Senin, 31 Januari 2011

Bali island, Indonesia

Bali islands - The Island of Paradise







Bali islands is one of the thousands islands constructing the Indonesian Archipelago that has long been famous as a leading tourist destination in South Pacific or even in the world for its exotic and vibrant art and culture, natural beauties and the hospitality of the people. Bali islands covers an extent of 5,632.86 square kilometers consisted of mountain range stretches from the West tip to the East.

Hinduism is adhered by almost 95% of its population of more than 3 millions people, specifically blended with Buddhism and the Ancestor's worship. It is made inseparable from everyday life and no opportunity is missed to worship Gods in an unending series of ceremony stretches from birth up to after death.

The Conducive environment in Bali islands is supported by the Balinese philosophy of life, called "Tri Hita Karana". Tri Hita Karana dictates that happines can only be achieved if there are hamonious relationship between human and Gods; between human and their community; and between human and nature (its surronding). This philosophy has become a way of life among the Balinese, and is practiced in their daily life.

Bali islands has such a mild and agreeable climate the wholeYear round, with average temperature of the day in coastal areas varies from about 28C (82F) during May-July to abut 30C (86F) in March-October, while the most pleasant weather is between May-September.

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With a network of tour operators throughout the country, Bali islands has already had a reputation of its interesting and selected routes with a wide range of choices of destination.

Nusa Dua (Bali islands) is an exclusive resort area featuring pristine beaches and majestic palms overlooking a turquoise sea. This purpose-built development is a peaceful enclave where families can relax and enjoy a tropical paradise and the Balinese hospitality, all without having to venture far from their luxurious rooms. The Bali Golf and Country Club is only a few steps away and the International Airport is a mere 20-minute drive from Nusa Dua.

Ubud (Bali Islands) is a remarkable town inthe middle of the island of Bali. For more than a century, it has been the island's preeminent centre for fine arts, dance and music.While it once was a haven for scruffy backpackers, cosmic seekers, artists and bohemians, Ubud is now a hot spot for literati, glitterati, art collectors and connoisseurs. Famous names walk its busy sidewalks everyday.

Sanur (Bali islands) is traditionally a fishing village and has managed to keep that lazy-town feeling. This really makes Sanur a unique area and unlike most other beach areas in Bali, Sanur has stayed largely in local hands.

Tanah Lot (Bali islands), Located in Tabanan, just across the boundary of Badung regency, Tanah Lot is the most well-known and photographed temple. The temple is built on a small promontory, which is only accessible by foot at low tide. Take a scarf and dress with respect.

Menjangan island (Bali islands) popular diving site in Bali due to it's fine and preserved corals and rich equatic animal, turquoise clear water, and very calm sea. Every divers coming to Bali with the emphasize on diving program in Bali will put Menjangan and Tulamben sites as the priority sites. Menjangan island is unpopulated, but there is an old temple, supposed to originated from 14th century named " Pura Giri Kencana." During the expedition of Majapahit kingdom of Java in 1343 AD, it is believed that a boat was wrecked with their relics are still on sea bed. It is believed to have the magic influence.

Nusa Lembongan (Bali islands) is situated 12 miles south east of Bali. It is one hour travelling time by boat from Benoa Harbour. This pear shaped island is around 4km long and 2km wide. It is surrounded by a beautiful fringing reef and the waters are renowned for their abundance of life and great surf breaks.

Candidasa (Bali islands) is most often compared to Kuta as Kuta was some 15 years ago. The comparison has some merit - Candidasa is a small village with few inhabitants on the beach with a several - mostly inexpensive hotels that cater to more adventurous tourists looking for a more laid back atmosphere.

Sabtu, 29 Januari 2011

Borobudur, Central Java, Indonesia


Borobudur, or Barabudur, is a 9th-century Mahayana Buddhist monument near Magelang, Central Java, Indonesia. The monument comprises 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 perforated stupa.
The monument is both a shrine to the Lord Buddha and a place for Buddhist pilgrimage. The journey for pilgrims begins at the base of the monument and follows a path circumambulating the monument while ascending to the top through the three levels of Buddhist cosmology, namely Kāmadhātu (the world of desire), Rupadhatu (the world of forms) and Arupadhatu (the world of formlessness). During the journey the monument guides the pilgrims through a system of stairways and corridors with 1,460 narrative relief panels on the wall and the balustrades.

Evidence suggests Borobudur was abandoned following the 14th-century decline of Buddhist and Hindu kingdoms in Java, and the Javanese conversion to Islam. Worldwide knowledge of its existence was sparked in 1814 by Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, then the British ruler of Java, who was advised of its location by native Indonesians. Borobudur has since been preserved through several restorations. The largest restoration project was undertaken between 1975 and 1982 by the Indonesian government and UNESCO, following which the monument was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site Borobudur is still used for pilgrimage; once a year Buddhists in Indonesia celebrate Vesak at the monument, and Borobudur is Indonesia's single most visited tourist attraction.

