Visit Bunaken National Marine Park in Manado, North Sulawesi.

Bunaken Beach, Manado.

 Bunaken National Park is a marine park in Bunaken island, North Sulawesi.The park is located near the centre of the Coral Triangle, providing habitat to 390 species of coral as well as many fish, mollusc, reptile and marine mammal species.The status as a National Park was formally established in 1991 and is among the first of Indonesia's marine parks.

Old Manado Mount, Across Manado.

The marine park covers a total area of 890.65 km², 97 percent of which is marine habitat while the remaining 3 percent of the park is land, consisting the five islands of Bunaken, Manado Tua, Mantehage, Nain and Siladen.Bunaken marine park located about 7 miles from the port of Manado and can be reached in 30 minutes by fast boat.

The beauty of Bunaken marine park could no doubt for tourists who like diving, snorkeling and surfing. It is not complete without a visit to the city of Manado visited tourist sites on this one. In other words Bunaken marine park is an obligatory destination for tourists who visit the city of Manado.

This island you can see the beauty of the underwater world that can please your eyes as well as refreshing your mind, various coral reefs of various shapes, and various types of marine life such as turtles, mandarin fish, seahorses, stingrays, and if you're lucky you can see the ancient king of ocean fish (the coelacanth) and many other marine life

• Siladen

In the marine garden, other tourist attractions you can visit is the island of Siladen. The beauty of Siladen is not less than to the beauty of Bunaken Island. Siladen located on the northeast of the island of Bunaken and can be gone for about 45 minutes by boat. The island area of 31.25 ha is surrounded by white sandy beaches and of course the underwater scenery is decorated with various kinds of coral reefs and marine life of different shapes and colors.

• Manado Tua

Manado Tua is the largest island among the group of islands within the limits of Manado bay. To reach the island which is about 10 miles from downtown Manado, you have to travel about 60 minutes by boat. This island there are volcanoes towering trees and overgrown green and leafy. Not much different to the Bunaken marine park and Siladen, the waters in this area has spectacular underwater panorama.

Source : http://www.seputarsulut.com/tempat-wisata-di-manado-yang-wajib-anda-kunjungi/

Cultural Festival of Floating Market 2016 in Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan.

South Kalimantan is set  to entice the arrival of  local and international tourists by holding Cultural Festival Floating Market. This exciting event is, coincided with the 490th anniversary of Banjarmasin , held in Siring, Martapura River, Jalan PierreTendean, Banjarmasin, on September  from 16 to 20, 2016. This event has been held eight times this year.

During the five days of the festival in the eighth time, various art and culture activities of South Kalimantan, will be presented including the parade and ornamental boats on the Martapura river.There are nine competitions held in the Cultural Festival Floating Market including competition of Cultural Parade, Banjar Fashion Carnaval, Festival Sinoman Hadrah,  Traditional Games Balogo Competition , Culinary Festival Area at Kampoeng Banjar, Sasirangan Street Festival, Cooking Competition of Hotel and Restaurant Chefs,Ornamental Boat Competition among Floating Market Traders and Photo Competition  with objects from  Floating Market Festival.

In addition to being a permanent agenda of provincial government, the cultural festival floating market also has become an annual event of tourism calendar in the Ministry of Tourism. Therefore, promotion and publicity not only a national scale, but also can be seen in overseas travelers through the website of the festival.The annual festival aims to develop the local tourism industry. The tourism industry is expected to support the regional economy in the midst of the decline of the mining industry in South Kalimantan.

Source:  http://www.pontianakpost.com/wayang-ajen-bakal-tebar-pesona-di-festival-budaya-pasar-terapung

Eco-tourism Destination in Lampung: Butterfly Release Center in Taman Kupu-Kupu Gita, Bandar Lampung.

Lampung has quite a lot of nature attractions from marine and beaches to National Parks. However, Taman Kupu Kupu, or Butterfly Park, Gita Persada offers a distinct destination of tourism in Lampung in term of nature-base tourism by presenting a re-engineered ecosystem as an attraction.In addition to being a place of conservation, the park is also the destination of nature and education tourism.

It all started in 1997 when Dr Herawati Sukardi, Butterfly experts from University of Lampung (UNILA), pioneered a re-engineering project of critical land at the foot of Mount BetungDesa Tanjung Manis, Kelurahan Kemiling as a conservation area of various species of butterflies from Sumatera. What was done by Dr. Herath was actually bred in captivity and also managed to manipulate the natural habitat, by apllying Habitat Enrichment Technique,  bringing back butterflies, becoming an environment which is really suitable for the survival of the butterfly.

A Rare and Protected Butterfly, Troides helena.

