Prehistoric Site Sangiran | Komodo

In 1996, UNESCO put Sangiran World Heritage list. Site area of ​​48 square kilometers save tens of thousands of ancient fossils - 13,000 have been found, and 3,000 of them on display at the Museum of Antiquities Sangiran. The surrounding area, dubbed "Sangiran Dome" saves 65% of fossil hominids in Indonesia and 50% of the world more than two million years. Sangiran site discovered in 1934 by paleontologist Gustav Heinrich Ralph von Koeinigswald through artifacts left by Homo erectus in the Ngebung Village. In the ancient geological research refers to the area located 17 kilometers from the city of Solo is actually a stretch of sea. Rotation of the Earth and natural disasters, and then turn it into a rich soil, including fossils of marine animals.

Komodo is the largest lizard in the world who live in Komodo National Park, East Nusa Tenggara. In 1991, UNESCO acknowledged this national park as a World Heritage Site and is competing in the arena of the New 7 Wonders of Nature. Komodo is a predator with a full capacity, with a sharp odor, and capable of running and swimming. Its main weapon is the saliva. Anyone who is bitten if not quickly treated will likely die, The population of Komodo dragons estimated 2.700 species. One of the threats to their survival is cannibalism adult komodo dragon eating its baby.

Danau Toba | Puncak Jaya

Indonesia is an archipelagic country, beautiful landmarks, which include seven miracle of Indonesia, namely :

Indonesia has never rocked the world through three volcanic eruption, Toba, Tambora and Krakatau. Dust blocking the sun light makes the day at night. From three mountains toba only almost completely disappeared and no longer shaped mountain, but Toba did not go without a legacy. A universal largest volcanic lake that now fills the land that Toba left behind, with length of 100 kilometers and 30 kilometers wide, Lake Toba is the mainstay attractions of North Sumatra, as well as the most famous lakes in Indonesia. Travelling by the boat in Toba Lake and watch the Batak tribal community life is the most popular attractions in the region.

Jayawijaya Mountains stretching from West Papua to Papua New Guinea with the highest peak in the range of Sudirman and called Puncak Jaya (4884 m above sea level). The world called Carstensz Pyramid, named after a Dutch adventurer, John Carstenz who first saw the snowy peaks at the equator. The news was reported in Europe in 1623, but no one believes. Another attraction of Puncak Jaya is the eternal snow-covered Crown. However, due to global warming, ice began to diminish, if humans do not stop the destruction of the Earth, isn't possible snow in Puncak Jaya is going to stop being a story that only we can say to our children and grandchildren.

Wonderful Hotels

| Banyan Tree Macau |

Macau's burgeoning excesses have earned it the nickname, the Vegas of the East, and now a new high-rise urban resort may just have raised the luxury bar that little bit higher with its private relaxation pools (featured in all of its 227 suites, including the ultra exclusive 670sqm presidential suites). Indeed, a stay down at the Banyan Tree Macau should soothe your trouble brow after all that non-stop shopping, including dining and partying. The Banyan Tree Macau is the only luxury hotel in Macau to featured full sized resort villas, and if you're looking for the ultimate in indulgence, then check yourself into the presidential suites, which spans the hotel's 30th and 31th floors. The Banyan Tree Macau interiors pay homeage to the company's oriental origins and featured the work of the well-known designer, Chhada Siembieda, as well as Banyan Tree-house Architrave team. The Banyan Tree Macau is located just 15 minutes from Macau's international airport. (www.banyantree.com)
    
| Best Western |

Best Western international currently operates over 4,000 hotels in nearly 80 countries, including Indonesia, where it operates number of properties, including The Best Western Mangga Dua Hotel & Residence (Jakarta), The Best Western Resort Kuta (Bali), The Best Western Premier Basko Hotel (Padang, West Sumatra) and The Best Western Premier Hotel Solo (Central Java). 
The Best Western Premier Hotel Solo was awarded a MURI (Indonesia Museum Records) record as the first hotel in Indonesia to employ a predominantly batik design throughout its rooms and spaces. Now, Best Western Indonesia plans to get serious and expand its presence in the country, with a planned three new opening this year alone. The new properties will be in Serpong in Banten, Tuban in Bali and Sunset Boulevard, also in Bali. Moreover, 16 new hotels, spread across the archipelago, are slated to open in 2012, and all are currently in the construction stages.(www.bestwestern.com) 


