The Beauty Of Singkarak Lake

Singkarak Lake is a volcanic lake located in the heart of West Sumatra. With a very exotic scenery, Lake Singkarak deserve to be one of the place that you have to visit  when traveling to the province of the Minangkabau.

Lake Singkarak  is a lake  That has an area of 107.8 km², being approximately 21 km long and 7 km wide. The natural outlet for excess water is the Ombilin river which flows eastward to the Strait of Malacca. A hydroelectric project however has diverted most of the lake outflow to the Anai river which flows westward into the Indian Ocean near Padang.

Singkarak Lake  is located at an elevation of above sea level 362,5 m has a typical fish species which only live in this Lake and the only one in the world. Local people call it Fish Bilih.

Uniquely this fish could not be cultivated outside its habitat, both in the aquarium, pond or floating nets though. Many of these fish were a source of livelihood of fishing communities around the Lake. You can enjoy the fish that tastes good is a specific and in the restaurant/bistro on many points of the tourist sites around the Singkarak Lake .

Singkarak Lake  located in two districts in West Sumatra,  there are Solok and Tanah  Datar Districks. With area 107.8 km ² this lake is the 2nd largest lake in Sumatra Island after Toba Lake .

The location of lake is very strategic, in the side of the road between Tanah Datar and Solok City. Because of its location within easy reach, so that tourists can enjoy the view of the lake at the edge of road twisting. Even tourists who arrive by private vehicle can enjoy the beauty from their car.

Tour deSingkarak (abbreviated TDS) is an annual professional road bicycle racing stage race held in West Sumatra,Indonesia, and named after the Lake Singkarak. First staged in 2009, Tour de Singkarak is classified by the Union Cycling International (UCI) as a 2.2 category race as part of the UCI Asia Tour. It covers more than 900 kilometres — from/to Padang passing around lake Singkarak and runs through inland West Sumatran cities — and lasted for a week and held annually around May or June.

Beside for traveling, Singkarak Lake  is also best place for sport such as Tour de Singkarak (annual professional road bicycle racing), on land can be for walking, jogging, gymnastics. At the lake for swimming sports, fishing, rowing and air sports like skydiving.

Lake Singkarak is located 70 km from Padang, 20 km from Solok and about 36 km from Bukittinggi.

From Minangkabau international airport, you can reached Lake Singkarak only about 1.5 hours-2 hours by public transportation or you can take a rented car through the Padang-Solok route and then take other transportation to the lake. This journey will take you passed the Sitinjau Laut area which is famous for its sharp curves and steep canyons.

There are many hotels near Lake Singkarak such as those along Solok-Bukittinggi main road and in the Tanah Datar district.

The town of Umbilin is on the shore of the lake, its collection of hotels and restaurants make it a convenient place to stay. Boats can be rented from here and it is a good place for swimming, hiking and relaxing.

Way Kambas National Park -Elephant Protection Park

If you want to see an elephant, came to the Way Kambas National Park.

Way Kambas National Park is a national park for elephant protection, located in Lampung,  Indonesia, has an area of ​​125 621 hectares is designated as a national park by the Minister of Forestry Decree No.. 670/Kpts-II/1999.670/Kpts-II/1999.

Way Kambas National Park established in 1985 is the first elephant school in Indonesia. with the initial name of Elephant Training Center (PLG), but since the last few years the name was changed to Center for Elephant Conservation (PKG) which is expected to be the elephant conservation center in taming, training, breeding and conservation. Until now PKG has trained about 300 elephants that have been distributed to all over Indonesia.

Way Kambas National Park, Beside you can enjoy elephant at the Elephant Training Center, you can also surround the National Park while riding the trained elephants. Sitting on them, and touring around the park's forests, will be unforgetable journey in Way Kambas National Park.

The awesome attractions at Way Kambas National Parks is elephant dancing. Elepahants are able to dance with musical accompaniment skills in circus performances. For example, play ball, shake hands, respectful, draping flowers, tug of war, and swimming. Beside You can also ride elephants.

