Indonesia Traveling

Labuan Cermin - Beutifull Indonesian Lake

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 08 Dec 2015 07:36:00 +0000

Indonesia Traveling - This place is something new but need to visit it because there’s something wonderful, wonderful of view, wonderful of natural creation. His name is Labuan Cermin, situated in the Berau regency in East Borneo which is the largest regency in Kalimantan. Berau have so many interesting places. The Labuan Cermin Lake located in the far interior of East Kalimantan, surrounded by forests and there are towering cliffs High temperatures in that area.

Labuan Cermin

Recently, Labuan Cermin entered as a finalist Copyright Award 2012, organized by the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy, Republic of Indonesia. According to Co-leader of Biduk-Biduk, Mr. Saharuddin to the media, Labuan cermin set as a finalist nature group run by NGOs or community groups. Attraction, which is now a mainstay on the south coast of Berau, it is said Saharuddin, it continued effort to maintain authenticity. Local people have even set this area should not be disturbed by any activity. Because Labuan Cermin is a karst rock formations that if disturbed, it will be broken. “Through the agencies in the community, with district officials and village, we have always pursued the development and maintenance of the region”, he said.

labuan2But, the charm of the beauty that lies in Labuan Cermin now starting disturbed when logging operations around the lake assessed begin to disrupt the lives of ecosystems and water quality at the site. The headman of Biduk-Biduk Village, Mudassir said that the current water conditions in that lake now is very different than when he still child. When the water in the lake is very clear and shiny. But at this time, the lake’s condition change, although it did not really affect the natural beauty of the lake, however, if this condition is allowed to continue he is afraid that the condition of Labuan Cermin will become increasingly severe, and the place was no longer as a favourite destination for tourists.

labuan3The most important thing from this place is Dua Rasa (two layers) lake. Labuan Cermin located in Biduk-biduk sub district near with Batu Putih village. It called wonderfull because you can find something surprising. There are other things that make Labuan Cermin lake is different from other lakes. This lake has two types of water, freshwater and salt water. Indeed, you will find both different waters in one area. Not only that, but both types of organisms also live in the water of this Lake. Labuan Cermin is a lake that has beautiful natural scenery and unspoiled, Freshwater fish living on the surface of the Lake while salt water fish live in the bottom of the Lake.

Surprisingly, both types of water are not mixed. It can be seen that the sea water and fresh water are separated by layers like clouds. The white muddy layer in the lake is allegedly the result of decomposition basic harbor organisms that trapped and can not go. The thickness of the layer of freshwater and saltwater can be changed in accordance with tidal sea water. This is a natural wonder because there’s none did any research in this lake to find out the mystery of how this phenomenon occurs.

labuan4Mudassir as the headman of Biduk-Biduk Village sayed every weekend there’s many people come to visit this place. Sometimes, they have to wait their turn to board the ship towards to the lake. “We only have 3 boats to serve visitors to the lake. All boats are belongings the local community, not facilities from the government. We have asked the government for development in the area, but until now no response”, explained the man nicknamed Dassir. Here, there’s no other facilities to serve or for rent to the tourist. Tourist need to bring their own equipment if they want to snorkeling, diving or others. “The local community here do not provide any tools/equipment beside a boat. People who plan to stay here overnight, there’s no hotel or something similar like that except resident housing”, told Dassir.

labuan5This lake is so clear blue, shiny like a mirror, no wonder it’s called Mirror Lake because someone can reflect on it. The water was quite cold and soothing the skin, sometimes it feels a spring bubbles, and even at some point feels warm. If you are swimming there, be careful with the water flows, because in some places the flows are quite strong and easy to drag people who couldn’t swim.

Lekmalamin, the first and the only one of Non Governmental Organization/NGO in Labuan Cermin are the people who take care of this lake and its natural richness, built a simple wooden pier, and maintain the area very carefully. They told me that Labuan Cermin area now is not as beautiful as it used to be because there’s so many visitors. Sometimes, there’s people care the environment, sometimes they just littering this area, destroying forests and other. “We were always remind them to care about this area, we have been providing bins in every corner, but they are still littering the area. Sometimes, we need 1-2 days to clean up the area after every weekend”, explained Fazhri, one of the organization’s.

This place can be reached within three hours trip from the north of Derawan Island. Or peoples can rent a car from Berau city center. It takes 6 hours to get there. After arrive in Biduk-biduk village, to reach the lake, you have to ride the canoe fishing trip and passed for 15 minutes, through mangroves and scrub forest. Because the distance is quite far from the city, rarely or hardly any tourists visit this lake. This place is only known by local people from the surrounding area of East Borneo. Well, with all the authenticity and naturalness of this lake, Labuan Cermin Lake should be one of the sights you must visit soon.

Tomini Bay, Beautiful Under Water in Gorontalo

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 20 Oct 2015 08:47:00 +0000

Indonesia Traveling - There are just so many things that make Gorontalo perfect for holiday, the beauty of its nature, the culture and not forget to mention, the friendly people. General information about Gorontalo, stated at North Sulawesi. Mountains, hills, shore line are the main characteristic of Gorontalo and it makes the island perfect for marine tourism.

Most of diving site take you just a few minute from town, Diving in Gorontalo mean diving within the richness of biodiversity, health and unique coral and reefs.

Lots of beautiful places could be found here. Tomini Bay, for instance, is famous for under water habitat and undefined creatures. There is several number of unsettled small islands. Tomini Bay is a heaven for divers, because the geographic position of Tomini Bay itself, which is crossed by the equator line, has naturally presented various kinds of sea creature inside.

Desa Olele or Olele Village is well known as the wild diving spot among world class diver. Olele beach is a gate to underwater paradise. The amazing beauty of underwater life on this area has been recognize and proofed by the enthusiasm of the divers who come to Olele beach. The divers called Olele as Traffic Jam dive spot.

In Tomini Bay and Olele Beach, you can find some or maybe the most amazing underwater creatures such as:

Giant Reef (Petrosia Sp.)

School of Gobi Fish (Bryaninops erythrops)

Salvador Dali reef (Petrosia lignose)

Kipas Laut Biru (Acanthogorgia Sp.). There are only 3 acanthogorgia Sp. In Gorontalo

Anemon Koralimorf (Discosoma Sp.)

Nemo

Ikan Behang (plectorhinchus chaetodonoides), some people call it cha-cha fish caused they dance and swim around the coral.

Blenni (Escenius Caeruliventris)

Cardinal Fish, damsel, platax pinnatus, scorpaenopsis, oxycephala, goropa fish, butterfly fish, pusillus, cockatoo fish, Randal fish, parapterois hetururus, Bothus Sp " half face fish, frog fish, celebes

Not forget to mention that Gorontalo is the Kingdom of Nudibrancia

Seahorses and pigmy seahorses

How to Eat

Within the city, its easy to find any kind of food you want to have for your meal, international menu and traditional menu are available. Make your order, and youll find your meal rich in spices. Seafood lover will be pleased here Perkedel ikan nike (nike fish). Mashed nike fish mix with flour and spices, then fried Pepes Ikan Nike. Fresh nike fish mixed with certain spices, wrapped with banana leaf then baked or some prefer it grilled.

How to Stay

Gorontalo resort is a nice choice of accomodation near the diving area. If you choose to stay at the town, these hotels may fit your needs:

Quality Hotel GorontaloJl. A. Yani Kota Gorontalo Phone: (0435) 822222, Fax (+62435) 821111 Saronde Hotel Walanda Marmis Street Phone: (0435) 824144 Yulia HotelAhmad Yani Street Phone: (0435) 828395 Wisata Hotel 23 Januari Street Phone: (0435) 821736 City Hotel Basuki Rahmat Street Phone: (0435) 822437 Krawang City HotelBasuki Rahmat Street Phone: (0435) 822437 Citra Hotel Merdeka Street Phone: (0435) 821249

What We can Do?

Wreck of Japanese Cargo, Tjendrawasih Ship Sail with the fisherman Sentinels: Best of the Best in Diving Fishing Potanga Pool with natural cool and fresh water-directly comes from the mountain spring Otanaha Castle was the protection and defense of the Kings of Gorontalo White sand of Leato Limboto Lake Ayuhulalo Waterfall Boalemo Beach Bolihutuo Beach Bajos Tribe Village

How to get there?

Within the town, Trans Sulawesi is a land acces that connected the province in Sulawesi
Mini bus
To access the diving spot you can use rented car/bike, then take a boat toward your spot preferences
For those who use dive companys services, they'll arrange your activities (transport, meals, lodging) the moment you arrived at Gorontalo
Take a ride with Bentor, support by motor bike machine, for one or two passenger only. Dont worry with the rain, cause Bentor installed with veil
Jallaludin airport is the entrance for the visitors who use the airplane service (located approximately 15 km from the town of Gorontalo)
Flight from Sukarno Hatta Air Port-Jakarta " Jallaludin Air Port, Gorontalo (Filght served every day, please check the exact schedule to your airline services)
For visitors who use sea service, Gorontalo has 3 harbors, Anggrek Harbor, Kwandang Harbor and Crossing Harbor

PHOTO GALLERY

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Indonesian Culture

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 20 Oct 2015 08:21:00 +0000

The Republic of Indonesia, the world's fourth most populous nation, has 203 million people living on nearly one thousand permanently settled islands. Some two-to-three hundred ethnic groups with their own languages and dialects range in population from the Javanese (about 70 million) and Sundanese (about 30 million) on Java, to peoples numbering in the thousands on remote islands. The nature of Indonesian national culture is somewhat analogous to that of India—multicultural, rooted in older societies and interethnic relations, and developed in twentieth century nationalist struggles against a European imperialism that nonetheless forged that nation and many of its institutions. The national culture is most easily observed in cities but aspects of it now reach into the countryside as well. Indonesia's borders are those of the Netherlands East Indies, which was fully formed at the beginning of the twentieth century, though Dutch imperialism began early in the seventeenth century. Indonesian culture has historical roots, institutions, customs, values, and beliefs that many of its people share, but it is also a work in progress that is undergoing particular stresses at the beginning of the twenty-first century.

The name Indonesia, meaning Indian Islands, was coined by an Englishman, J. R. Logan, in Malaya in 1850. Derived from the Greek, Indos (India) and nesos (island), it has parallels in Melanesia, "black islands"; Micronesia, "small islands"; and Polynesia, "many islands." A German geographer, Adolf Bastian, used it in the title of his book, Indonesien , in 1884, and in 1928 nationalists adopted it as the name of their hoped-for nation.

Most islands are multiethnic, with large and small groups forming geographical enclaves. Towns within such enclaves include the dominant ethnic group and some members of immigrant groups. Large cities may consist of many ethnic groups; some cities have a dominant majority. Regions, such as West Sumatra or South Sulawesi, have developed over centuries through the interaction of geography (such as rivers, ports, plains, and mountains), historical interaction of peoples, and political-administrative policies. Some, such as North Sumatra, South Sulawesi, and East Java are ethnically mixed to varying degrees; others such as West Sumatra, Bali, and Aceh are more homogeneous. Some regions, such as South Sumatra, South Kalimantan, and South Sulawesi, share a long-term Malayo-Muslim coastal influence that gives them similar cultural features, from arts and dress to political and class stratification to religion. Upland or upriver peoples in these regions have different social, cultural, and religious orientations, but may feel themselves or be perforce a part of that region. Many such regions have become government provinces, as are the latter three above. Others, such as Bali, have not.

Location and Geography. Indonesia, the world's largest archipelago nation, is located astride the equator in the humid tropics and extends some 2,300 miles (3,700 kilometers) east-west, about the same as the contiguous United States. It is surrounded by oceans, seas, and straits except where it shares an island border with East Malaysia and Brunei on Borneo (Kalimantan); with Papua New Guinea on New Guinea; and with Timor Loro Sae on Timor. West Malaysia lies across the Straits of Malaka, the Philippines lies to the northeast, and Australia lies to the south.

The archipelago's location has played a profound role in economic, political, cultural, and religious developments there. For more than two thousand years, trading ships sailed between the great civilizations of India and China via the waters and islands of the Indies. The islands also supplied

Indonesia

spices and forest products to that trade. The alternating east and west monsoon winds made the Indies a layover point for traders and others from diverse nations who brought their languages, ideas about political order, and their arts and religions. Small and then large kingdoms grew as a result of, and as part of, that great trade. Steamships altered some trade patterns, but the region's strategic location between East and South Asia and the Middle East remains.

Indonesia consists of all or part of some of the world's largest islands—Sumatra, Java, most of Kalimantan (Borneo), Sulawesi (Celebes), Halmahera, and the west half of New Guinea (Papua)—and numerous smaller islands, of which Bali (just east of Java) is best known. These islands plus some others have mountain peaks of 9,000 feet (2,700 meters) or more, and there are some four hundred volcanos, of which one hundred are active. Between 1973 and 1990, for example, there were twenty-nine recorded eruptions, some with tragic consequences. Volcanic lava and ash contributed to the rich soils of upland Sumatra and all of Java and Bali, which have nurtured rice cultivation for several thousand years.

The inner islands of Java, Madura, and Bali make up the geographical and population center of the archipelago. Java, one of the world's most densely settled places (with 2,108 people per square mile [814 per square kilometer] in 1990), occupies 78 percent of the nation's land area but accounts for about 60 percent of Indonesia's population. (About the size of New York state, Java's population is equivalent to 40 percent of that of the United States.) The outer islands, which form an arc west, north, and east of the inner ones, have about 90 percent of the land area of the country but only about 42 percent of the population. The cultures of the inner islands are more homogeneous, with only four major cultural groups: the Sundanese (in West Java), the Javanese (in Central and East Java), the Madurese (on Madura and in East Java), and the Balinese (on Bali). The outer islands have hundreds of ethnolinguistic groups.

Forests of the inner islands, once plentiful, are now largely gone. Kalimantan, West Papua, and Sumatra still have rich jungles, though these are threatened by population expansion and exploitation by loggers for domestic timber use and export. Land beneath the jungles is not fertile. Some eastern islands, such as Sulawesi and the Lesser Sundas (the island chain east of Bali), also have lost forests.

Two types of agriculture are predominant in Indonesia: permanent irrigated rice farming ( sawah ) and rotating swidden or slash-and-burn ( ladang ) farming of rice, corn, and other crops. The former dominates Java, Bali, and the highlands all along the western coast of Sumatra; the latter is found in other parts of Sumatra and other outer islands, but not exclusively so. Fixed rain-fed fields of rice are prominent in Sulawesi and some other places. Many areas are rich in vegetables, tropical fruit, sago, and other cultivated or forest crops, and commercial plantations of coffee, tea, tobacco, coconuts, and sugar are found in both inner and outer islands. Plantation-grown products such as rubber, palm oil, and sisal are prominent in Sumatra, while coffee, sugar, and tea are prominent in Java. Spices such as cloves, nutmeg, and pepper are grown mainly in the outer islands, especially to the east. Maluku (formerly the Moluccas) gained its appellation the "Spice Islands" from the importance of trade in these items. Gold, tin, and nickel are mined in Sumatra, Bangka, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, and Papua for domestic and international markets, and oil and liquified natural gas (especially from Sumatra) are important exports. Numerous rivers flowing from mountainous or jungle interiors to coastal plains and ports have carried farm and forest products for centuries and have been channels for cultural communication.

Demography. Indonesia's population increased from 119,208,000 in 1971 to 147,500,000 in 1980, to 179,300,000 in 1990, and to 203,456,000 in 2000. In the meantime the fertility rate declined from 4.6 per thousand women to 3.3; the crude death rate fell at a rate of 2.3 percent per year; and infant mortality declined from 90.3 per thousand live births to 58. The fertility rate was projected to fall to 2.1 percent within another decade, but the total population was predicted to reach 253,700,000 by 2020. As of the middle of the twentieth century, Indonesia's population was largely rural, but at the beginning of the twenty-first century, about 20 percent live in towns and cities and three of five people farm.

Cities in both inner and outer islands have grown rapidly, and there are now twenty-six cities with populations over 200,000. As in many developing countries, Indonesia's population is still a young one. The above patterns are national, but there are ethnic and regional variations. Population has grown at different rates in different areas owing to such factors as economic conditions and standard of living, nutrition, availability and effectiveness of public health and family planning programs, and cultural values and practices.

Migration also plays a part in population fluctuations. Increased permanent or seasonal migration to cities accompanied economic development during the 1980s and 1990s, but there is also significant migration between rural areas as people leave places such as South Sulawesi for more productive work or farm opportunities in Central Sumatra or East Kalimantan.

Linguistic Affiliation. Nearly all of Indonesia's three hundred to four hundred languages are subgroups of the Austronesian family that extends from Malaysia through the Philippines, north to several hill peoples of Vietnam and Taiwan, and to Polynesia, including Hawaiian and Maori (of New Zealand) peoples. Indonesia's languages are not mutually intelligible, though some subgroups are more similar than others (as Europe's Romance languages are closer to each other than to Germanic ones, though both are of the Indo-European family). Some language subgroups have sub-subgroups, also not mutually intelligible, and many have local dialects. Two languages—one in north Halmahera, one in West Timor—are non-Austronesian and, like Basque in Europe, are not related to other known languages. Also, the very numerous languages of Papua are non-Austronesian.

Most people's first language is a local one. In 1923, however, the Malay language (now known as Bahasa Malaysia in Malaysia where it is the official language) was adopted as the national language at a congress of Indonesian nationalists, though only a small minority living in Sumatra along the Straits of Malaka spoke it as their native language. Nevertheless, it made sense for two reasons.

