The Natural Beauty of Lake Singkarak

Lake Singkarak

Lake Singkarak, which lies amid two districts, Solok District and Tanah Datar District, is the uppers course of the Ombilin River and the Anai River. The Anai River’s stream that is functioned for electricity generator in Lubuk Alung, passes by Barisan Hill Lubung Alung.

With approximately 107,8 km squares in width, it is the second number of the largest lakes in Sumatra Island after Lake Toba in North Sumatra. Moreover, the panoramic view, fresh air and clean water of the lake are the distinction from other lakes in Indonesia.

Lake Singkarak, which is at an altitude of 362,5 meters, is inhabited by various species of fishes, one of them is fish bilih (Mystacoleuseus Padangensisi). This species cannot be bred outside from its native habitat, though it is bred on the floating net in Lake Singkarak. For you, there are many rented traditional boats so that you can enjoy the magnificent view and the enthralling atmosphere of the lake.

On several occassions, the traditional boats competition is celebrated annually at national level. That is why, many tourists come to the location, watching the competition directly while enjoying the beauty of Lake Singkarak.

Lake Singkarak Location

Lake Singkarak lies amid two districts, Tanah Datar District and Solok District, West Sumatera Province, Indonesia. To reach the destination, you may choose land transportations from Padang for about 2,5 hours with IDR 20.000 – IDR 25.000 or its cost. For you who want to charter cars, you must pay IDR 400.000/ each day.You will easily find some hotels or inns around the location. Moreover, restaurants and cafetarias stand in a row along the lakeside, so you can choose whatever you want, based on your taste. 

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Sriwijaya Zoo

Sriwijaya Zoo is a right place for Palembang people who want to have a pleasure moment with family considering its location that is located nearby the heart of Palembang City. This 10 ha zoo is inhabited by 50 animals. There are three elephants for visitors who want to have a sensation of riding the back of those elephants. Other primates are also available there such as crocodiles, bears, monkeys, snakes, orangutan, and various birds.

Sriwijaya Zoo lies in Talang Taling Village, Gelumbang Sub-district, Muara Enim District, South Sumatra Province. Sriwijaya Zoo is 55 kilimeters away to the north of Palembang City. It lies strategically in Palembang – Prabumulih way.

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Kutai National Park

Kutai National Park

This 198.629 ha wide national park is a top-rank tourism destination of East Kalimantan Province. Kutai National Park is commonly used for research, camping, and natural science education, besides for being used as natural tourism. Kutai National Park include into the third biggest number of orang-utan rehabilitation.

Its altitude ranges from zero – 398 meters above the sea level with hilly and winding topography areas. At least there are 60 hills; the highest one is T42 hill, which is at an altitude of 398 meters above the sea level.

Kutai National Park has tropical weather, 1.543 mm/ year of average rainfall. It has temperatures in 27º - 33º Celsius. Thus, on April to October is the right time to visit the location.

The distinctions of the locations are its diversified vegetations; mangrove, swamp forest, kerangas forest, lowland forest, and mixture forest. Moreover, Kutai National Park has also heterogeneous plants like sea casuarinas tree, mangrove, tancang, simpur, meranti, benuang, limestone, ulin, Rafflesia Arnoldii, and wild orchids. Some wild animals can also be found there such as orang-utan, proboscis monkey, long-tailed monkey, short-tailed macaque, kukang and Kalimantan owa.

Below are some natural activities that can be alternatives for spending the time around the location:

• Maritime tourism activity and wildlife observation in Teluk Kaba and Muara Sangkimah. Here, you can observe orang-utan, sambar deer, proboscis monkey, honey bear, kanci, and birds.
• Mangrove observation and maritime tourism in Teluk Lombok and the Estuary of Lombok River.
• Research and wildlife observation, orang-utan, honey bear, sumbar deer, pig forest, and mouse deer in Prevab Mentoko.
• Cave tourism, in Cave Lobang Angin.

Kutai National Park Location 

Administratively, the area of Kutai National Park encompasses four sub-districts, North Bontang, South Bontang, Muara Badak, and Marang Kayu, in the district of East Kutai, East Kalimantan Province, Indonesia. Around the location, there are lodgements or inns for you who want to spend more days there. Campground, speedboat, and research laboratory are supporting facilities offered by the Management of Kutai National Park.