In this National Park, elephants are not only one thing that you can see. There are many other interesting wild species life. Such as partridge sumatera (Galus varius), wild boar, deer, monitor lizards, grouse, python snakes, Sumatran tiger (Panthera tigris sumatrae), tapir (Tapirus indicus), coyotes (Cuon alpinus sumatrensis), gibbon (Hylobates syndactylus syndactylus); and 406 species of birds including wood duck (Cairina scutulata), stork (Ciconia episcopus stormi), snake (Anhinga melanogaster); and various types of reptiles, amphibians, fish, and insects.

The Whole interesting sights in Way Kambas National Park are:

•  Elephant Training Center
•  Elephants Attractions
• Tour Elephant, day and night
•  Observation of the evening wildlife including observation of migratory birds
•  Sumatran rhino breeding and research in the Right Way
•  Ecotourism Along the River Way Kanan
•  Camping Ground
•  Mangrove forests

How to get there:

There are two ways to get to Way Kambas National Park :

1. Flew and landed in RadinInten II Airport (it is a domestic airport that serves the city of Bandar Lampung) in Lampung, Indonesia. And ride bus or rent car from Bandar Lampung - Metro - Way Jepara along 112 km.
2. From Jakarta to Lampung by crossing the Sunda Strait by ferry. This trip may be more enjoyable. Crossing over from Jakarta to Merak Bakauheni, took about 3 hours to cross the strait. And continue to Labuan Meringgai - Way Kambas via bus or car  (its about 170 Km)

For more information: Call Way Kambas National Park's Office

Jl. Raya Way Jepara, Labuan Ratu Lama, Lampung
+62 (0725) 44220

Cibodas Moss Park- The World's Biggest Outdoor Moss Park

The Cibodas Moss Park is  the first  and biggest outdoor moss park in the world.  Actually Germany and Singapore also have moss parks but they are indoors, and contain only seven species, while one in Japan has only 10 species, but these park are an indoor moss park.

Indonesia is rich in biodiversity, because of the approximately 3,000 species of moss in the world are in Indonesia. "Of that number, about 250 of them are found in Cibodas Moss Park.

The Cibodas Moss Park, is part of the Cibodas BotanicalGarden in Pacet subdistrict, Cianjur regency, West Java.

Cibodas Moss Park has  1,500-m2  area, which will be expanded to 2,500 m2, will be the biggest outdoor moss park in the world, So that  Indonesia will be known as a country which is serious in plant conservation.

Mosses can grow in environments from sea level to mountain tops. Some mosses can grow 30 meters deep in lakes and streams, while others grow on exposed rocks, rotting wood or even on animal carcasses.

Some grow in thermal regions on soils hotter than 50 degrees Celsius, and some in very dry environments.

Some of the benefits of moss are that moss maintains humidity of the air and land porosity, and is helps to retain water.

A moss of the Spaghnum taxon is known to replace cotton, and could heal skin and eye diseases, and serve as a means for the growth of orchids. Marchantia mosses are used to treat hepatitis.

Many of international moss experts visited the this Cibodas moss park every years. So that, foreign researchers will encourage experts at their country to study more about mosses.

Its strategic location makes it very easy for visitors to see it, because the moss park is only 600 meters away from the Cibodas Botanical Garden entrance.

Besides, as it is located in a tropical region surrounded by mountains, the air around it remains humid, unlike those in other countries like Germany, Singapore and Japan.

The location of this park is in Cibodas Botanical Garden on the slope of Gede Pangrango Mountain at Cimacan village, Pacet, Cianjur, West Java. The elevation of the garden is 1275 meters above sea level and the temperature is 17 – 27 Celsius. The distance is about 85 km from Jakarta. It is about 1 Hours by car via toll road from Soekarno Hatta Airport to Bogor-Puncak-Cianjur.

Many hotels are located near location, staying in hotels near the Puncak is a good choice, becouse the air temperatur around is so cool and not so far from the location. But stay at hotel in Bogor is not a bad idea.

