Tomohon, the City of Flower

Though this is predicated as the City of Flower, Tomohon City`s coat of arms has no flower symbol on it. Its coat of arms includes a green mountain representing the geographic landscape of Tomohon, which is hilly area with enchanted nature. Tomohon`s coat of arms is aimed at informing public about Tomohon`s tranquillity, natural resources, and tourism potencies. Another symbol on Tomohon`s coat of arms is a streaky brown land depicting Tomohon`s prosperity.

For those reasons, Tomohon people call their city as `the City of Flower` considering the fertility of Tomohon`s land that is good for various flowers. In the beginning of 2000, a regional development programme made appear Tomohon City as the new district, separated from Minahasa District.

As a new district, Tomohon was officially launched on August 4th, 2003 by the Minister of Domestic Affair, Harry Sabarno. Since the time, Tomohon develops fast as one of the most crowded city in North Sulawesi.

Now Tomohon District encompasses five sub-districts which are West Tomohon, East Tomohon, Central Tomohon, South Tomohon, and North Tomohon. In addition, at least there are 35 villages based on the administrative area of Tomohon District. Most of Tomohon areas have enormous tourism potencies.

The geographic landscapes of Tomohon are hilly and mountainous areas ranging from the north to the south of North Sulawesi Province. Such topography causes the city development grows slowly.

Tomohon International Flower Festival

Tomohon is a site for four mountains, which two of them are still actives, namely Mount Lokon and Mount Mahawu. In addition, Mount Lokon is the highest mount in North Sulawesi which is 1.580 meters above the sea level.

There are several colourful parks in the centre of the city with various flowers growing up there. The local government of Tomohon City routinely holds annual flower festival which is able to attract many tourists to come to Tomohon.

Not only colourful parks with various flowers, but you can also find other wonderful tourism destinations such as Lake Linow, waruga (sarcophagus), tinoor waterfall, doa hill, agritourism in Rurukan, wooden house craft centre in Woloan, and amphitheatre in Woloan. Likewise, if you want to buy some souvenirs typically Minahasa, you can get them in the traditional or modern markets in the heart of Tomohon City. Some other worth visiting tourism destinations nearby Tomohon City are Bunaken sea park, Lake Tondano, Mount Klabat, Mount Soputan, and Kali Waterfall.

Welcoming `Visit Tomohon 2008`, Tomohon local government along with Tomohon people set some cultural and tourism agendas to attract many tourists to visit Tomohon. Some of the agendas on Visit Tomohon 2008 are cultural and music festival, flower exhibition, photography competition, fashion style, and a seminar on flower cultivation.

Tomohon City Location

Tomohon City lies around 22 km away east of Manado City, the capital of North Sulawesi Province. However, it is about 15 km away from Tondano and 55 km from Bitung City.Tomohon City lies around 22 km away east of Manado City, the capital of North Sulawesi Province. However, it is about 15 km away from Tondano and 55 km from Bitung City.

You can take any public transport to reach Tomohon City. Now, access to Tomohon City has been paved out hence you can easily reach there for having wonderful holiday ever. You can find easily many supporting facilities during the visit to Tomohon, the City of Flower. You can spend more days in the location considering the number of inns or star hotels there. Moreover, you can easily find souvenir shops along the main road of Tomohon City.

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The Old Palopo Mosque ins South Sulawesi

Palopo Mosque

The Old Palopo Mosque is the mosque of Luwu Kingdom that was built by the King of Luwu, Datu Payung Luwu XVI Pati Pasaung Toampanangi Sultan Abdullah Matinroe in 1604 A. D. It is 15 meter squares. It was named Old (Tua), because of its age, Palopo was taken from Bugis and Luwu language which contain two meanings: first, a kind of food made of the mixture of sticky rice and sugar water; second, putting a pin into a hole of building‘s beam. These two meanings have a relation with the process of building the Mosque.

There is an opinion that visiting Palopo City will not be officially regarded Palopo before touching the main beam of Old Palopo Mosque which is made of  Cinaduri wood, and the wall that is made of the mixture of egg white. That is why, the mosque always has many visitors, especially in Ramadhan (the fasting month in Islam). In Ramadhan, after dhuhur until around the time for breaking the fast, usually people keep staying in the mosque to learn the Koran, recite the Koran in turns (tadarrus), and chant confession of faith repeatedly (dzikr). The visitors are not only the citizens of Palopo city, but also from nearby districts, such as Luwu district, North Luwu district, Sidrap district, and Wajo district.

The mosque has gone through a few renovations. Nevertheless, the architecture does not change a lot. To preserve it, the local government has planned fund in ABPD (annual regional government monetary plan) every year, for paying employees, Islamic scholars, and three imams (leader of communal prayer). Beside receiving honorarium, the employees of the mosque also receive clean water facility from the local government without any charge.
The architecture of the Old Palopo Mosque is very unique. There are four main elements attach to the construction of the mosque, Bugis, Java, Hindu and Islam.

The first is the local Bugis element. This element can be seen at the whole structure of the building which consists of three storeys, just like the concept of stage house. The three storeys building concept is also consistently applied to the other parts, such as roof and the decoration comprising three stacks; supporting beams that also consists of three stacks, pallanga (pedestal), alliri possi (main beam) and soddu; three stacks wall with serrations; and the colouring of the beams (green, white, and brown stacking from up to down).

Second, Javanese element. It can be seen on the roof, which is influenced by traditional Javanese houses‘ roof (Joglo). It shapes three stacks/layers pyramid or is often called tajug. The two lower layers are supported by four beams which are often called sokoguru in the Javanese construction. In addition, the top layer is supported by single pillar of cinna gori wood (Cinaduri) with the diameter 90 centimetres. At the top of the roof, there are blue ceramic ornaments that probably came from China.