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Punti Kayu Forest Park

Punti Kayu Forest Park is the only forest tourism destination in Palembang City. Around this 12 ha area, you will be sheltered by numerous pine trees. Punti Kayu Forest Park is a right place for you who want to have a pleasure vacation amidst the crowded of Palembang City. You may have your children ride some tamed-elephants, swim in a pool, and visit fauna museum. In several occassions, there will be musical performance.

Punti Kayu Forest Park is six kilometers awat from the heart of Palembang City. It lies on Kolonel Barlian Street, Palembang City, South Sumatra Province.

The entrance ticket to Punti kayu Forest Park is IDR 5.000. If you want to take motorized boat, you need to pay IDR 500/person. It costs IDR 2.000 for swimming in the pool. The entrance ticket to the zoo and fauna museum is IDR 500/person. There is an artificial lake, souvenirs shops, playground, and restaurants around Punti Kayu Forest Park.

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The Museum of Mulawarman in Kutai Kartanegara District

Museum of Mulawarman

The Museum of Mulawarman is an elegant historical tourism destination in East Kalimantan Province. The building is dominated by white colour. In the past, it was palace then was rebuilt during the tenure of the XIX Sultan of Kutai, Sultan Adji Mohamad Parikesit in 1936 A.D. The architect of this great museum is Estourgie from Hollandsche Beton Maatschappij (HBM).

It was officially established for public on November 28th, 1971 by the Governor of East Kalimantan Province, H.A. Wahab Syahrani. On February 18th, 1976, the museum was taken over by the Education and Cultural Department under the permission of the West Kalimantan Governor at the time.

The Museum of Mulawarman has so much information relating to the Kutai Kartanegara Sultanate. The numerous collection within, especially the inheritance of Kutai Kertanegara Sultanate distinguish this museum from other museums in Indonesia.

Entering the first room, you will see several heritages of the Kutai Kartanegara Sultanate such as the Sultan‘s throne hemmed by two Lembu Swana statues. For its background, two pictures of the XVIII Sultan of Kutai Kartanegara, AM Alimoedin are hung on the wall of the first room. In addition, the picture of Sultan, AM Parikesit and an umbrella of the sultanate are situated in the same location.

The Umbrella of the sultane

You will also discover some archaeological items such as the heritages of Kutai Martadipura Kingdom, the oldest Hindu Kingdom in Indonesia, in shape of inscriptions and statues from the era of Mulawarman King. Some typical carvings of Kalimantan‘s tribes such as Dayak Kenyah, Benuaq, Busang, Modang, Punan, and other Dayak sub-tribes can be found there.

In another room, at the back of the building, you will see the diorama of the birth of Aji Batara Agung Dewa Sakti, the First Sultan of Kutai Kartanegara Sultanate. The diorama of timber industry, coal mining, Mahakam porpoise, and typical plants of Kalimantan can also be found there. After discovering the entire collection within, leaving the building, you must pass by an alley on the ground where much collection of ancient ceramics from Vietnam, Japan, Thailand, and Europe can be discovered there. Outside the building, there is a graveyard of the Kutai Kartanegara Sultanate.

The groundroom of Museum Mulawarman

The Location of Mulawarman Museum

The Museum of Mulawarman is situated on Diponegoro Street, Tenggarong Sub-district, in the District of Kutai Kartanegara, East Kalimantan Province. To reach the destination, you can take any accessible public transportation or motorcycles. It can be accessed through Samarinda City, about 45 km away to Tenggarong. Moreover, it will be around 110 km when you start from Balikpapan. For better understanding about the detail parts of the museum, it is better for you to take guides‘ services. It is opened for public everyday, except Monday, at 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. and you can buy some guidebooks about the museum. There are many food tents around the location for you who want to take a rest after discovering the entire parts of the museum and observing the whole collection within.