| Bankok Superstar |

Bankok has been invaded by a horde of international superstars!, over 70 of them, to be exact, who are all waiting to greet visitors at the brand new Madame Tussauds Wax Museum Bangkok, which you'll found located up on the sixth floor of the Siam Discovery Building. The 500-million baht, internationally-renowned wax museum marks Madame Tussauds third opening in Asia (joining sister attractions in Hongkong to get up close and personal with over 70 international and local celebrities, including historic figures and world leaders such as Princess Diana, David Becham, Brad Pitt, and Angelina Jolie. (www.madametussauds.com/bangkok) 

Tanjung Puting National Park

Did you know that orangutan and human are genetically speaking, 97 percent identical ? Kalimantan's native Dayak people named this animal the orangutan because the primate bears characteristics similiar to those of humans ("orang"), Orangutans are also intelligent and are able to navigate their way through life by making use of things around them. For example, they use leaves as umbrellas to keep them from getting wet in the rain, use small sticks to fish out ants, utilise leaves as drinking cups, and make nests out of leaves and tree branches. Orangutans are largest species to live in trees and are endemic to Borneo, although their fossils have been found as far afield as China.

The Tanjung Puting National Park is best place to see this endearing animals, and one of the tasks of this conservation are is to protect orangutans, whose existence is increasingly endangered due to the dwindling forests, In Tanjung Puting National Park there also live bekantan   (proboscis monkeys) whose profile is used on the emblem of Dunia Fantasi, a theme park in Jakarta. Various insect eating plants, such as the the tropical pitcher plant (Nepenthes SP), known as kantong semar, can also be found in the Tanjung Puting National Park.

How To Get There
Tanjung Puting National Park lies in the interior of Central Kalimantan. The easiest way of getting there is to fly from Semarang to Pangkalan Bun and then drive to Kumai. A Traditional boat called a kelotok will then enable you to explore the Tanjung Puting National Park are and take you to Camp Leakey, a site for breeding and raising young orangutans. Information on orangutans and Tanjung Puting National Park can be found at : www.orangutans.org

Beach Vacation

Beach is a favorite place for most people for vacation, but many of them don't realize that the beach is easily contaminated. So be careful to preserve the beauty and cleanliness. A lot of little things we can do and give meaning to the maintenance of the coastal environment, for example:


- When we vacation to the beach, take the time to clean up some of the coast, 
  take a plastic garbage, beverage cans and paper and then input it into the trash.


- Remember that the beach is very easily contaminated, so be careful keeping it clean 
  and comfortable for the beach vacation.


- Take our rubbish home when we are on beach vacation, if there is no adequate trash can on  
   the field. Around the world, about two million birds and 100,000 marine mammals die each  
   year from head trapped or injured by carelessly discarded rubbish on the coast area.


- For lovers of sport fishing - make sure all the equipment that we brought home. Hook fishing 
  weights, cables and networks can be equally harmful to humans and other animals. 
  In other words, don't throw away the remnants of appliances and other garbage at sea and 
  on the shore. We certainly know that these materials pollute and kill sea birds, 
  marine animals, turtles and fish.


- Keep the vehicle from a pile of sand - vegetation growing on it is very easily damaged 
  and very slow growth.


- water skiing, scuba diving and power-boating can cause damage to electrical interference 
  and even marine life, such as birds and whales and dolphins.


- When we diving, enjoy and admire the beauty of the underwater world, but let the coral reefs 
  in their natural habitat, which is under water. Damage to coral reefs will damage the ecosystem 
  due to the disruption of natural cycles in ocean life.


That's a few tips to increase knowledge about a beach vacation.