Butterfly Park Gita Persada has approximately 180 species of butterflies. Here, it has already successfully bred 50 species including categorized rare and protected, namely: Troides Helena. Other species among others are Perut Merah, Limau Balak, Limau Halom, Limau Tutul, Kupu Hijau, Sirsak Biru, Sirsak Hijau, Ekor Pedang, Cacapuri, Johar Kuning, Kertas, Buntar, Daun Coklat, Widuri, Kepompong Emas, dsb.

Butterfly Cage.

The park is especially equipped with a big butterfly cage. The cage is used for rearing, growing and breeding butterflies. As a destination of  education tourism, many students, from kinder garden to university students, have made use of this park to find out how a butterfly metamophosis going through a  life cycle from the eggs to an adult butterfly.

The Second Stage of A Butterfly Lifecycle, A Caterpillar.

The park, under the management of by Sahabat Alam Foundation,  covers an area of 4 hectares at an altitude of 460 meters above sea level. There is a fairly large wooden house, which is home to the Butterfly Museum and a tea house. Inside the museum, ones can find hundreds of butterflies that have been preserved, butterfly paintings, wooden sculpture, and accessories for sale. The butterflies are placed in a glass case, complete with information about the type of each butterfly. 

The Butterflies in glass cases.

The management also provides other facilities in the park area. The facilities include children playground, public toilets, three tree houses, and equipment for photo taking session. The park is open every day from 09.00 to 17.00 WIB; Ones can enjoy all facilities in the park for a charge of only Rp 10,000.0 or less than US$ 1 per person.

When is the best time visiting the park? Butterflies flutter most freely in the park from January to march, though present beautifully and freely in other months of the year. So, the best month visiting the park is from January to March. Come and Enjoy the mother nature in the southern tip of Sumatra Island, particularly Taman Kupu Kupu Gita Persada.

Source: personal interview with the foundation staff and other sources.

Virtual Museum Completed in 2016.

Museum Nasional, Jakarta.

Development of virtual museum in National Museum, Jakarta and Museum of Sangiran, Central Java, is scheduled to complete in 2016. Visitors from al over the world with internet access can browse both museum virtually.

Development concept started in 2014 with two pioneer museums : National Museum and Museum of Sangiran.  Virtual museum enables any body to watch a variety of historical object collection in these museums. Thereby, domestic students from Nanggroe Aceh Darusslam (NAD) to Papua, who may have obstacles coming to Jakarta and Central java, can view both museums through Internet. Globally, students from any corner of the world also may take advantage of this modern facilities.

Despite the development on going,  the appearance of National Museum and Museum of Sangiran is already on internet. National Museum can be viewed at http://museumnasional.indonesiaheritage.org, while Museum of Sangiran http://cathatech.com/portfolio/virtualmuseum/. both sites present panoramic picture concept of 360 degrees. Video and thee dimension objects are also available to show detail of every collection.

Source: Kompas, November 28, 2015.

UP COMING 2016 EVENTS IN INDONESIA.

• TOBA INTERNATIONAL DETOUR SAMOSIR LAKE TOBA ULTRA 2016: 17 September 2016, Toba Lake, North Sumatra;
• NATIONAL SPORT GAMES (PON) XIX 2016 : 17-29 september 2016, Bandung, West Java;
• INDONESIA HERITAGE FESTIVAL 2016: 18-24 September 2016, Malang, East Java;
• WONDERFUL SAIL 2 INDONESIA 2016: 23-26 September 2016, Palu, Central Sulawesi;
• BALI INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (BALINALE) 2016: 24-30 September 2016, Kuta, Bali; 
• TORAJA ULTRA SCENIC RUN: 30 September - 2 October 2016, Rantenepo, Toraja, South Sulawesi;
• WONDERFUL SAIL 2 INDONESIA 2016: Oktober 2016, Belitung, Penuba dan Benan  Natuna, Tanjung Pinang;
• WONDERFUL SAIL 2 INDONESIA 2016 : 2-5 Oktober 2016, Kumai, West Kalimantan;
• TAFISA (The Association for International Sport for All Games) : 6-12 Oktober 2016, Taman Impian Jaya Ancol, Jakarta;
• MARATUA JAZZ & DIVE FESTIVAL 2016 : 7-8 Oktober 2016, Berau, East Kalimantan;
• MESASTILA PEAKS CHALLENGE 2016 (MPC 2016); October 8-9, 2016;
• PALELAWAN EXPO : 9-12 Oktober 2016, Lapangan Kreatif Pangkalan, Kerinci;
• INTERNATIONAL KITE FESTIVAL PANGANDARAN 2016: 10-15 Oktober 2016, Pangandaran Beach, West Java;
• PEKAN KREATIFITAS SANTRI NATIONAL 2016 : 18-22 Oktober 2016, Padanggalak Beach, Sanur Beach, Bali;
• SAIL KARIMATA 2016 : 20-30 Oktober 2016, Karimata Islands, Bintan and Batam;
•  INTERNATIONAL KITE FESTIVAL BALI 2016: 23-25 Oktober 2016, Padanggalang Beach, Sanur, Bali;
• GOTRASAWAL 2016 : 30 Oktober-1 November 2016, Cirebon, West Java;
• JOGJA INTERNATIONAL HERITAGE WALKS : 19-20 Novermber 2016, Prambanan Temple and Heritage Village, Imogiri, Yogyakarta.

