Until recently, south west Lombok was known mostly to surfers, who enjoy the fantastic reef breaks at dessert point (Bangko Bangko), and now we discovered it for spectacular diving opportunities. This means, at the moment south Lombok is still a insider tip amongst the diving community.

You will not find many tourists on the beaches of South Lombok, and it’s one of the most beautiful places for sunsets and relaxing walks on the beach, without being hassled by flying salesmen with watches and souvenirs.

The local people are very friendly and curios, and you can experience rural Lombok at its finest. (more…)

Tags: Destination, Indonesia, Lombok, South, Unspoiled

For those who reside in Jakarta area or who have visited Jakarta, Indonesia, must know Jaksa Street (in indonesian called Jalan Jaksa). A street known as a place for tourists, hanging out, bringing bag on their back, named backpackers.

History of Jalan Jaksa

Jalan Jaksa is a 400-meters street in Center Jakarta, Indonesia. It is located strategically as an alternative way from Kebon Sirih street to Wahid Hasyim street. From this street, the tourists can go forward to National Museum and Monas, and Gambir Station with a relatively close distance.

Why it’s named Jalan Jaksa? (more…)

Tags: Glamour, Indonesia, Jaksa, Street

Comprised of seventeen thousand islands, Indonesia is a sure smorgasbord surprise. Wide-eyed guests could simply marvel at the wondrous beauty before their eyes but have to settle for a few courses in order to enjoy each trip to the largest archipelago of the world.

Here is a sampling of the extensively diverse Indonesian travel menu.

Sumatra

Sitting on the equator, Indonesia’s largest province is covered with tropical rainforests which is home to a rich collection of flora and fauna ecosystem. The island boasts of several reservation areas including Mount Leuser National Park, home of the endangered Sumatra Orang-utan and Berbak Wildlife Reserve which accommodates the largest tiger population in Indonesia.

Bali

Its serene panorama, both on land and underwater, simply fills the senses with the beauty of nature and the wonders it offers to man. Aside from the breathtaking beaches, Bali also takes pride of Bali Barat National park, home of a number of bird species declared as among the rarest and most beautiful in the world.

Borobudur Temple

Located on a hilltop in Central Java, Borobudur Temple is one of the world’s most celebrated Buddhist temples. Dated back to the 9th century A.D., the temple was discovered in 1984 under thick forest foliage. After a successful restoration, the temple showed panels carved in stone that tells of the life of Buddha and the tenets of Buddhism. (more…)

Tags: Indonesia, Smorgasbord, Surprise

The archipelago around Sulawesi and Borneo has been described as an ecological ‘hot spot’. East of Indonesia Archipelago have much terrain varied, from walls and fringing reef to caverns, big Green Turtles (Chelonia mydas), whitetip, leopard and nurse sharks, schooling barracudas, napoleon wrasses, cuttle fish, spanish mackerel, jacks and batfishes, and ornamentalreef fishes hang out in record densities and diversity.

If the sea has a heart, it lies somewhere in the dynamic mosaic that is the Indonesian archipelago. In this biological hot zone, there are more coral and fish species than anywhere else on Earth. The numbers are staggering: for instance, Indonesia has 83 species of angelfish and butterflyfish, while the whole of the Caribbean supports just seven of each.

This diversity is celebrated in The Sulu-Sulawesi Seas, a new photo-book by German photo-journalist Jürgen Freund. (more…)

Tags: Archipelago, East, Indonesia, Paradise

Indonesia is a land of mountains, volcanoes, dense forests, attractive beaches, spectacular artless beauty, which draws the awareness of assorted tourists throughout the year. With its glorious temples, vast mosques, museums Indonesia is a house of some magnificent Indonesia Tourist Attractions.

Attractions in Indonesia Java- Jakarta – The funds city of Jakarta retains much from the regal Dutch and British periods, with many tenuous grand-technique buildings and the newly restored old part. You can stopover at The National Monument towers, Merdeka Square, The Central Museum, Portuguese Church, Istiqlal Mosque etc. If you want to store, then antiques souk on Jalan Surabaya and batik factories in the Karet are the total place for you. Throughout the island, flunky shows are thespian in which traditional wayang golak and wayang kulit marionettes act out stories based on well-known tradition; performances can sometimes last all night. (more…)

Tags: Attractions, Different, Indonesia, Kinds, Visitors

I think, this information is so informative if I publish here, at this blog. Because in my mind, I really believe everyone especially foreign tourists that want to go to Indonesia would like to know, how expensive the daily living cost in Indonesia. Okay, the first thing that you should know, you have to know your price in Indonesia most major currency, Indonesian Rupiah (IDR). When I write this post, 1 USD approximately same with 12.200 rupiah. So, I will continue it in IDR. Because I’m now living in Yogyakarta region, I will tell more daily life in this city, although I also know daily cost living in other cities such as Jakarta, Bandung, and many more.

