Lombok-West Nusa Tenggara, The Pearl of Paradise

Calling Lombok paradise does not mean it is all things for all people. With a few exceptions, the natural landscape and the traditional way of life have remained unchanged for hundreds of years. Virtually all small to medium size businesses are run by local families. Many of these businesses sell a wide variety of merchandise, where villagers can find food, hardware, and toys all in a single small store. While it is possible to find five-star hotels run by global corporations this is the exception not the rule. The ubiquitous global fast food franchises are restricted to two outlets in the precincts of Mataram Mall in the main City of Lombok and are well sign-posted.

Located just east of Bali, Lombok in many ways lives up to or exceeds the promotional term, "an unspoiled Bali". With beautiful beaches, enchanting waterfalls, the large, looming volcano of Mount Rinjani combined with relatively few tourists, Lombok is indeed the paradisaical tropical island that many people still mistakenly imagine Bali to be now. Lombok and Bali are separated by the Lombok Strait. It is also part of the bio-geographical boundary between the fauna of Indo-Malaysia and the distinctly different fauna of Australasia. The boundary is known as the Wallacean Line, after Alfred Russell Wallace who first remarked upon the striking difference between animals of Indo-Malaysia and those of Australasia and how abrupt the boundary was between the two biomes. In the Indigenous language of the Sasak people of Lombok the word lombok ""(luum-book) which literally translates into Bahasa Indonesian as as lurus (Enstraight ahead). A common misunderstanding is that the name of the island Lombok is derived from the Bahasa Indonesian meaning of lombok which is chilli or (cabe in Bahasa Indonesian) as is thought by many visitors and some Indonesians from other parts of the archipelago. 

PLACES TO GO

Suka Rare Village - The Village of Traditional Weaving (Tenun) of Lombok 

Traditional Weaving in Suka Rare Village

Located about 20 km from the Mataram city, this village strongly attractive to visited. Most of activities of many villagers in Suka Rare are weaving. Woven resulting in form of songket or cloth typical Sasak. This village had known as one tourism frequently visited by foreign tourists and domestic. The Suka Rare Village is where you'll find the local's oldest past time, weaving. This handicraft can be found all over Lombok but Sukarare is the best place to seem them at work using their traditional process. Weaved goods are an affordable and excellent souvenir of your time in Lombok and there are many kinds of colourful and functional crafts available.

The Sade Village - The Village of Traditional Ethnic of Lombok

 

Welcome to Sade Village

The dominant Sasak culture in Lombok and the very restrained and quiet nature of its people may help explain why Lombok is less popular in terms of shopping, cuisine, and nightlife than Bali. Lombok is however becoming increasingly popular with tourists and honeymooners who want to relax in an inexpensive, tropical, un-crowded atmosphere, with many natural treasures and majestic scenery. Nothing happens quickly in Lombok and visitors who are stressed from their daily lives find Lombok a delightful place to unwind. 

The Sasak are the indigenous people of the island of Lombok. Like many ethnic groups in Indonesia, they belong to the Austronesians who migrated from mainland Asia some 5,000 years BC to populate South East Asia all the way to the South Pacific Islands. Today 85% of the Lombok population is Sasak. Although Bali has greatly influenced Lombok, yet unlike in Hindu Bali, most Sasak embrace Islam. 

Old Woman Offering Traditional Weaving of Lombok to Tourist

The most ancient Sasak village is the village of Bayan, near the foot of Mt. Rinjani, which is the stronghold of the Wektu Telu, but most frequented by visitors are the villages of Sade and Rembitan, close to Mataram. Here villagers disregard their modernising surroundings and continue to live in the old tradition. Houses in Sade are built in rows. But most prominent and typical to Lombok is the rice barn or “lumbung”, which stands raised on four wooden piles with a bonnet-shaped roof made of alang-alang or elephant grass. Rice is stored through a raised window. The beruga or the ceremonial hall stands on six pillars, its roof is also covered with elephant grass, providing coolness in hot weather and warmth during cooler nights. Houses or bale are divided into 3 sections, the kitchen, sleeping quarters and the living room.

Traditional Sasak House, the origin ethnic in Lombok

Senggigi Beach

Sunset in Senggigi

Senggigi is about 15-20 min north of the outskirts of the island's capital Mataram. Airport Taxis and metered taxis are available for connections from the airport. Airport taksi are only for the use of passengers arriving at the airport and requiring transport to destinations across the island. They are not permitted to carry passengers to the airport when departing the island. Lombok's new international airport Bandara Internasional Lombok (BIL), (IATA: LOP, ICAO: WADL) opened on 1 October 2011. The new airport in Praya has replaced operations at Selaparang International Airport in Mataram. Selaparang Airport was closed for airline operations on the evening of 30 September 2011.

