Batu-Tulis Ciaruteun (Stone Inscription)

One of the oldest kingdoms of Indonesia, the Hinduism Tarumanagara from the 5th century, was probably located near Bogor. In the area a number of inscriptions has been found, under them a remarkable one, which still can be seen in Ciampea, 15 km west of the city, approximately two kilometers Southwest of the botanical gardens It's a big stone in a riverbank, which contains several lines of Indian style inscriptions, and two king-size footprints, which should have been from the conqueror and king Purnawarman. This inscription tells about the influence of king Surawisesa of Pajajaran in 1533, an important Hindu-king. This inscription is used Sanskrit language.

A replica of the stone can be found in the Fatahillah Museum in Jakarta. The name of the kingdom seems to have close ties with the river, which runs through the Bandung Basin east of Bogor to the coast, Citarum River. Because the inscriptions were found here, the historians concluded the capital of Tarumanagara should have been here, also because it's a good place for defense, and it also provides entry to the fertile hinterlands and the nearby trading harbors at the Sunda Strait.

The site is located on the bank of the Ciaruteun river in Ciampea village which can be reached by driving along the 9-kilometer road from Bogor to Ciampea followed by going on foot for about two kilometers.

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Jatiluhur Dam

Purwakarta is a part of West Java, a small district with its beautiful scenery of Jatiluhur Dam. It is located 9 kilometers from Purwakarta, is known as Juanda Dam, which could accommodate 3 billion cubic of water from Citarum River. Situated halfway between Jakarta and Bandung, this dam was originally built with French technical assistance in the 1950's to generate electrical power for the region. It is the first multipurpose dam in Indonesia. It now provides irrigation to the surrounding Arabic land and a fishery industry has been developed as well. It is now being developed for tourism and provides convenient facilities such as swimming pools, tennis courts, a camping ground, and speedboats for water skiing and cottages. The reservoir is huge, the scenery tropical, the air crisp and cool.

In the dam, there are six turbine units with installed capacity of 187 megawatts and could generate electricity of 1,000 million kilowatt ours per year. Besides, the dam functions to feed water to irrigation channel of 242,000 hectares of farming land provide raw water for drinking water, as fishery and as flood control.

 

Grama Tirta is a place where we can enjoy our holiday doing various kinds of outdoor sporting activities. Enjoy a morning walk at Jatiluhur Dam, inhaling the crisp fresh air. Let the cool morning dew on the grass and melodious songs of bird greet in each morning. Catch a glimpse of our Morning Glory and its breathtaking beauty will inspire us to new heights.

For those who love water sports and recreation, 8,300 hectares dam with its year round crystal clear waters, will be difficult to resist. Climb into a paddleboat to explore the Jatiluhur Dam, or just sit back and relax in a motorboat to experience the great outdoors. And if speed and challenge are what we are looking for, the fleet of jet skis will propel the tourists to all corners of the lake.

Asides from its function as hydro power plant, Jatiluhur dam also has a number of recreation facilities including hotels, bungalow, bar and restaurant, tennis court, billiard, camping site, swimming pool, meeting room, water sport recreation center, playground etc. Water sport recreation center includes rowing, surfing, water ski, boating and shipping. In Jatiluhur dam, there is a Ikan Keramba Jaring Apung or Keramba Fish Floating Net activity, that could become a distinguished activity in the dam. In the daylight or at night, we can fish with peace and eat roasted fishes.

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Maribaya

Maribaya is well known for its hot springs, the sulfur-laden water, a comfortable place for swimming and enjoying the scenery of a 25-meter waterfall set against a steep mountain cliff. Maribaya warm springs emerge from near the fault trace of the almost east west trending Lembang Fault which is downthrown to the north. The uplifted southern block consists of older andesitic volcanic products from Tangkuban Perahu and other old eruptive centers to the east while on the north the outcrop is mainly of younger Tangkuban Perahu pyroclastics. The main Tangkuban Perahu craters are 9 km to the NW of Maribaya and Bandung city is about 11 km to the SW. Maribaya, which lies 9 km southeast of Tangkuban Perahu at the foot of an east-west scarp which may be associated with Lembang fault. The springs flow from the banks of a stream where it flows over two waterfalls created by basaltic lava flows. The waters have temperatures ranging between 38° and 47°C, an 8-9 and are slightly turbid and yellowish in color. Where they emerge from the rocks they are often associated with carbonate and argyle deposits.

