Malang News and Photos

A Full List of Indonesia Area Code

2012-04-30T01:34:00.000+07:00

Here is a list of Indonesia area code:
(Need information about Indonesia Phone Code and how to make a call to Indonesia?)

21    Jakarta (including Bekasi, Cibinong, Tangerang)
22    Bandung, Majalaya
229 Cimahi, Lembang
231 Cirebon
232 Kuningan
233 Majalengka
234 Indramayu
24    Semarang
249 Ungaran
251 Bogor, Gadog, Cisarua
252 Rangkasbitung
254 Cilegon, Serang
255 Cipanas, Sindanglaya
260 Subang
261 Sumedang
262 Garut
263 Cianjur
264 Cikampek (changed from 2649?)
264 Purwakarta
265 Banjar (changed from 3659?)
265 Ciamis, Pangandaran, Tasikmalaya
266 Palabuhanratu, Sukabumi
265 Singaparna (changed from 2669?)
267 Karawang (Krawang)
271 Solo (Surakarta), Sragen
272 Klaten
273 Wonogiri
274 Sleman, Wates, Wonosari, Yogyakarta
275 Purworejo
280 Sidareja
281 Purbalingga (changed from 284?), Purwokerto
282 Cilacap
283 Slawi, Tegal
284 Pemalang
285 Pekalongan
286 Banjarnegara, Wonosobo
287 Kebumen
291 Kudus
293 Magelang, Temanggung
294 Kendal
295 Pati
296 Blora
298 Salatiga
31    Bangkalan, Kamal (changed from 323?)
31    Gresik, Sidoarjo (changed from 319?)
31    Surabaya
321 Jombang, Mojokerto
322 Lamongan
323 [Bangkalan, Kamal - see 31]
324 Pamekasan
328 Sumenep
331 Jember
332 Bondowoso
333 Banyuwangi
334 Lumajang
335 Probolinggo
338 Situbondo
341 Batu, Malang
342 Blitar
343 Pasuruan, Prigen
351 Madiun
352 Ponorogo
353 Bojonegoro
354 Kediri
355 Tulung Agung
356 Tuban
361 Denpasar (Bali), Gianyar, Nusa Dua, Tabanan
361 Sanur, Ubud
362 Seririt, Singaraja
363 Buitan Village, District of Manggis
366 Bangli, Klungkung
370 Mataram (changed from 364?)
371 Sumbawa Besar
373 Dompu
374 Bima
376 Selong
380 Kupang (changed from 391?)
390 [former access to Dili, East Timor - now +670]
401 Kendari
411 Ujung Pandang
413 Bulukumba
418 Takalar
419 Jeneponto
421 Pare-Pare, Sidrap
423 Makale, Rantepao, Tana Toraja
426 Mamuju
430 Amurang
431 Manado
432 Satal
435 Gorontalo
438 Bitung
443 Marisa
450 Parigi
451 Palu
452 Poso
453 Toli-toli
461 Luwuk (and also Sulteng?)
481 Bone, Watampone
482 Sinjai
484 Soppeng
511 Banjarbaru (changed from 5119?)
511 Banjarmasin
532 Pangkalanbun
534 Ketapang
536 Palangkaraya (not 514)
541 Samarinda, Tenggarong
542 Balikpapan (Balik Papan, alternate spelling)
548 Bontang
549 Kutai, Sangatta (Sangata, alternate spelling)
551 Tarakan
553 Malinau
554 Berau
556 Nunukan
561 Pontianak
61    Kuala, Lubukpakam, Medan, Stabat
619 Belawan, Binjai
620 Pangkalan Brandan
621 Plaihari, Tebingtinggi (Deli)
622 Kota Baru (Kotabaru), Pematangsiantar, Tanjunggading
623 Kisaran, Tanjung Balai Asahan
624 Aekanopan, Kota Pinang, Rantauprapat
625 Parapat (Prapat, alternate spelling)
626 Pangururan
628 Kabanjahe
629 Kotacane
631 Sibolga
632 Balige
633 Tarutung (one source claimed this was 638)
639 Gunung Sitoli, Nias
641 Kuala Simpang, Langsa
642 Blangkajeren
643 Takengon
644 Bireun
645 Lhokseumawe (Lhok Seumawe), Lhoksukon (Lhok Sukon)
646 Idi
651 Banda Aceh, Kota Jantho
652 Sabang
653 Sigli
656 Tapak Tuan
711 Palembang
713 Prabumulih
717 Pangkalpinang (Pangkal Pinang), Sungailiat
721 Bandarlampung (Bandar Lampung), Kedaton, Tanjungkarang
724 Kotabumi
725 Metro
727 Kalianda
731 Lahat
732 Curup
734 Tanjung Enim
735 Baturaja
736 Bengkulu
737 Argamakmur
741 Jambi
751 Padang
752 Bukittinggi, Lubukbasung
753 Luubuksikaping
754 Sijunjun, Sungaidareh
755 Alahan Panjang, Muara Labuh, Solok
757 Balai Selasa
758 Padang Panjang
759 Payakumbuh
760 Teluk Kuantan
761 Pekanbaru
762 Bangkinang
764 Siak Sri Indrapura
765 Dumai
769 Airmolek
771 Tanjungpinang
777 Tanjungbalai (Karimun)
778 Batam, Sekupang
811 cellular mobile (GSM, Telkomsel)
816 cellular mobile (AMPS, Satelindo, serving Java and Madura)
818 cellular mobile (GSM, Excelcomindo, serving Java and Bali)
82   cellular mobile (Komselindo STKB-C, Jakarta-Bandung region;6 digit numbers)
828 cellular mobile (NMT, Mobisel/Orbit)
901 Timika, Irian Jaya (see also Tembagapura 979)
910 Bandanaire, Neira
911 Aeknabara, Ambon
917 Dobo
921 Ternate
951 Sorong
956 Fak-Fak
957 Kaimana
961 (Biak? changed to 981?)
962 Manokwari
963 Serui
967 Jayapura
969 Wamena
971 Merauke
979 Tembagapura (Irian Jaya - see also 901)
981 Biak (changed from 961?)
984 Nabire
99   [see 21 - some sources list this code for Bekasi, Cibinong, and Tangerang; however, this appears to have changed]