The new airport is located near the city of Praya on Jalan Raya, Tanak Awu Lombok Tengah in central south Lombok and is approximately 40 km south of Mataram, and 55 km southeast of the established Senggigi tourism precinct of West Lombok. 

The Senggigi region is formed by several adjacent yet subtly different areas all lying along the same 2 lane coastal road. The exact boundaries of each area can seem rather ill-defined. While pockets of development can be found in some areas, long stretches of open undeveloped land lie in between. Nightlife and major restaurants are concentrated in the central township of Senggigi. The first time visitor should be aware of these distinct regional differences. Simply booking a hotel in Senggigi could mean a relatively remote location where the town centre can only be reached by taxi or public transport. 

Foreign tourists enjoy the sunset in Senggigi

Tanjung Aaan Bay

Tanjung Aaan Bay

Located to the south coast of Lombok Kuta Beach. Tanjung Aan, a paradise for beach lovers is a very nice area near Kuta Beach. Tanjung Aan beach has sand that resembles pepper. This beach provides an ample opportunity to get together and have fun with your friends or beloved family. Tanjung Aan bay stretches along a mile and a giant wave breaking on the beach. Turquoise sea water, stir a desire to unlock the hidden secrets of this beach. Through the land of Bali, you can route to Tanjung Aan with Kuta – Terminal Tegal. After that go to the Terminal Ubung, Bali. From Terminal Ubung, proceed towards the Padang Bai Harbour, across to Sheet Harbour, Lombok and takes about 5 hours. If you are lucky, within 12 hours you’ve arrived in Mataram from Kuta. From Mataram, you can rent a motorcycle with a travel time of about two hours to Tanjung Aan.

If you have decided to take a trip to Tanjung Aan Lombok, once can also visit the village of Awang. This village show you an ancient tradition that has been preserved by the inhabitants of the village of Awang. After a visit to this village and Tanjung Aan, if you want you can head towards Kuta beach set against a background of steep hills. Kuta Beach backward and less populated but still has its own charm and beauty. After Tanjung Aan, besides the village of Awang, there are also villages Grupuk, where you can see the cultivation of seaweed for agar-agar.

Tangsi Beach - Lombok's Enchanting Pink Beach

Tangsi Beach / Pink Beach

Pink Beach or Tangsi Beach got the name from the color of the beach sand. The sand has pink color, making it distinguish than any other beaches. Most beaches usually have white or black color sand. Tangsi is one of the most interesting tourist destinations in Lombok. Apart from its pink color sand, the beach has attractive panorama that make everyone want to stay longer in the beach when they visit it. The beach is actually beautiful, however, the location is too remote and the infrastructure is inadequate. The government should pay attention for the development of the beach. Developing infrastructure will attract more tourists to visit the beach. Then, the regional revenue will increase.

Tangsi Beach / Pink Beach

Tangsi Beach is situated in Jerowaru District, East Lombok Regency, Mataram, West Nusa Tenggara. You will need about two and a half an hour driving from Mataram. As previously mentioned, the infrastructure around the beach is inadequate. It is quite difficult for a car to reach the beach. Many part of the roads are damaged. However, once you have arrived at the beach, you’ll be amazed by the beauty of the beach. Especially, the pink color makes the beach look stunning. The pink color of the beach was said to derive from the fractions of coral reefs, named Homtrema rubrum, which mixed with white sand of the beach.  

Located only 1.5 hours away from Lombok International Airport, the beach comprising of pink sand is actually named Tangsi Beach, meaning boarding house. This unique pink color is derived from a mixture of white sand and pieces and fragments of pink coral reefs along the coast of the beach. In order to enter Pink Beach, visitors only need to pay Rp10,000 per vehicle. Unfortunately, the awful condition of the roads leading to the beach and inadequate infrastracture and facilities has made Pink Beach a less desirable place for tourists. The government needs to pay more attention to this region and spruce up its shores in order to preserve its beauty.

Tangsi Beach / Pink Beach

Gili Islands - The Islands of Paradise

Spot to see the "Three Gili Islands"

The islands are a popular destination for tourists looking for a remote island experience. Each island has several small resorts, usually consisting of a collection of huts for tourists, a small pool and restaurant. Most local inhabitants live on Trawangan in a township stretching along its east side just inland (which is also where most recent development is taking place). Automobiles and motorized traffic is prohibited on the islands by local ordinance, so the preferred method of transportation is by foot and bicycle or the horse-drawn carriage called a Cidomo. Diving in and around the Gilis is also popular due to the abundance of marine life and attractive coral formations.