The 30-minute trip from Bandung to Maribaya passes through some lovely mountain scenery. Renowned for its hot springs, the sulfur-laden water is comfort, able for swimming or soaking. Lie back and relax while enjoying the view of a 25-meter waterfall set against a steep mountain cliff. The mountain air is cool and the sulfur-laden water just comfortably hot enough for swimming as and soaking in. Part of the scenery is a 25 m high waterfall set against a steep mountain cliff. This is tiny waterfall.

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Mount Tangkuban Perahu

Tangkuban perahu is a volcano, 25 kilometers north of Bandung direction of Lembang. Its location is in between Sagalaherang village, Sagalaherang district, Subang regency and Cikole village, Lembang district, Bandung regency. This is Bandung's most famous tourist volcano just 28 km north of the city. This volcano offers many places to see and explore. Whether we look into the huge crater or hike down into it, stroll through the forest on its slopes, or simply enjoy the splendid panoramic scenery. Mt. Tangkuban Perahu is an interesting destination that everyone in the Bandung area is fond of visiting. When seen from Bandung, Mt. Tangkuban Perahu has a distinctive shape, like an upside down boat. Tangkuban Perahu means, in fact, "up-turned boat" This peculiar shape has stimulated the fantasy of the Sundanese people from early times as expressed in the Legend of Sangkuriang. Geologically, Mt. Tangkuban Perahu has played a significant role in the development of Parahyangan highlands. Eruptions have contributed immensely to the hills north of Bandung through lava flowing into the valleys and hardening into rock, thus forming big cliffs over which waterfalls leap. Likewise, mud flows have formed a semi-circular cone of gentle gradient (what geologists call "a fan"), which is now a mass that blocked the valley of the ancient Citarum River near present day in Padalarang (some 18 km west of Bandung), this caused a lake to form covering the whole Bandung plain.
 

Tangkuban Perahu is a volcano with three craters into which areas tourists can walk through. These three craters are: Kawah Ratu ("Queen Crater"), Kawah Domas ("Domas Crater"), and Kawah Upas ("Upas Crater"). Tourists can go down into the Domas Crater where exist many hot geysers in which they can boil eggs. Though the mountain appears peaceful, mild eruptions occurred in 1969, when Kawah Ratu spewed ash and barrages 500 m high. As recently as September 1992 it was closed to the public for a few days because unusually high seismic activity leads volcanologist to fear a new eruption. On the mountain's northern flank is an area called Death Valley, so named for its frequent accumulation of poisonous gases. On a reasonably clear day, from Kawah Ratu, the main crater, we can see not only the mountain range to the east, with Mt. Bukittunggul as its highest peak (2,209 m), but also two other in a northeasterly direction. The lower and nearer one is Mt. Tampomas (1,684 m) just north of Sumedang some 40 km away. To the right and about 90 km away is Mt. Ciremai close to Cirebon on the north coast. At 3,078 m, Mt. Ciremai is West Java's tallest mountain. At the foot of Mt. Tangkuban Perahu we see the Ciater tea plantation covering the rolling hills. Farther to the left are the northern coastal plains of Java, and on an extremely clear day we may even be able to see the Java Sea beyond.

Kawah Ratu, which means "Queen's Crater", is today just a big gray hole, which sometimes has a pool of water at its center. Poisonous gases sometimes accumulate in Kawah Ratu, thus making it somewhat of a risk to descend to the crater floor. Beyond the saddled shaped depression on the far side of Kawah Ratu is the still active Kawah Upas, the oldest crater on the mountain. On the very far western cliff we see a spot where all vegetation has been destroyed by constantly rising sulfurous vapors. On the crater walls, note the various layers of material consisting of rock, sand, and pebbles. Overtime, new craters have formed again and again in a rather consistent shift from west to east. The most well known of these is the Domas crater, but also there are other smaller ones in jungle on the mountain's northeastern flank. Facilities in Tangkuban Perahu Crater are comfortable parking area, souvenir kiosks, and restaurants.