Cibodas Botanical Garden- Collection of Plants Wet Tropical Highlands

Cibodas Botanical Garden or the forest park (Botanical Garden), was founded in 1862 by Johannes Elias Teysjmann as a branch of the place at the foot of Mount Gede Bogor botanical gardens.

The Botanical Garden, which covers about 80 hectares has many  collection of trees. The collection of hundreds of trees, both old and young trees. Recorded 5831 samples from 1206 species live here.

Cibodas Botanic Garden, which is the gateway for climbers who want to climb Mount Gede visited not less than 400 000 people. The topography of the terrain is mountainous and hilly with an altitude of 1275 m above the sea, the air temperature of 17-27 degrees Celsius.

This Botanic garden with 2380 mm of rainfall per year and temperatures average 18 degrees Celsius, has devoted as the complete collection of upland wet tropical plants, such as a variety of conifers, moss and ferns.

Cibodas Botanical Garden  is intended as a set of ex situ (outside the habitat) to tropical wet upland vegetation. Included in his collection is a wide range of protected species such as tusam and conifers, ferns mountains, forests calothyrsus, there are natural forests and waterfalls. From the entrance to the location of the waterfall is 750 meters. Moss Park Cibodas Collection of the most distinctive of KRC is Cibodas Moss Park which features 216 types of moss and lichen hatidari various parts of Indonesia and the world. With an area of 2500m square, the park is claimed as the only one in the world that lies outside the room and has the largest collection.

Some sites of interest visitors include GHG (Green House), Jalan Araucaria (auracarua Avenue), waterfall and the location of the landscape along the Cibodas fountain. In a greenhouse that contains many cactus, orchids and rare plants that may be different. There are almost 4,000 samples from 350 types of cactus plants of 360 species of orchids are stored in this greenhouse.

Various facilities are available at the facility Cibodas region, ranging from parking space to accommodate dozens of four-wheeled vehicles and buses, equipped with documentation of spatial information Wana Wisata Cibodas, children's play areas, rooms, public toilets, shelters, pavilions, outdoor theater, and camping ground area of 3 hectares which can accommodate 200 tents. At the Botanical Garden there Cibodas Campgrounds Mandala Kitri. There is also a golf course, Mulya Asri Bandung. At the campground looks a dinosaur statue, which give an idea or a warning for the preservation of forests are not disappearing like the ancient animals that lived this history.

Cibodas Botanical Garden is located in the village Rarahan, Cimacan, Cianjur. The distance is about 85 km from Jakarta. Or, about 1 Hours by car via toll road from Soekarno Hatta Airport to Bogor-Puncak-Cianjur. From the road we still have to walk or climb the vehicle approximately 4 km longer to get there. The park is situated at an altitude of 1,500 m, the climate is quite cool.

Many hotels are located near location, staying in hotels near the Puncak is a good choice, becouse the air temperatur around is so cool and not so far from the location. It will different if staying at hotel near Jakarta.

For more information of Cibodas Botanical Garden 
UPT Balai Konservasi Tumbuhan
Kebun Raya Cibodas-LIPI
PO BOX. 19 Sdl.Sindanglaya Cipanas Cianjur 43253
Telp. +62 0263-512233, 520448, 520467 Fax. 0263-512233.
Website : http://www.krcibodas.lipi.go.id/id/

The Indonesia National Monument-symbolizing the fight for Indonesia

The National Monument (Indonesian: Monumen Nasional), is a 433 ft (132 metre) tower in the centre of Jakarta, symbolizing the fight for Indonesia,  monument built to remember the struggle of Indonesian heroes fighting the colonial domination. Also be the symbol of Indonesian Independence. President Sukarno originally contemplated a national symbol to display the personality of the country, which had found freedom from centuries of foreign rule.

It is the national monument of the Republic of Indonesia,  or what Indonesian and Jakarta people usually call as Monas was built based on the idea of the first president of Indonesia, Ir. Soekarno, with the help of Sudarsono and F. Silaban as the architect, and Ir. Rooseno as the consultant. It’s builts on an area with a width of 80 hectares. Monas was officially open on 17th August 1961 by President Soekarno, and publicly open on 12th July 1971.

