Bora Bora Island, Resorts, and Beaches

Bora Bora Island is a magnificent destination for an unforgettable vacation or superb destination for a romantic trip. It is a small island, a topical paradise in the middle of the Pacific. Travelling Bora Bora is very popular among honeymooners surrounded by extraordinary natural beauty. So it claims a top honeymoon destination in the world.

Bora Bora is located in the Leeward Islands of French Polynesia. Easily accessible island from Tahiti as it lies just 140 miles north-west of Tahiti. To reach Bora Bora by air take a flight from airport of Papetee, located on the main island of Tahiti and take a boat (ferry), small charter plane, or a helicopter to reach the island. Tahiti Cruise is another popular option that stops at the island. Island of Bora Bora is rich with resorts, from basic bungalows to grand or expensive accommodation. Meaning of this beautiful island is very sacred “created by the gods”.

The mountainous inside structure is completely surrounded by a lagoon. Scuba diving and snorkeling are the popular tourist attractions. In the middle of Bora Bora is a giant Mount Otemanu, it is a jagged shape basalt rock which is 2,379 feet high. Up-next is Mount Pahia which stands 2,165 feet tall. Bora Bora beaches and lagoons are other famous features. The white sand beaches attract everyone. Point Matira is one of the most popular beaches in Bora Bora. It is over two miles long with countless coconut producing palm trees.

Activities on Bora Bora Island:

Hiking is one of the most popular activity among visitors. Climb up to the peak of Mt Pahia or Mt Ohue is a challenge. Without experience do not take this challenge alone, your journey can be easier with the help of a guide. These guides are available only for $150 (a person). The road along the coast of Bora Bora Island is 19 miles long. Scooters, bicycles, and cars are available on rent. Take one of them and go ahead to explore the Bora Bora Island’s viewpoints. The big hotels have their own shuttle services that will take you anywhere you want to go.

Aqua Safari or motor boats at La Plage are another top attraction in Bora Bora Island. Adding some other attractions such as shopping from Galerie Pakalola, design tattoos at Marama Tattoo, or for some wonderful paintings visit to Atelier Despert are the best to enjoy your holidays.

July and November are the best months to visit Bora Bora, while Pearl Beach Resort & Spa is the best to stay. We do not recommend it and everybody can enjoy as he wish but it has something to visit. It provides excellent room services, delicious lunch or dinner, a gym and workout places, bar, lounges, garden, courts for different sports, meeting rooms, pool, spa, resort, water bungalows.

Bora Bora Luxury Resort

Banyuwangi International Run 2015:"Run and Enjoy the Culture"

Working closely with a number of parties, the Regency of Banyuwangi will host an International run competition, Banyuwangi International Run 2015, for the first time in the region on 17 October 2015. The International run competition titled "Run and Enjoy the Culture", with a total prize of IDR 100.000.000,0.

The race will be divided into two categories, namely the distance of 5 km and 10 km. Registration is already open from 16 September to 13 October 2015 with a registration fee of IDR 100.000 for the participants open, and IDR 25.000 for the student participants.

Based on the information of Banyuwangi regent, Anwar Abdullah Anas, an international run competition attended by 1,000 participants expected  to increase government revenues (PAD) and boost the entire economy of Banyuwangi, especially from the tourism sector.  The competition  was initiated by businessman in mining, telecommunications, and forestry products, Sandiaga S. Uno. The participants will get benefits visiting Banyuwangi Ethno Carnival.

Source: www.kompas.com

Grand Canal, Venice (A Popular Tourist Attraction in Europe)

Grand Canal Venice at Night 

Venice canals are one of the most popular attractions of this ancient city in northern Italy. The whole city, which is located among over 100 islands in the Venetian Lagoon, and all islands are interconnected with a series of water-streets or water-roads. This is only city of the Europe where car driving is impossible or prohibited and this is a romantic charm of Venice.

In Venice city there are stunning 448 different tiny, medium, and large bridges over 150 small but picturesque canals. Some of the small bridges have very small footways while big bridges have wide paths. Of all the canals in Venice, The Grand Canal is standing above all. It is the main water traffic passageway in Venice. It is also known as Canalazzo by Venetians.  