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Pelabuhan Ratu Beach

Pelabuhan Ratu is a lovely holiday resort, visited by holidaymakers from Jakarta and Bandung. The site is only three-hour drive from either city through cool mountain villages with picturesque sceneries. Pelabuhan Ratu - Cisolok is a 15 km stretch of breathtaking beauty with hills, mountains and very wide sandy beaches everywhere around, set against the deep blue Indian Ocean. Right next to stretches of white beaches, visitors will find thick tropical forests on rolling hills. Taking walks uphill enables the visitor to look down on the horseshoe shape of the bay's coastline, whereas at night hundreds of fishermen's boat-lamps are seemingly competing with the star-studded sky above, which is both enchanting and romantic. There is one four-star hotel, Samudera Beach, about 6 km from Pelabuhan Ratu, but several other smaller hotel and cottages are available at moderate rates.

At this virgin stage, this area represents unspoiled beauty in a typically tropical setting with hospitable inhabitants. Because of its proximity to Jakarta, more tourists visit this area from the capital than those from Bandung. Moreover, the highways to and from Pelabuhan Ratu have recently been greatly improved to assure the visitor of a smooth ride to enjoy the sceneries that pass even well. Good for taste, swimming, sun bathing and surfing.

 

The picturesque fishery village, more than 50 kilometers southwest of Sukabumi, is home to the mysterious goddess of the South Sea, Nyai Roro Kidul. The legend tells that the sea in Karanghawu would have taken her, 14 kilometers to the west. Pelabuhan Ratu ('seaport of the queen') is located in a wide bay, which has had the name 'Wijnkoopsbaai'. During the weekends this village is overloaded with visitors from Jakarta. It's not advised to take a bath in the domain of the goddess, and especially not in green clothes. Green is the favorite color of Nyai Roro Kidul and wearing it is an invitation for her to take that person to the depths of the ocean.

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Cirebon

Traveling northeast from Bandung towards the coast, the seaport of Cirebon offers a wealth of culture and history. Situated on the border of West and Central Java, it is home to a combination of both cultures. Gemah Ripah Loh Jinawi means a prosperous city that has many people. Cirebon is actually located at the north coast of Java. It is located at West Java. Cirebon has a great resource of sea, especially shrimps. These shrimps are exported abroad to get so much income for city development and education. This city is almost always be passed every time any one wants to go to West Java or Jakarta from Central Java and any east cities of Java. The location of Cirebon is very strategic. In the Indojavanese time it was the most important harbor of the mighty Galuh kingdom, of which the capital was located in the fertile of Citanduy River, not too far away from Ciamis. The harbor also opened the way to the Cimanuk River, which flows through Sumedang to the lake basin of Bandung. Because the coasts of Western Java are swampy and in some places rocky Cirebon and Sunda Kelapa (Jakarta), together with Banten in the far West, the main entries to the blooming highlands.
 

Cirebon at 14th was a part of Padjajaran Kingdom. The Moslem movement there was so fast and Padjajaran commanded to remove the settlement to Lemahwungkuk, 5 kilometers from Cirebon harbor. In the city itself; the ancient palace (keraton) of Kasepuhan and Kanoman now serve as museums which are open to the public, exhibiting household ornaments, paintings, calligraphy and other art treasures of the courts. The royal carriages are sumptuous in design, one of them a gilded coach in the form of a winged elephant. The three well-known palaces (Kraton) of Cirebon are Pakungwati, Kesepuhan, and Kanoman. The former is the earliest of the three and has said to be occupied by Sunan Gunung Jati himself. In fact, according to the records preserved within the Kesepuhan Palace, and firmly believed by the Cirebon people, the normally accepted account of Sunan Gunung Jati's life is incorrect. Syarif Hidayatullah was, they claim, the son of an Egyptian King and a Sundanese princess. He lived until the age of 120 and died in 1568 A.D.

Across the square from the Kasepuhan Kraton is "Mesjid Agung" (Grand Mosque), in a traditional Javanese style and made entirely of wood. There is an ancient royal cemetery where a holy sultan was buried which has become a place for pilgrimage at the Astana Gunung. Jati Cirebon is also known for its distinct batik, now a flourishing industry in Trusmi village. The local seafood is among the best in West Java. Another specialty this city can offer the visitor is a wide range of seafood, probably the best in West Java.