references: http://www.wtng.info

Want To Visit Dubai? Read These Tips

2012-04-29T14:03:00.000+07:00

Dubai is a relatively new developed tourist destinations. The lack of information makes many people are still reluctant to visit Dubai. Hong Kong and Singapore seem to be more popular.

But Dubai has many great things compared to other famous tourist destinations. It is strategically located, right in the middle of international flight routes that link the western and eastern regions of the world. This makes Dubai very suitable transit tourist sites.

For enthusiasts of religious tourism, there is a good start to glance at Dubai as a place that should be visited. Religious tourism destinations such as Jerusalem, Turkey, Jordan and Egypt, located quite close to Dubai. And do not forget, Jeddah and Medina can be reached by a short flight from Dubai. Why not?

If you are interested to visit Dubai, it's worth to spend some minutes to read these tips.

The best time to visit Dubai
Dubai is located in the area of the temperate zone of the subtropical desert. The climate in Dubai has a striking difference between summer and winter. During summer (June-September), air temperature during the day can reach 45 degrees Celsius. While in the winter (December-February), temperatures can be below 10 degrees Celsius at night. In mountainous areas have been reported even snowing!

The best time to visit Dubai is around November to March. When visiting at the height of winter, make sure you bring a jacket or sweater to stay comfortable while walking. If you happen to visit at the height of summer, activity to do outdoors will be limited. But you can still enjoy a huge mall in Dubai which offers plenty of indoor activities.

What about the cultures?
Dubai is the largest city in the United Arab Emirates, located in the Arabian peninsula. Although Arab countries are known to be conservative, the atmosphere in Dubai was very liberal and cosmopolitan. Dubai natives are called Emiratis, they are only about 10 percent of the population and the rest are expatriates from all over the world. No wonder that this city is very multicultural feel, even a city which population is one of the most diverse in the world.

Although women with sexy dress are common sight in Dubai, there is a group of people which still maintains a strong tradition. Emirati women usually wear an “abaya”, the long dress all in black color. The other group using a veil covering their faces. This scene is contrasted with an atmosphere that is so modern Dubai. However, you still have to appreciate this community.

As a form of respect for local traditions, you should wear clothing that is simple and not too open. For women, you should not wear a shirt with an open back or too short hot pants. For men, avoid wearing pants that are too short. Manager of the mall is usually put a sticker at the entrance which contains advice for visitors to wear clothing that respects local traditions.

What we should aware of during Ramadan?
Dubai has a quite large non-Muslim community. They are mostly expatriates from Europe, the Philippines and India. However, Islam is the official state religion and embraced by nearly all Emiratis. Therefore, there is a fairly strict rules on matters relating to Islamic rituals.

For those who do not fast, is not expected to eat and drink in public during Ramadan. If you get caught eating in public, employees or security personnel at the site would immediately reprimand you. If you do not respond positively to the rebuke, employee or security officer is entitled to report you to the police. The threat of jail a few months of his sentence in jail!

Is it possible to enjoy alcoholic beverages?
It is not only driving license, but you need alcohol licenses. The Dubai government issued alcohol licenses for only non-Muslim expatriates. Without the license, you are not allowed to buy alcoholic beverages.