First, Malay had long been a commercial and governmental lingua franca that bound diverse peoples. Ethnically diverse traders and local peoples used Malay in ports and hinterlands in its grammatically simplified form known as "market Malay." Colonial

A row of tongkona houses in the Toraja village of Palawa. The buffalo horns tied to the poles supporting the massive gable of these houses are a sign of wealth and reputation.

governments in British Malaya and the Netherlands Indies used high Malay in official documents and negotiations and Christian missionaries first translated the Bible into that language.

Second, nationalists from various parts of the archipelago saw the value of a national language not associated with the largest group, the Javanese. Bahasa Indonesia is now the language of government, schools, courts, print and electronic media, literary arts and movies, and interethnic communication. It is increasingly important for young people, and has a youth slang. In homes, a native language of the family is often spoken, with Indonesian used outside the home in multiethnic areas. (In more monolingual areas of Java, Javanese also serves outside the home.) Native languages are not used for instruction beyond the third grade in some rural areas. Native language literatures are no longer found as they were in colonial times. Many people lament the weakening of native languages, which are rich links to indigenous cultures, and fear their loss to modernization, but little is done to maintain them. The old and small generation of well-educated Indonesians who spoke Dutch is passing away. Dutch is not known by most young and middle-aged people, including students and teachers of history who cannot read much of the documentary history of the archipelago. English is the official second language taught in schools and universities with varying degrees of success.

Symbolism. The national motto, Bhinneka Tunggal Ika , is an old Javanese expression usually translated as "unity in diversity." The nation's official ideology, first formulated by President Sukarno in 1945, is the Pancasila, or Five Principles: belief in one supreme God; just and civilized humanitarianism; Indonesian unity; popular sovereignty governed by wise policies arrived at through deliberation and representation; and social justice for all Indonesian people. Indonesia was defined from the beginning as the inheritor of the Netherlands East Indies. Though West Papua remained under the Dutch until 1962, Indonesia conducted a successful international campaign to secure it. Indonesia's occupation of the former Portuguese East Timor in 1975, never recognized by the United Nations, conflicted with this founding notion of the nation. After two decades of bitter struggle there, Indonesia withdrew.

Since 1950 the national anthem and other songs have been sung by children throughout the country to begin the school day; by civil servants at flag-raising ceremonies; over the radio to begin and close broadcasting; in cinemas and on television; and at national day celebrations. Radio and television, government owned and controlled for much of the second half of the twentieth century, produced nationalizing programs as diverse as Indonesian language lessons, regional and ethnic dances and songs, and plays on national themes. Officially recognized "national heroes" from diverse regions are honored in school texts, and biographies and with statues for their struggles against the Dutch; some regions monumentalize local heros of their own.

History and Ethnic Relations

Emergence of the Nation. Though the Republic of Indonesia is only fifty years old, Indonesian societies have a long history during which local and wider cultures were formed.

About 200 C.E. , small states that were deeply influenced by Indian civilization began to develop in Southeast Asia, primarily at estuaries of major rivers. The next five hundred to one thousand years saw great states arise with magnificent architecture. Hinduism and Buddhism, writing systems, notions of divine kingship, and legal systems from India were adapted to local scenes. Sanskrit terms entered many of the languages of Indonesia. Hinduism influenced cultures throughout Southeast Asia, but only one people are Hindu, the Balinese.

Indianized states declined about 1400 C.E. with the arrival of Muslim traders and teachers from India, Yemen, and Persia, and then Europeans from Portugal, Spain, Holland, and Britain. All came to join the great trade with India and China. Over the next two centuries local princedoms traded, allied, and fought with Europeans, and the Dutch East India Company became a small state engaging in local battles and alliances to secure trade. The Dutch East India Company was powerful until 1799 when the company went bankrupt. In the nineteenth century the Dutch formed the Netherlands Indies government, which developed alliances with rulers in the archipelago. Only at the beginning of the twentieth century did the Netherlands Indies government extend its authority by military means to all of present Indonesia.

Sporadic nineteenth century revolts against Dutch practices occurred mainly in Java, but it was in the early twentieth century that Indonesian intellectual and religious leaders began to seek national independence. In 1942 the Japanese occupied the Indies, defeating the colonial army and imprisoning the Dutch under harsh conditions.

On 17 August 1945, following Japan's defeat in World War II, Indonesian nationalists led by Sukarno and Mohammad Hatta declared Indonesian independence. The Dutch did not accept and for five years fought the new republic, mainly in Java. Indonesian independence was established in 1950.

National Identity. Indonesia's size and ethnic diversity has made national identity problematic and debated. Identity is defined at many levels: by Indonesian citizenship; by recognition of the flag, national anthem, and certain other songs; by recognition of national holidays; and by education about Indonesia's history and the Five Principles on which the nation is based. Much of this is instilled through the schools and the media, both of which have been closely regulated by the government during most of the years of independence. The nation's history has been focused upon resistance to colonialism and communism by national heroes and leaders who are enshrined in street names. Glories of past civilizations are recognized, though archaeological remains are mainly of Javanese principalities.

Ethnic Relations. Ethnic relations in the archipelago have long been a concern. Indonesian leaders recognized the possibility of ethnic and regional separatism from the beginning of the republic. War was waged by the central government against separatism in Aceh, other parts of Sumatra, and Sulawesi in the 1950s and early 1960s, and the nation was held together by military force.

The relationships between native Indonesians and overseas Chinese have been greatly influenced by Dutch and Indonesian government policies. The Chinese number about four to six million, or 3 percent of the population, but are said to control as much as 60 percent of the nation's wealth. The Chinese traded and resided in the islands for centuries, but in the nineteenth century the Dutch brought in many more of them to work on plantations or in mines. The Dutch also established a social, economic, and legal stratification system that separated Europeans, foreign Asiatics and Indo-Europeans, and Native Indonesians, partly to protect native Indonesians so that their land could not be lost to outsiders. The Chinese had little incentive to assimilate to local societies, which in turn had no interest in accepting them.

Even naturalized Chinese citizens faced restrictive regulations, despite cozy business relationships between Chinese leaders and Indonesian officers and bureaucrats. Periodic violence directed toward Chinese persons and property also occurred. In the colonial social system, mixed marriages between Chinese men and indigenous women produced half-castes ( peranakan ), who had their own organizations, dress, and art forms, and even newspapers. The same was true for people of mixed Indonesian-European descent (called Indos, for short).

Ethnolinguistic groups reside mainly in defined areas where most people share much of the same culture and language, especially in rural areas. Exceptions are found along borders between groups, in places where other groups have moved in voluntarily or as part of transmigration programs, and in cities. Such areas are few in Java, for example, but more common in parts of Sumatra.

Religious and ethnic differences may be related. Indonesia has the largest Muslim population of any country in the world, and many ethnic groups are exclusively Muslim. Dutch policy allowed proselytization by Protestants and Catholics among separate groups who followed traditional religions; thus today many ethnic groups are exclusively Protestant or Roman Catholic. They are heavily represented among upriver or upland peoples in North Sumatra, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Maluku, and the eastern Lesser Sundas, though many Christians are also found in Java and among the Chinese. Tensions arise when groups of one religion migrate to a place with a different established religion. Political and economic power becomes linked to both ethnicity and religion as groups favor their own kinsmen and ethnic mates for jobs and other benefits.

Urbanism, Architecture, and the Use of Space

Javanese princes long used monuments and architecture to magnify their glory, provide a physical focus for their earthly kingdoms, and link themselves to the supernatural. In the seventeenth through nineteenth centuries the Dutch reinforced the position of indigenous princes through whom they ruled by building them stately palaces. Palace architecture over time combined Hindu, Muslim, indigenous, and European elements and symbols in varying degrees depending upon the local situation, which can still be seen in palaces at Yogyakarta and Surakarta in Java or in Medan, North Sumatra.

Dutch colonial architecture combined Roman imperial elements with adaptations to tropical weather and indigenous architecture. The Dutch fort and early buildings of Jakarta have been restored. Under President Sukarno a series of statues were built around Jakarta, mainly glorifying the people; later, the National Monument, the Liberation of West Irian (Papua) Monument, and the great Istiqlal Mosque were erected to express the link to a Hindu past, the culmination of Indonesia's independence, and the place of Islam in the nation. Statues to national heroes are found in regional cities.

Residential architecture for different urban socioeconomic groups was built on models developed by the colonial government and used throughout the Indies. It combined Dutch elements (highpitched tile roofs) with porches, open kitchens, and servants quarters suited to the climate and social system. Wood predominated in early urban architecture, but stone became dominant by the twentieth century. Older residential areas in Jakarta, such as Menteng near Hotel Indonesia, reflect urban architecture that developed in the 1920s and 1930s. After 1950, new residential areas continued to develop to the south of the city, many with elaborate homes and shopping centers.

The majority of people in many cities live in small stone and wood or bamboo homes in crowded urban villages or compounds with poor access to clean water and adequate waste disposal. Houses are often tightly squeezed together, particularly in Java's large cities. Cities that have less pressure from rural migrants, such as Padang in West Sumatra and Manado in North Sulawesi, have been able to better manage their growth.

Traditional houses, which are built in a single style according to customary canons of particular ethnic groups, have been markers of ethnicity. Such houses exist in varying degrees of purity in rural areas, and some aspects of them are used in such urban architecture as government buildings, banks, markets and homes.

Traditional houses in many rural villages are declining in numbers. The Dutch and Indonesian governments encouraged people to build "modern" houses, rectangular structures with windows. In some rural areas, however, such as West Sumatra, restored or new traditional houses are built by successful urban migrants to display their success. In other rural areas people display status by building modern houses of stone and tile, with precious glass windows. In the cities, old colonial homes are renovated by prosperous owners who put newer contemporary-style fronts on the houses. The roman columns favored in Dutch public buildings are now popular for private homes.

Food and Economy

Food in Daily Life. Indonesian cuisine reflects regional, ethnic, Chinese, Middle Eastern, Indian, and Western influences, and daily food quality, quantity,

Women carry towering baskets of fruit on their heads for a temple festival in Bali.

and diversity vary greatly by socioeconomic class, season, and ecological conditions. Rice is a staple element in most regional cooking and the center of general Indonesian cuisine. (Government employees receive monthly rice rations in addition to salaries.) Side dishes of meat, fish, eggs, and vegetables and a variety of condiments and sauces using chili peppers and other spices accompany rice. The cuisine of Java and Bali has the greatest variety, while that of the Batak has much less, even in affluent homes, and is marked by more rice and fewer side dishes. And rice is not the staple everywhere: in Maluku and parts of Sulawesi it is sago, and in West Timor it is maize (corn), with rice consumed only for ceremonial occasions. Among the Rotinese, palm sugar is fundamental to the diet.

Indonesia is an island nation, but fish plays a relatively small part in the diets of the many people who live in the mountainous interiors, though improved transportation makes more salted fish available to them. Refrigeration is still rare, daily markets predominate, and the availability of food may depend primarily upon local produce. Indonesia is rich in tropical fruit, but many areas have few fruit trees and little capacity for timely transportation of fruit. Cities provide the greatest variety of food and types of markets, including modern supermarkets; rural areas much less so. In cities, prosperous people have access to great variety while the poor have very limited diets, with rice predominant and meat uncommon. Some poor rural regions experience what people call "ordinary hunger" each year before the corn and rice harvest.

Food Customs at Ceremonial Occasions. The most striking ceremonial occasion is the Muslim month of fasting, Ramadan. Even less-observant Muslims fast seriously from sunup to sundown despite the tropical heat. Each night during Ramadan, fine celebratory meals are held. The month ends with Idul Fitri, a national holiday when family, friends, neighbors, and work associates visit each other's homes to share food treats (including visits by non-Muslims to Muslim homes).

In traditional ritual, special food is served to the spirits or the deceased and eaten by the participants. The ubiquitous Javanese ritual, selamatan , is marked by a meal between the celebrants and is held at all sorts of events, from life-cycle rituals to the blessing of new things entering a village. Life-cycle events, particularly marriages and funerals, are the main occasions for ceremonies in both rural and urban areas, and each has religious and secular aspects. Elaborate food service and symbolism are features of such events, but the content varies greatly in different ethnic groups. Among the Meto of Timor, for example, such events must have meat and rice ( sisi-maka' ), with men cooking the former and women the latter. Elaborate funerals involve drinking a mixture of pork fat and blood that is not part of the daily diet and that may be unappetizing to many participants who nonetheless follow tradition. At such events, Muslim guests are fed at separate kitchens and tables.

In most parts of Indonesia the ability to serve an elaborate meal to many guests is a mark of hospitality, capability, resources, and status of family or clan whether for a highland Toraja buffalo sacrifice at a funeral or for a Javanese marriage reception in a five-star hotel in Jakarta. Among some peoples, such as the Batak and Toraja, portions of animals slaughtered for such events are important gifts for those who attend, and the part of the animal that is selected symbolically marks the status of the recipient.

Basic Economy. About 60 percent of the population are farmers who produce subsistence and market-oriented crops such as rice, vegetables, fruit, tea, coffee, sugar, and spices. Large plantations are devoted to oil palm, rubber, sugar, and sisel for domestic use and export, though in some areas rubber trees are owned and tapped by farmers. Common farm animals are cattle, water buffalo, horses, chickens, and, in non-Muslim areas, pigs. Both freshwater and ocean fishing are important to village and national economies. Timber and processed wood, especially in Kalimantan and Sumatra, are important for both domestic consumption and export, while oil, natural gas, tin, copper, aluminum, and gold are exploited mainly for export. In colonial times, Indonesia was characterized as having a "dual economy." One part was oriented to agriculture and small crafts for domestic consumption and was largely conducted by native Indonesians; the other part was export-oriented plantation agriculture and mining (and the service industries supporting them), and was dominated by the Dutch and other Europeans and by the Chinese. Though Indonesians are now important in both aspects of the economy and the Dutch/European role is no longer so direct, many features of that dual economy remain, and along with it are continuing ethnic and social dissatisfactions that arise from it.

One important aspect of change during Suharto's "New Order" regime (1968–1998) was the rapid urbanization and industrial production on Java, where the production of goods for domestic use and export expanded greatly. The previous imbalance in production between Java and the Outer Islands is changing, and the island now plays an economic role in the nation more in proportion to its population. Though economic development between 1968 and 1997 aided most people, the disparity between rich and poor and between urban and rural areas widened, again particularly on Java. The severe economic downturn in the nation and the region after 1997, and the political instability with the fall of Suharto, drastically reduced foreign investment in Indonesia, and the lower and middle classes, particularly in the cities, suffered most from this recession.

Land Tenure and Property. The colonial government recognized traditional rights of indigenous peoples to land and property and established semicodified "customary law" to this end. In many areas of Indonesia longstanding rights to land are held by groups such as clans, communities, or kin groups. Individuals and families use but do not own land. Boundaries of communally held land may be fluid, and conflicts over usage are usually settled by village authorities, though some disputes may reach government officials or courts. In cities and some rural areas of Java, European law of ownership was established. Since Indonesian independence various sorts of "land reform" have been called for and have met political resistance. During Suharto's regime, powerful economic and political groups and individuals obtained land by quasi-legal means and through some force in the name of "development," but serving their monied interest in land for timber, agro-business, and animal husbandry; business locations, hotels, and resorts; and residential and factory expansion. Such land was often obtained with minimal compensation to previous owners or occupants who had little legal recourse. The same was done by government and public corporations for large-scale projects such as dams and reservoirs, industrial parks, and highways. Particularly vulnerable were remote peoples (and animals) in forested areas where timber export concessions were granted to powerful individuals.

Commercial Activities. For centuries, commerce has been conducted between the many islands and beyond the present national borders by traders for various local and foreign ethnic groups. Some indigenous peoples such as the Minangkabau, Bugis, and Makassarese are well-known traders, as are the Chinese. Bugis sailing ships, which are built entirely by hand and range in size from 30 to 150 tons (27 to 136 metric tons), still carry goods to many parts of the nation. Trade between lowlands and highlands and coasts and inland areas is handled by these and other small traders in complex market systems

Women carrying firewood in Flores. In Indonesia, men and women share many aspects of village agriculture.

involving hundreds of thousands of men and women traders and various forms of transport, from human shoulders, horses, carts, and bicycles, to minivans, trucks, buses, and boats. Islam spread along such market networks, and Muslim traders are prominent in small-scale trade everywhere.

In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries the Dutch used the Chinese to link rural farms and plantations of native Indonesians to small-town markets and these to larger towns and cities where the Chinese and Dutch controlled large commercial establishments, banks, and transportation. Thus Chinese Indonesians became a major force in the economy, controlling today an estimated 60 percent of the nation's wealth though constituting only about 4 percent of its population. Since independence, this has led to suppression of Chinese ethnicity, language, education, and ceremonies by the government and to second-class citizenship for those who choose to become Indonesian nationals. Periodic outbreaks of violence against the Chinese have occurred, particularly in Java. Muslim small traders, who felt alienated in colonial times and welcomed a change with independence, have been frustrated as New Order Indonesian business, governmental, and military elites forged alliances with the Chinese in the name of "development" and to their financial benefit.

Major Industries. Indonesia's major industries involve agro-business, resource extraction and export, construction, and tourism, but a small to medium-sized industrial sector has developed since the 1970s, especially in Java. It serves domestic demand for goods (from household glassware and toothbrushes to automobiles), and produces a wide range of licensed items for multinational companies. Agro-business and resource extraction, which still supply Indonesia with much of its foreign exchange and domestic operating funds, are primarily in the outer islands, especially Sumatra (plantations, oil, gas, and mines), Kalimantan (timber), and West Papua (mining). The industrial sector has grown in Java, particularly around Jakarta and Surabaya and some smaller cities on the north coast.

