The island of Nusa Penida offers a perfect spot for divers. The islands around the Nusa Penida is the home of so many species of sea creatures and most of them are unknown attracting tourists, underwater photographers and even scientists alike.

The most spectacular attraction in these islands is the appearance of the Mola Mola fish or also known as Ocean Sunfish. This fish is commonly seen around July – September although this date is not always accurate. Some divers also reported Mola Mola appearance around May, maybe its appearance is affected by the diver’s luck too. The fish is commonly seen in the Crystal Bay area and it could reach as high as 1.8 metres and could weigh up until 1 tonnes.

If you don’t have your own diving gear you could rent one from the locals with a very affordable price including the boat to get you to the diving site. For your information Mola Mola usually live deep in the ocean and sometimes they will go to shallow waters (around 30 metres depth) to have some sun warmth in the Asia-Pacific warm waters including Nusa Penida’s waters. The average temperature here is 26° Celsius, but sometimes it can reach as cold as 15°.

For more about diving sites around Bali and Nusa Penida you could go here.

With a total of 1.500 athletes registered at the game the game will surely be spectacular and not to be missed. So if you’ve planned on going to Bali make sure to visit the game between October 16 – 26, 2008.

The event will be divided into several area clusters with each cluster competing specific sport disciplines. The clusters are:

• Kuta Beach Cluster
  Three sport disciplines will compete in this cluster, they are Body Building, Dragon Boat Racing, and the sport that made Kuta famous for, Surfing.
• Nusa Dua – Benoa Cluster
  This cluster will feature Water Polo, Beach Kabaddi, Beach Basketball, Beach Wrestling, Beach Pencak Silat, Jetski Sport, Paragliding, and Woodball.
• Sanur Beach Cluster
  This cluster will feature Beach Volleyball, Beach Sepaktakraw, Beach Handball, Beach Soccer
  Marathon Swimming, and the-not-to-be-missed-game Triathlon.
• Serangan Island Cluster
  This cluster is located on Serangan Island and will feature Sailing and Windsurfing.

The weather condition of that day will be good and sunny so there’s no hindrance for you to come to the event. For more information you could visit the official site of Bali2008.

Luwak

Luwak

Indonesia rich nature is the home of the world finest coffee beans in the world. Java and Toraja coffee bean is one of the most known and loved throughout the world. But do you know there’s more than just an ordinary coffee bean in Indonesia. The most expensive coffee bean in the world can be found here, the coffee is called Kopi Luwak.

Kopi is Indonesian for coffee, and Luwak is an animal that resembles a raccoon, a luwak is a small civet which is an omnivore creature that eats small mammals and fruits. If their habitat is located near a coffee farm the luwak will sometime hunt for the best coffee fruit as their diet. Picking only the best coffee fruit their digestive system will process the fruit flesh leaving the bean untouched. The coffee bean could later be extracted from the animal’s feces.

What’s so special about this coffee despite its disgusting history? Well, because the luwak relies on instinct when they hunt food and they will only eat the best coffee fruit there is then the coffee bean is sure to be the best coffee around, and it is believed that the luwak’s digestive enzymes also add more taste and flavor enhancing it to be the best coffee taste there is.

Luwak Coffee

Luwak Coffee

Because it’s quite difficult to obtain or extracted, available in small quantities and also the exotic coffee taste there is the price is quite amazing for each pound. The price would be about $160 per pound or about $50 per cup. There are also some sellers from Indonesia that you could order online if you wish to try some, go here for more info.

Karimun Corals

Karimun Corals

When you think that Java is not a good place for some diving, well you’re wrong. There are some beautiful diving spots that are properly run as a tourism spot. One of them is the Karimun Jawa National Park. The national park is located north of Jepara city, a city famous for its beautiful wood-engravour furniture. The exact location of the national park lies 60 NM (nautical miles) beyond the north seas of the city.

The national park consists of 22 islands on the Java Sea with a total of 111,625 hectares, and Karimun Jawa island is about 1,285.5 hectares. The national park is a great place for divers wishing to see the natural beauty of the coral reefs of the Java Sea. Packed with beautiful white-sand beach, it’s a good place for Snorkling, Diving, Fishing, Sun Bathing, Canoing, taking a ride at the Banana Boat. There are also some shark and snapper fish farm, seaweed farm run by the locals, turtles conservation, and mangroove forest.