Nowadays Cirebon is on the crossing of a busy coastal road and the main road to Bandung. The harbor, main depot for the oil from the Java Sea, is famous for it's great catches of fish and other sea animals. Cirebon means 'River of Shrimps' and the city has a nickname 'Kota Udang', 'City of the big Shrimps'; historical sources tell us that the name of the city is probably diverted from caruban, which means 'mixture' - a witness of the very heterogeneous heir of Cirebon.

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Tasikmalaya

Sixty kilometers from Garut, Tasikmalaya is known for its plaited mats, painted umbrellas and batiks of particular designs and colors. Geographically, Tasikmalaya is situated between 107° 53' to 108° 20' eastern longitudes and between 7° 3' and 7° 49' southern latitude. The population of the entire regency (the city and rural area around it) is about 1.58 million. Like most of West Java, Muslim, ethnically Sundanese people, mostly populates it with a small Indonesian Chinese minority. A quarter of Tasikmalaya Regency, which has an area of about 256,756,692 hectares, is covered by forest. This Regency may be divided into two areas, lowlands and mountainous regions.

Tasikmalaya Regency is rich in places of interests and cultural attractions. First of all, there is an interesting area called Kampung Naga. Thirty km from Tasikmalaya, visitors will find the uniqueness of Kampung Naga. The distance from Bandung to this kampong is about 88 km. The people of this Kampong still adhere to the old traditions. Their house building is unique. The uniqueness lays its uniformity, starting from the building materials, the house designs to the direction their houses are facing. Instead of its proximity to modern society, it has retained its traditional customs over the centuries. It is a small village in the beautiful mountains of the Salawu District. The most important traditional ceremony is called "Upacara Pedaran" which illustrates its age-old history and culture, held only once every year.

 

Places of interest in Tasikmalaya include the most attractive natural resorts. From a tourism viewpoint at least, the area has benefited from the latest eruption of Galunggung Mountain, which happened on April 5, 1982. The remains of the eruption have now become taking scenery and are worth-visiting. A lot of tourists, both foreign and domestic, have started visiting this resort. Shady trees are growing again and visitors can also enjoy the sight the crater and bathing in the spa.

Transportation is easily available, although the distance from Jakarta to Tasikmalaya is about 380 kilometers, and from Bandung about 120 kilometers. Since the road is good the distance can easily be covered by either public or private transport.

Home industries are prevalent in Tasikmalaya Regency and the tourist can of course buy the product. Home industries mean handicraft, such as pandan hat, samak hat, dudukuy cetok, hand bags, etc in another region of this regency, there is a place which is famous for plaited handicraft, called Rajapolah. Home industries here produce mats, plaited wares made from bamboo, like kitchen utensils, etc.

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Garut

Garut is an Old Dutch hill station and a characteristic Sundanese town in the highlands, surrounded by mountains, volcanoes, and crystal clear lakes. Garut's Hindu temples and hot springs are often the destination for hikers attracted by spectacular views from the mountaintops. The choices of where to plan the next trek in the area are as varied as the sights along the way. Some like to hike across to Mount Telaga Bodas with its pale-green Crater Lake bubbling with pure sulfur. This cool place can be reached from Bandung in approximately one hour. Due to the scenic beauty of this there are many places of interest for nature lovers. The northern part of the region is reserved for the development of the city of Garut while the southern region is rich with a beautiful coastline, nature preserves and beautiful scenery. Since the time of the Dutch occupation, this region has been developed as a resting place.

The inhabitants of Garut are mostly Moslems and more than half of the people live on farming. The specific food from this place, which is very famous, is "dodol Garut", a sweet food made from sticky rice flour and sugar with various flavorings. This food is offered in different wrappings and can be store for a long time. In the past, Garut was also famous for its high quality oranges.

 

The hot springs resort at Cipanas has comfortable accommodations. Many people visit these laden springs, which have medicating effects to purify their skin. Mount Papandayan's crater is probably one of the most spectacular mountain scenes on Java Island. There is the Cangkuang temple situated by Cangkuang Lake, which was a major discovery of archaeological value as it was the first of its kind found in West Java, dating back to the 8th century. The site is located 17 km from Garut and 50 km from Bandung.