Arcing away from the northwest corner of Lombok, are three idyllic atolls, where the sand is still powdery white, the water a clear sparkling turquoise, and the sunsets over Bali’s volcano Mt. Agung in the west simply spectacular. Home to the largest Irish bar on the smallest island in the world, an authentic Japanese sushi restaurant, a turtle hatchery, ominous sounding dive sites like ‘Shark Point’, 62 Bio Rock reef regeneration projects, and miles and miles of white sandy beaches, Lombok’s Gili islands, or The Gilis for short, makes a surprisingly ideal getaway destination for everyone of all ages and abilities.

Gili Trawangan Situation

Gili Trawangan is the largest of Lombok's Gili Islands and the only one to rise significantly (60 m) above sea level. Measuring 3 km long and 2 km wide, it has a population of around 1500 (see demography). The name Trawangan originates from the Indonesian word Terowongan (Tunnel) due to the presence of a cave tunnel built there during Japanese occupation in World War 2. Of the Gilis, Trawangan is the most developed and geared towards tourism. The main concentration of settlement, recreation, accommodation and diving business is situated on the eastern side of the island. A local pub, Tîr na Nôg claims that Trawangan is the smallest island in the world with an Irish pub. It was previously administered under Lombok Barat Regency along with Senggigi until 2010 when the Gili islands came under the jurisdiction of the new North Lombok Regency (Kabupaten Lombok Utara). On Gili Trawangan (as well as the other two Gilis), there are no motorised vehicles. The main means of transportation are bicycles (rented by locals to tourists) and cidomo (a small horse-drawn carriage). For travelling to and from each of the Gilis, locals usually use motorised boats and speedboats. Some of the first inhabitants of Gili Trawangan were fishermen and farmers from Sulawesi. Previous to human settlement Gili Trawangan was covered in forest and deer lived on the island.

 

Gili Meno is the middle of Lombok's three northwest coast Gilis. Gili Meno has a population of about 500, mainly concentrated on the centre of the island (see section on demography). The main income comes from tourism, coconut plantation and fishing. On the west side of the island there is a small shallow lake that produces salt in the dry season. Until a few years ago there was also a small production of seaweed on the reef at the north end of the island. Gili Meno has swimming beaches all around the island, and a bird sanctuary. The island attracts fewer tourists than Gili Trawangan and is the quietest and smallest of the islands. However, honeymooners are often drawn to the crystal clear water and idyllic, secluded white beaches. There is no fresh water on the island and it has to be brought by boat from Lombok. Electricity is supplied from generators on the island. There are no cars or motorbikes.

 

Gili Air is the second smallest of the islands and the closest to mainland Lombok, making it popular with honeymoon couples and travellers seeking a quiet retreat. It has a population of about 1,800. The island offers excellent snorkelling and scuba diving off its east coast, and turtles can be seen along the coral reef. Proximity to Gili Meno, the smallest and most secluded of the islands and to Gili Trawangan the largest island, known for its many restaurants and parties, makes Gili Air a happy Medium of seclusion with adequate services. Both other Islands are a quick boat ride away.

 

Sunrise in Gili Trawangan

 

Sunrise in Gili Trawangan

Sunrise in Gili Trawangan

 

TRANSPORTATION

There are a view international airlines to Lombok International Airport. Silk Air provides direct flight from Singapore to Lombok, Tiger Air from Singapore, Kuala Lumpur to Lombok and also Jetstar from Perth to Lombok.  From Jakarta-Indonesia there are Garuda Indonesia, Lion Air, Mandala, Citilink provide flight to Lombok International Airport (LOP) at Praya, Central Lombok. At the airport you can go by taxi to Sade Village, Suka Rare, Senggigi, Tanjung Aan Bay, Kuta Beach, Tangsi/Pink Beach. Blue Birds and Express Taxi are recommend to take you to those places. You can also rent a car from travel agent in Lombok that provides car including the driver and gas.

To go the Gili Islands, you can take a taxi to Bangsal, it cost from 300 thousands IDR.  From Bangsal to the "Three Gilis" you can take public boat or speed boat (private boat) to the Three Gilis. You pay around 15 thousands IDR to Gili Trawangan, 12 thousands IDR to Gili Meno and 10 thousands IDR to Gili Air by public boat, and pay started 250 thousands IDR by speed boat (public boat). 