The Canal Grande of Venice flows through the city just like in a large reverse “S” shape or snake shape (in the image given by NASA). One end of the canal leads into the lagoon (the Venetian lagoon is the enclosed bay of the Adriatic Sea) near the Santa Lucia Railway Station while other end leads into Saint Mark Basin. This ancient canal is approximately 2.5 miles long and its width ranges from 95 to 300 feet while depth is about 16 feet in most places and connects at various points with a network of small canals. Near the Grand Canal there are plenty of hotels to stay and numerous of restaurants (serve very delicious and verity of meals), cafes, bars, and many entertainment venues.

Some 170 number of buildings are located along with the Grand Canal Venice. Many of them give a reflection of old tradition and were constructed between the 1200s and 1700s and were built by rich Venetian families. Some of the most spectacular of all the palazzi that are pasted along the Grand Canal Venice include Ca’d’Oro, Ca’Rezzonico, and Ca’Foscari. Majority of the city’s traffic is provided by water buses (in Italian they are called vaporeti) and private water taxis, and the gondolas which are very famous among tourists. There was only one bridge that crossed until the nineteenth century (it is one of the interesting facts about the Grand Canal Venice). Two more Ponte degli Scalzi and the ponte dell’Accademia bridges were added which also cross this ancient waterway.

Famous Gondola

Water Taxi

The glorious past of Venice returns once a year to the Grand Canal during Regata Storica (Historical Regatta) on first Sunday of September, a boat race competition watch by thousands of people. The first boat races were held in fourteenth century.

Building around Grand Canal Venice, Italy

"Angkon Muakhi", The Procession for Recognition of Brotherhood to Chiness Community in Lampung

The beauty of this fraternity, Chinese community wearing cap and gloves wrapped with Tapis Lampung. That is costumes used in the procession of Angkon Muakhi for Chines community, legally traditional kingdom skala Brak  lift the Chinese community in Lampung as foster brother.

The customary procession chaired by Sultan Skala Brak 23rd Brigjen Prince Edward Syah Pernong who also serve as the police chief of Lampung Province. Edward pinning badges keangkonan muakhi or recognition of the siblings to a number of prominent Chinese community in Lampung.

 "Today the Chinese community has become relatives in Lamban Dalom of Kepaksian Pernong Skala Brak. To my brothers in Lampung, from the south coast to the west coast listen. After this procession lawfully Chinese community are brothers and they are now the Lampung," said Edward Syah Pernong in Bandar Lampung, Monday (09/21/2015).

This declaration, said Edward Syah Pernong, can not be drawn again though drawn by more than 10 strong cows. According to the Chairman of the Chinese Society of Indonesia (PSMTI) Lampung, Tarmizi Tanjungan it was grateful for the appointment.

"We are very proud of the appointment of brothers by the Prince Edward Syah Pernong. This is a very significant opportunity for the Chinese community," said Tarmizi.

 Angkon Muakhi is a traditional procession appointment of relatives. People who raised you have a responsibility to raise the kingdom and the royal society has an obligation to protect customary.

At this present declaration Muakhi Angkon kings royal tribe under Skala Brak. Automatic removal of the brothers had been socialized to the grassroot. At the end of the procession was closed by Chinese dance and Coastal dance from Kepaksian Pernong.

Source: www.kompas.com

Get to know Jakarta, ride on the TransJakarta!

TransJakarta Bus at Bus Stop.

If you want to know better Jakarta City just lost yourself in the hustle and bustle city streets. But  the smart way to get around Jakarta is by riding on the TransJakarta. You can go to practically every corner of Jakarta City by hopping on this privately-owned bus operators, from the South Jakarta  to North Jakarta (eg. heading from Blok M to Kota) , or from the East Jakarta to the West (eg. heading from Pinang Ranti to Pluit) by picking the right bus way corridor.

There are nine corridors of bus way available in the capital city to take you to your destinations.

The Photograph of Transjakarta Network as taken in Kota terminal.

Blok M Terminal.