Social Stratification

Classes and Castes. Aristocratic states and hierarchically-ordered chiefdoms were features of many Indonesian societies for the past millennium. Societies without such political systems existed, though most had the principle of hierarchy. Hindu states that later turned to Islam had aristocracies at the top and peasants and slaves at the bottom of society. Princes in their capitals concentrated secular and spiritual power and conducted rites for their principalities, and they warred for subjects, booty and land, and control of the sea trade. The Dutch East India Company became a warring state with its own forts, military, and navy, and it allied with and fought indigenous states. The Netherlands Indies government succeeded the company, and the Dutch ruled some areas directly and other areas indirectly via native princes. In some areas they augmented the power of indigenous princes and widened the gap between aristocrats and peasants. In Java, the Dutch augmented the pomp of princes while limiting their authority responsibility; and in other areas, such as East Sumatra, the Dutch created principalities and princely lines for their own economic and political benefit.

In general, princes ruled over areas of their own ethnic group, though some areas were multiethnic in character, particularly larger ones in Java or the port principalities in Sumatra and Kalimantan. In the latter, Malay princes ruled over areas consisting of a variety of ethnic groups. Stratified kingdoms and chiefdoms were entrenched in much of Java, the Western Lesser Sundas and parts of the Eastern Lesser Sundas, South Sulawesi, parts of Maluku, parts of Kalimantan, and the east and southeast coast of Sumatra.

Members of ruling classes gained wealth and the children of native rulers were educated in schools that brought them in contact with their peers from other parts of the archipelago.

Not all Indonesian societies were as socially stratified as that of Java. Minangkabau society was influenced by royal political patterns, but evolved into a more egalitarian political system in its West Sumatran homeland. The Batak of North Sumatra developed an egalitarian political order and ethos combining fierce clan loyalty with individuality. Upland or upriver peoples in Sulawesi and Kalimantan also developed more egalitarian social orders, though they could be linked to the outside world through tribute to coastal princes.

Symbols of Social Stratification. The aristocratic cultures of Java and the Malay-influenced coastal principalities were marked by ceremonial isolation of the princes and aristocrats, tribute by peasants and lesser lords, deference to authority by peasants, sumptuary rules marking off classes, the maintenance by aristocrats of supernaturally powerful regalia, and high court artistic and literary cultures. The Dutch in turn surrounded themselves with some of the same aura and social rules in their interaction with native peoples, especially during the late colonial period when European women came to the Indies and Dutch families were founded. In Java in particular, classes were separated by the use of different language levels, titles, and marriage rules. Aristocratic court culture became a paragon of refined social behavior in contrast to the rough or crude behavior of the peasants or non-Javanese. Indirection in communication and self-control in public behavior became hallmarks of the refined person, notions that spread widely in society. The courts were also exemplary centers for the arts— music, dance, theater, puppetry, poetry, and crafts such as batik cloth and silverworking. The major courts became Muslim by the seventeenth century, but some older Hindu philosophical and artistic practices continued to exist there or were blended with Muslim teachings.

In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries a more complex society developed in Java and some other parts of the Indies, which created a greater demand for trained people in government and commerce than the aristocratic classes could provide, and education was somewhat more widely provided. A class of urbanized government officials and professionals developed that often imitated styles of the earlier aristocracy. Within two decades after independence, all principalities except the sultanates of Yogyakarta and Surakarta were eliminated throughout the republic. Nevertheless, behaviors and thought patterns instilled through generations of indigenous princely rule—deference to authority, paternalism, unaccountability of leaders, supernaturalistic power, ostentatious displays of wealth, rule by individuals and by force rather than by law—continue to exert their influence in Indonesian society.

Political Life

Government. During 2000, Indonesia was in deep governmental crisis and various institutions were being redesigned. The 1945 constitution of the republic, however, mandates six organs of the state: the People's Consultative Assembly ( Majelis Permusyawaratan Rakyat , or MPR), the presidency, the People's Representative Council ( Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat , or DPR), the Supreme Advisory Council ( Dewan Pertimbangan Agung ), the State Audit Board ( Badan Pemeriksa Keuangan ), and the Supreme Court ( Mahkamah Agung ).

The president is elected by the MPR, which consists of one thousand members from various walks of life—farmers to businesspeople, students to soldiers—who meet once every five years to elect the president and endorse his or her coming five-year plan. The vice president is selected by the president.

The DPR meets at least once a year and has five hundred members: four hundred are elected from the provinces, one hundred are selected by the military. The DPR legislates, but its statutes must be approved by the president. The Supreme Court can hear cases from some three hundred subordinate courts in the provinces but cannot impeach or rule on the constitutionality of acts by other branches of government.

In 1997, the nation had twenty-seven provinces plus three special territories (Aceh, Yogyakarta, and Jakarta) with different forms of autonomy and their own governors. East Timor ceased to be a province in 1998, and several others are seeking provincial status. Governors of provinces are appointed by the Interior Ministry and responsible to it. Below the twenty-seven provinces are 243 districts ( kabupaten ) subdivided into 3,841 subdistricts ( kecamatan ), whose leaders are appointed by the government. There are also fifty-five municipalities, sixteen administrative municipalities, and thirty-five administrative cities with administrations separate from the provinces of which they are a part. At the base of government are some sixty-five thousand urban and rural villages called either kelurahan or desa . (Leaders of the former are appointed by the subdistrict head; the latter are elected by the people.) Many officials appointed at all levels during the New Order were military (or former military) men. Provincial, district, and subdistrict governments oversee a variety of services; the functional offices of the government bureaucracy (such as agriculture, forestry, or public works), however, extend to the district level as well and answer directly to their ministries in Jakarta, which complicates local policy making.

Leadership and Political Officials. During the New Order, the Golkar political party exerted full control over ministerial appointments and was powerfully influential in the civil service whose members were its loyalists. Funds were channeled locally to aid Golkar candidates, and they dominated the national and regional representative bodies in most parts of the country. The Muslim United Development Party and the Indonesian Democratic Party lacked such funds and influence and their leaders were weak and often divided. Ordinary people owed little to, and received little from, these parties. After the fall of President Suharto and the opening of the political system to many parties, many people became involved in politics; politics, however, mainly involves the leaders of the major

Fish drying. Both freshwater and ocean fishing are important to village economies.

parties jockeying for alliances and influence within the representative bodies at the national and provincial levels, as well as within the president's cabinet.

The civil and military services, dominant institutions since the republic's founding, are built upon colonial institutions and practices. The New Order regime increased central government authority by appointing heads of subdistricts and even villages. Government service brings a salary, security, and a pension (however modest it may be) and is highly prized. The employees at a certain level in major institutions as diverse as government ministries, public corporations, schools and universities, museums, hospitals, and cooperatives are civil servants, and such positions in the civil service are prized. Membership carried great prestige in the past, but that prestige diminished somewhat during the New Order. Economic expansion made private sector positions—especially for trained professionals— more available, more interesting, and much more lucrative. Neither the number of civil service positions nor salaries have grown comparably.

The interaction of ordinary people with government officials involves deference (and often payments) upward and paternalism downward. Officials, most of whom are poorly paid, control access to things as lucrative as a large construction contract or as modest as a permit to reside in a neighborhood, all of which can cost the suppliant special fees. International surveys have rated Indonesia among the most corrupt nations in the world. Much of it involves sharing the wealth between private persons and officials, and Indonesians note that bribes have become institutionalized. Both the police and the judiciary are weak and subject to the same pressures. The unbridled manipulation of contracts and monopolies by Suharto family members was a major precipitant of unrest among students and others that brought about the president's fall.

Social Problems and Control. At the end of the colonial period, the secular legal system was divided between native (mainly for areas governed indirectly through princes) and government (for areas governed directly through administrators). The several constitutions of the republic between 1945 and 1950 validated colonial law that did not conflict with the constitution, and established three levels of courts: state courts, high courts (for appeal), and the supreme court. Customary law is still recognized, but native princes who were once responsible for its management no longer exist and its position in state courts is uncertain.

Indonesians inherited from the Dutch the notion of "a state based upon law" ( rechtsstaat in Dutch, negara hukum in Indonesian), but implementation has been problematic and ideology triumphed over law in the first decade of independence. Pressure for economic development and personal gain during the New Order led to a court system blatantly subverted by money and influence. Many people became disenchanted with the legal system, though some lawyers led the fight against corruption and for human rights, including the rights of those affected by various development projects. A national human rights commission was formed to investigate violations in East Timor and elsewhere, but has so far had relatively little impact.

One sees the same disaffection from the police, which were a branch of the military until the end of the New Order. Great emphasis was placed upon public order during the New Order, and military and police organs were used to maintain a climate of caution and fear among not just lawbreakers but also among ordinary citizens, journalists, dissidents, labor advocates, and others who were viewed as subversive. Extrajudicial killings of alleged criminals and others were sponsored by the military in some urban and rural areas, and killings of rights activists, particularly in Atjeh, continue. The media, now free after severe New Order controls, is able to report daily on such events. In 1999– 2000, vigilante attacks against even suspected lawbreakers were becoming common in cities and some rural areas, as was an increase in violent crime. Compounding the climate of national disorder were violence among refugees in West Timor, sectarian killing between Muslims and Christians in Sulawesi and Maluku, and separatist violence in Atjeh and Papua; in all of which, elements of the police and military are seen to be participating, even fomenting, rather than controlling.

In villages many problems are never reported to the police but are still settled by local custom and mutual agreement mediated by recognized leaders. Customary settlement is frequently the only means used, but it also may be used as a first resort before appeal to courts or as a last resort by dissatisfied litigants from state courts. In multiethnic areas, disputes between members of different ethnic groups may be settled by leaders of either or both groups, by a court, or by feud. In many regions with settled populations, a customary settlement is honored over a court one, and many rural areas are peaceful havens. Local custom is often based upon restorative justice, and jailing miscreants may be considered unjust since it removes them from oversight and control of their kinsmen and neighbors and from working to compensate aggrieved or victimized persons. Where there is great population mobility, especially in cities, this form of social control is far less viable and, since the legal system is ineffective, vigilantism becomes more common.

Military Activity. The Armed Forces of the Republic of Indonesia ( Angkatan Bersenjata Republik Indonesia , or ABRI) consist of the army (about 214,000 personnel), navy (about 40,000), air force (nearly 20,000), and, until recently, state police (almost 171,000). In addition, almost three million civilians were trained in civil defense groups, student units, and other security units. The premier force, the army, was founded and commanded by members of the Royal Netherlands Indies Army and/or the Japanese-sponsored Motherland Defenders. Many soldiers at first came from the latter, but many volunteers were added after the Japanese left. Some local militias were led by people with little military experience, but their success in the war of independence made them at least local heroes. The army underwent vicissitudes after independence as former colonial officers led in transforming guerilla-bands and provincial forces into a centralized modern army, with national command structure, education, and training.

From its beginning the armed forces recognized a dual function as a defense and security force and as a social and political one, with a territorial structure (distinct from combat commands) that paralleled the civilian government from province level to district, subdistrict, and even village. General Suharto came to power as the leader of an anticommunist and nationalist army, and he made the military the major force behind the New Order. Its security and social and political functions have included monitoring social and political developments at national and local levels; providing personnel for important government departments and state enterprises; censoring the media and monitoring dissidents; placing personnel in villages to learn about local concerns and to help in development; and filling assigned blocs in representative bodies. The military owns or controls hundreds of businesses and state enterprises that provide about three-quarters of its budget, hence the difficulty for a civilian president who wishes to exert control over it. Also, powerful military and civilian officials provide protection and patronage for Chinese business-people in exchange for shares in profits and political funding.

Social Welfare and Change Programs

The responsibility for most formal public health and social welfare programs rests primarily with government and only secondarily with private and religious organizations. From 1970 to 1990, considerable investment was made in roads and in health stations in rural and urban areas, but basic infrastructure is still lacking in many areas. Sewage and waste disposal are still poor in many urban areas, and pollution affects canals and rivers, especially in newly industrializing areas such as West Java. Welfare programs to benefit the poor are minimal compared to the need, and rural economic development activities are modest compared to those in cities. The largest and most successful effort, the national family planning program, used both government and private institutions to considerably reduce the rate of population increase in Java and other areas. Transmigration, the organized movement of people from rural Java to less populated outer island areas in Sumatra, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, and West Papua, was begun by the Dutch early in the twentieth century and is continued vigorously by the Indonesian government. It has led to the agricultural development of many outer island areas but has little eased population pressure in Java, and it has led to ecological problems and to ethnic and social conflicts between transmigrants and local people.

Nongovernmental Organizations and Other Organizations

Despite government dominance in many areas of social action, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) have a rich history, though they often have had limited funds, have operated under government restraint, and have been limited in much of their activity to urban areas. They have served in fields such as religion, family planning, education, rural health and mutual aid, legal aid, workers' rights, philanthropy, regional or ethnic interests, literature and the arts, and ecology and conservation Muslim and Christian organizations have been active in community education and health care since the early twentieth century. Foreign religious, philanthropic, and national and international organizations have supported welfare efforts by government and NGOs, though most NGOs are homegrown. The authoritarian nature of the New Order led to tensions between the government and NGOs in areas such as legal aid, workers' rights, and conservation, and the government sought to co-opt some such organizations. Also, foreign support for NGOs led to tensions between the various governments, even cancellations of aid, when that support was viewed as politically motivated. With the collapse of the New Order regime and pressures for reform since 1998, NGOs are more active in serving various constituencies, though economic upset during the same period has strained their resources.

Gender Roles and Statuses

Division of Labor by Gender. Women and men share in many aspects of village agriculture, though plowing is more often done by men and harvest groups composed only of women are commonly seen. Getting the job done is primary. Gardens and orchards may be tended by either sex, though men are more common in orchards. Men predominate in hunting and fishing, which may take them away for long durations. If men seek long-term work outside the village, women may tend to all aspects of farming and gardening. Women are found in the urban workforce in stores, small industries, and markets, as well as in upscale businesses, but nearly always in fewer numbers than men. Many elementary schoolteachers are women, but teachers in secondary schools and colleges and universities are more frequently men, even though the numbers of male and female students may be similar. Men predominate at all levels of government, central and regional, though women are found in a variety of positions and there has been a woman cabinet minister.

A woman serves food at a market stand. Urban Indonesian women often find work in markets.

The vice president, Megawati Sukarnoputri, a woman, was a candidate for president, though her reputation derives mainly from her father, Sukarno, the first president. She was opposed by many Muslim leaders because of her gender, but she had the largest popular following in the national legislative election of 1999.

The Relative Status of Women and Men. Though Indonesia is a Muslim nation, the status of women is generally considered to be high by outside observers, though their position and rights vary considerably in different ethnic groups, even Muslim ones. Nearly everywhere, Indonesian gender ideology emphasizes men as community leaders, decision makers, and mediators with the outside world, while women are the backbone of the home and family values.

Marriage, Family, and Kinship

Marriage. People in Indonesia gain the status of full adults through marriage and parenthood. In Indonesia, one does not ask, "Is he (or she) married?," but "Is he (or she) married yet?," to which the correct response is, "Yes" or "Not yet." Even homosexuals are under great family pressure to marry. Certain societies in Sumatra and eastern Indonesia practice affinal alliance, in which marriages are arranged between persons in particular patrilineal clans or lineages who are related as near or distant cross-cousins. In these societies the relationship between wife-giving and wife-taking clans or lineages is vitally important to the structure of society and involves lifelong obligations for the exchange of goods and services between kin. The Batak are a prominent Sumatran example of such a people. Clan membership and marriage alliances between clans are important for the Batak whether they live in their mountain homeland or have migrated to distant cities. Their marriages perpetuate relationships between lineages or clans, though individual wishes and love between young people may be considered by their families and kinsmen, as may education, occupation, and wealth among urbanites.

In societies without lineal descent groups, love is more prominent in leading people to marry, but again education, occupation, or wealth in the city, or the capacity to work hard, be a good provider, and have access to resources in the village, are also considered. Among the Javanese or Bugis, for example, the higher the social status of a family, the more likely parents and other relatives will arrange a marriage (or veto potential relationships). In most Indonesian societies, marriage is viewed as one important means of advancing individual or family social status (or losing it).

Divorce and remarriage practices are diverse. Among Muslims they are governed by Muslim law and may be settled in Muslim courts, or as with non-Muslims, they may be settled in the government's civil court. The initiation of divorce and its settlements favors males among Muslims and also in many traditional societies. Divorce and remarriage may be handled by local elders or officials according to customary law, and terms for such settlements may vary considerably by ethnic group. In general, societies with strong descent groups, such as the Batak, eschew divorce and it is very rare. Such societies may also practice the levirate (widows marrying brothers or cousins of their deceased spouse). In societies without descent groups, such as the Javanese, divorce is much more common and can be initiated by either spouse. Remarriage is also easy. Javanese who are not members of the upper class are reported to have a high divorce rate, while divorce among upper-class and wealthy Javanese is rarer.

Polygamy is recognized among Muslims, some immigrant Chinese, and some traditional societies, but not by Christians. Such marriages are probably few in number. Marriages between members of different ethnic groups are also uncommon, though they may be increasing in urban areas and among the better educated.