There is no motorized transport on the Islands. The short distances on land are traversed on foot, by bicycle or Cidomo. The Islands can only be reached by sea, and are frequented by a variety of fast boats operating various routes from Bali. All fast boat services to the 3 islands stop at Gili Trawangan, with a select few sailing to Gili Air. The only fast boat company to operate a direct route from Bali to Gili Meno is Kuda Hitam, who also stop off at the other Islands. Some routes go via Nusa Lembongan, another popular island destination in the region. In 2011, the Gilibookings website made provision for online e-ticketing. Public ferries and private charters also sail to the Islands from Bangsal harbour on the Lombok mainland, speedboat charters operate from Teluk Nare, south of Bangsal. Lombok International Airport (IATA: LOP) in the south of Lombok is the closest airport to the Gilis. Bali's Ngurah Rai International Airport (IATA: DPS), is larger and serves more international routes. Connecting Fast boat services on towards the islands from Bali are frequent and take approximately 90 minutes or more, the aircraft services connecting to Bali have a flight duration of around 30 minutes.

Note : All the pictures originally owned by Morison and taken with Sony Xperia-Z, please ask if you want to reuse or republish a part or all the pictures.

New Music: Avril Lavigne "Self Titled" Fifth Studio Album

Avril Lavigne is the upcoming self-titled fifth studio album by Canadian singer-songwriter Avril Lavigne. The album is scheduled to be released on 24 September 2013 by Epic Records, as the follow-up to her fourth studio album, Goodbye Lullaby (2011). Recording sessions began in November 2011, and took place over a period of almost two years, concluding in July 2013. The lead single, "Here's to Never Growing Up", was released on 9 April 2013 and was a success; reaching the top twenty in the United States, Canada, Australia and United Kingdom, and the top ten in Ireland and Japan. Lavigne premiered the second single, "Rock N Roll", on 18 July 2013, it will be released on 27 August, with the music video premiering a week earlier on 20 August.

Three months after the release of Goodbye Lullaby, Lavigne announced that work on her fifth studio album had already begun, with eight songs written so far. Lavigne stated that the album would musically be the opposite of Goodbye Lullaby, with a release date rumoured for sometime in 2012 Lavigne explained, "Goodbye Lullaby was more mellow, [but] the next one will be pop and more fun again. I already have a song that I know is going to be a single, I just need to re-record it! In late 2011, Lavigne confirmed that she had moved to Epic Records, which is now headed by L.A. Reid. It was announced in July 2013 that the album would be released on 24 September 2013. On August 8, 2013, Lavigne revealed the cover art for the album via her Instagram account.

Avril Lavigne sports an emo look on the cover artwork for her new self-titled album Avril Lavigne! “Thanks to all my fans for the amazing support! Here’s an exclusive look at the cover of my new, self-titled album!” the 28-year-old singer wrote on her Facebook page. The "Here's to Never Growing Up" singer also debuted the album's art, a glam close-up of her face in lights. The long-awaited set, which includes collaborations with husband Chad Kroeger of Nickelback and an appearance from Marilyn Manson on the track "Bad Girl," has yet to find a release date, but is expected later this summer. "The record's really diverse," Lavigne told Billboard earlier this year. "Basically, this album I wanted to still have... emotional, heartfelt ballads, but I also wanted to make this record a little more upbeat and feel-good. And that's also the place that I'm in in my life."

Not only is Avril calling her new release Avril Lavigne, but she even plastered a pic of her totally pretty face on the cover (above)!
Oooh! The sensational starlet looks more goth than when she married Nickelback frontman Chad Kroeger in a black wedding dress!
- See more at: http://perezhilton.com/2013-08-08-avril-lavigne-new-album-cover-art-eponymous-canada#sthash.PY9oc46d.dpuf

Not only is Avril calling her new release Avril Lavigne, but she even plastered a pic of her totally pretty face on the cover (above)!
Oooh! The sensational starlet looks more goth than when she married Nickelback frontman Chad Kroeger in a black wedding dress!
- See more at: http://perezhilton.com/2013-08-08-avril-lavigne-new-album-cover-art-eponymous-canada#sthash.PY9oc46d.dpuf

Download Avril Lavigne single "Here's to Never Growing Up" in iTunes

Not only is Avril calling her new release Avril Lavigne, but she even plastered a pic of her totally pretty face on the cover (above)!
Oooh! The sensational starlet looks more goth than when she married Nickelback frontman Chad Kroeger in a black wedding dress!
- See more at: http://perezhilton.com/2013-08-08-avril-lavigne-new-album-cover-art-eponymous-canada#sthash.PY9oc46d.dpuf

Not only is Avril calling her new release Avril Lavigne, but she even plastered a pic of her totally pretty face on the cover (above)!
Oooh! The sensational starlet looks more goth than when she married Nickelback frontman Chad Kroeger in a black wedding dress!
- See more at: http://perezhilton.com/2013-08-08-avril-lavigne-new-album-cover-art-eponymous-canada#sthash.PY9oc46d.dpuf

New Music: Katy Perry Fourth Studio Album "Prism" vs Lady Gaga Third Studio Album "Art Pop"

Prism is the upcoming fourth studio album by American singer-songwriter Katy Perry. The album is scheduled to be released on October 22, 2013, by Capitol Records, as the follow up to her third album, Teenage Dream (2010). The album is preceded by the release of its lead single, "Roar", which made its radio debut on August 10, 2013 and was released onto iTunes and YouTube on August 12, 2013.