Source: Expressair Magazine, Edisi 08.

Visit Bukit Tinggi, West Sumatra : Jembatan Limpapeh.

Bukit Tinggi is full of natural charm, presenting its beauty and coolness. As a tourism spot in West Sumatra, Bukit Tinggi offers a variety attractions  to entice visitors to come and stay. A famous attraction most tourist will never miss  is a stroll across Limpapeh Bridge while enjoying the beauty of Bukit Tinggi from above. Limpapeh Bridge is the most famous bridge in Bukit Tinggi.Limpapeh Bridge is a suspension bridge with a length of 90 meters and width of 3.8 meters. It stretches over Jalan Ahmad Yani, Bukittinggi connecting Kinantan Wildlife and Culture Park with Fort de Kock.

Do not forget to take photographs of the beautiful scenery. You can have a look not only the houses and vehicles that look pretty like a miniature, but Mount Merapi is located right in front of your eyes and the fog that blanket green hills. Especially when the weather is sunny, because the sky would look perfect. While photographing, sometimes we are surrounded by a pack of monkeys. Do not worry they are safe. The monkeys come from Wildlife Park Kinantan. With the entry charge of IDR 5,000, - per person, you can take a walk  to discover Limpapeh Bridge.

The showcase does not stop there, once you enjoy the natural scenery of Bukittinggi from Limpapeh Bridge, you can move on to the wildlife Park and Cultural Kinantan and Fort de Kock. There are a variety of animals that make us amused. When in Fort de Kock, we can take pictures with a cannon that was there. Actually beside close to Jam Gadang or Clock Tower, you can get easy access too into Pasar Atas from this spot. Once, you are in the wildlife park then go out through exit gate. There you will find the way into Pasar Atas as the center of songket weaving fabrics and a variety of souvenirs from Bukit Tinggi.

Therefore, if you have a visit to the city of Bukittinggi, do not forget to visit the Bridge Limpapeh as beautiful and attractive scenery awaits you there. Let's explore West Sumatra.

Visit Taman Wisata Alam Punti Kayu, Palembang, South Sumatra.

Taman Wisata Alam, Palembang.

Hutan Wisata Punti Kayu is a nature park for tourism in the middle of Palembang City. The nature park has functions as a place of conservation, tourist and recreation, research and education, as well as supporting cultural activities. Not surprisingly, when entering the holiday season, many students coming from different schools and students who come to study, learn while getting to know the rich flora and fauna of Indonesia.

Covering an area of 39.9 ha, Punti Kayu Forest has a wealth of diverse flora and fauna. In term of flora, visitors can find various types of plants, such as pine (Pinus Merkussi), acacia (Acacia mangium), Mahogany (Switenia Swageri), Talog (Muntingia calabura), and Pulai (Alstonia Granensis). Besides,  Punti Kayu Forest is home to a flock of long-tailed macaques, monkeys, squirrels, lizards, raccoons, even a rare insect that has not been named scientifically.

Hutan Wisata Punti Kayu is located on the highway of Palembang - Jambi precisely on Jalan Kol H Burlian 6.5 Km, Palembang. It is also closed, about 5 km, from the International Airport Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin 2. So when landed on or departed from the Airport, visitors will always pass by this park. 
 

New Attractions in TWA Punti Kayu.

When just landed, in no traffic jam situation after about 10 minutes after passing Gramedia Book Store on your left, on your right side there you can see a green forest city grown with pine trees; It is Hutan Wisata Punti Kayu. On the other way round, when on the way to the airport, after about 30 minutes, you will find this beloved green park in Palembang on your left side. It is noticeable its presence as you will find the lines of pine trees along the road on the left when closing the park.

Entrance Gate of the World Landmark Park.