Domestic Unit. The nuclear family of husband, wife, and children is the most widespread domestic unit, though elders and unmarried siblings may be added to it in various societies and at various times. This domestic unit is as common among remote peoples as among urbanites, and is also unrelated to the presence or absence of clans in a society. An exception is the traditional, rural matrilineal Minangkabau, for whom the domestic unit still comprises coresident females around a grandmother (or mothers) with married and unmarried daughters and sons in a large traditional house. Husbands come only as visitors to their wife's hearth and bedchamber in the house. Some societies, such as the Karo of Sumatra or some Dayak of Kalimantan, live in large (or long) houses with multiple hearths and bedchambers that belong to related or even unrelated nuclear family units.

Inheritance. Inheritance patterns are diverse even within single societies. Muslim inheritance favors males over females as do the customs of many traditional societies (an exception being matrilineal ones where rights over land, for example, are passed down between females). Inheritance disputes, similar to divorces, may be handled in Muslim courts, civil courts, or customary village ways. Custom generally favors males, but actual practice often gives females inheritances. In many societies, there is a distinction between property that is inherited or acquired; the former is passed on in clan or family lines, the latter goes to the children or the spouse of the deceased. Such a division may also be recognized at divorce. In many areas land is communal property of a kin or local group, while household goods, personal items, or productive equipment are familial or individual inheritable property. In some places economic trees, such as rubber, may be personally owned, while rice land is communally held. With changing economic conditions, newer ideas about property, and increasing demand for money, the rules and practices regarding inheritance are changing, which can produce conflicts that a poorly organized legal system and weakened customary leaders cannot easily manage.

Kin Groups. Many of Indonesia's ethnic groups have strong kinship groupings based upon patrilineal, matrilineal, or bilateral descent. Such peoples are primarily in Sumatra, Kalimantan, Maluku, Sulawesi, and the Eastern Lesser Sundas. Patrilineal descent is most common, though matriliny is found in a few societies, such as the Minangkabau of West Sumatra and southern Tetun of West Timor. Some societies in Kalimantan and Sulawesi, as well as the Javanese, have bilateral kinship systems.

Kinship is a primordial loyalty throughout Indonesia. Fulfilling obligations to kin can be onerous, but provides vital support in various aspects of life. Government or other organizations do not provide social security, unemployment insurance, old age care, or legal aid. Family, extended kinship, and clan do provide such help, as do patron-client relationships and alliances between peers. Correlated with these important roles of family and kin are practices of familial and ethnic patrimonialism, nepotism, patronage, and paternalism in private sectors and government service.

Socialization

Child Rearing and Education. In the government education system, generally, quantity has prevailed over quality. Facilities remain poorly equipped and salaries remain so low that many teachers must take additional jobs to support their families.

Higher Education. The colonial government greatly limited education in Dutch and the vernaculars, and people were primarily trained for civil service and industrial and health professions. At the time of independence in 1950, the republic had few schools or university faculties. Mass education became a major government priority for the next five decades. Today many Indonesians have earned advanced degrees abroad and most have returned to serve their country. In this effort the government has received considerable support from the World Bank, United Nation agencies, foreign governments, and private foundations. Increasingly, better-educated people serve at all levels in national and regional governments, and the private sector has benefitted greatly from these educational efforts. Private Muslim and Christian elementary and secondary schools, universities and institutes, which are found in major cities and the countryside, combine secular subjects and religious education.

Higher education has suffered from a lecture-based system, poor laboratories, a shortage of adequate textbooks in Indonesian, and a poor level of English-language proficiency, which keeps many students from using such foreign textbooks as are available. Research in universities is limited and mainly serves government projects or private enterprise and allows researchers to supplement their salaries.

From the late 1970s through the l990s, private schools and universities increased in number and quality and served diverse students (including Chinese Indonesians who were not accepted at government universities). Many of these institutions' courses are taught in afternoons and evenings by faculty members from government universities who are well paid for their efforts.

The colonial government limited education to an amount needed to fill positions in the civil service and society of the time. Indonesian mass education, with a different philosophy, has had the effect of producing more graduates than there are jobs available, even in strong economic times. Unrest has occurred among masses of job applicants who seek to remain in cities but do not find positions commensurate with their view of themselves as graduates.

Students have been political activists from the 1920s to the present. The New Order regime made great efforts to expand educational opportunities while also influencing the curriculum, controlling student activities, and appointing pliant faculty members to administrative positions. New campuses of the University of Indonesia near Jakarta, and Hasanuddin University near Makassar, for example, were built far from their previous locations at the center of these cities, to curb mobilization and marching.

Etiquette

When riding a Jakarta bus, struggling in post-office crowds, or getting into a football match, one may think that Indonesians have only a push-and-shove etiquette. And in a pedicab or the market, bargaining always delays action. Children may repeatedly shout "Belanda, Belanda" (white Westerner) at a European, or youths shout, "Hey, Mister." In some places a young woman walking or biking alone is subject to harassment by young males. But public behavior contrasts sharply with private etiquette. In an Indonesian home, one joins in quiet speech and enjoys humorous banter and frequent laughs. People sit properly with feet on the floor and uncrossed legs while guests, men, and elders are given the best seating and deference. Strong emotions and rapid or abrupt movements of face, arms, or body are avoided before guests. Drinks and snacks must be served, but not immediately, and when served, guests must wait to be invited to drink. Patience is rewarded, displays of greed are avoided, and one may be offered a sumptuous meal by a host who asks pardon for its inadequacy.

Whether serving tea to guests, passing money after bargaining in the marketplace, or paying a clerk for stamps at the post office, only the right hand is used to give or receive, following Muslim custom. (The left hand is reserved for toilet functions.) Guests are served with a slight bow, and elders are passed by juniors with a bow. Handshakes are appropriate between men, but with a soft touch (and between Muslims with the hand then lightly touching the heart). Until one has a truly intimate relationship with another, negative feelings such as jealousy, envy, sadness, and anger should be hidden from that person. Confrontations should be met with smiles and quiet demeanor, and direct eye contact should be avoided, especially with social superiors. Punctuality is not prized— Indonesians speak of "rubber time"—and can be considered impolite. Good guidebooks warn, however, that Indonesians may expect Westerners to be on time! In public, opposite sexes are rarely seen holding hands (except perhaps in a Jakarta mall), while male or female friends of the same sex do hold hands.

Neatness in grooming is prized, whether on a crowded hot bus or at a festival. Civil servants wear neat uniforms to work, as do schoolchildren and teachers.

The Javanese emphasize the distinction between refined ( halus ) and crude ( kasar ) behavior, and young children who have not yet learned refined behavior in speech, demeanor, attitude, and general behavior are considered "not yet Javanese." This distinction may be extended to other peoples whose culturally correct behavior is not deemed appropriate by the Javanese. The Batak, for example, may be considered crude because they generally value directness in speech and demeanor and can be argumentative in interpersonal relationships. And a Batak man's wife is deemed to be a wife to his male siblings (though not in a sexual way), which a Javanese wife might not accept. Bugis do not respect persons who smile and withdraw in the face of challenges, as the Javanese tend to do; they respect those who defend their honor even violently, especially the honor of their women. Thus conflict between the Javanese and others over issues of etiquette and behavior is possible. A Javanese wife of a Batak man may not react kindly to his visiting brother expecting to be served and to have his laundry done without thanks; a young Javanese may smile and greet politely a young Bugis girl, which can draw the ire (and perhaps knife) of her brother or cousin; a Batak civil servant may dress down his Javanese subordinate publicly (in which case both the Batak and the Javanese lose face in the eyes of the Javanese). Batak who migrate to cities in Java organize evening lessons to instruct newcomers in proper behavior with the majority Javanese and Sundanese with whom they will live and work. Potential for interethnic conflict has increased over the past decades as more people from Java are transmigrated to outer islands, and more people from the outer islands move to Java.

Religion

Religious Beliefs. Indonesia has the largest Muslim population of any nation, and in 1990 the population was reported to be 87 percent Muslim. There is a well-educated and influential Christian minority (about 9.6 percent of the population in 1990), with about twice as many Protestants as Catholics. The Balinese still follow a form of Hinduism. Mystical cults are well established among the Javanese elite and middle class, and members of many ethnic groups still follow traditional belief systems. Officially the government recognizes religion ( agama ) to include Islam, Christianity, Hinduism, and Buddhism, while other belief systems are called just that, beliefs (kepercayaan ). Those who hold beliefs are subject to conversion; followers of religion are not. Belief in ancestral spirits, spirits of diverse sorts of places, and powerful relics are found among both peasants and educated people and among many followers of the world religions; witchcraft and sorcery also have their believers and practitioners. The colonial regime had an uneasy relationship with Islam, as has the Indonesian government. The first of the Five Principles extols God ( Tuhan ), but not Allah by name. Dissidents have wanted to make Indonesia a Muslim state, but they have not prevailed.

The Javanese are predominantly Muslim, though many are Catholic or Protestant, and many Chinese in Java and elsewhere are Christian, mainly Protestant. The Javanese are noted for a less strict adherence to Islam and a greater orientation to Javanese religion, a mixture of Islam and previous Hindu and animist beliefs. The Sundanese of West Java, by contrast, are ardently Muslim. Other noted Muslim peoples are the Acehnese of North Sumatra, the first Indonesians to become Muslim; the Minangkabau, despite their matriliny; the Banjarese of South Kalimantan; the Bugis and Makassarese of South Sulawesi; the Sumbawans of the Lesser Sunda Islands; and the people of Ternate and Tidor in Maluku.

The Dutch sought to avoid European-style conflict between Protestants and Catholics by assigning particular regions for conversion by each of them. Thus today the Batak of Sumatra, the Dayak of Kalimantan, the Toraja and Menadonese of Sulawesi, and the Ambonese of Maluku are Protestant; the peoples of Flores and the Tetun of West Timor are Catholic.

Religious Practitioners. Islam in Indonesia is of the Sunni variety, with little hierarchical leadership. Two major Muslim organizations, Nahdatul Ulama (NU) and Muhammadiyah , both founded in Java, have played an important role in education, the nationalist struggle, and politics after independence. The New Order regime allowed only one major Muslim political group, which had little power; but after the fall of President Suharto, many parties (Muslim and others) emerged, and these two organizations continued to play an important role in the elections. The leader of NU, Abdurrahman Wahid (whose grandfather founded it), campaigned successfully and became the country's president; an opponent, Amien Rais, head of Muhammadiyah, became speaker of the DPR. During this time of transition, forces of tolerance are being challenged by those who have wanted Indonesia to be a Muslim state. The outcome of that conflict is uncertain.

Muslim-Christian relations have been tense since colonial times. The Dutch government did not proselytize, but it allowed Christian missions to convert freely among non-Muslims. When Christians and Muslims were segregated on different islands or in different regions, relations were amicable. Since the 1970s, however, great movements of people—especially Muslims from Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Maluku into previously Christian areas in Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Maluku, and West Papua—has led to changes in religious demography and imbalances in economic, ethnic, and political power. The end of the New Order regime has led to an uncapping of tensions and great violence in places such as Ambon (capital of the Maluku province), other Maluku islands, and Sulawesi. A loss of authority by commanders over Muslim and Christian troops in the outer islands is playing a part. Christians generally have kept to themselves and avoided national politics. They lack mass organizations or leaders comparable to Muslim ones, but disproportionate numbers of Christians have held important civil, military, intellectual, and business positions (a result of the Christian emphasis upon modern education); Christian secondary schools and universities are prominent and have educated children of the elite (including non-Christians); and

Village living is often dictated by established custom and mutual agreement by recognized leaders.

two major national newspapers, Kompas and Suara Pembaruan , were of Catholic and Protestant origin, respectively. Some Muslims are displeased by these facts, and Christians were historically tainted in their eyes through association with the Dutch and foreign missionaries and the fact that Chinese Indonesians are prominent Christians.

During the New Order, those not having a religion were suspected of being Communist, so there was a rush to conversion in many areas, including Java, which gained many new Christians. Followers of traditional ethnic beliefs were under pressure as well. In places such as interior Kalimantan and Sulawesi, some people and groups converted to one of the world religions, but others sought government recognition for a reorganized traditional religion through both regional and national politicking. Among the Ngaju Dayak, for instance, the traditional belief system, Kaharingan, gained official acceptance in the Hindu-Buddhist category, though it is neither. People who follow traditional beliefs and practices are often looked down upon as primitive, irrational, and backward by urban civil and military leaders who are Muslim or Christian— but these groups formed new sorts of organizations, modeled on urban secular ones, to bolster support. Such moves represent both religious and ethnic resistance to pressure from the outside, from neighboring Muslim or Christian groups, and from exploitative government and military officers or outside developers of timber and mining industries. On Java, mystical groups, such as Subud, also lobbied for official recognition and protections. Their position was stronger than that of remote peoples because they had followers in high places, including the president.

Rituals and Holy Places. Muslims and Christians follow the major holidays of their faiths, and in Makassar, for example, the same decorative lights are left up for celebrating both Idul Fitri and Christmas. National calendars list Muslim and Christian holidays as well as Hindu-Buddhist ones. In many places, people of one religion may acknowledge the holidays of another religion with visits or gifts. Mosques and churches have the same features found elsewhere in the world, but the temples of Bali are very special. While centers for spiritual communication with Hindu deities, they also control the flow of water to Bali's complex irrigation system through their ritual calendar.

Major Muslim annual rituals are Ramadan (the month of fasting), Idul Fitri (the end of fasting), and the hajj (pilgrimage). Indonesia annually provides the greatest number of pilgrims to Mecca. Smaller pilgrimages in Indonesia may also be made to

Workers harvest rice on a terraced paddy on the island of Bali.

graves of saints, those believed to have brought Islam to Indonesia, Sunan Kalijaga being the most famous.

Rituals of traditional belief systems mark life-cycle events or involve propitiation for particular occasions and are led by shamans, spirit mediums, or prayer masters (male or female). Even in Muslim and Christian areas, some people may conduct rituals at birth or death that are of a traditional nature, honor and feed spirits of places or graves of ancestors, or use practitioners for sorcery or countermagic. The debate over what is or is not allowable custom by followers of religion is frequent in Indonesia. Among the Sa'dan Toraja of Sulawesi, elaborate sacrifice of buffalos at funerals has become part of the international tourist circuit, and the conversion of local custom to tourist attractions can be seen in other parts of Indonesia, such as on Bali or Samosir Island in North Sumatra.

Death and the Afterlife. It is widely believed that the deceased may influence the living in various ways, and funerals serve to ensure the proper passage of the spirit to the afterworld, though cemeteries are still considered potentially dangerous dwellings for ghosts. In Java the dead may be honored by modest family ceremonies held on Thursday evening. Among Muslims, burial must occur within twenty-four hours and be attended by Muslim officiants; Christian burial is also led by a local church leader. The two have separate cemeteries. In Java and other areas there may be secondary rites to assure the well-being of the soul and to protect the living. Funerals, like marriages, call for a rallying of kin, neighbors, and friends, and among many ethnic groups social status may be expressed through the elaborateness or simplicity of funerals. In clan-based societies, funerals are occasions for the exchange of gifts between wife-giving and wife-taking groups. In such societies representatives of the wife-giving group are usually responsible for conducting the funeral and for leading the coffin to the grave.

Funeral customs vary. Burial is most common, except for Hindu Bali where cremation is the norm. The Sa'dan Toraja are noted for making large wooden effigies of the deceased, which are placed in niches in sheer stone cliffs to guard the tombs. In the past, the Batak made stone sarcophagi for the prominent dead. This practice stopped with Christianization, but in recent decades, prosperous urban Batak have built large stone sarcophagi in their home villages to honor the dead and reestablish a connection otherwise severed by migration.

Medicine and Health Care

Modern public health care was begun by the Dutch to safeguard plantation workers. It expanded to hospitals and midwifery centers in towns and some rural health facilities. During the New Order public health and family planning became a priority for rural areas and about seven thousand community health centers and 20,500 sub-health centers were built by 1995. In Jakarta medical faculties exist in a number of provincial universities. Training is often hampered by poor facilities, and medical research is limited as teaching physicians also maintain private practices to serve urban needs and supplement meager salaries. Physicians and government health facilities are heavily concentrated in large cities, and private hospitals are also located there, some founded by Christian missions or Muslim foundations. Many village areas in Java, and especially those in the outer islands, have little primary care beyond inoculations, maternal and baby visits, and family planning, though these have had important impacts on health conditions.

Traditional medicine is alive throughout the archipelago. Javanese curers called dukun deal with a variety of illnesses of physical, emotional, and spiritual origin through combinations of herbal and magical means. In north Sumatra, some ethnic curers specialize; for example, Karo bonesetters have many clinics. Herbal medicines and tonics called jamu are both home blended and mass produced. Commercial brands of tonics and other medicines are sold throughout the archipelago, and tonic sellers' vehicles can be seen in remote places.

Various forms of spiritual healing are done by shamans, mediums, and other curers in urban and rural areas. Many people believe that ritual or social missteps may lead to misfortune, which includes illness. Traditional healers diagnose the source and deal with the problems, some using black arts. Bugis transvestite healers serve aristocratic and commoner households in dealing with misfortune, often becoming possessed in order to communicate with the source of misfortune. In Bali, doctors trained in modern medicine may also practice spirit-oriented healing. Accusations of sorcery and attacks on alleged sorcerers are not uncommon in many areas and are most liable to arise in times of social, economic, and political unrest.