Garut has a specific cultural attraction, the "Ram Fight". Two strong male Ram, with big, long and strong horns are made to fight against each other in the center of a arena, usually in a field, accompanied by "Kendang Pencak" music. There are three centers for ram high performances: in the districts of Bayongbong, leles and Samarang. The participants mostly come from the surrounding place. In Garut there are a lot of interesting places to visit, some have been developed, some others are being developed and there are places, which are still left natural.

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Bogor

A bit further away from Bandung about 4,5 hours drive is Bogor, also called the city of rain. Previously known as "Buitenzorg" (Sans soucis or Without worries), during the Dutch colonial era, Bogor actually lies closer to Jakarta (50 km) than it does to Bandung (120 km). Appropriately named by the Dutch as a town "without worries", they chose Bogor to be the site for constructing the first palace of the Dutch Governor General way back in 1745. Later restored in 1832, the palace still stands solid and elegant today with its stretched out gardens where deer roam freely on the green grass under majestically tall old trees.

 

The inhabitants of Bogor work in agriculture, forestry, industry, as civil are Christians, Catholics, Hindus and Buddhists. From a historical point of view, the Bogor Regency still has a close relationship with the history of the Pakuan Padjajaran Kingdom, which was built between the 13th - 15th centuries. This is supported by some historical objects in the form of inscriptions as old manuscript written by some historians, which were found in the area.

Bogor, is famous with its botanical garden. This botanical garden and in the garden is the palace "Buitenzorg" On a not so busy day on the road a visit to Bogor and Taman Safari can be done on the same day. The world-famous Bogor Botanical Garden borders the Palace Grounds, covering an area of 87 hectares with thousands of species of plant life from all over the world. There are over 15,000 species of trees and plants, 400 varieties of palms alone. The orchid houses contain over 3000 orchid varieties. We don't have to be a horticulturalist to enjoy the gardens, it is a masterpiece of design and a wonderful place to just stroll and enjoy the company of family and friends. See the original "Havea Brazilliensis" rubber tree, formerly imported from Brazil, and world's largest flower, the Rafflesia, a foul smelling and stem less as well as leafless plant. When visiting this Garden, arrange for a permit to visit the neighboring Presidential Palace, which belonged to the Dutch Governor General before Indonesia's independence. Doing this may be a daylong visit by leaving Jakarta in the morning and spend the night in Puncak mountainous region on the way to Bandung the next day. Here again, the whole car trip will be memorable, as scenic tropical beauty all around is really astonishing. We will also pass by another smaller Presidential Palace at Cipanas, the setting of which is in a colorful and flowery vast garden around this wooden but stylish palace.

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Bandung

Bandung is the capital of West Java in Indonesia. Bandung is 180 kilometers southeast from Jakarta. Although it has a population of over two million the pace of city life is slower than Jakarta's. Today Bandung has a population of 2 million people, Bandung area an estimated 4 million. Bandung is situated on a plateau 768 meters above sea level with a cool climate throughout the year. Bandung is the most European city of Java. The raining season starts in Bandung a little bit earlier, then the rest of Indonesia. Normally the raining season in Indonesia is from October till May, the peak of the raining season is in January. The dry season is from June until August, temperature is then 25-30 degrees Celsius during the day. In the morning, the sun is almost shining every day, but in the afternoon many times it gets cloudy, for sunbathing we have to wake up early from 6.30 the sun is already there. In the evening when the sun is down the temperature has drops. The average temperature in Bandung is 22 degrees Celsius; the weather is pleasant all year round.

 

There are short drives up to the mountain resorts of Lembang and the Bosscha Observatory, and higher to the volcanic crater of Tangkuban Perahu, the only crater in Java accessible all the way by car as far as its rim. It is an awe-inspiring sight of emanating sulfur fumes. Descent into all the volcano's 12 craters is only possible with the aid of an experienced guide, because of the presence of suffocating gases at certain spots.

Just a 15 minutes drive from Tangkuban Perahu is a hot springs resort. Here we can swim in warm mineral water pools, good for healing skin problems. The resort provides visitors with a bar, restaurants, tennis courts and cottage style hotels overlooking a beautiful mountain-scope.

In Bandung, try to see the "Wayang Golek" wooden puppet show and hear the "Angklung" bamboo orchestra, as well as the classical Sundanese gamelan and dances. Several institutes of higher education are located here, including the country's prestigious Bandung Institute of Technology.

