Indonesia Tourism
Visa on Arrival now available in Palembang: South Sumatra
Great new for travellers wishing to enter Indonesia from South-East Asia as now they can enter through Palembang in south Sumatra at the Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin International Airport. Medan in central Sumatra is another entry point but if you want to visit the fascinating areas around southern Sumatra then this is ideal. According to a report in the Jakarta Post, immigration and tourist officers are ready to serve foreign tourists at the airport and the application process takes only minutes before they are free to visit tourist resorts in South Sumatra and other provinces. The airport is the 17th authority …
Date: June 14th, 2008 |
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The Jakarta Fair: Jakarta, West Java
One of the great attractions about Jakarta is the numerous festivals held there. Of course the most famous being the Jazz Festival and recently the Rock Parade. But the administration of Jakarta also caters for the children and the bigger kids in us. In Indonesia it will soon be the school holidays for thousands of kids and what a time they will have at the yearly Jakarta Fair. Okay, us big kids too!. Besides the usual entertainment like bazaars, food and rides, there will also be a lot of companies promoting their goods to the consumers. The event will be held at the huge Jakarta Fairground in Kemayoran which is located in Central Jakarta.
Date: June 11th, 2008 |
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Cultural Week: Tolitoli, Central Sulawesi
Tolitoli district in Central Sulawesi province will host a province-wide cultural and tourism week on June 15-21, an official said. “Ten districts and municipalities from throughout Central Sulawesi will take part in the cultural week. As a host, we are in the process of making a performance arena,” Head of the Tolitoli District Culture and Tourism Office Hasan Dg Manippi said.
Date: June 6th, 2008 |
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Ende: Flores, East Nusa Tenggara
Ende, where founding president Sukarno was exiled by the Dutch, is known for its central role in propagating Christianity and Catholicism in the country’s eastern region, especially Nusa Tenggara. Its strategic position in the middle part of Flores Island, has made it a center for evangelization since the Portuguese occupation during the 15th Century and home to Catholic schools, a seminary and a large printing house serving Christians nationwide.
Date: May 30th, 2008 |
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Indonesians in Focus: Didik Nini Thowok
People usually look down on buskers or roadside performers, assuming they are too lazy to work and are content earning a few pennies on the street. But not Didik Nini Thowok, who believes busking can actually serve as a way to preserve cultural traditions and even attract tourists. Born in Temanggung, Central Java, the 54-year-old man said a group of traditional artists had recently been given a space to busk in the city center, on Jl. Malioboro. “Busking can become one of the ways to develop Yogyakarta as a culture-based tourist city,” said Didik. “But this activity has to be supported by all parties, since most groups of traditional artists are not financially secure,” he said. Didik said he believed that regular shows by traditional art groups would help both the artists and local cultures survive. He added busking by artistic groups could also become a powerful attraction for tourists, especially foreign visitors.
Date: May 23rd, 2008 |
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From Bali to Flores the Adventurous Way
“We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm and adventure. There is no end to the adventures we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open.” - Jawaharial Nehru
On my upcoming sojourn in the archipelago I will be travelling to the eastern islands starting from Bali and then island-hopping eastwards to the far eastern island of Flores. Quite a while back I did this trip and was immensely impressed with the individual island’s culture and its peoples. Of course I can expect some changes to have occurred, like the losmens I stayed in last time might not be there, the warungs where I enjoyed the tastes of the local delicacies could have closed down or the friends that I made, moved on to better things. Most of the eastern islands are relatively poor compared to those of the larger islands and that of the mass tourism island of Bali. Subsequently, any though of western comforts are soon dismissed and should be before you venture out on a journey like this. It’s not a journey your regular tourist to Indonesia does.
Date: June 11th, 2008 |
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Java Rock Parade: Jakarta , West Java
The Java Jazz Festival has gained its foothold as the biggest musical event in the capital. Now rockers will get the chance to “regain” their glory with the Jakarta Rock Parade, a three-day rock festival that will gather rock stars from different generations. The festival, which, like the Java Jazz, will involve multiple stages, will be held on July 11-13 at the Senayan Tennis Indoor stadium.
Date: June 6th, 2008 |
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Togean National Park: Central Sulawesi
The Togean island chain is an ecological wonder located in Tojo Una-Una regency, Central Sulawesi, about a 10-hour journey from Palu. But local people have protested against the designation of the Togean National Park. The Forestry Ministry designated a 411,373-hectare area as a marine tourism park in February 2004 following a proposal from the local government. Backed by the Tojo Una-Una regent, the Forestry Ministry then added another 362,605 ha in October 2004 to create the Togean National Park. However, local people protested against this. The Toloka Foundation, a local non-governmental group, demanded the ministry revoke its decision on the grounds that it restricted local livelihoods, while in practice leaving the park open to other kinds of exploitation. Toloka argued this was contrary to the spirit of regional autonomy.
Date: May 30th, 2008 |
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Batik – an Intangible Heritage Wonder
Batik is a popular decorated textile but for Javanese, it means much more — it embodies a philosophy that holds importance from the cradle to the grave. It is still a common practice to wrap newborns in batik cloth, and a piece of batik selendang (scarf) is regularly used to carry the baby around. When someone dies, batik will cover the body of the deceased and seven pieces of batik are usually used to cushion the corpse. At this time, batik with a parang rusak pattern or a bird design are not supposed to be used. The values represented in Indonesian batik are considered significant enough by advocates to push the government to nominate it for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)’s list of intangible cultural heritage, which will be first inscripted in September 2009.
Date: May 26th, 2008 |
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Hari Raya Waisak: Indonesia
Today in Indonesia is Waisak Day. This is a Bhuddist holiday to celebrate the anniversary of Gautama Buddha, the founder of Bhuddism. To all my friends that are Bhuddist I wish to express…
SELEMAT HARI RAYA WAISAK
Hari Waisak - Waisak Day
Date: May 19th, 2008 |
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