These bus way corridors are as follows :

• Bus way Corridor I     serving Blok M terminal  to Kota terminal ;
• Bus way Corridor II    serving Pulo Gadung terminal to Harmoni terminal ;
• Bus way Corridor III  serving Kalideres terminal to Harmoni terminal;
• Bus way Corridor IV  serving Pulo Gadung terminal to Dukuh Atas terminal;
• Bus way Corridor V   serving Kampung Melayu Terminal to Ancol terminal;
• Bus way Corridor VI serving Ragunan terminal to Kuningan terminal;
• Bus way Corridor VII serving Kampung Melayu terminal to Kampung Rambutan terminal;
• Bus way Corridor VIII serving Lebak Bulus terminal to Harmoni terminal;
• Bus way Corridor IX serving Pinang Ranti terminal to Pluit terminal;
• Bus way Corridor X serving Cillitan terminal to Tanjung Priok terminal;
• Bus way Corridor XI serving Pulo Gebang terminal to Kampung Melayu terminal;
• Bus way corridor XII serving Pluit Auto Plaza landmark terminal to Sunter Boulevard terminal.

Check out the route of  you destinations according to the color of busway corridor intended. Before hopping into the Bus find out the closest terminal in the city map.

Sydney Opera House, Australia

The top rating Sydney Opera House has a magnificent building located in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia and situated on a peninsula near Sydney’s harbor. The building of Sydney Opera House is one of the most recognizable buildings in the world, representing Sydney. Throughout the world, it has also become a symbol for Australia. It became the iconic landmark instantly, for its audacious design with enormous shell-like roofs, in 1973, when it was completed.

The plan to build the Opera House in Sydney became after the Second World War in 1950. In 1954, a spectacular location called Bennelong point was finalized, where to build the Opera House Sydney. After discussing on 234 designs which were admitted by different architects from nine countries in Dec 1956, the design of Danish architect Jorn Utzon’s was accepted. His given designed was more advanced than the abilities of the engineers at that time that’s why his vision was finally accepted to start work until 1973, it looks very interesting now.

Amazing Colorful Lights View at Sydney Opera House

Utzon was aware that his design required advance technology to tackle the possible technical problems being faced by him, so he took additional time to complete. It was estimated that construction will take approximately five years with $7 million of cost. The construction for Opera House Sydney was started in 1959 but due to lake of technology and facing many other technical problems the work progress remained slow and the cost also exceeded than estimate. Finally the project was completed in 1973 with $102 million cost, which is 15 times higher than the first estimated budget. Unfortunately Jorn Utzon resigned from project in 1966, and return to his native Denmark. He never returned to see his completed master piece.

Night View of Sydney Opera House

The amazing Sydney Opera House features modern European design, having a series of large pre-cast concrete shells coated with white tiles, defining them as slices of sphere with a 91 meter or 300 feet diameter. The whole building covers an area of 4.4 acres. The Opera House Sydney was opened by Queen Elizabeth II on 20 October, 1973. The House has more than 1000 rooms and receives over two million visitors each year.

Firework Show at Australia Opera House 

The Sydney Opera House is generally most popular but convenient from any place in Sydney. Numerous hotels provide shuttle service for tourists to the House. There are some other services that make frequent stops near-by Australia Opera House such as bus service, or trains. The Sydney Opera House is five minute walk away from these stop. The Car Parking facility is also available at the northern end of Macquarie Street.    

Interior in Sydney Opera House 

The large halls of Sydney Opera House serve many festivals, conferences, and shows, while the other areas are also used for occasional performances. The House serves other facilities to visitors such as recording studio, cafes, restaurants, bars and retail outlets.

Amazingly Beautiful View of Opera House Sydney

Visit Museum National Celebrating 100 Years of Basoeki Abdoellah.

Anie Baswedan, Ministry of Education and Culture,on September 21 2015 opened the exhibition of 100 years of Basoeki Abdoellah in National Museum until September 30 2015 with Mikke Susanto and Bambang Asrini Wijanarko as the curator. The theme of the exhibition is Rayuan : 100 Tahun Basoeki Abdoellah.

Mikke Susanto & Bambang Asrini Wijanarko

Mikke Susanto & Bambang Asrini WijanarkThe theme of the exhibition Rayuan : 10 Tahun Basoeki Abdoellah.

In a series of 100 anniversary of the birth of Abdullah Basoeki, a number of works that shows warmth, cheerfulness, and the human stage becomes the main selection. A number of works on the theme of portraits, landscapes, mythology, and the topic of womanhood can be seen in this event. for more information visit www.museumbasoekiabdullah.or.id or email to basoeki.abdullah@gmail.com.