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Wonderful White Sand in Pasir Panjang Beach Bengkalis

Pasir Panjang Beach Bengkalis

Pasir Panjang Beach encompasses Tanjung Medang, Teluk Rhu, and Tanjung Punak. The local government of Bengkalis District will set the location as the first priority of worth visiting tourism destination.Its white sand that is clean and seems like spreading out of grain pearl, is a right place for having sun bath or other activities. The turquoise water is clean, luring visitors to get plunge into the water or dive. Along this 12 km long beach, you can do any activities such as skiing, or renting motorized boat. Surrounding islands such as Ketam Island, Mentete Island and Baru Island are plus point of the destination improving the panoramic view of the beach. At daylight, you can watch Malaysia across the sea in the distance. At evening, when the sun is going to set, many fish-birds jump upon the sea surface. At clear night, you will see numerous flickering lamps of fishermen’s boats in Malaccan Strait. In the destination, you can do any transaction for trading and selling using Indonesia Rupiah or Malaysian Ringgit.

Pasir Panjang Beach Location

Pasir Panjang Beach is situated in Teluk Rhu Village, North Rupat Sub-district, Bengkalis District, Riau Province, Indonesia. Considering the location that is near to Dumai City, it can be accessed easily by water transportations like motorized boat for about two hours. For you coming from Pekanbaru, you can take water transportations passing by the Siak River, and then stop in Bengkalis. From Bengkalis, the journey is continued by renting speed boat for a day with a million rupiahs for its cost. 

After being in Rupat Island, there are two alternatives for you to reach the destination, directly go to the white sandy beach of Teluk Rhu, and the last one is directly come to the harbour. Tanjung Medang is the only harbour and the gateway to the destination. For you choosing through Teluk Rhu, you must stop in the middle of the sea, around 60 meters from land, then some traditional boats will pick you up to reach the destination. It is about 15 minutes to reach Tanjung Medang from Rhu Bay by renting motorcycle. There is a 24-hour lodgement around the location for you who want to spend more days. 

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Traditional Celebration of Tumbilotohe in Gorontalo

Traditional Celebration of Tumbilotohe

Tumbilitohe derives from Gorontalo language, tumbilo means set and tohe means lamps. Therefore, Tumbilotoho means setting lamps. Historically, it has been celebrated by Gorontalo people since the 15th century. It is usually done on the last three days of Ramadhan month (Fasting month), 27th – 30th of Ramadhan, started from maghrib (6 p.m.) until subuh (4 a.m.).

In the past, it was intentionally aimed for lightening Muslims to distribute Islamic tithe at night. At the time, lightening alliances were made of resin torch and latex. Considering that the stock for resin torch decreased time by time, they had ever turned to padalama (coconut oil) then turned to petroleum.

As the time goes by, now Gorontalo people tend to use modern lamps but some of them prefer to use the petroleum lamps. Those petroleum lamps are hung on every beam decorated by young coconut leaves. Banana, as the symbols of prosperity, are also found on the top of those lamps and also sugar cane as the symbols of sweetness, cordiality and the glory of Eid El-Fitr. This tradition has a distinctive attractive power for the local inhabitants and surrounding people living in Manado, Palu and Makassar.

Gorontalo City turns into a glittering city when the tradition of Tumbilotohe takes place. Every part of public service buildings such as local government office, mosques, even football yard, is decorated by colourful lamps. Moreover, farmlands and empty land are also full of flickering lamps which are painted with beautiful mosque, calligraphy and Al Qur`an pictures.
 

This three-day celebration is more interesting when the attraction of bunggo (bamboo cannons) is played by children competing each other. All of those bamboo cannons are faced to the people`s homes, proposed to awaking the people for having sahur (the meal eaten before daybreak during the fasting month).  By such atmosphere, you will feel its religious nuance and strong solidarity of surrounding people.

Traditional Celebration of Tumbilotohe Location

Tumbilotohe is in the city of Gorontalo, Gorontalo Province, Indonesia. It can be reach by land, water and air transportations. For you living in Sulawesi Island, you can take any public transportation but for you who are outside Sulawesi Island, you must take either water or air transportations. There are two harbours in Sulawesi Island, Gorontalo Harbour and Anggrek Kwandang Harbour in the district of Gorontalo. In addition, for air transportation, there is an airport in the sub-district of Tibawa, Gorontalo District about 35 km from Gorontalo City. There are many supporting facilities such as hotels, restaurants, worship places, car rentals, and communication devices.

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