Third, Hindu element. This element can be seen through the mosque which has square shape, as the influence of Hindu temple construction. On the lower part of the wall, there is a lotus motif just like the one in the Borobudur Temple. The upper wall has also the same motif as Hindu temple in Java Island.

Fourth, Islamic element. The element can be seen through the windows which have five straight iron bars for each window. They symbolize the amount of salaat that a Moslem has to do in a day.

Palopo Mosque Location

The Old Palopo  Mosque is located in Palopo City, South Sulawesi Province, Indonesia.The city of Palopo is located 390 km north of Makassar city. To get to Palopo from Makassar, people can drive private vehicles or public transportations (cars: panther, kijang, and bus).

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Lake Poso

Lake Poso, which is situated at an altitude of 657 meters, is a worth visiting tourism destination located in Tentena City, Poso District, Central Sulawesi Province. This site, which is the third biggest lake in Indonesia, ranges 32 km in length and 16 km in width, with 360 meters of deep water in the south and 510 meters deep in the north.

The panoramic view of surrounding area lures many visitors to come to the lake. Its fresh air, white sand, and green forest on the slope nearby the lake are distinguishing features. Moreover, the lake can be easily accessed for its strategic location at the cross sea voyage connecting Toraja, Poso, Gorontalo, and Manado. Hence, you can get there in ease.

The water in Lake Poso tends to be pure and clean at all times. Though fast current from several tributaries flows to the lake, the water keeps clean, pure, and turquoise. White sand in the lakeside that mixes together with golden yellow sand on the other sides provides magnificent scenery, especially when the sun is going to set.

Enjoy the sensation of feeling like in a beach. Feel its tranquil and turquoise water of Lake Poso. Numerous small fishes swim happily under the water swapped away by wave. There is no coral reef under the lake, proper for you who want to plunge into the lake.

Nearby the lake, you can see multifarious orchids in an orchid park namely Taman Anggrel Alami Bancea. This park stands on a 5.000 ha wide land. Feel free to enjoy the beauty of 55 types of orchids in the park.

One more feature provided by the lake, it is a Lake Poso Festival that is organized in the fourth week of August. Some cultural and traditional competitions are held during the festival. Hence, visiting Lake Poso can be a cultural tourism, not solely enjoying nature tourism.

Lake Poso

Lake Poso lies in Tentena City, Poso District, Central Sulawesi Province, Indonesia. Lake Poso is 283 kilometres south of Palu City, and 56 kilometres from Poso. You can reach the location by taking any public transportation from Palu City in approximately eight hours. It will be shorter if you take route from Poso that spends about one a half hours. For you who want to stay more days around the location, you can easily find hotels, lodgements, and inns around the lake. Some food stalls are also ready at all times serving you with various foods, typical of Central Sulawesi Province.

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Mount Slamet

Mount Slamet – 3.432 meters above the sea level – is the highest volcanic mount in Central Java, and second highest mount in Java Island. The area of Mount Slamet comprises four forest areas, which are Montane Forest, Hilly Dipterocarp Forest, Ericeous Forest (mountainous forest), and Upper Dipterocarp Forest.

Mount Slamet offers distinguishing mountainous escapade with meandering and challenging track leading to the peak of the mount. You will find no water spring along the track, unless you choose Bambangan track.

On the slope of the mount, you can find several other interesting tourism destinations such as Batu Raden and Guci hot water spring. Those areas encompass some other tourism objects like botanical garden, Curug Gede, Pencuran Pitu, PAncuran Telu, Wana Wisata, Telaga Sunyi, and Kaloka Widya Mandala Park.

Mount Slamet Location

Situated at 7º14,30‘ southern latitude and 109º 12,30‘ eastern longitude, Mount Slamet lies northwest of Purbalingga City, approximately 30 kilometres. The entire area of the mount is administratively located in five districts which are Banyumas, Pemalang, Banjarnegara, Brebes, and Purbalingga districts.

You can start Mount Slamet escapade tour from Grumbul Alur Bambangan in Kutabawa Village, Karangeja Sub-district, Purbalingga District. To reach Purbalingga you can take any public transport from Purwokerto to Blambangan passing by Bobotsari before succeeding to Penjangan Village. Since arriving at Penjangan Village, you have to continue the trip leading to Blambangan by walk for approximately an hour.

Post for climbers is located in Blambangan Village. Climbers from the entire world usually gather in this post to plan the best route for climbing. In common, the journey to the peak of the mount usually spends about six hours. And please do not hesitate to ask for guidance from surrounding local inhabitants for detail information about the area around the mount.

As an alternative climbing track, you can choose a route from Mount Malang in Serang Village and Batu Raden route as well. Along the way leading to the peak of Mount Slamet, you can find some posts for taking a rest. Those posts are listed below:

• Mount Malang–Pondok Gembiring (1 km)
• Pondok Gembiring–Pondok Walang (0,5 km)
• Pondok Walang–Pondok Cemara (0,5 km)
• Pondok Cemara–Samarantu (1,5 km)
• Samarantu–Sampang Rangkah (0,75 km)
• Sampang Rangkah–Sampang Ketebon (0,6 km)
• Sampang ketebon–Batur (0,9 km)
• Batur–Sampang Jampang (0,3 km)
• Sampang Jampang–Sampang Kredit (0,6 km)
• Sampang Kredit–Plawangan (0,5 km)
• Plawangan–Puncak (1 km, through Slamet Cave)

There is a post in Grumbul Alur, Blambangan, that was built for those who want to take a rest during the journey to the highest point in Central Java, Mount Slamet. Some guides are ready to tell the detail information about the surrounding area of the mount. If you want to stay more days in the mount, you may erect camp after permission from staffers of Mount Slamet Management.

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