"This new song is called 'Roar.' It's a bit of a self-empowering type of song," she said. "I wrote it because I was sick of keeping all these feelings inside and not speaking up for myself, which caused a lot of resentment." She went on to say that she has been to therapy since her last album, which influenced her new music."Obviously I've been through a lot of therapy since my last record and that's what this is about," she said. Although Perry did not specifically say that the therapy was a result of her divorce from comedian Russell Brand, the timing does coincide. Brand filed for divorce from the pop star in late December 2011 after just over a year of marriage. Her last album, "Teenage Dream," originally hit shelves in 2010; an updated release came out in March 2012. 

Perry told Billboard in late 2012 that she wants to take some time off before starting recording her third album, stating: "I'm an adult and what I'm not going to do is hurry up to fail, to shoot myself in the foot. I need to live so I have something worth singing about. That's always been the case for me." She also stated: "I know exactly the record I want to make next. I know the artwork, the coloring and the tone..... I even know what type of tour I'm doing next. I'll be very pleased if the vision I have in my head becomes a reality." However, Perry mentioned that she does not want the album to be a "Teenage Dream 2.0", stating: "That would be silly. It's not of any interest for me to try and outdo myself at every corner. 

Katy Perry's promotional gold 18-wheeler truck was hit by an alleged drunk driver on Friday (August 9). According to TMZ, the incident occurred while the truck was parked in a lot outside a Walmart store in Pennsylvania. Perry wasn't inside the truck at the time and nobody was injured in the collision. Perry later used Twitter to reassure fans that the truck, which displays the title and release date of her forthcoming album 'Prism', hasn't been seriously damaged.

Download Katy Perry's new single "Roar" in iTunes

 

Lady Gaga might live to regret pushing the release of “Applause” forward a week. Instead of leaping to number one within hours as many observers expected, the highly-anticipated single failed to topple Katy Perry‘s “Roar” from the top spot and then, to add insult to injury, fell back to number three this afternoon (August 15) behind Robin Thicke‘s all-conquering “Blurred Lines”. The one-spot drop was enough to spook Little Monsters and many began to wonder if the DJ White Shadow-produced ode to hip surgery was, in fact, flopping. It didn’t take Gaga long to go into damage control — jumping on Twitter to point out the track’s international success and reminding fans that “Applause” doesn’t officially impact radio until August 19. Mother Monster is right, of course. It’s way too early to call “Applause” a chart disappointment but it must be unsettling that Katy has dominated so overwhelmingly. See Lady Gaga’s tweets and some highlights from the fan meltdown after the jump.

Lady Gaga's ARTPOP is still a a few months away, but the pop star has been steeling herself for backlash in many of her early public statements about the LP. "Dont focus on ANY blogger criticism. I have been a producer/songwriter/musician for over 10 years. Trust the artist bloggers are not critics," she tweeted on August 11. In a follow-up post, she added, "#STOPHarassingTheArtist we are here to entertain you." Discussing the decision making which went into choosing the album's lead single, she added: "It's an incredible process choosing the first single. You just play the music and see who gets drunk and takes their shirt off first." Meanwhile, producer DJ White Shadow – who worked with Gaga on the record – said that the singer had written a huge mass of material for the LP. "It's a result of her dedication," he said. "We wrote 70-100 songs over the course of two and half years. This time we tried to have as much fun as we possibly could and then brought them to our friends and said, 'What do you think?'"

The concepts and themes of the album began developing in December 2011. While performing a concert in Australia, Gaga previewed a song titled "Princess Die", a song with suicidal themes that was written about Princess Diana and her death. Gaga stated that the version of "Princess Die" she performed likely will not be included on Artpop, but a more upbeat dance version of the track may possibly make the final tracklist. She also declared that this album will demonstrate a "lack of maturity and responsibility", and that Artpop is contrast to the themes that were displayed in her previous album Born This Way. In November, Gaga revealed via her Twitter that she wrote "like 50 songs" to be considered for inclusion on Artpop. In an interview with Ryan Seacrest, Gaga revealed that “ARTPOP is a celebration and a poetic musical journey through my friends and I hanging out and enjoying being pop stars.” Gaga described the album as being a "reverse Warholian experience." The Warholian experience is a direct reference to artist Andy Warhol, whose philosphophy was to take popular things and make them art. Gaga's goal with ARTPOP is to do the opposite of this. On her website during 2012, Gaga revealed that Artpop will contain complextro, J-pop, dance and what she describes as "underground gay Chicago trap." Gaga and her producers took an experimental approach to the album. According to producer Zedd, "There was one song that started from her just giving me, like, ten words to describe an emotion, and then I had to make this into music." According to Gaga, the point of Artpop is so pop and art can have an exchange. Gaga was much happier when writing this album than she was with her previous albums. She described Artpop as her "first real album" and that it emulated a "phoenix rising from the ashes."