It’s a recomended spot for naturalist photographers seeking some objects for their photos.

Some of the best place of Karimun Jawa for exploring are:

• Pulau Menjangan Kecil
• Menjangan Besar
• Tanjung Gelam
• Legon Lele
• Genting
• Kembar
• Parang
• Cemara
• Krakal

Reaching the island will take quite a long trip, about a 3.5 hours trip by boat from Semarang or 2.5 hours from Jepara. The schedule is as follows:

• Saturday: Semarang – Karimunjawa 08.30 WIB
• Sunday: Karimunjawa – Semarang 14.00 WIB
• Monday: every first and third week; Semarang ( 07:00 WIB ) – Jepara (09:30 WIB) – Karimunjawa
• Tuesday: every first and third week; Karimunjawa ( 11:00 WIB )

Tickets:

• VIP Semarang – Karimunjawa : Rp. 130.000
• VIP Karimunjawa – Semarang : Rp. 128.000
• VIP Jepara – Karimunjawa : Rp. 83.000
• VIP Jepara – Semarang : Rp. 59.000
• Bisnis Semarang – Karimunjawa : Rp. 110.000
• Bisnis Karimunjawa – Semarang : Rp. 108.000
• Bisnis Jepara - Karimunjawa : Rp. 63.000
• Bisnis Jepara – Semarang : Rp. 35.000

If you’re willing to go a longer and cheaper trip (5 - 6 hours), you could use the ferry to the island, here’s the schedule and ticket price:

• Wednesday: Jepara – Karimunjawa jam 08:30 WIB.
• Thursday: Karimunjawa – Jepara jam 08:30 WIB.
• Saturday: Jepara – Karimunjawa jam 08:30 WIB.
• Monday: Karimunjawa – Jepara jam 08:30 WIB.

If you’re the I-always-get-that-sea-sick-feeling stuff and willing to spend more money and a more luxurious way of travel you could rent a plane through AVIASI Semarang, their phone is +62 (024) 7612282. Some of their service are

• Cesna 402, capacity
  6 people 1.050 US $ / hour , minimal carter 2 hours.
• Cesna 172 capacity
  3 people 363 US $ / hour , minimal carter 2 hours .

Note:

• waiting fee 50 US$ ( 06:00 WIB – 17:00 WIB )
• Round fee +500 US$ ( per one day one night )

The prices are by US dollars.

Now where to stay??

You could try the Nirvana Laut, a resort lodge by the beach, you could find the prices here.

Map of Karimun Jawa

See bigger map

The terrorists of the first Bali Bombing Imam Samudra and Amrozi will be executed in October. The local news have stated that the duo terrorist will be excuted after the fasting month of Ramadhan, or about early October.

They have spread a dark terror through out the country and making a bad name out of Indonesia, not to mention Bali. Because of them more tourists cancelled their trip to Indonesia, and the Balinese were so ashamed because of that terrible act.

Casualties were coming from tourists and local commoners who worked at the Padi pub. Many Australian were killed and more people were injured. The day was a day that couldn’t be forgotten easily, and it show a good lesson for us Indonesia about the danger of terrorism.

Since the day they were captured and sent to prison, the two had never submit for clemency to reduce or even canceled their punishment. But Indonesia’s law took so long to decide on the two death-date.

More news about the death sentence will follow on Indonesia Guide.

Finally we were able to setup a few basic things needed for this blog to run, and have restored the database. But we lost all of our image and themes, so we had to start from scratch. We’re very sorry for the inconvinience and we’re focusing on fixing the blog. Thank you

One day before Indonesia Independence Day in 17th August 2008 the Indonesian athletes have finally given their motherland a golden present from the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Hendra Setiawan and Markis Kido the duo ranked number one of the world had beaten the Chinese Cai Yun and Fu Heifeng in competing for the gold medal and they won the gold medal, leaving the Chinese with only a silver medal from the men-double badminton.

Kido said to the news at the press conference “We are so happy that we can present Indonesia with its first gold medal in the Olympics. This is a present for Indonesia Independence day tomorrow and a sweet give for the both of us who were born in August”. Hendra Setiawan and Markis Kido beat Cai Yun and Fu Heifeng with a score of 12-21, 21-11, 21-16.