Now TWA Punti Kayu provides new attractions. These attractions available are Replicas of the World's Landmark including: Liberty Statue, Pisa Tower, Eiffel Tower, Egypt Pyramid, Pre wedding Park, Flying Fox, and Water park. You can do pre wedding photo taking session as well as taking photos with Replica of the World' Landmark in the same park  as the are in the same area. Just pay the entry ticket of Rp 10,000.0 per person, then start taking photos there.

Replica of Pisa Building.

Replica of Eiffel Tower.

Replica of Liberty Statue.

Replica of Egypt Pyramide.

Tourist Destinations in Makasar, South Sulawesi.

Pantai Losari At Night.

Makassar, also known as Ujung Pandang, is the capital of South Sulawesi province.Makassar is an international city and the largest in eastern Indonesia and is the largest city located on the southwest coast of the island of Sulawesi. It is once the capital of the State of East Indonesia Sulawesi province. 

The city facing the Makassar Strait offers many interesting attractions that you can visit. Here are tourist destinations ranging from the coast to the high plains for you to enjoy while in Makasar :

Pantai Losari

Stop by the beach located at Jalan Penghubung has become a mandatory activity for every visitor who comes to Makassar. This flagship tourist spot has its own uniqueness in it is not a sandy beach but concreted beach. 

Still, you can do lots of fun things like fishing, bicycle riding water or banana boat, sail boat and many more. What other interesting things to a tourist? Of course culinary. There are many distinctive culinary offerings Makassar that you can enjoy here, from bananas Epe, Coto, konro sop up with ice pallu butung. 

This tourist attraction in Makassar is visited every day, especially on weekends. In the morning, many of which make it a jogging track, while in the afternoon, many were waiting for the moment of sunset while on a culinary tour here.

Fort Rotterdam

Fort Rotterdam is located not far from the Losari. This castle is a relic of history Gowa-Tallo was built in 1545 by the king of the 9th. The initial name of the fortress is 'Ujungpandang Fortress' until such time as the fort fell into the hands of the Dutch and renamed Fort Rotterdam. This name became popular until now. In the days of the Dutch, the fort was used as a storage of spices spoils of eastern Indonesia.

Inside the castle complex, there are 13 buildings and five towers with a tower at the entrance, while the other four towers in each corner of the fort area. There is also a museum called the Museum of La Galigo which contains a collection of objects rest of the greatness of the kingdom first. In addition, there is a room that is believed to be the place of exile of Prince Diponegoro.

These attractions are open daily from 08:00 until 18:00 and free. As for the museum, you are charged entrance fee of 7,500 rupiah per person, La Galigo Museum is open Tuesday - Sunday from 08:00 until 12:30.

Trans Studio Makasar

 Trans Studio Makassar become an icon of modern tourist attractions in the city. Opened on May 20, 2009, Trans Studio built on a land area of 2.7 hectares. In it, terdapapat 21 rides and games four zones, namely Studio Central, Cartoon City, Lost City, and Magic Corner.

These attractions are open daily from 10:00 until 19:00, except on weekends and public holidays, Trans Studio Makassar is open until 21:00. For the admission ticket, you will be charged a fee of 100,000 rupiah on weekdays, 175,000 rupiah to 200,000 rupiah weekends and when there is a specific event here.

National Park Bantimurung

 Bantimurung National Park is located in Maros regency, or about 45 km from Makassar city center. These attractions area reached 43,750 hectares in the area surrounding limestone hills, waterfalls and caves.This national park was first discovered by a botanist from the UK, Alfred Russel Wallace. At that time, Wallace call this place as the kingdom of butterflies as there are about 250 varieties of butterflies here. The butterfly is used as the mascot for these attractions. At the entrance to the National Park Bantimurung, there is a statue of a giant butterfly is ready to welcome visitors.Here, you can see the various types of butterflies start is still a caterpillar, chrysalis until it turns into a beautiful butterfly. There is also a collection of butterflies that have been preserved. Another exciting thing you can do is play flying fox, swimming in a pool that has been provided, playing under the waterfall or explore the caves in the region.To get into Bantimurung National Park, you will be charged 20,000 rupiah per person.

Marine Park Taka Bonerate

This marine park is located in the town of Citadel, Selayar Islands. This tourist spot is a paradise for divers and those who like snorkeling. When diving, you can swim with hundreds of species of fish, turtles and tortoises. The beauty of coral reefs also make you more comfortable for long dives here.

the best time for diving in the marine park is between the months of April-May. At that time, currents and water temperature as well as a variety of other supporting factors are in good condition so that visibility when diving became perfect.

To dive in these places, you must obtain permission from the National Park Authority to carry a valid identity card. The fee charged is 25,000 Rupiah for domestic tourists and 60,000 rupiah for foreign tourists. If you want to rent diving equipment, you must set up a 250,000 Rupiah money.