Baluran National Park | Komodo National Park

BALURAN NATIONAL PARK


Baluran National Park can be found in East Java and is often referred to a "Africa van Java". The landscape of Baluran National Park is indeed similar to that of Africa: a wide savannah that is home to flocks of birds and animal herds, including Javanese Bulls, Timorese deer, wild water buffaloes, wild pigs, wild dogs and leopards. Alas, some of this animals are protected and their number already down to just a few dozen. 
Birds are easiest creature to find in Baluran National Park. In total there are 179 species listed as having settled in the parks 25,000 hectares. To make Baluran Nation Park watching easy, the management of national park has published a bird watching guide book complete with a distribution map for each species. Baluran was officially declared a national park on 6 March 1980.


How to get there   
Baluran is located in Banyuputih, East Java, and is bordered by the Madura Strait to the north and the Bali strait to the east. It can be reach from Bali or Surabaya. Information about Baluran National Park including its wildlife can be found at www.balurannationalpark.web.id.




KOMODO NATIONAL PARK

Regardless of whether it is voted one of the new 7 Wonders of Nature, the Komodo National Park is surely one of the wonders of the world. This 180,000 hectare conservation area is habitat of the world's most gigantic, ancient lizard, namely the Komodo dragon, whose population at present estimated to be around 2,700.
Located between Sumbawa and Flores, this national park encompasses three main islands - Komodo, Rinca and Padar - and several smaller ones. UNESCO designated it a World heritage site in 1991. 


The Komodo dragon is a killing machine equipped for just about anything. This thick-skinned lizard can run at up to 20 km/hours. it can climb tree, swim and even dive. The motto of hunting the Komodo is "You cannot run and you cannot hide".
Unlike  other predators that rely on incisors or poison, the komodo relies on its saliva to knock out its prey and there are no less than 57 types of pathogen in its mouth. The bitten prey will die between two to four days, the Komodo will than track down its dead body using the smell sensor located in its tongue. For safety reasons, visitors are always escorted by rangers while Komodo watching on the island. In addition to watching this fearsome dragon, visitors may also enjoy trekking and diving in the National Park and a relaxing season on the island's famous Pink Beach and its pinkish white sand.


How to get there  
Komodo National Park is located in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT). Fly to Labuan Bajo, and than continue your journey by boat. A more interesting option is to enjoy liveaboard programme on a cruise ship for two to nine days, starting from Labuan Bajo, Bali or Lombok. Information on Komodo National Park can be found at www.komodonationalpark.org.

Unique Exhibition

Indonesian Icons

More than 40 H.Ross Weber paintings, featuring iconic Indonesian subject such as Wayang puppets and Balinese masks, could be found on display in the lobby area of the Four Seasons Hotels in Jakarta last month. Weber, a painter from New Jersey in the United States, interprets both of these highly charged items as artistic and cultural symbols. In many ways, his paintings can be seen as portrait of characters from the ancient Indian epics. Ramayana and the Mahabharata, from which these symbols originally derived. This entire series of paintings was painted over an eight-month period and Weber chose Semar, the most beloved of puppets as his man subject matter. 






E(art)H Project : Sin City


Environmental Issues are becoming increasingly complex and the Indonesian arts community attempted to reflect a growing environmental awareness through an exhibition titled  "sin city", a project that aimed to examine "art and the environment" from the position outside the traditional hierarchies and formalities of the art world. 
"Sin city" offer a collectivist, open-ended interpretation of a society in which "everyone" becomes responsible for the "sin" of garbage. The artist who participated in the exhibition included. Tisna Sanjaya, Heri Dono, Ismanto Wahyudi and Jumaadi.





Survey #2.10


This exhibition wes organised for the second year running by Edwin's Gallery at Jakarta Art District in April 2011. The exhibition aimed to reflect young, talented Indonesian artist, and approximately six dozen works by 36 selected artist were on display. "Survey #2.10" aimed to offer an insight into the most attractive and prominent art trends Indonesia art over the two years. The exhibition works aimed to examine universal human problems and proved that Indonesian contemporary arts is increasingly moving away from singular, linear trends.