My question is looks enough great I to hear, “How Much Price Will You Spend When You Have Dining in Indonesia?” Dining in my means is not only have dinner but I will tell also how much price will you spend (1 person) to eat daily food which most Indonesian people eat it. For you know, usually most people in Indonesia eat 3 times in a day, breakfast in the morning, lunch, and dinner. I assume you are like most Indonesian people, not go to restaurant for eat, do it yourself in your kitchen. For breakfast needs, usually they eat only for light food such as: fried rice, fried noodle, toast, bread and drink milk. The average cost to buy and eat those (I assume you only eat one kinds of food and drink milk) is 3000-5000 rupiah to eat fried rice or fried noodle and 2000-3000 rupiah to drink milk. That’s the cost will you spend if you are living in big cities in Indonesia such as Jakarta, Bandung, Yogyakarta and Surabaya. Next to lunch. (more…)

Tags: Cost, Dining, Indonesia, Much, Spend

source: www.divingseasafari.com

Indonesia have far-flung islands, with over 17,000 islands, streching more than 5,000 km from west to east, with coastline more than 80,000 km washed by tropical water, Indonesia has developed resorts in tandem with the establishment of regular air connections, and in many of these diving and snorkeling are given priority. Outside flights to Manado have firther opened up this fine dive site, and liveaboard boats have also made debut, offering divers the chance to explore really remote areas like Banda Sea.

Indonesia is the least known of the world’s best dive locations. Introduction of scuba gear and the beginning of dive operations in Indonesiago back nearly 20 years, and each year more new, exiting locations are opening their doors.

Sea Safari Liveaboard dive boats have made a big impact on the scope and range of diving. Sea Safari Liveaboard operations take divers to Banda Sea, Manado, Derawan, Sangalaki, Komodo, Flores, Sumbawa, Bali, Menjangan island, Bunaken, Lombok, Papua, Raja Ampat, Sorong and other dive sites in east Indonesia. Sea Safari boats/vessels are pinisi cruises, the legend cruise of Indonesia traditional sailor.

Pinisi cruise is becoming popular in Indonesia, especially in Bali with holiday makers, cruise operators who also enjoy diving and liveaboards. In Indonesia, liveaboard diving operation take diver to Banda, Komodo, Alor, Raja Ampat, Nusa Tenggara, Lombok, Bali, Ambon, Borneo, Sangalaki, Derawan and others more than hundreds dive sites in Indonesia.

When diving started in Indonesia region, it was cheap hobby once you had bought a regulator and other basic gear. Today, the relationship between learning to dive, buyng the gear and getting going has changed. The gear is getting more sophisticated but less costly, dive courses are becoming more competitively piced and the cost of diving itself is getting more expensive – mainly because today’s diver is a more sophisticated animal and not the hardly aficinado of yesteryear.

Interestingly, Indonesia’s most popular tourist destinations, Bali, also has some excellent diving, including superb werk and in Bali, number of dive operations in highest. But good diving is not exactly located in your hotel lobby. In 5 star resort have opened up in nearly every corner of the island, offering serious divers opportunity to undertake dive safari, stringing together a number of fantastic dive days without sacrificing time, energy or comfort.

Sea Safari as liveaboard and diving operator over Indonesia archipelago have international standart emergeny procedure in place. Generally, bert practice is to dive conservatively, safety and always to make a decompression stop on ascent. Reef are rich enough that you will never be bored apending a few extra minutes as the end of a dive exploring shallows.

Tags: Diving, Indonesia, Liveaboard

Now, i would like to talk about the attraction place in Jakarta City. Namely is Taman Mini Indonesia Indah (TMII) which is in this place, you can see and explore all about Indonesia from culture, art, atmosphere, religion, lifestly, tourism, and many more.