Malino

Malino is a tourist place situated on a plateau and offers a typical mountain panorama. This area is located about 90 km from Makassar city center. During the journey to Malino, you will pass through a pine forest scenery and beautiful limestone.

Malino is located at an altitude of 1,050 meters above sea level. Temperatures here range between 10-26 degrees Celsius, do not forget to bring your jacket and warm clothes. This area has been known since the Dutch era and used as their favorite tourist spots.

Here, there are many beautiful waterfalls such as Niagara Falls and Thousand Stairs Takapala. In addition, there is also a tea garden, blue valleys and bunkers Japanese heritage. Before going home, a time to buy souvenirs typical tourist attractions such as dodol sticky rice, passion fruit and apple.

Tanjung Bira

The beach is located quite a distance which is about 200 km from the city of Makassar. This distance will not mean when you've set foot on the sand. Tanjung Bira is famous with sand as soft and white as baby powder and the water is clear and blue.

The beauty of this tourist spot known by tourists not only domestic, but also foreign tourists. They used to swim, sunbathe, snorkel or just sit and enjoy views of the sunrise and sunset. If you forget to bring snorkeling equipment, you can rent it for 30,000 rupees. There are also motorcycles were rented 65,000 rupiah per day to get around this beach area.

The facilities here are quite comprehensive, ranging from lodging, restaurants and also the bathroom to get cleaned up after a swim. Entrance to Tanjung Bira is 5,000 Rupiah per person.

Tempe Lake

The lake is located in the western part of Wajo is known as a producer of freshwater fish in the world. Above the lake, there are lots of floating houses belonging to local fishermen with nets used to catch fish.

In these places, you can get around with meyewa fishing or fishing boat. Additionally, you can also buy fresh fish and vegetables grown around the lake.

Every August 23, here held an annual ritual to purify the lake called Maccera Tappareng. Chief fisherman will slaughter a cow, after which there will be plenty of arts and culture as well as various competitions.

Hot Spring Water Lejja

The hot spring is located in a protected forest area in the district Marioriawa, Soppeng. The scenery around the bathing pool is very beautiful with lots of shady trees and cool air. There is also a gazebo for rent at the rate of 50,000 rupiah per two hours.

In these places, there are five pools with the depth and temperature of diverse sizes. The hottest temperature of the water source is 60 degrees Celsius. The hot water is believed to cure all skin diseases and rheumatism because of the sulfur content. To be able to take a dip in this pool, you will be charged a fee of 5,000 rupiah to 3,500 rupiah for adults and children.

What's interesting about this is that many tourist attractions and plastic bottles that are hung around the location of the baths. That said, if hanging bottles or plastic then the application will be granted.

Visit Bandar Lampung : Muncak Hill.

Mount Muncak at Tirtayasa, Pesawaran, Lampung has become so popular among youngsters in Lampung with new attraction of sight seeing Lampung bay, as well as Bandar Lampung.  This tourist spot offers as a spectacular view of seascape surrounding Lampung in Pesawaran regency, apart from landscape over Bandar Lampung stretching from Teluk Betung to the slope area of Tanjung Karang.

Muncak area lies in the border between Bandar Lampung and Pesawaran regency. The hill in Muncak has the panorama spanning from Teluk Betung on the left side and seascape including islands consisting of Pasaran Island, Kubur Island, Tangkil Island, and Tegal Island. During clear sky, you can even have the view of Pahawang Islands, as well as the cluster of Islands surrounding Krakatoa.

The most interesting site in Mucak area is Villa Muncak Teropong Laut. To get into the compound, you need to pay Rp 5,000.0 per person. The site has been so well known  among youngsters in Bandar Lampung through social media for photo taking as well as sight seeing.

There is a number of photo spots here, you can take photos in tree house, house on stilts, wooden balcony, window, as well as other spots. 

Apart from photo taking, visitors can seat and enjoy light snacks. Enjoying beautiful panorama here and having a cup coffee is a pleasant moment in Muncak area. to get the best moment do not at the weekend as so many young people coming, at least 400 visitors per day during weekdays and double in the weekend. Visitors can come either in the morning or evening since this place is open every day from 06.00 to 22.00. 

It takes thirty minutes of driving from Bandar Lampung to Muncak Hill. To access the site, visitors can take Jalan RE Martadinata,Teluk Betung to Lempasing. Then, before reaching Tirtayasa Park, turn to the right and follow the ascending asphalt road up to SD. No.9 (a primary school) and turn left to take a stoned road around 500 meters to get to the site. Have a stunning panorama then.