The top of Monas shaped like a flame, symbolizing a never extinguished spirit of Indonesian people. The flame was made of bronze medal which weight was 14.5 ton, and was plated with 35 kg gold. The flame has 6 meters diameter and consist of 77 concentrated parts.

The standing pillar of Monas which height is 137 meters, symbolizing a rice pestle, while the cup symbolizing a rice barn. Rice pestle and barn are traditional tools to pound rice, figuring out Indonesia as an agricultural country. They’re also regarded as the symbol of Indonesian people’s fertility, and as the symbol of male and female.

National History Museum located at the baseman of National Monument (Monas). The width of the museum is 6400 meters (80 x 80), and the whole walls, floor, and pillars are top layered with marble. The museum can hold up to 500 people. At the four sides of the museum there are display windows that shows the life and phenomenon that Indonesian people has gone through since Indonesian ancient time.

You could reach the top of Monas by elevator. Surrounding the elevator there are emergency latter to be used in case of emergency. From the top yard you could enjoy the view of Jakarta City and the wind blowing and caressing your face. In a clear weather you could enjoy the view of Salak Mountain at the south side, the ocean at the north side, and Soekarno-Hatta International Airport at the west side. While you're in Monas area it's recommended to get into the top yard and enjoy the views from the top.

The park area which surrounds the monument is organized nicely. There are several kinds of plants from various region of Indonesia in the park. There’re many seats provided under big trees.  You could see the cultivation of spotted dears that were originated from Istana Bogor, at the park. There’re also pathways structured from green thin stone for you to have your feet massaged by walking on it un-shoes. There’re a pool with fountain and the statue of Princess Diponegoro riding a horse which made of 8 ton bronze medal on the park. This statue was made by Italian artist, Prof. Coberlato as a grant from Dr. Mario, Honores Consulate General in Indonesia. The statue is located near the gate of the tunnel which leads to the monument

Other places located near to Monas are the President Palace, National Museum, The Golden Chariot (Kereta Kencana) Sculpture, Gambir Train Terminal, Bank of Indonesia, Indosat Building (the second biggest telecommunication company in Indonesia), Supreme Court, Immanuel Church, Jalan Thamrin.

Jakarta people usually utilize Monas area as a place for sport activities, in the morning and afternoon time. Most people visit Monas on weekend and holidays.

From  Soekarno Hatta Air Port, You could reach Monas by taxi or bus. Monas located in centre Jakarta. It is easy to find. Its just about 26 Km from air port

Borobudur Temple

Borobudur is one of the greatest Buddhist monuments in the world. Founded by a king of the Saliendra dynasty, it was built to honour the glory of both the Buddha and its founder, a true king Bodhisattva. The name Borobudur is believed to have been derived from the Sanskrit words vihara Buddha uhr, meaning the Buddhist monastery on the hill

Borobudur, is a 9th-century Mahayana Buddhist Temple in Magelang, Central Java, Indonesia. The monument consists of six square platforms topped by three circular platforms, and is decorated with 2,672 relief panels and 504 Buddha statues. A main dome, located at the center of the top platform, is surrounded by 72 Buddha statues seated inside a perforated stupa.

The Borobudur Temple Compounds is one of the greatest Buddhist monuments in the world, and was built in the 8th and 9th centuries AD during the reign of the Syailendra Dynasty.

Borobudur Temple was built by Sailendra dynasty between 750 and 842 AD. In terms of world wide religious structures, it was very early, it would be 300 years before Cambodia’s Angkor Wat was constructed, 400 years before work began on the great European cathedrals.

The main temple is a stupa built in three tiers around a hill which was a natural centre: a pyramidal base with five concentric square terraces, the trunk of a cone with three circular platforms and, at the top, a monumental stupa. The walls and balustrades are decorated with fine low reliefs, covering a total surface area of 2,520 m2. Around the circular platforms are 72 openwork stupas, each containing a statue of the Buddha.