Secular Celebrations

The most important national celebration is Independence Day, 17 August, which is marked by parades and displays in Jakarta and provincial and district capitals. Provincial celebrations may have local cultural or historical flavor. Youth are often prominent. Kartini Day, 21 April, honors Indonesia's first female emancipationist; schools and women's organizations hold activities that day. The military also has its celebrations. New Year's is celebrated 1 January when businesses close and local fairs with fireworks are held in some places. Western-style dances are held in hotels in cities. Public celebration by the Chinese of their New Year was not allowed for decades, but this rule was lifted in 1999 and dragons again danced in the streets. Previously it was celebrated only in homes, though businesses did close and for two days the bustle of Jakarta traffic was stilled. Local celebrations recognize foundings of cities, historical events and personages, or heroes (some national, others regional), while others mark special events, such as bull racing on Madura and palace processions in Yogyakarta or Surakarta. On Bali a lunar calendar New Year's day is celebrated with fasting, prayer, silence, and inactivity. All people (including tourists) must remain indoors and without lights on so that harmful spirits will think Bali is empty and will leave.

The Arts and Humanities

Support for the Arts. In the past in Java and Bali, royal courts or rich persons were major patrons of the arts. They continue their support, but other institutions joined them. The Dutch founded the Batavia Society for the Arts and Sciences in 1778, which established the National Museum that continues to display artifacts of the national culture. The Dutch-founded National Archive seeks to preserve the literary heritage, despite poor funding and the hazards of tropical weather and insects. Over the past several decades, regional cultural museums were built using national and provincial government funding and some foreign aid. Preservation of art and craft traditions and objects, such as house architecture, batik and tie-dye weaving, wood carving, silver and gold working, statuary, puppets, and basketry, are under threat from the international arts and crafts market, local demands for cash, and changing indigenous values.

A college for art teachers, founded in 1947, was incorporated in 1951 into the Technological Institute of Bandung; an Academy of Fine Arts was established in Yogyakarta in 1950; and the Jakarta Institute of Art Education was begun in 1968. Academies have since been founded elsewhere; the arts are part of various universities and teacher training institutes; and private schools for music and dance have been founded. Private galleries for painters and batik designers are legion in Yogyakarta and Jakarta. Academies and institutes maintain traditional arts as well as develop newer forms of theater, music, and dance.

Literature. Indonesia's literary legacy includes centuries-old palm, bamboo, and other fiber manuscripts from several literate peoples, such as the Malay, Javanese, Balinese, Buginese, Rejang, and Batak. The fourteenth century Nagarakrtagama is a lengthy poem praising King Hayam Wuruk and describing the life and social structure of his kingdom, Majapahit. The I La Galigo of the Bugis, which traces the adventures of their culture hero, Sawerigading, is one of the world's longest epic poems.

In colonial times some literature was published in regional languages, the most being in Javanese, but this was stopped after Indonesian independence. The earliest official publishing house for Indonesian literature is Balai Pustaka, founded in Batavia in 1917. National culture was expressed and, in some ways formed, through spoken Malay-Indonesian (understood by many people) and newspapers, pamphlets, poetry, novels, and short stories for those who could read. By the time of independence, literary production was not great, but it has grown considerably since the 1950s. The literary tradition is now rich, but one should note that reading for pleasure or enlightenment is not yet part of the culture of average urban Indonesians and plays little if any part in the life of village people. Indonesia has made literacy and widespread elementary education a major effort of the nation, but in many rural parts of the country functional literacy is limited. For students to own many books is not common; universities are still oriented toward lecture notes rather than student reading; and libraries are poorly stocked.

In the conflict between left-and right-wing politics of the 1950s and early 1960s, organizations of authors were drawn into the fray. In the anticommunist purges of the late 1960s, some writers who had participated in left-wing organizations were imprisoned. The most famous is Pramoedya Ananta Toer, a nationalist who had also been imprisoned by the Dutch from 1947 to 1949. He composed books as stories told to fellow prisoners in exile on the island of Buru from 1965 to 1979. He was released from Buru and settled in Jakarta, but remained under city arrest. Four of his novels, the Buru Quartet , published between 1980 and 1988 in Indonesian, are rich documentaries of life in turn-of-the-century colonial Java. They were banned in Indonesia during the New Order. Pram (as he is commonly known, rhyming with Tom) received a PEN Freedom-to-Write Award in 1988 and a Magsaysay Award in 1995. In English translation, the Buru Quartet received critical acclaim, and after the end of the New Order in 1999, Pram made a tour of the United States. He is the only Indonesian novelist to have received such acclaim overseas.

Graphic Arts. Stone sculptures of the elaborate Hindu variety in Java or the ornate sarcophagi of Sumatra are archaeological remains of value, but only in Bali is elaborate stone carving still done (apart from that which may decorate some upscale Jakarta homes or public buildings). Wood carving is more common. The cottage carving industry of Bali finds a wide domestic and international market for its statues of people, deities, and animals, many of which are finely artistic, some hackneyed. Perhaps the most common carving is in the urban furniture industry, mainly in Java, where ornately carved sofas and chairs are very popular. Traditional puppet or animal carvings of the mountain Batak of Sumatra or the upriver Dayak of Kalimantan are now mainly for tourists, though they once showed rich artistry (now largely seen in museums). The Toraja homes are still elaborately carved, and small examples of these carvings are sold to tourists. Toraja carve decorations on large bamboo tubes used for carrying palm wine or rice, and people in eastern Indonesia decorate small bamboo tubes that carry lime used in betel chewing. Among contemporary urban artists, painting on canvas or making batik is much more common than making sculpture.

Indonesian textiles are becoming more widely known overseas. Batik is the Javanese word for "dot" or "stipple"; ikat, a Malay-Indonesian word for "to tie," is a type of cloth that is tie-dyed before weaving. Batik textiles were made in royal courts and cottages, but also became a major commercial industry in Java and Bali, an industry that has experienced economic vicissitudes over the decades. Batik cloth varies enormously in artistry, elaboration, quality, and cost. Formal occasions require that Javanese, Sundanese and Balinese women wear whole cloths wrapped ornately to form a skirt. Men nowadays do so only at their marriage (or if they are in royal courts or are performers in gamelan, dance, or theater). Long-sleeved batik shirts are now accepted formal social wear for men of all ethnic backgrounds, though formal wear for men also includes civil service uniforms, shirts and ties, or Western suits.

Performance Arts. Performance arts are diverse and include: Javanese and Balinese gong-chime orchestras (gamelan) and shadow plays ( wayang ), Sundanese bamboo orchestras ( angklung ), Muslim orchestral music at family events or Muslim holiday celebrations, trance dances ( reog ) from east Java, the dramatic barong dance or the monkey dances for tourists on Bali, Batak puppet dances, horse puppet dances of south Sumatra, Rotinese singers with lontar leaf mandolins, and the dances for ritual and life-cycle events performed by Indonesia's many outer island ethnic groups. All such arts use indigenously produced costumes and musical instruments, of which the Balinese barong costumes and the metalworking of the gamelan orchestra are the most complex. Best known in Indonesia is the Javanese and Balinese shadow puppet theater based on the Ramayana epic, with its brilliant puppeteers ( dalang ) who may manipulate over a hundred puppets in all-night oral performances accompanied by a gamelan orchestra. Bali is best known for the diversity of its performance arts. Despite the fact that Bali draws visitors from around the world, and its troupes perform overseas, most Balinese performers are villagers for whom art complements farming.

Contemporary (and partly Western-influenced) theater, dance, and music are most lively in Jakarta and Yogyakarta, but less common elsewhere. Jakarta's Taman Ismail Marzuki, a national center for the arts, has four theaters, a dance studio, an exhibition hall, small studios, and residences for administrators. Contemporary theater (and sometimes traditional theater as well) has a history of political activism, carrying messages about political figures and events that might not circulate in public. During the New Order, poets and playwrights had works banned, among them W. S. Rendra whose plays were not allowed in Jakarta. There is a long Javanese tradition of the poet as a "voice on the wind," a critic of authority.

The State of the Physical and Social Sciences

The development of science and technology has formed part of Indonesia's five-year plans and is directed toward both basic science and applied technology, with emphasis on the latter. Health, agriculture and animal husbandry, defense, physical sciences, and applied technology have had priority. The Indonesian Institute of Sciences has its headquarters and main library in Jakarta. Its task is to oversee and encourage research in diverse fields, to coordinate between institutions, and to advise on national science and technology policy. It also approves research by foreign scholars. Indonesia's major scientific research training centers are the Technological Institute, in Bandung, and the Agricultural Institute, in Bogor, founded in the colonial period, which draw top secondary school graduates.

Among social sciences, economics has received the greatest attention since the 1950s when the Ford Foundation launched a major program to train economists abroad. These so-called technocrats rose to great importance during the early decades of the New Order and molded economic policy throughout the country's growth period, from the 1970s through the 1990s. Social sciences are included in the national mandate largely as they contribute to supporting development activities. Fields such as political science and sociology received far less attention during the New Order, owing to their potential for, and actual involvement in, social and political criticism.

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Source: http://www.everyculture.com/Ge-It/Indonesia.html

Indonesian Martial Art (Pencak Silat)

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 19 Oct 2015 06:51:00 +0000

Indonesian Traveling, Culture - The official name used to indicate more than 800 martial arts schools and styles spread across more than 13,000 islands in Indonesia is called "pencak silat". However, this is actually a compound name consisting of two terms used in different regions. The word "pencak" and its dialectic derivatives such as "penca" (West Java) and "mancak" (Madura and Bali) is commonly used in Java, Madura and Bali, whereas the term "silat" or "silek" is used in Sumatra.

Pencak Silat

The ambition to unify all these different cultural expressions in a common terminology as part of declaring Indonesia's unity and independence from colonial power, was first expressed in 1948 with the establishment of the Ikatan Pencak Silat Indonesia (Indonesian Pencak Silat Association, IPSI). However, it could only be realized in 1973 when representatives from different schools and styles finally formally agreed to the use of "pencak silat" in official discourse, albeit original terms are still widely used at the local level.

What are the origins of Pencak Silat?

It is not easy tracing the history of pencak silat because written documentation was limited and oral information was handed down from the gurus or masters. Each region in the archipelago has its own version of its origin which is largely based on oral tradition. Malay myths concur that pencak silat was originally developed by tribal groups in the archipelago through the observation of animal movements and other natural phenomena, in an effort to defend themselves from wild creatures and other environmental dangers. In the course of time, pencak silat eventually become instrumental in attaining social status when fighting among tribal groups, clans, communities and later kingdoms. Because of his/her skills a person could be feared and respected by the surrounding society, and secure prestige and political power.

Pencak silat as self-defense has always existed since human beings had to fight with each other and with wild animals in order to survive. At that time, people who were strong and skilled in fighting could attain a privileged position in society, and could become heads of clans or army commanders. In the long run, fighting techniques started to be regulated, so that a comprehensive martial art form was developed which was eventually called pencak silat. (Asikin 1975:9-10)

Subjugation happened because groups of people started to fight each other to gain control of power. In an effort to expand the conquered areas, kingdoms were created. To maintain and expand the power of these kingdoms, self-defense, with or without arms, was developed. (Liem, 1960:38-40)

When, where and how this process of systematization started nobody knows. What can be gathered from the scant information available is that pencak silat developed from the acculturation of various self-defense styles, which had developed locally under different names and with different characteristics.

Pencak Silat's Role in History

Pencak silat plays an important role in Indonesia's history. Since the age of ancient Indonesian Hindu-Buddhist kingdoms like Srivijaya, Majapahit, and Kingdom of Sunda, these kingdoms used pencak silat to train their soldiers and warriors.

Archaeological evidence reveals that by the sixth century A.D. formalized combative systems were being practiced in the area of Sumatra and the Malay peninsula. Two kingdoms, the Srivijaya in Sumatra from the 7th to the 14th century and the Majapahit in Java from the 13th to 16th centuries made good use of these fighting skills and were able to extend their rule across much of what is now Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore.

According to tradition of Minangkabau, their Silek (Minangkabau pencak silat) can be traced to the fore father of ancient Minangkabau people, Datuk Suri Dirajo. It is said that according to old Javanese poetry, Kidung Sunda, the sentinels of the Prabu Maharaja Sunda exhibited great skill in the art of pencak silat when they escorted Princess Dyah Pitaloka to Majapahit as a potential bride for King Hayam Wuruk, and faced indignities that greatly affronted their honour[2]. In a battle that ensued at the Bubat field (1346), the Sundanese forces fought to the last drop of blood, using special pencak silat moves and various weapons. Albeit the pencak silat styles employed in combat were different, we can still draw the conclusion that in Javanese kingdoms throughout the archipelago, pencak silat served the same function: to defend, maintain or expand territory.

Different styles of Pencak Silat

There is no overall standard for Pencak Silat. Each style has its own particular movement patterns, specially designed techniques and tactical rationale. The richness of terms reflects a wide diversity in styles and techniques across the regions due to the fact that pencak silat has been developed by different masters who have created their own style according to their preferences and to the physical environment and social-cultural context in which they live. For example, West Java, Central Java and West Sumatra.

West Java is inhabited by a specific ethnic group with specific cultural and social norms. For them, pencak silat is part of their way of life or as they say, "the blood in their body". In their language they say "penca" or "menpo" (from "maen poho', which literally means play with trickery) to indicate their main four styles Cimande, Cikalong, Timbangan, and Cikaret and all the schools and techniques which have derived from them. The Sundanese people have always utilized penca/menpo for self-defense and recreation, and only recently have started to use it as a sport in national and regional competitions.

The bela-diri (self-defense) aspect of penca can be very dangerous. Therefore it was kept secret, especially its mystical aspect where only selected students were taught in phases. Penca as an art (penca ibing) has been a source of inspiration for traditional Sundanese dances such as Jaepongan, Ketu'tilu', Dombret, and Cikeruhan and actually it resembles dance in its use of music instruments. These instruments, called "pencak drummers" (gendang penca), are devoted exclusively to penca performances and consist of two sets of drummers (gendang anak dan kulantir), a trumpet (tetet) and a gong. Pencak performances also use standard music rhythms such as tepak dua, tepak tilu, tepak dungdung, golempang and paleredan. Penca as art is not considered dangerous and can be openly shown to everyone. From generation to generation until today, penca performances animate wedding parties, rituals of circumcision, celebrations of the rice harvest and all kind of national festivities.

Sources:
* Asikin. Pelajaran Pencak Silat. 1975
* Central Board of The Indonesian Pencak Silat Association. An Introduction to Pencak Silat.
* Draeger, Don F. The Weapons and Fighting Arts of Indonesia. Japan: Tuttle Company. 1972.
* Liem, Yoe Kiong. Rahasia ilmu pedang. 1960
* O'ong Maryono. Pencak Silat in the Indonesian Archipelago. http://www.kpsnusantara.com/rapid/rapid-list.htm. 25 May 2005
* Steele, David E. A History of the Indonesian Martial Arts.

Wonderfull Mistical Tourism in Tanah Toraja - South Sulawesi

noreply@blogger.com (Fuad) — Fri, 09 Oct 2015 07:10:00 +0000

Indonesian Traveling, South Sulawesi - Tana Toraja or Toraja is one of the beautiful region at South Sulawesi, let alone in Indonesia. From the distance, one can see the jagget ridges of the hill stretching side by side along the slop of the mountains. Moreover, one can be also find beautiful valleys in which bamboo and sugar palms are growing and the traditional houses with curved roof among the paddy field, beautiful and naturally carved and colored by the skill full people of Toraja.

Before the Dutch came to power in this highland in the 20th century, there was not a single word given for the name of their religion except for the word "Aluk" means "the way" which refers to rituals and daily life activities that are to be controlled; like how to build a house, to cook rice, to greet children and the head of the village, and the number of buffaloes and pigs that must be slaughtered in every ritual ceremony. The most prestigious ceremony in Tana Toraja is the Death Ceremony.
More than half of the people of Toraja are Christians, but they are proud of their Cultural heritage and uphold it. This can be seen when they welcome the guests ritually.

Safely protected beyond the lofty mountains and rugged granite cliffs of the central highlands of the island of Sulawesi, are the Toraja people who live in valleys that are lush with green rice terraces and fertile coffee plantations.

Tanah Toraja - South Sulawesi

"Discovered" and opened to the world from their long isolation only since the beginning of the last century, the Toraja today still adhere to their age-old beliefs, rituals and traditions, although many of her people are modernized or have embraced Christianity.

When one travels to the Tana Toraja highlands, therefore, expect to be awed by the spectacular beauty of nature, at the same time experience how communities have through the ages sustained their beliefs and traditions in splendid isolation in order to survive this eternal cycle of life and death on earth.

The road from Makassar to Toraja runs along the coast for about 130 km's and then hits the mountains. After the entrance to Tana Toraja at the market village of Mebali one enters a majestic landscape of giant, gray granites and stones and blue mountains afar that form a sharp contrast with the lively green of the fertile, rain-fed terraces and the rusty red of the tropical soil. This is Tana Toraja, one of the most splendid areas in Indonesia.

Here, the nobility of Toraja are believed to be descendents of heavenly beings who came down by a heavenly stairway to live here on earth in this beautiful landscape.

And to keep up the energy of the land and its people, the Toraja people believe that these must be sustained through rituals that celebrate both life and death, which are attached to the agricultural seasons. Here rituals in connection with life are strictly separated from death rites.

Toraja is most well known for its elaborate funeral ceremonies that can take days and involve entire villages. These are not only moments for mourning but are moreover events to renew family ties and to ensure continued unity among villages and communities.

Death ceremonies, however, are held only after the last rice harvest is in and cleared, which is normally between July to September, while ceremonies celebrating life are held in conjunction with the planting season which starts in October. These timings are possible since the dead are not buried immediately but are kept for months, sometimes for years, in the ancestral house until time and funds allow for a proper funeral.