 

A Work of Basoeki Abdoellah Entitled "Self Portrait".

 Here are some works of Basoeki Abdullah on Museum Nasional :

Portrait of Soekarno.

A Work on Womanhood.

A collection of memorabilia belongs to Basoeki Abdoellah.

Golden Gate Park, Top Tourist Attraction in San Francisco

Golden Gate Park is one of the famous San Francisco’s tourist attractions probably covers the 1,017 acre (or 411 ha) area and becomes larger than New York’s Central Park. The park is also the most highly visited picnic point as every year around 13 million people come to enjoy the attractions in Golden Gate Park. The most popular attraction there is its lovely gardens. Golden Gate Park is located between Haight Ashbury and the Pacific Ocean in downtown San Francisco.

Since it started to take shape in the late 1800s, it has become a favorite gathering place in San Francisco. According to history, William Hammond Hall (a civil engineer) was hired to design the park, in 1871. The design was inspired by Frederick Law Olmsted (creator of the Central Park in New York). A hilly park with various beautiful landscape, lakes, ridges, meadows, and zigzag roads was created by him. William Hammond built a dike to protect the park from sea waves. After performing a good job he became the first commissioner of the park in 1871 and remained on the post for 56 years. During his period he planted thousands of plants and converted the barren area into a green park.  

Conservatory of Flowers

Visiting to eastern side of the park will unveil the actual beauty of the Golden Gate Park. Here visitors can find the conservatory of flowers, which is among the largest of its kind in USA. A wonderful Victorian style botanical greenhouse was built between 1876 and 1883, listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The greenhouse has more than 1,700 plant species for visitors to enjoy.

Bridge over Lake

Another top attraction of Golden Gate Park is the famous Japanese Tea Garden which has been there since 1894. The garden was built to display the Japanese lifestyle. It covers a 5 acres area, featuring a tea-house, small bridges over lake, ponds, sculptures, and other native Japanese plants. It makes it the oldest Japanese garden in the country.

Golden Gate Children Park

Some other beautiful features of the Golden Gate Park such as a fragrant Rose Garden, splendid botanical garden, and the Steinhart aquarium that can be found at the Strybing Abroretum are special to visit and enjoy the variety of plants which are more than 7000. The Golden Gate Park also features sports facilities including tennis courts, golf, biking, fly-fishing, petanque, inline, archery, handball, skating, and riding stables. A wooded path through the park can be used for jogging or strolling, while paved path use for cycling. 

Awesome View of Golden Gate Garden

Cable Cars, Top Attraction in San Francisco

While creating the list of San Francisco most popular attractions, the cables car is on top. An antique of 20^th century’s streetcars are still in operation and it may look like they were especially made for tourists. Both tourists and natives in San Francisco have done it every day.

San Francisco’s cable cars history stars from 1852, when a wire-rope factory owner Andrew Smith Hallidie (born in England) came to California and stayed in there. He was a gold miner. During his period he saw streetcar accident causing the death of five horses. At that time the horses were used to draw the street cars. The heavy load becomes the cause of death. He decided to use wire-ropes for pulling cars in mines and build the first cable car in San Francisco.

The first cable San Francisco car, also known as the Clay Street Hill Railroad, opened in 1873. Become a model for other San Francisco cable car transit systems and for similar transit systems in other cities such as city of Chicago opened its own cable car service in 1882, and city of Dunedin of New Zealand followed suit in 1881. Most of them switched to electric streetcars in late 19^th century.

In early nineteenth century earthquake caused the decline of cable cars and most of them converted into electric streetcars. In 1947 Mayor Roger Lapham proposed to close the cable car system. But a joint meeting of committee formed a successful campaign to save the cable car system and keep them in operation. In 1951 though, several lines were shut down, leading to the three Cable lines, due to shortage of funds and company was unable to afford the insurance, so the lines were purchased by city and opened them in 1952, but failed to protect them. Plan was created to convert them with buses. Between 1980 –1984, a deplorable form cable car system was rebuilt with renovated cars.