Another Indonesian athlete has also won a medal from Badminton. Maria Kristin, the only Indonesian athlete from women-single who made it in the final won the bronze medal after beating Chinese player Lu Lan. She won with a score of 11-21, 21-13, 21-15. The funny thing is after she won, she didn’t show too much expression very contradictive with the Lu Lan who cried after being beaten by Maria.

Triyatno

Another medal was given by Indonesia’s strongest Badminton mixed double team. Nova Widiyanto and Liliyana Natsir won the silver medal after they were beaten by South Korea’s team Lee Yong-dae/Lee Hyo-jung with the score of 11-21, 17-21. It really proves that South Korea’s Badminton team is stronger than the previous years and have to force Indonesia’s dream of winning another gold medal from Badminton.

Until now Indonesia had won 1 gold, 1 silver and 3 bronze medal. 1 gold and 1 bronze from badminton, the other 2 bronze were given by Indonesia’s lifter Triyatno who competed in 62 kg class. Triyatno successfully lift a total weight of 298 kg, a combination from 135 kg snatch lift and 163 kg jerk lift. He won the bronze medal in August 11th.

Another bronze medal was won by Indonesian lifter Eko Yuli Irawan who competes in 56 kg class. He lift a total weight of 288 kg, snatch lift 130 kg and jerk lift 158 kg.

Indonesia is a big country, but lack of athletes. Indonesia could’ve been big in the Olympics like US and China. The reason why it lacks of athletes is because the little fund that was set aside in helping the sports in Indonesia. Athletes have always been known as a small-paid person and because of that less and less people are attracted to become athletes; they would rather be a state employee rather than being an athlete. I hope someday Indonesia’s athlete will be as great as South Korea, which so amazed me.

Beijing Olympics 2008 Logo

Bintan, an island in the Riau Archipelago Regency surrounded by the south China Sea, it holds a tropical beauty of the west part of Indonesia. If you love the sounds of the wave while spending your time for a quite sun bathing then this is where you should go. There’s a special vacation complex in the island or also known as Lagoi.

This Bintan Vacation Resort or also known as Lagoi is located at Riau Archipelago Regency, Archipelago Province of Riau. This place is where travelers could enjoy the amazing natural beauty of Sumatra seas. Its location which is far away from the hustle and bustle of the city is a perfect place for travelers seeking a calm and peaceful vacation, another alternative to Gili Nanggu in Lombok. This place promises a quite white sand beach and clear ocean water.

Its beauty is complemented with a combination of tropical forest and palm trees swirling along with the wind at the coast line. This atmosphere surely gives you a quite peace of mind. It’s a tropical paradise around the west part of Indonesia.

The Bintan Resort can be reached 55 minutes by ferry from Tanah Merah Port, Singapore and only 45 minutes from Nongsapura, Batam using a ferry. This vacation resort has 23 thousands hectares of space and run very professionally to guarantee a good vacation experience.

Some vacation activities you can do around Bintan especially water sports like Jet Ski, sailing, surfing, wakeboarding and scuba-diving. If you prefer to stay out from the water there’s also an international golf course in the island. The golf course was designed by famous golf player like Gary Player, Greg Norman, Jack Nicklous and Ian Baker. This golf course is facing the sea while sharing a border with the forrest of Bintan that will surely give you a unique challenge.

Hotel View

Tourist with an adventure spirit could explore the mangrove forest with a length of 6.8 KM (4.2 miles) using a boat. Tourist will be able to view of the mangrove tropical forest and some of the rare species of Indonesia. The fee to explore this forest is S$ 39 and US$19, with that entrance fee tourist will be able to explore the forest using a speed boat for one and a half hour.

Tourist could also explore the Bintan Moutain. Climbing this 340 meters tall would be a nice climbing experience, and at the top tourist could see the entire island.

Bintan white sand beach

Bintan resort view

Tourist could also visit and see the native of the Island. Bintan Resort will help you to explore the Sri Bintan tourism village. Tourist could watch the native daily life, which most of them are fishermans. The native is living in a stage-house, a common architecture found in most of Sumatra regions. Tourist could watch the villagers plait the pandan leaves into many kinds of handicraft.

Map

See a bigger map

Travelling to Indonesia’s eastern part like East Nusa Tenggara, West Nusa Tenggara and Papua are not as easy when you’re travelling to the western part of Indonesia. Infrastructures for both transportation and accommodation are not as good as other parts, especially Bali. But these parts of Indonesia is suitable for travelers who wish to seek a more adventuring kind of travelling and offers a lot of wonders to be explored.