Here are the complete confirm tracks from Lady Gaga New Album "Art Pop" :

1. Applause
2. Tea
3. GUY (Girl Under You)
4. Burqa
5. Aura
6. Ratchet feat. Azealia Banks
7. Red Flame feat. Azealia Banks
8. Sex Dreams
9. Mary Jane Holland
10. ARTPOP
11. Swine

 Download Lady Gaga's new single "Applause" in iTunes

 

Travel & Tourism: Raja Ampat Islands, The Island of The Kings

The name of Raja Ampat comes from local mythology that tells about a woman who finds seven eggs. Four of the seven eggs hatch and become kings that occupy four of Raja Ampat biggest islands whilst the other three become a ghost, a woman, and a stone.

History shows that Raja Ampat was once a part of Tidore Kingdom, an influential kingdom from Maluku. Yet, after the Dutch invaded Maluku, it was shortly claimed by the Netherlands. The main occupation for people around this area is fishing since the area is dominated by the sea. They live in a small colony of tribes that spreads around the area. Although traditional culture still strongly exists, they are very welcoming to visitors. Their religion is dominantly Christian.

Located off the northwest tip of Bird's Head Peninsula on the island of New Guinea, in Indonesia's West Papua province, Raja Ampat, or the Four Kings, is an archipelago comprising over 1,500 small islands, cays, and shoals surrounding the four main islands of Misool, Salawati, Batanta, and Waigeo, and the smaller island of Kofiau.

Raja Ampat Regency is a new regency which separated from Sorong Regency in 2004. It encompasses more than 40,000 km² of land and sea, which also contains Cenderawasih Bay, the largest marine national park in Indonesia. It is a part of the newly named West Papua (province) of Indonesia which was formerly Irian Jaya. Some of the islands are the most northern pieces of land in the Australian continent.

As stunningly beautiful above water as it is below, Raja Ampat (which literally translates as “The Four Kings”) has a startling diversity of habitats to explore. Each of these – from the stark wave-pounded slopes that drop away beneath the karst cliffs of Wayag and Uranie to the deep, nutrient-rich bays of Mayalibit, Kabui and Aljui to the “blue water mangrove” channels of Kofiau and Gam to the plankton-rich upwelling areas of Misool and the Dampier Strait – are home to unique assemblages of species that, when taken together, add to produce the most impressive species lists ever compiled for a coral reef system of this size. Marine tourism, as a sustainable alternative to overfishing, mining, and logging, has the potential to play a key role in the conservation of Raja Ampat’s spectacular underwater realm, while also creating real benefits for the local communities. This website was designed as part of a larger effort to support the growth of sustainable marine tourism in Raja Ampat and the conservation of these magical islands.

Raja Ampat is home to many endemic species, like the ‘walking sharks’. Still today scientists travel here to find new species. Both above and below. However expect to see large numbers of schooling fish, manta rays, various species of pygmy seahorses, wobbegongs, bumphead parrot fish, giant trevally, barracuda and just about every reef fish and critter in the books. All of this is set against a vibrant backdrop of the world’s healthiest hard and soft corals. On land expect a lot of birds and other wildlife like lizards and the Cuscus – a furry marsupial that often can be spotted in the evenings.

TRAVELING TO RAJA AMPAT

The common route chosen by tourists to reach the islands of Raja Ampat is traveling by air to the town of Sorong, West Papua. When this writing is made, the aircraft landing at the airport in city of Sorong (SOQ), the flight from the city of Manado (MDC), Ambon (AMQ), Makassar (UPG), Denpasar (DPS) and direct flights from Jakarta (CKG). The airlines serving flights to Sorong city include: Sriwijaya Air, Merpati, Air Express, and Lion Air. There is no direct international flight routes to the city of Sorong.