Taman Mini Indonesia Indah (TMII) is an area of cultural tourism in Jakarta. Located on the coordinates of 6 ° 18?6 .8 “LS, 106 ° 53?47 .2? BT, in the middle of TMII, there are a lake that tell how so large the Indonesian archipelago in the small shape. Or, in other means, Taman Mini Indonesia Indah as Beautiful Indonesia Miniature Park was built to be the showcase of Indonesia. You can see whatever you want about Indonesia, you will find many Indonesia natural & cultural richness such as unique replication of traditional houses (pavilion) from all around Indonesia. I think, this park can represent your want in knowing about Indonesia only go to the smaller place than you go exploring the Indonesia in the real. It’s so match if you do not have enough time to explore Indonesia.

In this park, or usually it called TMII, there are various parks, which shows the beauty of flora and fauna of Indonesia such as orchid garden, jasmine gardens, ponds, freshwater aquarium and bird parks. Also there are some museum which is devoted to the history of sport, culture and technology such as the Museum of Indonesia, Museum Pusaka, Museum of Transportation, and The Center for Science and Technology / Pusat Peragaan IPTEK. In Indonesia, almost every tribe has a shape and building in different color, not even one tribe rarely have more than one type of traditional buildings. Building or traditional architecture, which they always followed by environmental and cultural owned. In TMII, illustration, are realized through the Regional Platform, which represents tribes in the nation’s 26 provinces of Indonesia.

There are some information about this park that you can find at this site, or you can go directly into the official website of Taman Mini Indonesia Indah.

Tags: Indah, Indonesia, Jakarta, Mini, Place, Taman

As you may know, Indonesia is a country comprised by several islands, 17,508 to be exact, this geographically divided nation is united by the tight religious bonds that most of it’s habitants share, this south east Asian country has around 222 million people and is better known by the number of beautiful beaches accessible to them.

In recent years Indonesia has been struggling to keep the nation safe and mentally healthy by fighting against material which enters the country and deprives youth of it’s innocence and ultimately ending up in social corruption.

In March 2008, this country has given a step forward towards achieving its goal of keeping a mentally healthy society by passing a bill which criminalizes those who access internet sites which contain adult related material or digital content which is violent in nature. Many Indonesia’s citizens support such measures, in fact two years ago Muslim groups forced the Playboy magazine to move out and re-establish its office in Bali.

“I think we all agree there’s no way we can save this nation by spreading adult material, violence and ethnic hostility”, said the Information Minister, Mohammad Nuh. These words clearly state that such bill in the best interest of the nation. In order to enforce such bill the country is working on special software which would sanction websites which have banned content, while this will not take down those sites world wide, the software will make them unavailable to anyone within Indonesia.

The software approach was taken due to the fact that accessing strong adult related content is very easy, even by children that according to one of the people in charge of drafting the bill, it is intended to protect them from such material. The bill passed with flying colors after getting majority support from all 10 factions in the chamber.

Such ban will definitively have a positive impact in the country as people will dedicate themselves to socially productive activities improving Indonesia’s quality of life. Tourists who travel to the country will also enjoy the beauty of the country by that things that it has to offer, from a cultural perspective to a perspective based on the demographics and local believes which is nicely complimented by the attractive natural resources this country counts with.

Tags: Become, Better, Indonesia, Nation, Tries

Indonesia, a Country of thousands of beautiful and exotic Islands, that spark off your imagination with thoughts of fine sandy beaches, huge temple complexes, great diving and the giant dragons of Komodo. The islands of Indonesia are spread over a vast expanse of ocean and technically speaking is divided by two Continents.

Some parts of the Country can be as different from each other as black is from white. The hustle and bustle of the modern capital Jakarta is like another planet when compared to the traditional Papuan tribes of the Baliem Valley. Jakarta – Not only is it the largest City in the Country, Jakarta is also the heartbeat. Indonesian’s from all over the archipelago come to the City to try and find their fortune or just to survive. The face of the City is constantly changing due to the construction of new skyscrapers, shopping malls and hotels.

Jakarta is mainly a business and political City and not really a tourist destination, but the older colonial parts of the City are very interesting and the museums have a lot of fascinating exhibits.

Jakarta, like you would expect, is the most expensive place in Indonesia, as well as the most polluted and most congested. It can be very hard to cope with all of the hustle, dirt, crime and cost, but if you can you will find an exciting City with plenty to offer.

Kota – This is the old Town of Batavia, which was the capital of the Dutch East Indies and the best example of the colonial era in Indonesia. Though much of the old town has been destroyed or demolished over the years, some of the old Colonial buildings are still in active use, and the area has a definite Dutch feel to it.

The centre of the old Town is the pebble stone square known as Taman Fatahillah and this is the key to being able to orientate yourself around the sights of the old Town. The canal of Kali Besar is one block to the west of the square and runs alongside the Ciliwung River.