Photo-realistic Painting

Ninety photo-realistic paintings by Chusin Setiadikara were displayed at the National Gallery in late March 2011 and featured children as their primary subject matter, whose emotions Chusin attempts to capture. Chusin's art highlight such as childhood traits as curiosity, cheerfulness, indifference and shyness. In addition, painting with Balinese theme were also on display, as Chusin is also interested in urban life in Bali and Balinese women, as well as the busting Kintamani Market, which he depicts perfectly. 

Gold Standard Living

For many, Jakarta's informal nickname, the big durian, aptly describes  the city's sometimes murderous assaults on one's sense a cacophony of sounds, smells, people and impossible traffic jams that seems a fitting match for this variously spiky and infamously smelly fruit. Now however, with the addition of the fraser residence Sudirman, a luxury serviced apartment complex located right in the heart of the city, business travelers may actually have something to look forward to. 
With it superb location in the heart of Jakarta Central Business District, the Fraser Residence Sudirman is close to almost everything that one could possibly need such as medical facilities, commercial establishment, and government offices. Many of the city's most exclusive shopping malls, including Grand Indonesia, Plaza Senayan and Plaza Indonesia are just a short drive away, and travel around the district is eased by the residence's central location. 
Business traveler can hold meetings in the comfort of their own apartments, and each one of the Fraser 108 Gold-Standard, one-, two- or three bedroom units comes well-equipped to help you get your job done. The apartment all feature spacious living rooms, which are bathed in the natural light that passes through their full-length windows. Wooden flooring and contemporary, minimalist furniture and fitting complete the picture and make entertaining business partner a classy experience.

Exhibition Features

In Memorial Of Alit Sembodo


During his lifetime, Alit Sembodo was widely acclaimed as a highly talented painter who employed narrative images, texts and comics in order to create paintings with simple colour selections which were nevertheless highly expressive, figurative and powerful. His paintings are also considered to contain deep philosophical  meanings, and every scratch that he committed to canvas accurately and comprehensively conveys a particular time and situation, complete with his characteristically funny words. The limited number of his works that have been available since his early death at the age 30, couple with high demand, has caused the price of Alit's art to soar, with some pieces going for billions of rupiahs.


Poison #1


This collective exhibition features a variety of style, techniques, mediums and object from various different school of art. Various artists such as PinkGirlGoWild, Emte, Monica Hapsari, Ika Vantiani, Motulz and Jimi Multhazamp attempt to "poison" the viewers through their works, so as to encourage people to become more daring and assertive as well as more appreciative and expressive. The main idea behind the works is that such as cultural "poison" can ultimately be beneficial and can disrupt complacency and stimulate new ideologies, principles and mindsets.






Floating World

Irfan WInoto Dechan is known as a talented up and coming young artist and his latest exhibition, which is titled "In the floating world", he combines several element from these different cultures, namely Japanese and Greek, and tries to present a comparative perspective in which different elements are united in works of art that create new identities.

Second Skin

Altje Ully Pandjaitan is not an academic feminist activist within a long-term, intimate understanding of the literature. Instead, she first came to terms with issues of gender via a rather natural process, as the wife of a celebrate curator and art critic. Nonetheless, her curiosity has taken her down a path from which she cunningly explores issues of feminism as a female sculptor. Now, after many years, Altje Ully Pandjaitan is back with a new solo exhibition that deviates from her usual norm. The doll sculptures are still there, but this time they are clad in tight pants, tops, high jackboots and trendy low-heels. In marked contrast with her previous works, which often depicted naked female bodies. Through this new work, Altje Ully Pandjaitan seems to want to convey a sense of how woman will almost be judged by the clothes that they were.

Around Bali (Part 2)

Kerta Gosa


The Kerta Gosa Hall of justice is a small pavilon adorned with fantastic ceiling murals. In the 18th century it was Bali's highest court of law.