For foreign tourists like Malaysia, Singapore and Australia, search can be made from the route connecting flight to Sorong city from Jakarta, Denpasar and Makassar. Please look at flight map carefully. From Sorong, the journey to Raja Ampat Islands is resumed by Marina Express boat, Ave Maria boat or speed boat chartering from the Pelabuhan Rakyat, the city of Sorong. Departure time for Marina Express Ferry is at 14.00 local time and the Ave Maria boat usually departs within 1-2 hours thereafter.

For those wishing to charter speedboat saling over to Raja Ampat Islands, the ideal time to get across is before 12:00 am local time or before the rising of sea water due to tidal waves. The speedboat usually smaller than the Marina Express boat makes it more sensitive to wave shock.

A special note should be obeyed by anyone who wants to sail to the Raja Ampat Islands by speedboat: if your Boat Master decides to postpone the departure of the boat due to inclement weather or a tidal rise or something else. then you must obey him. Never try negotiate or push the departure or you and your group to the boat captain. The ship master and crew operating in the waters of West Papua and the islands of Raja Ampat are professionals growing up by the nature in the waters. They have their own instinct and sensitivity of natural phenomena and weather.

 If you have the opportunity to visit Raja Ampat, you do not have to worry about seeking lodge. There are quite a few rooms for rent with varying prices. For those who travel to the islands of Raja Ampat without joining a tour package and on trip by Marina Express Ferry  from Pelabuhan Rakyat in Sorong, you will arrive at Raja Ampat in the at the city port of Waisai. Then you will just have to find lodge in the city of Waisai, the capital of Raja Ampat.

Here is a list of inns, hotels and cottages available in the the city of Waisai:

1. NAJWA INDAH Inn
2. WAISAI INDAH Inn
3. MARCY Inn
4. SURYA Hotel
5. MARAS RISEN Hotel
6. NOVALIN Inn
7. CORMANSIWIN Inn
8. SINAR PALIMA Inn
9. MARANU Inn
10. Cottage ACROPURA
11. Cottage KING DOLPHIN
12. Waisai Beach Hotel
13. Phuyaka Mengge Inn 

General Information :

Name	:	Raja Ampat Regency
City	:	Waisai
Province	:	West Papua
Conutry	:	Indonesia
Time	:	GMT +9
Electricity	:	220 V (Two Pins)
Population	:	41.170 people (2008 Projection)
Number of Island	:	610
Shore Lenght	:	753 km
Major Industry	:	Tourism, Fishing & Agriculture
Language	:	Bahasa Indonesia and Traditional
Work Hour	:	09.00 - 17.00
Bank Opens	:	09.00 - 14.00
Climate and Weather	:	Tropical and Hot
Temperature	:	23,5°C - 31,2°C
Best Visiting Time	:	October - May

Travel & Tourism : Kawah Putih (White Crater) - Beautiful Volcanic Crater in West Java, Indonesia

Kawah Putih (English: White Crater) is a striking crater lake and tourist spot in a volcanic crater about 50 km south of Bandung in West Java in Indonesia.

Kawah Putih lake (7.10° S 107.24° E) is one of the two craters which make up Mount Patuha, an andesitic strato volcano (a "composite" volcano). Mt Patuha is one of numerous volcanoes in Java. Kawah Putih crater lake itself represents a relatively stable volcanic system with no records of significant activity since around 1600.

The Kawah Putih site was opened to visitors in 1987. The lake is 2,430 meters above sea level so the local climate is often quite chilly (temperatures are frequently around 10 degrees celsius). This makes a brisk change from the humidity of the north Java plain and the capital city of Jakarta. Kawah Putih is a sizeable highly acid lake (pH 0.5-1.3) which changes colour from bluish to whitish green, or brown, depending on the concentration of sulfur and the temperature or the oxidation state. The sand and rocks surrounding the lake have been also leached into whitish colours through interaction with the acidic lake waters (with possible mineral precipitation as well).

The surrounding area is heavily forested. There is a pathway down to the lake which is surrounded by the high walls of the crater nestling into the side of Mt Patuha. The smell of sulfur is strong because there is a good deal of steam and sulfurous gas bubbling from the lake. There are tracks around the lake and through the nearby forest including to the peak of Mt Patuha. Visitors can walk around the crater area or sit in the various shelters. Local plants not widely found in lower altitudes in Java include javanese Edelweiss and Cantigy (Vaccinium varingifolium). Animals and birds which may be spotted include eagles, owls, monkeys, mouse deer, and forest pigs. Panthers, leopards and pythons have also sometimes been seen in the nearby forest.

A range of simple facilities exists near the lake. There is ample parking and public toilets. Entrepreneurial vendors sell trinkets and food. The site is well-signposted. Local farmers often take the opportunity to sell strawberries (widely grown in the area), steamed corn, and various other items such as pumpkin seeds (pepita).