Tourists to Toraja, therefore, are either attracted by its unique culture and rituals, most of which are mostly centered around graves and death ceremonies. While others prefer to avoid the morbid images and go trekking through the spectacular, almost untouched Toraja countryside visiting remote villages, or exhilarate in rafting the Sa'dan river rapids.

Capital of Toraja is Makale but visitors usually head to the town of Rantepao, heart of Tana Toraja - the Land of the Toraja people.

To reach Toraja take a plane to Makassar. There are daily flights from Jakarta and Bali and regular flights from Kuala Lumpur Malaysia. It takes between six to eight hours by road to reach Toraja. While the journey may be long, but you will be well awarded with the magnificent panoroma of the Toraja highlands.

There are many good hotels in Makale, Ranteapo and surrounding and experienced travel agents to take you around. Toraja is ideal for those enjoying ecotours, culture and adventure.

Misiliana Hotels - an example hotel in Toraja

How to get there?

•To get to Tana Toraja one must fly to Sultan Hasanuddin airport in Makassar, capital of the province of South Sulawesi. As a hub for East Indonesia there are many airlines flying to and from Makassar both from Jakarta, Bali, Manado and other cities (see: Flights to Makassar)
•The only way to Toraja from Makassar airport is overland. There are no flights between Makassar and Toraja.

•There are buses to Rantepao that leave Makassar daily. The journey takes around 8 hours and includes a meal stop. Tickets must be bought in town but coaches actually leave from DAYA bus terminal, 20 minutes out of town by bemo. Coaches typically leave in the morning (7 am ), around noon ( 1 pm ) and in the evenng (at 7 pm).

•Several companies in Rantepao run buses back to Makassar. The number of buses each day depends on the number of passengers.

•It is best and easiest to contact an experienced travel agent to arrange and take care of your full itinerary to the Toraja highlands.

Jaipong Dance, an aesthetic folk dance from sundanese land

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 07 Jul 2015 14:56:00 +0000

Indonesia Traveling - Jaipong is one of indonesian traditional dances that comes from west java. The name jaipongan came from people mimicking of the sounds created by some of the drums in the ensemble. Audiences were often heard shouting jaipong after specific sections of rhythmic music were played. Jaipongan debuted in 1974 when Gugum Gumbira and his gamelan and dancers first performed in public.

Jaipong

The dance was invented when Soekarno, Indonesia's first President in 1961 challenged Indonesian musicians and artists to revive local art. The challenge was answered by Gugum Gumbira, composer, orchestra leader, and choreographer from Bandung, West Java who conducted an in-depth research for 12 years to revive Sunda art and culture in the form of folk dances. For his research, Gugum visited many rural and local dance music festivals throughout the northern coasts of West Java in search of inspiration.

Jaipong dance from West Java

Jaipongan (or Jaipong Dance) was first introduced in 1974 when Gugum Gumbira along with his Gamelan Orchestra and Dancers performed the dance for the first time to the public. The dance is based on the Sundanese Ketuk Tilu dance and music, combined with choreography from the traditional martial art of Pencak Silat and various other folk dances such as the Tari Topeng Banjet (Banjet Mask Dance).

Featuring Sundanese traditional costumes, traditional music instruments and traditional music, over time the dance has grown into an inseparable part of Sundanese traditional art, which is commonly performed during circumcision festivities, wedding ceremonies, and other folk fests.

Various dance schools offer Jaipongan class for teenagers interested in learning the dance.

The dance's distinctive feature is its cheerfulness, spontaneity, liveliness, and simplicity. The dance still follows the patterns of Ketuk Tilu , which features distinct choreography such as the bukaan (opening), pencugan, nibakeun (to drop), minced, and others. The choreography for the male jaipongan dancer is less acrobatic and martial compared to that found in Ketuk Tilu, whereas the female dancer it is very active with sexy movements of her hands, legs, hips, as also cheerful facial expressions.

Accompanying the dance, the musical ensemble of Jaipongan consists of a variety of Sundanese traditional instruments such as the core three main kettle gongs, a rebab (a small upright bowed instrument, also known as a spike fiddle), other small gongs — a hanging gong , two iron plates, saron, kempul, and two or three traditional kendang (barrel drums) percussions. The musical accompaniment is completed with a female singer known as sinden who sometimes also acts as dancer. All musicians, and especially the drummer, freely supplement the texture with rhythmic cries and yells called senggak.

Jaipongan drumming is more virtuosic and flamboyant, the drummer performs lively improvisations throughout, building up tension that culminates and is released at the gong stroke. A distinctive Sundanese feature is the variation of the pitch of the main drum, whose tension is governed by the foot of the drummer.

A jaipongan piece opens with a few gong cycles, often in a different tempo than the rest of the piece, during which the spike fiddle player improvises over the idiophone and drum accompaniment. The vocalist then enters, usually singing four gong cycles consecutively, then allowing the spike fiddler to improvise for two of theses gong strikes. The piece alternates in this way until it ends with a deceleration leading to the final gong.

The popularity of Jaipongan has also transcended West Java and Indonesia, as it was also introduced internationally by Gugum Gumbira and his dance group, Jugala. Throughout the 1980’s, the Jaipongan Dance gained some popularity in Asia, Europe, and North America.

Green Canyon, The others wonderful place at Pangandaran

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 07 Jul 2015 14:30:00 +0000

Indonesia Traveling - Green Canyon, yes, make no mistake it’s not America’s Grand Canyon, but it is Pangandaran’s Green Canyon on the southern coast of West Java. Originallya called “Cukang Taneuh”- the local Sundanese meaning for Soil Bridge- Green Canyon has a 3 meter wide bridge made up of soil above the twin cliffs on both river banks. This natural wonder is surely a spectacular scene that you will not find anywhere else.

Indonesian Green Canyon at Pangandaran

The name Green Canyon is believed to have been dubbed by a French tourist who came to the location in 1993. It is said that the clear green water of the river and the abundant green moss on the cliff had given it its popular name. This little natural wonder is located at the Kertayasa Village, in the Ciamis Regency, West Java Province, about 31 Km or 45 minutes’ drive from Pangandaran Beach.

Green Canyon views

As you arrive at the main entrance, which is the parking lot of Green Canyon, you will see a row of wooden boats popularly called “Ketinting” lining up by the river. Those are boats that will take you to Green Canyon and costs IDR75.000 per person. The arrangement for renting the boats is very organized: once you pay the fee you will receive a number. You will then get into your boat once your number is called.

Body rafting

The ketinting will then take you on a ride down the river, splitting the clear green water and creating small wave on both sides. From the boat, you will see green forest trees along the banks, and sometimes snakes or lizards jumping into the river, or come up to surface.

As the boat slows down and makes its last turn, an astonishing view jumps right in front of your eyes. Twin cliffs standing tall on each side of the river, with stalactites and stalagmites overhead , and crystal clear water below. You may think that this may be the Garden of Eden.

Water pours down from each side of the cliffs creating a rumbling sound of waterfalls. At low tide, you can walk under this once great cave and marvel at the sight between the two high cliffs.

body rafting (2)

Since your clothes will surely be soaking wet by now, you may as well dive into the inviting waters and feel its cooling freshness, although the location is not too far from the sea. To swim against the current, between these giant cliffs and under the canopies will be an experience unlike any other. Most noticeable about Green Canyon is that this place is kept very clean. There are no floating garbage on the river or scattered snacks or cigarette wrapping.

Located not too far from Pangandaran, Green Canyon is a must for those who plan to visit Pangandaran. “A piece of heaven on earth”, as those who have been there describe it. A true Natural Wonder hiding behind the thick bushes and trees of Pangandaran’s forests. If you think you have never heard about this place, it is only because Green Canyon is the best kept Secret of Pangandaran.

How to get there?
You must first fly or travel by car or train to Bandung. There are direct international flights from Malaysia and Singapore to Bandung. A number of “City Trans” companies operate comfortable, sometimes luxurious buses between Jakarta and Bandung.

From Bandung, the means to get to Pangandaran is by bus, or rented car. If you use public transportation, from the Pangandaran Terminal you can take a minibus headed to Cijulang Terminal. From the Cijulang terminal, the trip continues on “Ojek” , popular bike taxies found almost everywhere in Indonesia.

Practical Tips of Travelling in Bali

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 06 Jul 2015 15:19:00 +0000

Indonesia Travewling - If you are planning to travel to Bali for the first time, here are some practical tips on travel planning in Bali.

Bali Temple

How to get there?

Very easy to choose the mode of transportation to Bali. There are many ways to Bali. The easiest way of course by plane.

Tickets promo with prices under Rp 400,000 for a one-way has a lot to offered. All Indonesian airlines sometimes have promotion program which offered these cheap tickets. Make sure you order it ahead of time, even a year in advance to get cheap tickets.

Another way is through land transportation, you can ride the bus to Bali, especially if your trip starting fom the Java island (Jakarta, Yogyakarta, Surabaya), West Nusa Tenggara and East Nusa Tenggara. The price varied depending on the distance. From Jakarta to Bali is usually around Rp 300,000.

When is the best time to visit Bali?

Throughout the year is a good time to travel to Bali. This is because Bali offers a variety of activities and attractions. During the rainy season, you can just visit the museum and arts center.

However, if you're eyeing a beach or nautical tourism and mountain, then select in the dry seasons or months of minimal rainfall, approximately between April and September.

In addition, you need to consider the high season and peak season. In this period, prices will be rise, especially for air tickets, car rentals, and accommodations. Price increase could reach 25 percent. Solid season visit is in June to August and November to January.

Not only price rise, on that time, usually Bali would be crowded by tourist. So get ready for more traffic jams condition and more crowded tourist attraction.

Where to stay?

Well, before you seek out accommodation in Bali, ask first, which area in Bali that you want to visit. Typically, for the first time tourists to Bali will go directly to the south of Bali area which is the center of the tourist crowds in Bali.

Kuta area is Southern Region was famous. In Kuta many venue. Adjust the budget that you have. If you are looking for inexpensive lodging under Rp 300,000 per night, you can look it up in the area around Gang Poppies (1 and 2), Three Brothers street, Raya Tuban street, Gang Puspa Ayu, until Bakung Sari street.

Go to the small alleys off the main roads such as Jalan(street) Raya Kuta and Jalan Raya Tuban, then you will find small hotels or cheap guesthouses. Some even like a boarding house priced under Rp 100,000 could.

Want more luxurious?

Star hotels can be found at Jalan Kartika Plaza, Jalan Legian and Jalan Raya Kuta. Villas that offer privacy can be found in the Seminyak area as in Jalan Drupadi.

Bali's Hotel

Find out the price of hotel from your friends who stayed there previously. But, if you don't have, just ask the taxi driver to stay where he could recommend.

Must stay in Kuta?

If you are not too happy with the typical hustle and frenetic Kuta, you can choose other destinations in Bali. Try Sanur, Jimbaran, Nusa Dua that are quieter.

All of them are adjacent to the beach. Only hotels in Nusa Dua quite expensive because of the concept of the resort area. You can also choose to stay in the Ubud area which impressed unspoiled. But there was no beach in this area. Ubud is located in Gianyar regency.

Kuta beach

Gianyar has many interesting attractions, such as zoos, safari parks, cultural tourism, mountains, up to the beach. Another option is the area of Lovina, Singaraja, prices are still cheap here, both the hotel and the food. But the distance is far from the airport, about three hours.

In the east of Bali, the most dominant appeal is Candidasa in Karangasem region with beaches are still relatively less crowded. Many cheap nor expensive resort lodging in the region. Another option is to Nusa Lembongan.

In West Bali, you can try to stay in the area of Canggu which is famous as a surf or around Tanah Lot. If you are mountain enthusiasts and cool air, or in the surrounding region Jatiluwih Mount Batukaru could be an option. This area was relatively quiet.

What ride in Bali?

Public transportation such as public transit or called in Bali with a minibus, relatively difficult. it's so little and indeterminate timing. If you are familiar with Bali, minibus and bus Trans Sarbagita can indeed be an option.

But if this is your first time to Bali, you should rent a car. Diverse selection of cars to rent. Most cheap range from Rp 200,000 already include driver, but not including gasoline. Price depends on the type of car rent.

You'll want to rent a car at the same time services of a driver, in addition to saving time is not lost on the road, you can get a recommendation options tourist attractions and restaurants.

Keep in mind, rent a car with driver in Bali only for 10 hours. If the use of more than 10 hours, you will get additional charge per hour. To find a rental car is very easy, you can do through online reservation.

Another way is to find a rental car at the airport or around the place to stay. Each rental car is usually set prices are not much different. However, you should pass a little survey to get the best price.

Another option is to hire a motorbike, but a hassle if you do not know the way. It could also ride motorcycles. Negotiate the price to take you around all day. Motorcycle suitable option if you traveled alone.

A taxi ride can be an option to take you from the airport to the hotel or vice versa. Taxis are relatively safe in Bali, including Bali local taxis. Select taxi with the meter. You can also take advantage of a shuttle car facilities in the hotel.

Eat where?

Want an expensive or cheap, want the typical local Indonesian cuisine or foreign cuisine, all can be found in Bali.

you can also get like Padang restaurants, cafes meatballs, and so on. For the restaurant, you can ask in advance for halal menus.

Jalan Raya Tuban and Jalan Teuku Umar including renowned for culinary tourism in the form of the archipelago and kosher food. Try also the Balinese food is rice Jinggo cat-like rice ala Yogyakarta. It is definitely cheap, only Rp 2,000. But not enough of one if consuming Jinggo rice.

How about stepping offerings?

Sajen offerings or other offerings of flowers and leaf container (cymbals cider) usually placed at entrances and areas frequented by people. Often the question arises what if inadvertently stepped on.

Actually it does not matter if you accidentally stepped on. If you stepped in front of the owners or shopkeepers or sajen where it is placed, simply said "sorry".

Sajen

Preferably when walking, avoid the past, lest you even accidentally stepped on. Similarly, when you visit temples or places that are considered sacred by the local people.

Respect and follow local customs. Use decent clothes. If you wear shorts, wear gloves or cloth. Some places also require you to wear a sarong and senteng.

Do not walk in front of the person who is praying or shooting with flash when berlanjung ceremony. For women, do not get into while menstruation.

Suluban Beach, Surfers Paradise at Uluwatu - Bali

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 06 Jul 2015 15:10:00 +0000

Indonesia Traveling - World-class thrilling waves meet jaw-dropping scenery at the secluded surfers’ paradise of Suluban Beach. Located not too far from the picturesque Uluwatu Temple, this beach is the actual site of the famous Uluwatu surf break. This beach extends right up and joins the Uluwatu Beach. Together they are the Mecca for wave chasing junkees who come to Bali.

Located at the Pecatu Village, in the South Kuta sub-district, Badung Regency, Suluban is among renowned surfing beaches along the Bukit Peninsula at the southern end of Bali that include the Uluwatu Beach, Bingin Beach, Padang-padang Beach, Dreamland Beach, Impossible Beach and Balangan Beach.

Suluban Beach

The beach is blessed with a breathtaking view on the Indian Ocean which offers a serene atmosphere and spectacular sunsets in the late afternoons, creating that most romantic aura. Approaching the area, visitors will be greeted by afascinating scenery of white rock cliffs that stretch as far as the eyes can see. Descending some 50 meters down to the shore, a vast white sandy beach kissed by turquoise blue waters await, while the pounding waves play the true resounding sounds of nature: the perfect setting for a thrilling surfing adventure.

Suluban Beach (2)

The character of waves at Suluban Beach is similar to those at Uluwatu Beach that come in with that great, powerful, long swell and consistent barrels that have always fascinated surfers who came to this point. Here waves can reach to between 3 and 12 feet with the average wave size being 3 to 5 feet, perfect for advanced and professional surfers. The best season for surfing at Suluban Beach is during the dry session (April to August) when the wind blows from east to west creating the perfect waves for surfing.

The word Suluban comes from the Balinese language “mesulub” which translated means: to bow down. It is suggested that the name was adopted since visitors must first crouch or bow down when they pass the crevice between boulders that resembles a cave, before reaching the beach below the rocky cliff. The Beach is also known by many people as the Blue Point Beach since it is closely associated with the Blue Point Bay Villa located on the top of the cliff which shade Suluban Beach.

Be it for a surfing holiday or a romantic getaway, the waves together with the spectacular scenery at Suluban Beach are indeed a true gem that make Bali sparkle.

Suluban Beach surfingSuluban Beach (2)

How to get there?
Located at the Bukit Peninsula, Suluban Beach is connected to Kuta and Denpasar through Jimbaran by the busy Jalan Bypass Nusa Dua and this is the only route in. Approximately 34 Kilometers from Denpasar, the beach is about 30 minutes’ drive from the I Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport or about 45 minutes from the tourist resorts of Kuta-Legian.

From Denpasar or Kuta, Take the main road (Jalan Bypass Nusa Dua) south to the junction with Jalan Uluwatu II (the famous McDonald's junction), turn west towards Jimbaran Bay, continue about 2 km and at the four road junction make a sharp left up the hill (signposted for Uluwatu). Follow the road southward until you reach the outer post of Uluwatu Temple where you will find a signpost to Suluban Beach to the right. Follow that road until you reach the Beach.

A taxi from Kuta to Suluban or Uluwatu will take approximately 30 to 40 minutes over winding roads and will cost about Rp 120,000 one-way. If you are just visiting for the day, consider asking the driver to wait for your home trip as it can be difficult to find transport back. Figure on paying the taxi driver Rp 20,000/hour to wait. Joining a tour can be a cheaper way of getting to the area as this destination is very widely offered by tour operators all over the island.

