying that was completed to be built on 26 May 824, almost one hundred years from the time the construction was begun.

Location

Situated in Magelang, Central Java, Indonesia, Borobudur is considered as one of the world's ancient wonder heritages. If you think that Bali is the only interesting place to visit in Indonesia, then you might consider it again. With over 2.5 million visitors annually (which 20% of them are international tourists), Borobudur is the single most visited tourist attraction in Indonesia.

This temple is also located near Jogjakarta, about 40 km (25 mi) northwest from the city. Jogjakarta is renowned as a center of classical Javanese fine art and culture such as batik, ballet, drama, music, poetry, and puppet shows. Many tourists come to Jogjakarta for its strong Javanese culture and tradition.

The surrounding area of Borobudur and Jogjakarta also filled with other Buddhist and Hindu temples, including the Prambanan temples compound. So, this enormous stupa, Borobudur Buddhist Temple, is a perfect spot for your travel destination.

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Posted in: Java

Diving Experience in Bunaken, Sulawesi

Bunaken is one of the most spectacular spots for diving and admiring marine life. Other places nearby are also ranked among the favorites by locals and international tourists Located near Sulawesi or Celebes, Indonesia, Bunaken, Manado Tua, Siladen Island, Lembeh Strait are perfect destinations for amateur and professional divers.

Bunaken is an 8.08 km² island in the Bay of Manado, situated in the north of the island of Sulawesi, Indonesia. Bunaken forms part of the administrative city of Manado , capital of North Sulawesi. The marine Park around Bunaken is part of the  National Park that also includes the ocean around the island of  Manado Tua – or Old Manado, Siladen and Mantehage.  

Within the Bunaken Marine Park, visitors can see various strange and colourful marine life along its sea bed. To reach this park, you can take a motorboat. The journey from Manado takes around 40 minutes.  Entrance fee is 25,000 rupiahs per person per visit.

The translucent waters of the Bunaken seas enable people to clearly view numerous sea biota. There are 13 species of coral reefs in this park, dominated by edge ridges and block ridges of rocks. The most attractive view is the steep vertical sloppy coral reef that plunges down as deep as 25-50 meters.

Feast your eyes on 91 types of fish found in the Bunaken National Park, amongst which are the locally known gusimi horse fish (Hippocampus), the white oci (Seriola rivoliana), yellow-tailed lolosi (Lutjanus kasmira), goropa (Ephinephelus spilotoceps and Pseudanthias hypselosoma), ila gasi (Scolopsis bilineatus) and others.

Divers may also meet mollusk like the giant kima (Tridacna gigas), goat head (Cassis cornuta), nautilus (Nautilus pompillius) and tunikates/ascidian.

For those who enjoy scuba diving, this is a great place to be. With about 20 dive spots to choose from, divers will have the chance to swim below the sea, and frolic joyfully while admiring the sea creatures.

Make sure to visit Bunaken during its best season between May to August. That way you can explore the Park  to its fullest.

To observe some of the fascinating images of Bunaken Marine Park, you can visit our photo essay: Bunaken&Derawan Underwater Paradise

Similarly stunning are the sceneries of Kalasey seas,at the outskirt of Manado in: The Deep Water Paradise of Kalasey Seas off Manado

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Posted in: Sulawesi

North Sulawesi is Your Gateway to Diving, Travel, and Adventure in the Southwest Pacific

North Sulawesi is your gateway to diving, travel, and adventure in the southwest  Pacific. Be one of the of the lucky few to visit our unspoiled tropical islands. North Sulawesi has an abundance and variety of accommodation and facilities available to meet the needs of travelers from backpackers and budget class to four-star resorts. The natural wonders of North Sulawesi make it well suited to both organized and adventure travel. The full spectrum of scuba diving activities is available in North Sulawesi.

The diving ranges from the magnificent coral gardens of Bunaken Marine Park and Bangka Strait to the walls of fishes and underwater volcanoes of the Sangihe Islands to the unusual and rarely seen critters of Lembeh Strait. Land-based activities focus on rain forest hiking in Tangkoko Nature Reserve (home to the largest concentration of black crested macaques and the world's smallest primate, the tarsier) and Dumoga Bone National Park (home to the fabled babirusa pig deer), along with viewing scenic waterfalls, volcano climbing and river rafting and even golf. Exploring the Tomohon/Tondano highlands area, rice paddies, coconut plantations and flower gardens rounds out the activities.

Dive the clear waters, steep walls and world-class coral gardens of Bunaken Marine Park. Visit Bangka Strait for an encounter with whales, manta rays and other pelagics. Sail to the Sangihe Islands and dive in search of a sunken city, through walls of fishes or on an underwater volcano. Explore Lembeh Strait and discover its rare and unusual marine life and WWII shipwrecks. Whether you are a novice or an expert, we have the diving for you.

Visit the highland towns of Tomohon and Tondano. Clove and coconut plantations, rice paddies and flower gardens fill our highlands with the same beauty and serenity found in our smiling people. Visit a small pottery village and a Chinese Buddhist Temple. Pack a lunch and hike to a mountain waterfall. Enjoy a soak in one of our hot springs. Overnight at a cottage on Lake Tondano. Relax in the peaceful atmosphere and cool mountain air, far from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

Climb to the rim of a steaming volcano. Raft down one of our whitewater rivers. Trek through our majestic Asian rainforest. See the world's largest concentration of black crested macaques and glimpse a tarsier, the world's smallest primate, at Tangkoko Nature Reserve. Visit Dumoga Bone National Park where you can search for the fabled babirusa pig deer. Take a 3-day overland trip to the rainforests of Central Sulawesi.

Perhaps North Sulawesi's most valuable asset is its genuinely friendly and open people. For your next holiday, come visit the smiles of Sulawesi - you won't be sorry.

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Posted in: Sulawesi