Kamis, 27 Januari 2011

Raja Ampat Islands, West Papua, Indonesia


Located off the northwest tip of Bird's Head Peninsula on the island of New Guinea, in Indonesia's West Papua province, Raja Ampat, or the Four Kings, is an archipelago comprising over 1,500 small islands, cays and shoals surrounding the four main islands of Misool, Salawati, Batanta and Waigeo, and the smaller island of Kofiau. It encompasses more than 40,000 km² of land and sea, which also contains Cenderawasih Bay, the largest marine national park in Indonesia. It is a part of the newly named West Papua (province) of Indonesia which was formerly Irian Jaya. The islands are the most northern pieces of land in the Australian continent.

According to Conservation International, marine surveys suggest that the marine life diversity in the Raja Ampat area is the highest recorded on Earth. Diversity is considerably greater than any other area sampled in the Coral Triangle composed of Indonesia, Philippines and Papua New Guinea. The Coral Triangle is the heart of the world's coral reef biodiversity, making Raja Ampat quite possibly the richest coral reef ecosystems in the world.
The area's massive coral colonies along with relatively high sea surface temperatures, also suggest that its reefs may be relatively resistant to threats like coral bleaching and coral disease, which now jeopardize the survival of other coral ecosystems around the world. The Raja Ampat islands are remote and relatively undisturbed by humans.

The high marine diversity in Raja Ampat is strongly influenced by its position between the Indian and Pacific Oceans, as coral and fish larvae are more easily shared between the two oceans. Raja Ampat's coral diversity, resilience, and role as a source for larval dispersal make it a global priority for marine protection.
1,309 fish species, 537 coral species (a remarkable 96% of all scleractinia recorded from Indonesia are likely to occur in these islands), and 699 mollusk species, the variety of marine life is staggering. Some areas boast enormous schools of fish and regular sightings of sharks, such as wobbegongs.























Selasa, 25 Januari 2011

Lake Toba, North Sumatra, Indonesia



Lake Toba (Indonesian: Danau Toba) is a lake and supervolcano. The lake is 100 kilometres long and 30 kilometres wide, and 505 metres (1,666 ft) at its deepest point. Located in the middle of the northern part of the Indonesian island of Sumatra with a surface elevation of about 900 metres (2,953 ft). It is the largest lake in Indonesia and the largest volcanic lake in the world.

Lake Toba is the site of a supervolcanic eruption that occurred 69,000-77,000 years ago, a massive climate-changing event. The eruption is believed to have had a VEI intensity of 8. It is believed to be the largest explosive eruption anywhere on Earth in the last 25 million years. According to the Toba catastrophe theory to which some anthropologists and archeologists subscribe, it had global consequences, killing most humans then alive and creating a population bottleneck in Central Eastern Africa and India that affected the genetic inheritance of all humans today. This theory however, has been largely debated as there is no evidence for any other animal decline or extinction, even in environmentally sensitive species. However, it has been accepted that the eruption of Toba led to a volcanic winter with a worldwide decline in temperatures between 3-5 degrees C, and up to 15 degrees C in higher latitudes.

The Toba eruption (the Toba event) occurred at what is now Lake Toba about 67,500 to 75,500 years ago.The Toba eruption was the latest of a series of at least three caldera-forming eruptions which have occurred at the volcano, with earlier calderas having formed around 700,000 and 840,000 years ago. The last eruption had an estimated Volcanic Explosivity Index of 8 (described as "mega-colossal"), making it possibly the largest explosive volcanic eruption within the last twenty-five million years.

World famous is the crater Toba Lake in the Batak highlands; approximately five hours drive from Medan. Toba Lake is the largest lake in South East Asia and also one of the most spectacular, surrounded by tall mountains and with the large island of Samosir in the middle. If we descend from the mountain we see the lake glittering in all its beauty. The Dutch writer Rudy Kousbroek even called Toba Lake, 'the most beautiful place on earth'. Most visitors stay on the peninsula of Tuk Tuk on Samosir, named after the linguist Herman Neubronner van der Tuuk. In general people stay several days on Samosir to discover the island, to visit traditional Batak villages, to swim in the lake and go to the hot springs in Pangururan.
The centerpiece of North Sumatra, Lake Toba's bracing climate and magnificent panoramas clear the mind and soothe the soul. For decades a magnet from regional and foreign visitors alike, Toba has developed into a full-featured highland resort while retaining the rustic charm and relaxed ambiance that define Toba's attraction. Formed by a stupendous prehistoric volcanic explosion, the 100 km long lake is the largest in Southeast Asia and one of the deepest and the highest in the world. The drama of that cataclysmic birth persist in 500 meter cliffs dropping into the blue-green waters, surrounded by steep, pine covered sloped, the climate is fresh and pleasant, with just enough rain to support the lush vegetation.

Toba Lake has become one of the main tourist attractions for a long time in North Sumatra apart from Bukit Lawang and Nias, visited by both domestic and foreign tourist.