Mentawai Island, The Ultimate Diversity Of The Hidden Paradise

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 05 Jul 2015 15:01:00 +0000

Indonesia Traveling - Take a trip into the wild with an adventure to the Mentawai islands. Be surrounded by tropical rainforests and immerse yourself in the traditions of the local people. While the physical distance between the mainland and Mentawai is not great, this remains one of the most isolated places in Indonesia, and was only subject to outside influences at the start of the 20th century. A long way from the world of shopping malls and theme parks, this is where travellers come to get a truly off the beaten track adventure.

Mentawai Island

Located off the West coast of Sumatra, the Mentawai archipelago includes four municipalities, Siberut, Sipora, North Pagai and South Pagai. is the biggest of the Siberut islands and remains largely covered with tropical rainforest. From the moment you arrive on and see the white coral beaches, ancient rainforests and hear the cheeky black gibbons playing in the trees you’ll find it hard to resist falling in love with the place. This Siberut island is home to a rich array of bio-diversity which has earned it designation as a UNESCO biosphere reserve.

The remote location of these islands means that the Mentawai people have had very little contact with the outside world. The archipelogo is thought to have broken off from the rest of Sumara about 500,000 years ago and it is only since the 20th century that outside influences began to have an impact on the local people. Today, the Mentawai still abide by traditional practices and live largely off the land. Local people have a strong spiritual relationship with the forest with a belief system that emphasizes harmony with creation.

Surfing in Mentawai beach

It is believed people first came to inhabit these islands at least several thousand years ago. Most anthropologists classify the Mentawai people as Protomalay which means they have a mostly Neotlithic culture but have not been effected by Buddhism, Islam or Hinduism.

Tatoos are an important symbol in Mentawai culture and reflect maturity, manhood and status. The art of this body painting has been inherited from ancient ancestors and the ink is made from natural fibres.

The biggest town on Siberut is Muara Siberut on the southeast coast. This is the major point of entry for tour groups from the mainland. From here, you can travel with a with a local guide and trek inland to some of the Mentawai villages. If your bahasa is good enough, chat to the locals and enjoy their hospitality.

Mentawai diving area

The other big attraction for visitors to these islands is the world class surfing. With some of the best surfing conditions in the world, monster waves and swells that remain all year round, this is ranked by serious surfers as a must visit destination.

How to get there?
Sebaung Merauke Air flies between Padang and the Mentawai islands. It is a 30 minute flight. Flights can be booked via a number of local agents including Mentawai Air. Some resorts which operate on the islands will arrange flights and airport pick ups for you.

An overnight ferry service departs from Padang. It is best to regularly check times with ferry operators as timetables can change depending on weather conditions.

Probably the easiest way to get to Sirebut is to join a trekking tour. These tours normally depart from Bukittinggi or Padang and will organise transport to the island.

Independent travellers will need to be able to speak reasonable Indonesian to negotiate with local guides in Sirebut. They also must organise their own travel permits with police.

Wonderful view of thunderous smoky Telun Waterfalls - Jambi

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 05 Jul 2015 12:32:00 +0000

Indonesia Traveling - Deep within the Telun Seblat National Park, neatly concealed behind a tangle of thick foliage, the sounds of roaring waters splashing over rocks can be heard. After a laborious yet rewarding climb up Mount Kerinci, or perhaps a leisurely stroll through the Kayu Aro tea plantations,Telun Smoky Falls is the decoration atop the cake, or the final step in a perfect adventure through the Kerinci Regency in Jambi Province. As with many waterfalls, Telun Smoky Falls was created by erosion, through the process of fast flowing waters passing through a large rock formation. Telun Smokey Falls, however, retains its own distinct allure.

Telun Waterfalls

The waters of Telun Smokey Falls begin at Lake Gunung Tujuh, or Lake Of Seven Mountains. The streams then pass through steep rifts and ravines amidst rocks and boulders before crashing down from a height of approximately 50 meters into the rocky pool below. The sheer height of the waterfall causes the fallen droplets to create a sort of mist around the falls, hence giving it its name: Smoky Falls. The suspended fog of water in turn allows the refraction of passing light, producing a spectacle of colorful rainbows projected across the waterfall as well as the pool below. A cave is hidden behind the curtain of raging water, but till now no one has been able to enter.

Cliff of Telun Waterfals

The trek to the Telun Smokey Falls is quite a challenge and involves a 300 meter uphill trek from Telun Berasap Village. Steps lead the way to the falls, but can become slippery in the case of rain. Despite the possibly arduous journey, depending on your level of fitness, the trek through the magnificent tropical landscapes of TelunSeblat National Park is not one to be missed. The path is bordered on either side by majestic and towering trees which locals say are hundreds or even thousands of years old. The park is also home to nearly 400 species of bird and is said to be habitat to more tigers than China, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam combined.

Telun Watefalls Shelter

Small wooden lodges are set around the falls for visitors to relax after a tiring trek and enjoy the dazzling view. Take a dip in the sparkling cool waters or test your skill at scaling the rocks around. Visitors should be advised not to attempt diving, however, as the pool at the foot of the falls is fairly rocky.

How to get there?
The two closest cities to Sungai Penuh, capital city of Kerinci Regency, are Jambi and Padang.

Getting to Sungai Penuh from Jambi city takes about 10 hours by car over a distance of approximately 500 km. This can be done using public transportation or rental car. Jambi airport serves just Jakarta and Batam.

The alternative route through Padang is much faster, at a total distance of under 300 kilometers. Sungai Penuh can be reached via public transport, car rental or private car. Minangkabau International Airport in Padang serves Jakarta, Medan, Pekanbaru, Batam and Kuala Lumpur.

From Sungai Penuh Village, proceed about 60 km more to Telun Berasap Village. This leg of the journey is best accomplished with the use of a four-wheel drive. From Telun Berasap Village, you can continue on foot to the falls.

Source: http://www.indonesia.travel

Lengkuas Island, charming old Lighthouse Overlooking a Pristine Beach

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 04 Jul 2015 01:05:00 +0000

Indonesia Traveling - The twin islands of Bangka-Belitung off the eastern coast of Sumatra are surrounded by a number of beautiful tiny islands. Notable among these Lengkuas Island, blessed with a pristine beach, turquoise blue waters and distinct huge granite boulders, the icon of Belitung beaches, located north of Tanjung Binga Village in Belitung . Adding to the splendor is the existence of a hundred years’ old Lighthouse which offers complete fascinating views of the island and its surroundings.

Leangkuas Island

With a total area of less than 1 hectare, Lengkuas is located within the Sijuk sub-district, Belitung Regency. While it may be small in size nevertheless it offers a wide range of splendors. This humble little island offers idyllic landscape, lush palm trees and staggering boulders that are great fun to climb on or swim beneath.

Leangkuas Beach

One can reach these unique, giant granite clusters by walking across the shallow waters that are no deeper than 1.2 meters. The water is so transparent that the bottom of the sea is clearly visible. Below the surface, the waters around the island are filled with colorful fish of various kinds, pristine coral reefs, a large number of starfish and more of the fascinating granite boulders. The moderately calm and shallow water makes it a perfect place for swimming and snorkeling, while on the beach the fresh breeze will truly indulge those who lay down on the soft white sands.

Lengkuas beach - underwater

The pride of Lengkuas Island, however, is the iconic old lighthouse. Built by the Dutch in 1882, it still maintains its main function today in guiding ships sailing through and out of the island of Belitung. Approximately 50 meters in height, it is as tall as a 12-storey building. It has a window on each floor, giving visitors a chance to enjoy the different views from within the lighthouse. While the lighthouse itself is an exceptional feature, the spectacle it offers from the top is truly spellbinding. Here one can get a complete 360 degree view of the fascinating Island and all the wonders that surround it, including the crystal clear waters and other spreading tiny islands.

How to get there?

To reach Lengkuas Island you can rent a boat available at several beaches in Belitung such as at Tanjung Kelayang, Tanjung Binga, or Tanjung Tinggi.

From Tanjung Kelayang the boat trip will take approximately 20 minutes, while from Tanjung Binga or Tanjung Tinggi it will take about 30-45 minutes. Along the way you’ll be presented with fascinating sceneries of several small islands off the coast of Belitung.

The rate for the boat range between IDR350,000 to IDR500,00. As boats have a capacity of up to 10 persons, it is wise to share the boat with others to reduce costs.

Ora Beach, hidden paradise of fairyland in Maluku

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 03 Jul 2015 06:35:00 +0000

Indonesia Traveling - As the country with the second longest coastline in the world, Indonesia is home to countless beautiful beaches, and has won numerous awards for such. One of these beaches is Ora Beach, carefully hidden away on the North Coast of Seram Island. An exotic and extremely remote destination, Ora beach is perfect for Eco-travellers and honeymooners alike.

Ora beach - Maluku

A row of cozy, wooden cottages line the sandy, white beaches, overlooking the crystal clear waters of Sawai Bay, and with a backdrop of limestone cliffs and majestic mountains, covered in lush, tropical greenery. Seram island is most famous for its abundant bird life. Of 117 species found on the island, 14 are endemic to Seram.

Ora beach sea view

Seram is the largest island in the Maluku province, measuring approximately 16,000 square kilometers, yet is home to a population of only about 170,000. It lies just north of the smaller and more historically renowned island of Ambon.

Clear water of Ora beach

Maluku Province is located between Indonesia’s larger islands of Sulawesi and Papua. Seram’s geographic location amidst several tectonic plates, gives the island a remarkably complex terrain. A central mountain range runs across the island, its highest mountain, Gunung Binaya, peaking at just over 3,000 meters. The island is covered mostly in dense, tropical rain forests, bordered on one side by towering cliffs and the other by sandy white beaches, and finally encircled by a crystal blue sea.

Ora beach under water

How to get there?
The first step is to catch a flight to Ambon Pattimura Airport. Ambon is a domestic only airport, with available flights from the nation’s capital of Jakarta, Surabaya, Makassar, and other cities around Indonesia.

From the airport, hire a car and make your way to Tulehu Port, which will take you about 30 minutes. From there, catch a Ferry to Masohi, on Seram Island. Tickets cost between 50,000 – 150,000 Rupiah, and the trip will take between 1.5 - 2 hours, depending on the type of vessel you choose.

After that, it’s another 2 hours by car along steep and winding forested roads until you arrive at the tiny fishing village of Saleman. At last, the final leg of the journey will be yet another boat ride from the village to Ora Beach Resort, which thankfully, will only take about 10 minutes.

Tips

- Make sure to bring enough cash from Ambon, as there are no ATMs or Banks on the island.

- As there is only one restaurant on Ora Beach, visitors are advised to bring their own food or snacks as well.

- If you plan to go diving or snorkeling, (which you should,) any equipment should be rented while in Ambon.

- Snorkeling should be done in deeper waters, because although shallow waters are equally abundant in corals, swimming in these waters could damage the reefs.

- Last but not least, do not litter, and please do your part to protect the environment.

Anambas Island, Best Asian Tropical Islands

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 02 Jul 2015 12:35:00 +0000

Indonesia Traveling - Named Asia's Best Tropical Island by CNN.com in 2013 the Anambas islands are indeed a tropical paradise. Located in the South China Sea, the Anambas are among Indonesia's northern-most border archipelagos.

Anambas Island

Facing the wide open ocean, the Anambas provide a panoramic view of blue seas and green islands dotted with azure lagoons. Here are excellent dive spots where divers will be amazed at the colorful underwater life, while on land rows of coconut trees protect the soft white sand beaches, where turtles have made the shores of the islands of Keramut and Mangkal their habitat.

Anambas coral reefs

The Anambas are administratively an autonomous district, part of the province of the Riau Archipelago, and covers an area of 46,667 sq.kms where its outer seas are nearly 90percent crossed by foreign vessels. It has only recently become a separate district apart from the neighboring Natuna islands.

In all, there are 255 islands in the Anambas cluster where only 26 are inhabited. The district has only some 45,500 population. 97 percent of its territory is sea where the largest islands areSiantan, Palmatak and Jemaja. Capital of the district of Anambas is called Tarempa and lies on the island of Siantan.

Temburun waterfall

Admire the many lagoons here, especially on the islands of Pantai Selat Rangsang, Pulau Bawah, Pulau Rongkat and Pantai Pulau Penjalin, where islands emerge from the sea as out of nowhere. At low tide the islets grow together by the connecting sands, creating an inland sea and an outer sea beyond, with lagoons that are paved with white sand and here and there colorful corals.

All of the islands in the Anambas have fine white beaches which glisten and become even more beautiful as the lagoons fill with aquamarine water through which one can see strange corals and schools of fish darting in the clear water.

Anambas undersea

How to get there?
If you wish to visit these islands, you must be sure to have plenty of time at your disposal since they lie quite far out in the South China Sea and away from most of the other Indonesian islands.

To reach Anambas by air you must fly to Tanjung Pinang, capital of the province on the island of Bintan. Garuda Indonesia, Lion Air and Sriwijaya Air operate daily flights to Tanjung Pinang from Jakarta and other main cities.

From Tanjung Pinang, Nusantara Air Charter flies to Matak Airport in the sub-district of Palmatak. The 48 seater aircraft flies daily costing Rp. 1.2 million for a one way ticket. From Matak airport you must take a speedboat to Tarempa, capital of the Anambas district.

Alternatively, the Conoco Philip oil company has a Fokker 50 aircraft which is also made available for public use when there are seats open. This is a plane used to transport the company’s staff and flies Jakarta-Batam-Matak, operating daily except Sundays.

From Singapore, take a ferry to Tanjung Pinang port. Then travel by taxi to the airport to catch your plane.

If you wish to travel by boat, the MV. VOC Batavia and MV. Seven Star Island serve theTanjungpinang-Letung-Tarempa route vice versa, with tickets costing Rp310,000.- one way. The ferry leaves Sundays, Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from Tanjung Pinang, with return journey from Tarempa on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

There are other larger ships but these leave intermittently only several times a month.

Ngarai Sianok, a wonderful green view of another grand canyon

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 02 Jul 2015 05:36:00 +0000

Indonesia Traveling - Just on the outskirts of the hill town of Bukittinggi in the Minangkabau highlands, lies this breathtaking canyon which the locals call Ngarai Sianok, or the Sianok Canyon. Its panorama is particularly beautiful in the early morning light when the first rays of the sun pierce through the mist covering this deep valley that has majestic Mount Singgalang looming at its background.

Ngarai Sianok - Bukit Tinggi West Sumatra

Its beauty has been painted by many artists, most famous among whom was Ernest Dezentje, renowned painter in the “Mooi Indonesie” or Beautiful Indonesia style, favored by Indonesia’s first president, Sukarno.
Ngarai Sianok has two steep walls facing each other almost vertically, falling to a flat bottom where a river meanders among green ricefields. Its height is about 100 to 120 meters and the canyon itself is 15 km long. This gorge separates the towns of Bukittinggi and Kota Gadang on its opposite side.

Traveling in Bukit Tinggi

The beauty of Sianok can be seen from Panorama Park in Bukittinggi or you can also walk down into the gorge, where are a settlement and paddy fields. Then crossing a bridge over the river, climb up to Kota Gadang, home of silversmiths who produce the finest filigree ornaments.

To enjoy the scenery from the Park, visitors pay an entrance fee of Rp 5.000 per person. Along with admiring the beauty of Sianok, visitors can also visit a Japanese bunker, built during World War II, located at the base of the canyon.

Ngarai Sianok view

Ngarai Sianok is arguably the most beautiful scenery among West Sumatra’s many scenic sites, to be enjoyed particularly at sunrise or sunset. Bukittinggi and the Ngarai Sianok Canyon are some of the highlights of the annual Tour de Singkarak race, which takes on some of West Sumatra’s most spectacular scenic sites.

How to get there?

Ngarai Sianok has abundant natural resources and culture. It is located about 1 km southwest of Bukit Tinggi.Visitors can take a private car or sado/andong (traditional carriage) from the city center to Panorama Park which is located at Panorama Street while enjoying the cool weather in Bukit Tinggi.

From Minangkabau international airport, you can take a rented car or minibus plying the Padang-Bukit Tinggi route to Bukit Tinggi. The distance between Padang and Bukit Tinggi is 90 km.

Tamblingan Lake, a beautiful and mistical nature tourism in Bali

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 01 Jul 2015 14:46:00 +0000

Indonesia Traveling - Mount Lesung, - or Gunung Lesung - in North Bali is decorated with three lakes, which are: Lake Buyan , Lake Beratan and Lake Tamblingan, where nature has been kept almost untouched. All three lakes are the life-source for the surrounding communities.

Tamblingan lake - Bali

Located by the village of Munduk in the sub-regency of Banjar in the regency of Bulelemg, Tamblingan is a relatively small lake covering a surface of only around 1.5 square kilometers with a depth of 90 meters. The name Tamblingan is derived from the word tamba meaning medicine or medicinal, and elingang meaning spiritual.

Legend goes that between the 10th to the 14th century the residents of four villages surrounding the lake, namely the villages of Munduk, Gobleg, Gesing, and Umejero were tasked to guard over the sanctity of the lake.

Pura in Tamblingan lake - Bali

But one day suddenly all four villages were stricken by an infectious disease. Hereupon, a holy priest went down to the lake to fetch water. He prayed at the lake and through his spiritual powers the sick in the four villages were cured, cleansed by the lake's healing waters.