The vertical division of Borobudur Temple into base, body, and superstructure perfectly accords with the conception of the Universe in Buddhist cosmology. It is believed that the universe is divided into three superimposing spheres, kamadhatu, rupadhatu, and arupadhatu, representing respectively the sphere of desires where we are bound to our desires, the sphere of forms where we abandon our desires but are still bound to name and form, and the sphere of formlessness where there is no longer either name or form. At Borobudur Temple, the kamadhatu is represented by the base, the rupadhatu by the five square terraces, and the arupadhatu by the three circular platforms as well as the big stupa. The whole structure shows a unique blending of the very central ideas of ancestor worship, related to the idea of a terraced mountain, combined with the Buddhist concept of attaining Nirvana.

The Temple should also be seen as an outstanding dynastic monument of the Syailendra Dynasty that ruled Java for around five centuries until the 10th century.

The Borobudur Temple Compounds consists of three monuments: namely the Borobudur Temple and  two smaller temples situatued to the east on a straight axis to Borobudur. The two temples are Mendut Temple, whose depiction of Buddha is represented by a formidable monolith accompanied by two Bodhisattvas, and Pawon Temple, a smaller temple whose inner space does not reveal which deity might have been the object of worship. Those three monuments represent phases in the attainment of Nirvana.

The temple was used as a Buddhist temple from its construction until sometime between the 10th and 15th centuries when it was abandoned. Since its re-discovery in the 19th century and restoration in the 20th century, it has been brought back into a Buddhist archaeological site.

Where is location.

Borobudur Temple is located 42 km northwest of Yogyakarta, 7 km south of the town of Magelang, Central Java. The monument is located in the Kedu Valley, in the southern part of Central Java, Indonesia.

How to get there.

Access to the area is easy by plane, train, or buses. Once in the region, given the driving conditions, it is recommended you hire one of the many local drivers rather than rent your own vehicle.

You can also take public transport. Go by bus or minibus from Joga Bus terminal. There direct Bus (Micro Bus) serves daily every 10 minutes from Jogja to Borobudur.  The very well known Bus is named, CEMARA TUNGGAL, cost only  about Rp, 14.000,- (one way).  When you take this micro bus, please get down at MENDUT temple. Afterwards, you can walk or take horse cart from to PAWON TEMPLE. From Pawon temple is only 300 meters to BOROBUDUR TEMPLE.

Where to stay ?

See this website here to figure out the best homestay for you. There are more than  30  Places to Stay near Borobudur Temple.

PANDAWA Beach-The Secret Beach In BALI

Recently, has discovered a new beach in Bali, It is Pandawa Beach. Pandawa Beach known well as Secret Beach, by local resident. because of its location hidden behind a row of stone hills are just overgrown shrubs. According to some locals, the beach is long known. However, because the access is quite difficult to get to the location, this beach empty of visitors. Although there was, it was mostly foreign and domestic surfers who visit.

Pandawa beach located in the village of Kutuh, District of South Kuta, Badung regency, Bali Located approximately 3 miles from the region and Tourism Nusa Dua and Pura Uluwatu.

Pandawa Beach one of the best destinations in Bali today. Color of the sea is almost perfect and fine sand beaches make visitors wish stay longer at this beach.

The road to the beach, about 1.5 km to destination, it is found the beautiful cliffs towering, on the both sides.

Panorama is so beautiful here. Clean white sand with turquoise sea water, typical beaches in some hill.  Silent beaches and tranquil atmosphere. This beach is suitable for bathing or swimming because the waves broke in the middle of the sea.

Playing in beach sand Pandawa is also great fun, because the sand is very soft. Because of its location in the east, we can be able to enjoy such a beautiful sunrise on the beach.

Other fascination of  Pandawa beach is the activity of the seaweed farmers along the coast.  Also we can see  bike trail  activities on the hill. We can enjoy  beautiful scenery of Mount Umbrella Beach Waterfalls spilled onto the beach.

Access to the Pandavas is not so difficult anymore. Its access is fast enough  through Jimbaran or Udayana University. Go through the track near the Faculty of Engineering, Udayana University that will also through the hill area. It is recommend that you use a motorcycle or car to get to the Pandawa Beach.