This was a very prosperous area and on the west bank are some of the high class homes that date from the eighteenth Century.

The Chicken market bridge is the last remaining drawbridge from the Dutch era, it is at the north end of the Kali Besar. Buses always come by on their routes and the city train also has a stop here.

Jakarta History Museum – This museum is housed in the old town hall of Batavia, which is on the south side of Taman Fatahillah. It is a well built building, which was originally constructed in 1627 and added to in the early 1700s. It was from here that the Dutch administered their colony, and the cities law courts were also here as well as their main prison compound.

It contains plenty of heavy, carved furniture from the colonial, as well as other memorabilia from the Dutch period. Open, 9am till 3pm, Tuesday to Sunday. Admission: 1,000Rp Wayang Museum – This museum is also on the Taman Fatahillah, and has a great assortment of Wayang puppets. It also has examples of puppets from other Countries like Cambodia, China and India.

This building was formerly the museum of old Batavia and was built in 1912 on the site of the former Dutch church which was demolished in 1808 as the
Dutchman “Daendels” plan to rid the City of its unhealthy areas. In the downstairs courtyard, there are memorials to previous governors who were buried on site. Open, 9am till 3pm, Tuesday to Sunday. Admission: 1,000Rp

Fine Arts Museum – Built in the 1860s, the palace of Justice building is now the Fine arts museum. It has a nice collection of contemporary paintings from prominent artists. They also have some ceramics on show from Chinese items to Majapahit offerings. Open, 9am till 3pm, Tuesday to Sunday. Admission: 1,000Rp

Gereja Sion – This church was built in 1695, and is the oldest Church in Jakarta. It is on Jl Pangeran Jayakarta near the Kota train station. The exterior of the Church is actually pretty plain but inside copper chandeliers, the original organ and the baroque pulpit makes it very appealing. Though thousands of people have been buried here there are very few tombs left remaining.

Sunda Kelapa – Just a 10 minute walk from the Taman Fatahillah, the old City port of Sunda Kelapa is full of wonderful Macassar schooners and the brightly coloured sails of these boats make for great viewing. The ships are still a vital means of transporting goods to outlying Islands.

Guides hang around the docks and for a few thousand rupiah will show you around and tell you some insightful stories. You can also take a ride out to the offshore fish market for around 5,000Rp. Admission, 250Rp to the dock area.

Maritime Museum – This is an old VOC warehouse that was built in 1645 and is by the entrance to the Sunda Kelapa. It has examples of Indonesian crafts from around the ages and has photos of the voyages from Europe to Jakarta. The building itself is well worth the visit and the lookout posts are part of the old City wall.

Just before the entrance to the museum proper, is the old watchtower that was built in 1839, it has brilliant views over the harbour. Opening hours are hit and miss, so try to find the caretaker.

National Museum – This museum, constructed in 1862, is considered the paramount museum in Indonesia, and one of the finest in South East Asia. It has a huge ethnic and relief maps of Indonesia on which you can track your travels. The museum has a variety of different cultural displays that show a diverse collection of clothing, instruments, model houses and religious items. In addition the museum has a fine collection of Chinese ceramics that even date back to the Han dynasty of the third Century.

The museum is sometimes known as the Elephant house due to the giant bronze elephant that was a gift from the King of Thailand, and that now stands outside. Open, 8.30am till 2.30pm, Tuesday to Sunday. Admission: 750Rp. Guides are around who can conduct tours in various different languages.

National Monument – This 130 metres high monument stands over Merdeka square and is Jakartas chief landmark. The construction was started in 1961 but was not finished until 1975, when it was officially opened by President Soeharto. At the base is the National History Museum which tells the story of the Indonesian struggle for independence. On national holidays and at the weekends the queues can be long. Open, 9am till 5pm, daily. Admission: 600Rp or 3,100Rp which includes a ride to the top.

Lapangan Banteng – Just east of Merdeka square is this nineteenth century colonial square. It has some of the best examples of Dutch colonial architecture in the whole of Jakarta. The Catholic Cathedral was built at the turn of the twentieth Century, and is opposite the principal place of worship for Jakartas Muslim community, the Istiqlal Mosque. To the east of the square is the Supreme Court that was built, along with the Ministry of finance, in 1809 by that man “Daendel” to replace those buildings torn down.

Tags: Beautiful, Country, Exotic, Indonesia, Islands, Thousands, Travel