Kuta


Kuta Bay, with its long stretch of white sand and brilliant sunset, has attracted swarms of visitors since its rediscovery by surfers and sun worshippers in the 1970s.








Lovina Beach


Lovina is an 8 km strip of black sand in Bali's and northern coast, renowned for its serenity and a local school of dolphins.

Nusa Dua


This beautifully landscaped beach resort of Nusa Dua is home to no less than 15 five-star resort hotels, the 18-hole Bali golf & country club and excellent shopping facilities.

Nusa Lembongan


A small island of Bali's southeast coast. Nusa Lembongan is popular for its white sand beaches and quiet pace of life. Several cruise operator offer day trips from Benoa Harbour.

Sangeh Monkey Forest


Populate by a large troupe of monkeys, this thick stand of nutmeg trees is believed by legend to have fallen out of the sky during a mystic battle between the gods, carrying with it battalion of Wisnu's monkey army.

Sanur


The resort area of Sanur has grown up Bali's largest traditional village and today boasts excellent facilities for the international visitor.

Tanah Lot


Tanah Lot (Earth from the sea) is a stunning 15th century sanctuary located on Bali's south coast, built at top rocky mound that at high tide is completely surrounded by water.

Tulamben


Some of Bali's most interesting diving is found at tulamben, where the shallow wreck of a WWII US cargo ship is now festooned with colourful corals  




  

Uluwatu


Perched on a limestone cliff 70 meters above the Indian Ocean, this 11th century temple is one of Bali's holiest sites.








Arround Bali (Part 1) 

Around Bali (Part 1)

Bali, the fabled "Island of the Gods", has been enchanting visitor for centuries with its rich cultural traditions and spectacular panoramas. From lofty, mist enshrouded volcanoes and cool mountain lakes down through terraced rice fields to a golden strand lapped by azure waters, every square inch of Bali offers a fresh and unforgettable image.
No less enchanting are its people, some 2.7 million soul whose artistry and piety are recognized throughout the world. Balinese Hinduism, a complex fusion of Indian Cosmology. Tantric Buddhism and homegrown mythology, is the primary faith of Bali's inhabitants, and so deeply woven into the fabric of their daily lives that the line between the spiritual and the material is blurry at best.
Those of you keen on delving into the island's fascinating culture will have plenty of opportunities as colorful ceremonies and traditional performances occur the regularity of the sunrise. Most hotels offer nightly dances shows of one form or another, tailored to tourist audiences but none the less exquisite. The hill town of Ubud, the island's premier arts center, also has a full schedule of performances, and the nearby stone cutter's village of Batubulan is famed for its Barong lion dances.
The Shoppers among you will find Bali a treasure house of handicrafts and fine works of art. The Balinese are incredibly gifted artists and craftsmen, and their material creations are imbued with the same sense of wonderment with which they regard their universe. Stone and wood carvings, traditional and modern paintings  and intricately designed jewelry in gold and silver are readily available in shops and galleries throughout the island.
As for recreation, there is no shortage of options. Nature walks, horseback riding, diving, surfing, even bungy jumping and white water rafting - awaits the adventure here !!

Bali Barat National Park
Bali's largest nature reserve encompasses 70.000 hectares of rainforest and 7.000 hectares of coral reefs and is home to many rare species of fauna.

Batur Caldera
The enormous crater basin of Batur is a spectacular sight, dominating its center is Mt. Batur, a brooding, blackened cone that erupted four times last century. Six small villages eke out an existence within the walls of the caldera. People by a simple mountain folk known as Bali Aga (original balinese)

Bedugul
The cool highland resort of Bedugul on the shores of Lake Bratan has become a popular retreat for tourists and resident alike.

Besakih
Bali's "mother temple" is a sprawling complex of shrines and pavilions set high on the slopes of sacred Mt. Agung.

Goa Gajah
The ancient hermitage of Goa Gajah (Elephant Cave) near Bedulu is one of Bali's most intriguing archeological sites, comprising a man-made grotto, elaborate stone carving and Buddhist stupas.