Kawah Putih and the surrounding area (where there are resort facilities such as hot spas) is a popular spot for people from Bandung. On weekends and on holidays, quite large numbers of Indonesian tourists visit Kawah Putih. The site is so far less well-known to international tourists. According to Perhutani staff at the site, up to 10,000 people might visit on busy holidays and the total number of visitors is perhaps 300,000 per year.

Access is gained from the left of the main road travelling south by entering the park and proceeding along a 5 km access road. Travel time from the centre of Bandung, depending on traffic in and around Bandung, is perhaps two hours. The turnoff from the main road to Kawah Putih is hard to miss: there is a large signboard to the left of the main road and a prominent entry gate. The entry facilities and the crater location are well-managed by staff from the state-owned forestry firm Perhutani.

The usual arrangement is for visitors to leave their vehicles in a main carpark at the entry to the site and catch one of the regular mini shuttlebuses (leaving every five minutes or so) for the 5 km to the crater. For Indonesian citizens, the cost of entry to the site (October 2011) is Rp 15,000 plus Rp 5,000 for the return minibus ride (total of Rp 20,000, around $US 2.20). Charges for foreign visitors are slightly higher. Visitors who prefer to drive in their own vehicles up to the crater must pay a significantly higher charge (Rp 150,000, or $US 17 per vehicle plus tickets for passengers). Tickets are issued by Perhutani staff and include insurance while at the location.

The main road is the busy road south from Bandung through the town of Soreang, the capital of the Bandung District, continuing down through the crowded Pasir Jambu township. Minibuses ply the route southwards from Bandung and, depending on traffic, can take up to two hours to reach the entrance to the Kawah Putih area. There are many thousands of small market-crop farmers in the fertile valley to the south of Bandung which leads up towards the Kawah Putih area. Local food-crops grown include a wide range of fruits and vegetables. A strawberry industry is well-established in the area and many strawberry farms have fruit for sale along the side of the highway.

Accommodation is available at various hotels in the Patuha area close to the nearby town of Ciwidey and also in Soreang.

Travel & Tourism : Parangtritis Beach, The Most Exotic Beach in Jogjakarta

Parangtritis is located 27 km south of Yogyakarta and easily accessible by public transportation that operate up to 17:00pm as well as private vehicles. The afternoon before sunset is the best time to visit this most popular beach in Yogyakarta. But if you arrive sooner, it will not hurt for going up to Tebing Gembirawati (Gembirawati cliffs) behind this beach. From there, we can see the whole area of Parangtritis Beach, southern sea, up to the horizon.

Not many people know that on the east side of this clifft, hidden temple ruins. Unlike the other temples located in a mountainous area, Gembirawati Temple is only a few hundred meters from the edge of Parangtritis Beach. To reach this temple, we can pass road uphill near the Hotel Queen of the South and then go down the path to the west for approximately 100 meters. Faintly roar of the ferocious waves of the southern sea could be heard from this temple.

Parangtritis Beach is very closely related to the legend of Ratu Kidul (Queen of South). Many Javanese people believe that Parangtritis Beach is the gate of Ratu Kidul’s magical kingdom who controls the southern sea. Hotel Queen of the South is a luxurious resort that is named according to this the legend. Unfortunately the resort is now rarely, whereas it used to have a view that could make us breathless.

When the sun is leaning to the west and the weather is sunny, it is time for having fun. Although visitors are prohibited from swimming, Parangtritis Beach is not lack of the means for having fun. On the beach there is ATVs (All-terrain Vehicle) rental, the tariff is around Rp. 50.000 to 100.000 per half hour. Enter its gear and then release the clutch while pulling the gas. Brrooom, four-wheeled all-terrain motorcycle will be raced bringing you across the sand beach dune.

Well, ATVs may only be suitable for those who are more adventurous. Another option is the carriage. 

Walking along the sand surface that is smoothly swept by the wave with two-wheeled horse-drawn carriage is no less enjoyable. The carriage will bring us to the end of the east coast of Parangtritis Beach where the cluster of rocks that is so beautiful , so it is often used as the spot of a pre-wedding photo shoot. The dim twilight and golden shade of the sun on the water surface more raise a romantic atmosphere.

Parangtritis Beach also offers the excitement for those who travel with family. Kite-flying with your child is also enjoyable. The strong sea breeze is very helpful to make a kite flying high, even if you've never played a kite.

Still reluctant for going home even though the sun had set? Soon, some roasted corn sellers will hold a mat on the beach where we can hang out there until late at night. Still do not want to go home? Do not worry, in Parangtritis Beach, there are tens of inns and accommodations available at an affordable price.