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The 7th AXIS Jakarta International Java Jazz Festival

Brace yourself! This March, Jakarta will be invaded by an alliance of the world’s finest Jazz artists. The AXIS Jakarta International Java Jazz Festival 2011 is the seventh edition of Indonesia’s celebrated Jazz festival. This annual jazz fiesta will take place at the Jakarta International Expo (JIExpo), Kemayoran, Jakarta, for three consecutive days from 4 to 6 March 2011.
This year, The Java Festival Production (the promoters) has successfully invited a number of world jazz legends, some of whom will be coming to Indonesia’s jazz festival for the first time. After six years of tireless efforts, Santana has finally agreed to perform at AXIS Jakarta International Java Jazz Festival 2011. To make it even more phenomenal, Santana will be performing at two special shows: on Friday, March 4th and Saturday, March 5th. Santana's 'visit' to Jakarta is part of the "Guitar Heaven 2011 Tour".  is expected that Santana will perform his band's classic songs, including those featured in "The Supernatural: Legacy Edition" album.

George Benson is another name that doesn’t need more introductions in the world of Jazz. Although he has performed in Jakarta on many occasions, this will be the first time that George Benson will perform at AXIS Jakarta International Java Jazz Festival. He will perform in two formats (both Special Shows): the George Benson Greatest Hits and George Benson Tribute to Nat King Cole, in which he will  collaborate with an Indonesian orchestra to pay tribute to the legendary singer and pianist.

Also scheduled to perform at the festival is hit maker Kenny Loggins. Kenneth Clark Loggins is not only a notable songwriter, but is also an acknowledged pop singer. A Grammy Award winner (1980) for "Best Male Vocal", his fans come from all over the world. His songs are the signature soundtracks to classic movies such as "Caddyshack", "Footloose", "Top Gun" and "Over the Top".

Other popular names that decorate the artists’ lineup include: Charlie Haden, Joey DeFrancesco, Bob James, Harvey Mason, Nathan East, Chuck Loeb, Roy Ayers, Maria Schneider, Sondre Lerche, and many more. The Festival will also feature Indonesia’s finest Jazz musicians including: Barry Likumahuwa, Sandy Winarta, Benny Likumahuwa & the Young Jazz Connection, DREW, Dwiki Dharmawan, Otty Djamalus & Yance Manusama feat. Endah n Rhesa, BLP, Indonesia Nu Progressive, Ello, Nial Djuliarso - Tribute to the Jazz Soul of Ismail Marzuki, The Groove Reunion, Iwan Hasan Chamber Jazz feat, Andien and Pitoelas Big Band (who will perform alongside Maria Schneider).

In less than two months, the AXIS Jakarta International Java Jazz Festival 2011 is coming your way. Prepare yourself for the melodic Latin sounds of Santana, the stunning voices of George Benson and Kenny Loggins, and in short, prepare yourselves for the biggest Jazz ritual of the year here in Jakarta!

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Bali Sunset Wedding

Holding a sunset wedding in Paradise Island of Bali is the most fitting venue to tie the knot and begin a life together. Sunset wedding has endless story of romance for a couple. It is a new idea of wedding for brides and grooms who want to begin their married life in a different way. Sunset weddings have many stunning things in store.

The sunset wedding needs no decoration as you have stunningly beautiful sunset for the background especially when you hold your sunset wedding on the beach. The gentle waters of the sea and the placid colors of the clouds serenading the deep blue sea produce wonderful scenery for sunset wedding. Nothing can be matched with the richness of the colors in the sky formed by the setting sun. The panorama of the sun slowly submerged into endless expanse of the dark blue sea gives the couple a most excellent backdrop for a picturesque sunset wedding.
For Sunset wedding on the beach, the bride’s gown should be simple flowing down to her knee. It should be in the lighter shades of colors which should change color against the changing colors of the sun. She should wear sandals with matching bracelet and earrings made of beads which should rarely capture the magical last rays from the setting sun. This glow magnifies the bride and the groom in a twinkle of colors around them. Making your sunset wedding truly a dream wedding comes true.