Let’s head out to Flores, located at East Nusa Tenggara province it’s directly at the right side of Lombok Island. What can be found in this island is the magnificent three color lake on top of a mountain. Kelimutu Lake is actually a three lake located at the summit of a passive volcano, and also known as one of the wonders of the world.

The beauty of these lakes lie on their unnatural color – unlike normal lakes, it’s believe that the minerals from the mountain which affected the lakes varying colors. But until now, it is unknown of which specific mineral affects each color in the lake. The lake is a perfect spot for photographers looking for some natural photos and the trip to get there could be very challenging because the lack of infrastructures. According to the native beliefs (The Lio People), the spirits of the dead travel in these lakes.

The spirits of good old people go to the western lake Tiwi Ata Mbupu which is commonly red. Old people spirits who have done a lot of bad things go to Tiwu Ata Polo (Bewitched, or Enchanted Lake) which is commonly black. The young-dead spirits go to Tiwu Nua Muri Kooh Tai (Lake of Young Men and Maidens spirits) which have the color of blue and lite-green.

Traveling to this site could be reached from Denpasar, Bali or other cities like Jakarta, Surabaya, and Jogjakarta. A flight from Denpasar to Maumere is avalaible with jet planes, one of the airlines which provide air travel to Maumere, Flores is Merpati airlines. If you’re trying to travel from Jakarta the airline ticket is about 3 million rupiahs (US$ 300) for a back-and-forth travel.

Flores Coffee

There are about five hotels in the city like Ben Guan and Permata Sari hotel in Maumere and the dish served here are mostly seafood. But if you’re seeking more adventure you could stay at Moni, a transit place before climbing Kelimutu. Rooms run by the Moni locals are available for rent at a price of 150 to 200 thousands rupiahs (US$ 15 – 20) per night; these rooms are clean and have a good sanitation.

The climate at Kelimutu mountain are cold and best bring some thick clothing and jackets (about 5 Celcius). You could try some of the black Flores coffee to help you warm-up. Kelimutu Lake was also featured in one of Indonesia’s Rupiah. It’s no longer a valid money as it was pulled from circulation in 2006.

Kelimutu Lake featured in Rupiah

Map of Kelimutu

See a bigger map

Every August 17th is when the Indonesia people celebrate their independence day from all over the country. Streets are remarked, houses repainted, fireworks are prepared, flags stood firmly on poles all over the place, and the most important thing is how the celebration of the people.

The Indonesian people mostly celebrate the Independence day at their neighborhood by holding games to strengthen their friendship among others in the neighborhood with the spirit of independence day. Some of the famous games celebrating the independence day are:

• Marble Race
  
  

  Marble Race
  
  This game is mostly played by children. They would have to bite on a spoon and on the spoon there’s a marble. The winning condition is when someone crosses the finish line first without having to drop their marble. The contestant will be disqualified if the marble falls down. It’s a though game if you ask me.
• Sarong Soccer
  
  

  Sarong Soccer
  
  Mostly played by men, the contestant will have to put on a sarong and play a mini soccer. The winner is of course the team who have the highest goal score. The sarong will restraint some of their movement and force them to play smart as you can not manuver freely
• Pinang Climbing
  
  

  Pinang Climbing
  
  This is probably the trademark of indpedence day games. A tall pole made from pinang wood is lubricated with oil or other greasy stuff. At the top prizes are hang and the one who’s able to grab it may claim that prize. The challenge in this game lies in the greasy pole that’s so slick and very hard to get a climb on. Mostly participants will work together creating a human-stair so that the smallest and lightest participant may climb on top of his friends to get to the prize. This game draws the most crowd of all
• Kerupuk Eating Race
  
  

  Kerupuk Eating
  
  Kerupuk, a cracker-like accompaniement mostly used while eating a main course menu are hang on a rope. Each participant will then be assigned to each kerupuk. The participant must finish eating all of the kerupuk with their hands tied at their back. The one who finish the first wins the game. Very challenging and mouth-filling game.

The winner of each game will be awarded with prizes with different type. Some are books, pencils, stationary some even a television, bicycle and many more. There are more games played in this day and every region may have their own kind of game. The real point of this game is to celebrate the day while strengthening the bonds between fellow Indonesian.