Currently the cable car network consists of three, Powell Mason (runs over Nob Hill, and Russian Hill, while ends up at Aquatic Park), Powell Hyde (runs over Nob Hill to Fisherman’s Wharf), and California lines (runs from the Financial District over Chinatown, Nob Hill to the Van Ness Avenue). The first two start at a turntable (a circular revolving plate) at Market & Powell Streets and use single-ended cars while the last one starts at Market & Drumm Streets.

In the Cable Car Museum is also a place to watch or visit. Here you can see the mechanism of engines, cables, gears and brakes that pull the cable cars. The cables are 3.1 centimeters (1.25 inches) thick and several kilometers long.

Riding a cable car is so cheap it only costs $ 7 for a single ride, a special discount for seniors riding before 7am or after 9pm the fare for seniors is only $3.  

Pier 39, Famous Tourists Attraction in San Francisco

Pier 39 is located in San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf, at Beach Street and The Embarcadero. Location is perfect which provides the picture with perfect backdrop for postcard views of famous Golden Gate and Bay Bridges. Pier 39 boasts shops, restaurants, street performances, the Aquarium of the Bay, and enough activities to spend an enjoyable afternoon at Pier 39. One of the most popular attractions at Pier 39 is colony of sea lions, some of which stay here all year.

Pier 39 is a 45 acre large complex, easily accessible from Fisherman’s Wharf and close to North Beach, Chinatown, and the Embarcadero. It was built in 1905 as a cargo pier but renovated as a fishing village in 1978. Pier 39 remains open from 10 am to 10 pm. it provides you dining, shopping, and entertainments all surrounded there with unbeatable views of the city and the bay. It is one of the busiest place of the city so it’s best reached via public transportation.

Night View of Pier 39

Pier 39 offers spectacular views and browse the local shops which are more than 110 specialty shops with everything from saltwater taffy to left-handed merchandise for lefty people, and a variety of hand-crafted jewelry, also neat clean restaurants serving grilled salmon burgers and the fresh clam chowder in the signature bowl of sourdough. Many of the restaurants specialize in seafood. Hundreds of fast food eateries including ice cream shops and a chocolate shop are at perfect place to past your time with them drinking or eating your favorite food or just enjoy some hot soup to warm you from the fog and watch the sea lions lounging on the docks.

The aquarium of the Bay is another popular tourist attraction on Pier 39. With an affordable admission fare, visitors can get a spectacular view of San Francisco’s fascinating marine life including over 20000 aquatic animals.

The Pier 39 has some romantic spots too such as the North Beach neighborhood is on walking distance from the Pier 39. Here you can see the Italian restaurants, outdoor cafes every-where and Trattorias (an Italian version Ristorante (restaurants), which makes all of its dishes with local ingredients).

It’s a great fun to watch Pier 39’s famous sea lions playing on the surf. These sea lions arrived here in 1990 after the two years of Loma Prieta earthquake. They quickly grew their breed and soon reached in thousands.

Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, USA

San Francisco is a popular US city. It has many popular tourist spots that attract millions of visitors and without visiting there your tour is surly incomplete. Along-with God gifted natural beauty such as beaches, rivers, gardens, green hills, and beautiful forests with wild animals the city people created many other platforms which make city even more beautiful and attractive such as some old historic buildings, skyscrapers, a cable car facility to reach atop the steep hills, towers, and famous squares. Aside all these beauty the popularity of the Golden Gate Bridge is standing above all. The famous bridge of San Francisco was the longest and tallest suspension bridge when it was completed in 1937. Due to heavy traffic facing by San Francisco and Marin, its construction arose from the San Francisco and Marin was just too much needed.

Golden Gate Bridge is a masterpiece of engineering. Its construction was started in 1933. Engineer Joseph Strauss convinced the people who did not believe that it can be possible to span such a long bridge and built a 1600 meter wide strait bridge to link San Francisco Bay with Pacific Ocean. Despite facing many weather difficulties Joseph Strauss was able to complete his masterpiece on 27^th June 1937, with the help of thousands workers and 35 million dollars. In opening ceremony 18000 people walked across the bridge, while next day bridge was officially opened for traffic.