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Jakarta - The Capital City of Indonesia

Jakarta is the capital city of the Republic of Indonesia, a country composed of more than 13,000 islands with a population of over 180 million. Comprising more than 300 ethnic groups speaking 200 different languages, the Indonesia population exhibits marked diversity in its linguistic, culture, and religious traditions. As the Capital City, Jakarta is a melting pot of representatives from each of these ethnic groups. Jakarta is a special territory enjoying the status of a province, consisting of Greater Jakarta, covering of 637.44 square km area. Located on the northern coast of West Java, it is the center of government, commerce and industry and has an extensive communications network with the rest of the country and the outside world. Strategically positioned in the archipelago, the city is also the principal gateway to the rest of Indonesia. From the Capital City, sophisticated land, air, and sea transport is available to the rest of the country and beyond.
Jakarta is one of Indonesia's designated tourist areas. It is a gateway to other tourist destinations in Indonesia and is equipped with all the means of modern transportation by air, sea, rail, or by land. It has the largest and most modern airport in the country, the most important harbor in Indonesia and is well connected by rail of good roads to other destinations in Java, Sumatra, and Bali. As Indonesia's main gateway, Soekarno-Hatta International Airport serves a growing number of international airlines and domestic flights. Jakarta is a city of contrasts; the traditional and the modern, the rich and the poor, the sacral and the worldly, often stand side by side in this bustling metropolis. Even its population gathered from all those diverse ethnic and cultural groups, which compose Indonesia, are constantly juxtaposed present reminder of the national motto; Unity in Diversity.

  Finding its origin in the small early 16th century harbor town of Sunda Kelapa, Jakarta's founding is thought to have taken place on June 22, 1527, when it was re-named Jayakarta, meaning Glorious Victory by the conquering Prince Fatahillah from neighboring Cirebon. The Dutch East Indies Company, which captured the town and destroyed it in 1619, changed its name into Batavia and made it the center for the expansion of their power in the East Indies. Shortly after the outbreak of World War II, Batavia fell into the hands of the invading Japanese forces that changed the name of the city into 'Jakarta' as a gesture aimed at winning the sympathy of the Indonesians. The name was retained after Indonesia achieved national independence after the war's end.
The ethnic of Jakarta called "Orang Betawi" speaks Betawi Malay, spoken as well in the surrounding towns such as Bekasi and Tangerang. Their language, Betawi Malay, has two variations: conventional Betawi Malay, spoken by elder people and bred in Jakarta, and modern Jakarta Malay, a slang form spoken by the younger generation and migrants.
Jakarta's architecture reflects to a large extent the influx of outside influences, which came and has remained in this vital seaport city. Taman Fatahillah Restoration Project, begun in the early 1970s has restored one of the oldest sections of Jakarta also known as Old Batavia to approximately its original state. The Old Portuguese Church and warehouse have been rehabilitated into living museums. The old Supreme Court building is now a museum of fine arts, which also houses part of the excellent Chinese porcelain collection of former Vice President Adam Malik. The old Town Hall has become the Jakarta Museum, displaying such rare items as Indonesia's old historical documents and Dutch period furniture. Its tower clock was once returned to England to be repaired under its lifetime guarantee, which up to now has already lasted hundreds of years.

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Bandar Lampung

Bandar Lampung is the capital city of Lampung Province, located right next to the beautiful landscape of Lampung Bay. For the travelers, Bandar Lampung is a transit city connecting Java and all provinces of Sumatra. Bandar Lampung is accessible both by air and land. Bandar Lampung is accessible both by air and land. It takes 40 minutes from Jakarta to Lampung by air and 6 hours by land. Ferries standby in 24 hours, connecting Bakauheni and Merak with every 30 minutes departure. Travelling along the edge of hilly road as a part of trans Sumatera is in exiting moment offering the beautiful scenery of the countryside. Traveling along the edge of hilly road as a part of trans Sumatra is in exiting moment offering the beautiful scenery of the countryside.
The major road, the trans Sumatera, leads us all the way to the extreme north or west of Sumatra, a distance of about 2.200 Km. By this extensive network of road and highway, it is quite easy to get to places of interest that we want to visit. While shopping centers and supermarket are located in the heart city of Tanjungkarang and Telukbetung.