From that time on, people built many temples on and surrouding Lake Tamblingan. These are Pura Endek, Pura Dalem Tamblingan, Pura Sang Hyang Kawuh, Pura Ulun Danu, Pura Pengukiran, Pura Gubug, Pura Embang, Pura Batulepang, Pura Pengukusan, Pura Naga Loka, and Pura Tirta Mengening. While two other temples, the Pura Tukang Timbang and Pura Embang are built of ancient stones, believed to originate from the pre-Hindu era even prior to the 10th century. The many temples together with the lake now form a beautiful landscape that emits its own fascinating aura.

As Lake Tamblingan lies 1,000 meters above sea level, the climate here is cool. The early morning mist that hangs over the waters, strangely enhances its mystical appeal. According to folklore, centuries ago the area was once inhabited by a people who lived peacefully under a well ordered government,and a well organized welfare and cultural system.

Tamblingan Hotel

By Lake Tamblingan near lake Buyan along the south-north highway that links the cities of Depasar with Singaraja, live a host of monkeys. These multiply so fast, that they are often called the teeming monkeys of the jungle.

How ti get there?
Lake Tamblingan is located near. Lake Bedugul that can be reached pass three-pronged cross road that lead to the villages of Munduk and Gobleg. Two routes are recommended. The first passes Lake Bedugul, then continues straight on until you will see on the left side of the road an entry gate that leads to Lake Buyan and Lake Tamblingan. Drive through this gate and you will arrive directly at both the lakes' water edge.

The second route goes above the first. To get on this road, drive from Lake Bedugul straight up until you meet a three way crossing. Here turn left. From this vantage point you will be able to look down on the beautiful panorama of both lakes from above.

Banyuwangi, a beautiful cultural and nature tourism in East Java

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 01 Jul 2015 14:21:00 +0000

Indonesia Traveling - Located on the eastern-most edge of the island of Java, just across the island of Bali, lies the town of Banyuwangi. Its busy port, Ketapang, serves regular ferries that ply daily between Bali and Java carrying passengers, cars and buses, as well as trucks laden with all sorts of goods to and from Java.

Kawah (Crater) Ijen - Banyuwangi East Java

Being the east-most city on Java, this is where the dawn first rises in the morning throwing its welcoming rays over Java, this lush green but also most densely populated island. Not yet quite popular as a tourist destination, the regency of Banyuwangi, in fact, hides many secret gems, from looming mountains, natural game reserves to rolling surge of waves, that are the dream of surfers all over the world. Here also live the Osing ethnic sub-group, believed to speak the oldest Javanese language from which evolved Java’s most sophisticated civilization over the centuries.

Banyuwangi Regency extends over an area of 5,800 sq. km, comprising southern beaches brushed by the Indian Ocean, to impressive Mt. Raung that stands at 3,282 m and Mt. Merapi at 2,800 m above sea level. To its north is the Regency of Situbondo, while the Regencies of Jember and Bondowoso lie to its west, and to its east is the island of Bali.

Besides being the largest regency on Java, Banyuwangi is also the largest fish producer of the province of East Java, with the town of Muncar by the Bali Strait, its main fishing wharf. Banyuwangi is also known for its banana crops. Almost all gardens in this district boast trees that produce luscious bananas.

Because of the close proximity here between the islands Bali and Java and for centuries being a busy trading port, the exchange of many cultural influences in Banyuwangi is unavoidable. Here the kingdom of Blambangan was once its most greatest kingdom, showing a fusion between the cultures of Java and Bali, mixed with that of the island of Madura, as well as absorbing Malay, Eropean, Chinese influences and traces of ancient roots from the ancient Osing Jawa people.

Gandrung dance - Banyuwangi East Java

Some typical Banyuwangi dances that are infused with these multi-cultural influences are: the gandrung dance, barong kemiren, seblang, janger, rengganis, hadrah kunthulan, patrol, mocopatan pacul goang, jaranan butho, barong, kebo-keboan, angklung caruk, and gedhogan. These are shown during the annual Banyuwangi Etno Carnival where most of the ethnic dances are performed for locals and visitors to enjoy.

Banyuwangi literally means Aromatic Water, which is associated with the local legend, The story goes that once upon a time a king abducted the wife of his own prime minister. When the minister came to know about it he went into a rage and stabbed his wife. But before she died, she vowed that as proof that she had always remained faithful to her husband the water of the river where her blood flowed would exude an aromatic perfume, which indeed it did. The prime minister, who dearly loved his wife, regretted the murder for the rest of his life.

Pulau Merah - Banyuwangi East Java

The town of Banyuwangi is the gateway to your explorations to watch wild animals roam freely in the reserve of Alas Purwo, the oldest game reserve on Java, go trekking through the savannahs of Baluran, or find secluded and untouched beaches at Pulau Merah or G-Land, and travel to Sukamade Beach where turtles come to hatch their eggs. Mountain climbers can hike up from Banyuwangi to the stunning Ijen Crater and be amazed by blue flames that spring out among the yellow sulphurous rocks, cut and gathered manually by traditional miners.

How to get there?
The city of Banyuwangi is located around 239 km east of Surabaya, capital of the province of East Java. You can travel to Banyuwangi by car or by train.
Indonesia’s second largest city, Surabaya is connected directly from abroad by a number of international airlines. You can then connect on Garuda Indonesia or Lion Air flights from Surabaya to Banyuwangi’s Blimbingsari airport. There are also daily flights from Bali to Banyuwangi.
If you wish to travel overland from Bali, catch the ferry at Gilimanuk port, on the western tip of Bali which sails to the port of Ketapang at Banyuwangi. You can of course, also travel by car from Surabaya or any other large city in East Java to Banyuwangi.
To visit the many attractions around Banyuwangi it is best to rent a car at the airport or through your hotel or travel agent. Best make sure to have a sturdy amd comfortable vehicle especially when you plan to visit mountain regions or savannahs, although generally speaking, roads around here are good.

Taxi:
Jalan Brawijaya No. 4, Banyuwangi, Phone :.+62 0333-418362

Bus Terminals
Terminal Sritanjung, Katapang, Phone : . +62 333-510396
Terminal Brawijaya, Banyuwangi, Phone. +62 333-424438

Train Stations
Banyuwangi Baru, Katapang, Phone:. +62 33510635
Karang Asem, Banyuwangi, Phone : 3+62 333-424306

Misool Island, world diving paradise in Raja Ampat

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 01 Jul 2015 06:05:00 +0000

Indonesia Traveling - Misool Island is a remote, tropical hideaway, one of four largest islands in the Raja Ampat archipelago, world renowned dive destination in the province of West Papua.
Located off the west coast of the main island of Papua, directly bordering the Seram Sea, the waters are a veritable traffic lane for many large sea creatures, including whales.

Misool island Raja Ampat (1)

The crystal clear turquoise sea-waters allow spectacular views of Misools sub-surface colorful treasures even when still aboard your boat. And once under the water, visibility can reach from 10 meters to as far as 30 meters.

Misool island Raja Ampat (2)

The sea gardens of Raja Ampat hold 75% of all known species of corals and ornamental fish in the world, and boast the highest level of marine biodiversity on the planet.

On land, the wild territory of Misool is one of the most visually breath-taking and captivating sites in Raja Ampat. The island is heavily forested, and at first sight reveals nothing but a thick green carpet of dense forests and mangrove swamps. The rugged terrain is predominantly limestone, the frostily coloured rock clashing starkly with the deep green jungle.

Misool island Raja Ampat diving paradise (1)

To the east and west of the island, a maze of limestone pinnacles jut sharply out of the blue sea, carved and eroded by the waves and carpeted luxuriantly in vegetation. The rare beaches on Misool are pure white sand, fringed with coconut trees leading out to the stunningly turquoise waters.

Aside from the enchanting panoramic scenery and wealth of marine life, Misool is also home to ancient cultural sites. A number of petroglyphs can be found on walls of caves throughout the island, dating back approximately 5,000 years.

Misool island Raja Ampat diving paradise (2)

How to get there?
To get to Misool Island, first fly to Sorong Airport in West Papua, Indonesia. This is a domestic airport with available flights from Jakarta, Makassar, Surabaya, Manado, Ambon. Batavia Air has recently started flights to Sorong from Surabaya. (click www.batavia-air.com for information and booking).

(For the full Sorong flight schedule, see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sorong_Airport)

From Sorong, a private speedboat will take you to the Resort. Boats depart on a pre-arranged schedule by the resort, usually at 7:30 a.m. on alternating Sunday mornings. The trip takes between 4 – 5 hours but will seem like no time at all as you journey through some of the most mesmerizing sceneries you have ever seen or ever will see. Transfer fees from Sorong to Misool are included in the resort’s package price.

Segara Anak, a wonderful lake on Rinjani Mountain

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 01 Jul 2015 05:41:00 +0000

Indonesia Traveling - Danau Segara Anak is a volcanic lake formed in the caldera of Mount Rinjani on over 2,000 meters above sea level. The lake spans across an area of 11 square kilometers, and reaches depths up to 230 meters. Danau Segara Anak is located on the west side of Mount Rinjani in the village of Lawang Sembalun in Lombok, East Indonesia. The mystifyingly blue colour of the lake gives Segara Anak its name: Small Ocean.

Segara anak lake on rinjani mountain (1)

The trek from the Senaru Village, and through the crater to Danau Segara Anak takes two days and a night. It begins with a hike through a lush, tropical rainforest, and up the mountain to the rim of the crater. The trek to the Senaru rim is a challenging climb up steep terrain and high cliffs, but the exhaustion is well rewarded by the breathtaking panoramic view of the sun setting over Mount Rinjani, Bali and the Gili Isles on the horizon, and the dazzling blue waters of Segara Anak glistening hundreds of meters below. The top of the crater is a popular camp site for both foreign and domestic tourists on this journey to spend the night. It is advisable to set a morning alarm so as not to miss the magnificence of dawn from atop Rinjani.From the crater’s rim, it is a sharp descent of about 600 meters to Danau Segara Anak.
Part of Segara Anak flows down a steep ravine forming one large waterfall and several smaller ones. There are also four natural hot springs in the lake which are said to hold magical healing powers, and many make the climb solely for medicinal purposes.
Despite its high altitudes, taking a dip in the lake is not as cold as one might imagine. 2,010 meters above sea level, the surface water of the lake is unusually warm for such heights, at about 20-22 degrees Celsius—well above the mountain’s “room temperature,” which is about 14-15 degrees Celsius.

Segara anak lake on rinjani mountain (2)

Between 2008 and 2009, researchers of Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation as well as UniversiteLibre de Bruxells conducted a geochemical and thermodynamic study on Segara Anak. The tests showed several leaks in the volcanic system of Gunung Baru; the cone in the center of the lake. These leaks from the magma chamber seep a large supply of hot water into Segara Anak, indicating a direct relationship between volcanic activity and the lake’s high temperature. The geochemical composition of the hot water showed a number of elements such as chloride, sodium, potassium, and sulphate. Although rich in elements, rainwater that enters the lake assists in thinning its chemical content. Segara Anak also maintains excellent circulation, and is therefore not harmful to life.
Lake water circulation takes place when the density of the water is higher at the surface than at the base. Rainwater has a higher density than the hydrothermal water, and therefore moves downward, while waters from the hydrothermal vent move up. This is an on-going process providing well-mixed water and bringing the acid level of the lake to neutral—suitable for breeding fish.

Segara anak lake on rinjani mountain (3)

In 1969, volcanologists from the Directorate of Geology, (London,) examined the lake and recommended the cultivation of fish. At that time, there were no fish in Segara Anak. In 1985, the Nusa Tenggara Barat provincial government finally began breeding fish in the lake. The fish bred rapidly and the lake is now home to millions of tilapia and carp, making Segara Anak not only a popular spot for fishing, but some locals of the area even make a living from this.

In the 1980’s, the areas surrounding Segara Anak pulsated with wildlife. Grouse, hornbill, and barking deer thrived around the lake. Several species of monkey could be found in the forests, including the rare black ebony leaf monkey, and the black crested macaque, indigenous to Indonesia. But human intervention has changed the ecology of the lake. With more and more people climbing up the mountain and into the lake, more and more species have begun to disappear. Initially, people only caught fish, but then grouse, which soon led to deer hunting as well. Now few grouse remain, and the deer are no longer found along the route. It is estimated that only a hundred or so remain.

In 1998, Danau Segara Anak was immortalized in paper money on the ten thousand rupiah bill.
Like other crater lakes around the world, Danau Segara Anak was born of a violent past, celebrates a brilliant present, and has the potential to lead to a catastrophic future. Yet we remain fascinated by its origin, splendour and unique existence.

Segara anak lake on rinjani mountain (4)

How to get there?
Getting to Danau Segara Anak starts with a flight to Bandara Internasional Lombok, (Lombok International Airport.) from Jakarta, Bali or other large cities in Indonesia. The new airport is situated in Central Lombok. Since the opening of the international airport in 2012, Lombok’s former Selaparang airport located near its capital, Mataram, has been closed, and the international airport in the cetral part of the island is now the island’s only functioning airport.
SilkAir is the only international airline serving Lombok direct from Singapore, with Garuda Indonesia and other domestic airlines serving the island from major Indonesian cities.
From Mataram, it is a 2 ½ hour scenic drive to Senaru Village, which is the main access point to Rinjani National Park.

Madakaripura Waterfall, one of vestige of the great Majapahit Kingdom

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 01 Jul 2015 05:13:00 +0000

Indonseia Traveling - Leaving misty Mount Bromo behind and descending into the Probolinggo Regency, one will find a spectacular sight secluded within the Bromo-Tengger-Semeru National Park: this is the enchanting Madakaripura Waterfall.

Madakaripura waterfall 1

Believed to be the final meditation place of military Commander-in-Chief, Gajah Mada, of the great Javanese kingdom of Majapahit in East Java, the towering waterfall is fondly dubbed the eternal waterfall, since its waters never cease to pour down an endless rain of blessings on those fortunate enough to walk underneath it.
Located not too far from Mount Bromo near the village of Sapih, in the Lombang district, Madakaripura Waterfall is about three hours’ drive from the capital of East Java, Surabaya. The spectacular waterfall lies hidden at the end of a deep valley in the foothills of the Tengger mountain range. To reach this, visitors must trek about 20 minutes crossing rivers and a rocky path, set amongst beautiful sceneries along the way, before reaching the entrance. Here a statue of Majapahit‘s great Commander, Gajah Mada, in the seated position of deep meditation greets visitors before they continue further on foot.
An atmosphere of natural grandeur radiates around as the waterfall comes into view. As the rumbling sounds of water grows louder, a spellbinding feature of water curtains cover the path, that will not only please the eyes but also freshen body and soul. Here, nature gracefully pours her endless refreshing gifts, making getting wet quite inevitable. While it may be best to be ready with raincoats or umbrellas, stalls along the trekking path will offer umbrella rentals and plastic bags to protect valuables, such as cameras.

Madakaripura waterfall 2

The path ends in a surreal tube-like valley where the staggering 200 meters gallant waterfall highlights the scene. Decorated with a cave on the wall which was believed to be the exact location where Commander in Chief Gajah Mada performed his last meditation, Madakaripura Waterfall is even dubbed as the tallest waterfall in Java and the second tallest waterfall in Indonesia after Sigura-gura Waterfall near Lake Toba, North Sumatra. While the waterfall’s sheer height is by itself already a wonder, the ambience around the area is truly something that needs to be experienced first-hand to be believed.
Surrounded by outstandingly high walls, the Fall flows down into an almost mystical natural chamber. Inside the 200 meters “chamber”, the reflected sunlight shining through onto the wet green moss on the rocky wall accompanied by the ever rumbling sounds of water creates a spectacle unlikely found elsewhere. Decorated with huge boulders, endlessly falling water, and sparkling moss, one only needs to gaze up to the distant sky and immerse oneself in the spellbinding beauty of nature. While the fascinating scene can be captured on camera, the true sensation of being in one of the most outstanding places on earth can only be felt by being there.
According to ancient Javanese 14th century epic poem, Negarakretagama, Madakaripura was a piece of land given to Commander Gajah Mada by the Majapahit King Hayam Wuruk. Gajah Mada himself is the most celebrated military commander in the history of the great Javanese Majapahit Kingdom that thrived between 1293 to 1500AD. Its commander is recognized as the main figure who succeeded in unifying the entire Indonesian Archipelago then under the huge Majapahit empire (that at the time was said to stretch until Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei, Southern Thailand , the Philippines and East Timor) under his famous oath the “Sumpah Palapa”.

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It is said that the source of his overwhelming power and abilities lie within the cave of the Madakaripura Waterfall, where Gajah Mada frequently came to meditate. The great commander eventually chose the place as his last place for mediation before he was believed to have been –what ancient Javanese believed- “Muksha” - or vanished spiritually and physically from the face of the earth, rather than just dying physically. To honor this legacy, many people still visit the Falls to meditate or perform rituals, especially on the eve of 1 Suro, the Javanese New Year.
As a place that is historically significant, culturally sacred, and naturally spellbinding, Madakaripura is simply a must, when you visit East Java.

How to get there?
The best way to get to Madakaripura Waterfall is to rent a car fromSurabaya or Malang, or include it in the tour package along with Mount Bromo. From Surabaya, capital of East Java, the trip will take a little over three hours, by taking the intercity route to Sidoarjo-Porong-Pasuruan-Probolinggo. Upon reaching Tongas, there will be a sign directing to both Mount Bromo and Madakaripura Waterfall to the right. The intersection is marked by a small monument in the center of the road. Follow the road for about 20-30 minutes until you reach another sign pointing to Madakaripura Waterfall to the right. From there the road is a bit narrow, but the view will be most pleasing. Follow the road until you reach the entrance to the Madakaripura Waterfall.

source: http://www.indonesia.travel/