Traffic rush on Golden Gate Bridge

The Golden Gate is an art deco suspension bridge having length of 8981 feet. The distance between two towers is 4200 feet long. It remained the long suspension bridge until 1964 when the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge in New York was completed. The towers are 820 feet tall or 250 meters tall. The 20 meter of length of the bridge is below the sea level. The six lane road is 90 feet (27 meters) wide and 220 feet above the water level while today it bears the traffic of more than 120000 vehicles daily. The engineers use the technique to hang the bridge with support of thousands of cables. These cables anchored in hundreds of bars locked into concrete blocks with a pulling power of 25 million Kilograms. The two main cables atop of both sides are made of 27572 threads and having a length of 2332 meters with a diameter of 90 centimeters, connected with several small cables which are using to hold the bridge.

Walkway at Golden Gate Bridge

The 2.73 Kilometer length is still a challenge for those who are using the sidewalk (a paved path) on Golden Gate Bridge. Crossing the bridge by foot is extremely a great experience. You can take a tour by bus available on bus stop right at the start of the bridge. Viewing Golden Gate Bridge from nearby areas is a popular tourist thing to do. Some of the famous points are below

Night View of Golden Gate Bridge

At the San Francisco end the South Vista Point, at the Marin Country end the North Vista Point.

Baker Beach at Presidio Park, and for panorama view the Land’s End from the northern tip of Lincoln Park are the best point to enjoy the beauty of Golden Gate Bridge from different angles.

Some other facts about Golden Gate Bridge

Yearly, 5000 – 10000 gallons of paint are used to repaint the Golden Gate Bridge.

International Orange color is using only to provide the visibility in the fog for passing ships and also because it was a color that fit in naturally to the birdge’s setting and the surrounding land area.

Till today, the Golden Gate Bridge was closed three times since it was opened, due to extreme wind rushing at speed of 70 miles per hour.

According to a web source, the babies have been born on the Golden Gate Bridge are all of them have been boys.

Spanish Steps, Piazza di Spagna, Rome

The masterpiece of 18^thcentury, a square having irregular shape but one of the most visually pleasing and one of the most popular meeting spots in Rome known as Piazza de Spagna. The place is a combination of three popular items including a long staircase, an obelisk (stone piller), and a stylish church. The Piazza de Spagna, also known as Spanish Square, is connected to a French Church located atop a hill called Trinita dei Monti, through a staircase (a long staircase) called Scalinata della Trinita dei Monti, best known as Spanish Steps. Spanish steps were built between 1723 –1726 to connect the church with the square below. The monumental staircase was built on the request of Innocent XII, and created by Italian architect Francisco de Sanctis.

The elegant staircase consists of 137 steps, usually very crowded with tourists as well as locals who use it as a gathering place, especially decorated with flowers in summer (in month of May when the ramps of the staircase are literally covered with flowers and the architecture is playfully lost beneath a magnificent array of color) and hosts a famous fashion show.

Trinita dei Monti (Church at Spanish Steps)

The building of church is beautiful and located on a hill, the Spanish steps can take to straight to the site. This square make the Trinita dei Monti (the Church) a popular land-mark in Rome. From here tourists can enjoy a nice view of the city. According to history, before 1495 there was only a small building existed on the hill. French King Louis XII decided to replace chapel with a new church. The construction started for new building in 1502. But it went on for many decades and completed in 1585. The façade of the church has two bell towers. While inside the building several paintings decorate the different chapels.

In front of church an obelisk is located, transported from the Gardens of Sallust where it was originally located, on the request o pope Pius VI in 1788.

Fontana della Barcaccia (Fountain at Spanish Steps)

Fontana della Barcaccia (Fountain at Spanish Steps)

In the front of Spanish Steps stands the Fontana della Barcaccia, the famous Barcaccia Fountain was designed by Pietro Bernini and his son Gian Lorenzo. The son Gian Lorenzo went on to become the creator of some of the most important masterpieces of Baroque art in the city. The Bernini’s design shows a sinking boat at the center of basin, the fountain recalls the historic flood of the River Tiber in 1598, when a small boat stranded here after the water subsided.

Crowd at Spanish Steps

Italian artist Graziano Cecchini covered the Steps with hundreds of thousands of multicolored plastic balls on January 16, 2008.

The Spanish Steps are featured in a scene in film entitled “The Man From U.N.C.L.E. released in 2015.
There are some night views of Spanish Steps

A Night View of Spanish Steps

A Night View of Spanish Steps

A Night View of Spanish Steps