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Bangka & Belitung Island

Bangka-Belitung is one of Indonesia provinces. It includes two large islands, Bangka and Belitung, and several smaller ones, which lie east of Sumatra, northeast of South Sumatra province. Bangka Belitung (BABEL) Islands province is the 31st Province in Indonesia, one of the newest provinces. Bangka Belitung get it’s approved as a new province in 2001 separated with south Sumatra. That acknowledgement is because of the people struggle. The region that was a great tin mines, now already to reach the new phase in its life. It provisioned with the beautiful of nature, and the uniquely of culture, Bangka Belitung step to the better future.
Supported by the “Serumpun Sabalai” spirit and abundant natural resources, it has been expecting a greater role to speed up the island region's development, namely Bangka regency, Belitung regency and Pangkal Pinang city through cooperation development. That potency of culture and tourism is also supported by its strategic location that can connect with other interesting area. The sea transportation that become the most accessibility in Bangka Belitung Island, is support its economics activities among the Islands.
The richness of Bangka Belitung Island of nature and tin mines until its maritime rich, make Bangka Belitung a magnet for the new comers to get a better life. A Balinese countryside is found in this Island named Giri Jati village, complete with all of Bali culture that remembering us to Bali Island. Beside Bali tribe, we also can found Bugis tribe that adds the various cultures in Bangka Balitung Island. This Bugis tribe can be found in the fishermen village at Tanjung Binga. Otherwise, the original tribe, Melayu culture has strong influence in the traditional ceremony and religious ceremony. One of the ceremonies is Rebo Kasan Ceremony that done by Air Anyer village people. It is believed that one day of a year, the God give His 320,000 angels in the world. The people must together to pray. This ceremony was held in the beach, but now on, it held in the mosque then continued to the beach. Formerly, this ceremony become the people party with its star party is ‘Dambus’ art.

Geographically
Bangka Belitung province is located between 104°50' - 109°30' East Longitude and 0°50' - 4°10' South Latitude, with its total area of 81,724.54 km.

Administrativelly
Administrativelly, Bangka Belitung comprises of 2 regencies and 1 city, namely Bangka regency, Belitung regency and Pangkal Pinang City, of which, the biggest regency's area is Bangka regency with 11,534.14 km area, and the smallest is Pangkal Pinang City, with 89.40 km area.

Climate
There are two seasons that are suitable for sailing to these islands: February-March and October-November, when the wind and the waves are low. The heaviest rainfall is around 2,500 mm per annum with its average temperature between 25°C - 26°C.

Population
In 2001, Babel's population was 920,729 consisted of 462,640 men and 458,089 women. The biggest population among the regencies was Bangka regency, 583,841 people, while the most density population was Pangkalpinang City, with its 1,396 people/km. In 2001, the growth of population reached 1.49 % per annum averagely. Labor. In 2000, its labor force recorded as many as 100,825 people.

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Bengkulu

Bengkulu is the smallest and lowest populated province of Sumatra. Bengkulu province is located on the southwest coast of Sumatra. It occupies of 19,831 sq. km area and has about one million populations, comprising mostly Rejang, Malay, Bugis and Chinese ethnic ancestry people. Bukit Barisan mountain range constitutes its northeastern border, beyond which laid of South Sumatra province and Jambi province. The province protected by a stretch of mountains, which soon flow into the mighty Bukit Barisan. Tigers and elephants wander through the remains of the original rainforest, where exotic rafflesia's and orchids grow.


The British founded Bengkulu in 1685. It is a university town and administrative centre. It is the last territory in Indonesia to be held by the British. Fort Marlborough, constructed in 1762, is a castle with gatehouse that contains old gravestones with English inscription. Sir Stamford Raffles, who later found Singapore, was lieutenant - government of Bengkulu from 1818 to 1823. Thomas Stamford Raffles was an important figure in Bengkulu history, which in 1817 was appointed as a Lieutenant-Governor of Bencoolen, the only territory in the area, which the Dutch had never managed to bring under their control. Raffles was an extraordinary and energetic man of wide-ranging interests. In the year of his arrival, he and a botanist named Joseph Arnold discovered the world's largest flower, at Manna River near Lubuktapi, in South Bengkulu. The flower is now known as Rafflesia Arnoldi and is the official symbol of Bengkulu province.
Tabah Penanjung, an hour drive into the hills above Bengkulu is a nature reserve where rafflesias are often found. Mt Bukit Kaba, near the hill town of Curup can be climbed in a day from Bengkulu.

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