Although it sounds a bit tight, you can buy alcoholic beverages at the airport duty free shop in Dubai without showing a license. Upscale restaurants also serve liquor, but may only be purchased in limited quantities. You are strictly prohibited alcohol consumption in public places. The threat is also imprisonment. source: Kompas

Indonesia Phone Code

2012-04-29T01:31:00.001+07:00

Indonesia Phone Code | Are you looking for information about Indonesia phone code? And need to make a long distance telephone call to Indonesia?
If you are in United States or Canada, the first step you should do is of course making sure that you have international calling card. You can also make international phone calls by using VoIP/ IP telephony services. Ask Google to do so.
Here is how to call Indonesia:

dial your country exit code
enter Indonesia phone code
enter Indonesia area code
enter your contact's number.

example: dial 011 + 62 + area code + phone number
If you want to call a cellular number then use this format: 011 + 62 + 8? ???? ???
Here is Indonesia country code: 62
Full List Of Indonesia Area Code

Cheap Hotels In Central Java Cities

2012-04-25T12:30:00.000+07:00

Cheap Hotels In Central Java Cities – Pekalongan, Kudus, Solo, Semarang, Jepara | When we are talking about accommodations in Central Java, there won’t be a question. All counties and cities in Central Java already has hotels. Although not all of them are five-star hotel, but at least we have many three-star hotels or jasmine hotels. Central Java has the luxury hotels, historic hotels, tourist villages with great homestays. Central Java is really a great destination for everyone. If you are still looking for cheap hotels to stay in Central Java, here are some cheap hotels you can find in some cities you’d like to visit.

PEKALONGAN
Batik fans obliged to spend the night in Pekalongan. Because, this is where batik industry is so developed. One of the recommended cheap hotel is Hotel Marlin. Conveniently located for road users in the northern coast line. From Jakarta to the east through the northern coast will inevitably pass through the hotel. Precisely, Marlin Hotel is located on Jalan Raya No. Wiradesa. 25, Pekalongan.

This two-star hotel offers two room types, Standard and Deluxe. All rooms are spacious and equipped with flat TV with cable programs, hot water shower, and free Wi-Fi access in all hotel areas. All rooms are air-conditioned. Room rates start from Rp 275,000 per night and include breakfast.

KUDUS
Culinary tourism and religious tourism is suitable for KUDUS. KUDUS is known as the “kretek” cigarette city. Interested in exploring Kudus? You don’t need to worry about the accommodation problems. Kudus offers a wide selection of accommodation varies from jasmine hotels to four-star hotels. One of the cheap hotel we recommend is the Central Hotel. The hotel is located on Jalan Kepodang 17, Kudus. From the outside, the hotel is shaped like a shop that appears simple. However, that does not mean what the rooms look. The rooms appear clean and comfortable.

The hotel provides one room type only, that is standard with prices ranging from Rp 250,000 per night and include breakfast. Each room is equipped with the facilities like star hotels such as television, mini bar, and coffee maker. Air-conditioned course. Bathroom with hot shower.

SOLO
Baron Indah Hotel located in the historic area. Not only rich in historical narrative, the hotel is beautiful with the typical architecture of Java. The address is located on Jalan Dr. Rajiman. 392, Laweyan, Solo. Although the room rate is relatively cheap, but the spa facilities is available to guests. The hotel's location is very strategic, which is close to Kampung Batik Laweyan, The Solo Palace, and the center of traditional food center. Aware of this, the hotel provides a tour package of the attractions near the hotel using a pedicab or horse cart.

There are several types of rooms to choose from the Superior Room, Deluxe Room and Executive Room. Room rates start from Rp 338,000 per night and include breakfast. If you come with your family, you can choose rooms spacious Executive Suite Room. All rooms are air conditioned and television. Free Internet is not limited in any room type.

SEMARANG
For sightseeing, Semarang no question about it. Travel to the culinary culture, so many choices. Even with the existing hotel in Semarang. For cheap hotel, can select Whiz Semarang Hotel. There are only two types of rooms are distinguished by the number of beds, the Whiz Single or room with one bed and Double Whiz or a room with two beds.

Rooms equipped with television and cable programs free internet access. A shower bathroom with hot water. Room rates start from Rp 350,000 per night and include breakfast. Whiz Semarang Hotel is located on Jalan Kapten Piere Tendean No. 9. The location is very close to the Paragon Mall. Although the rooms are not too broad, but very comfortable and clean.

JEPARA
Rather difficult to find cheap and comfortable hotel in Jepara. Recently on the rise because of Jepara Karimun Java. Though Jepara itself so many sights to explore. For the choice of where to stay can choose Jepara Indah Hotel. The hotel is located in Jalan HOS Cokroaminoto No. 12. Long-established hotel is really impressive is old and simple. However, relatively clean and comfortable rooms. The impression was old school in every room.

There are three room types namely Standard, Deluxe, and Suite. Room rates starts from Rp 325,000 per night and include breakfast. Rooms are spacious and equipped with air conditioning and television with cable programs. While hot water shower bath, some with additional bath. Internet access is restricted only in the lobby area.

Hotel Rooms in Brisbane and Perth Are The Most Expensive Ones in the World

2012-03-16T00:21:00.000+07:00

Not because of the strengthening Australian dollar, but the price of hotel rooms in Brisbane and Perth, including one of the most expensive in the world.

According to the Hotel Room Price Index compiled by Hotels.com, the average price of hotel rooms in Brisbane today is 174 Australian dollars (nearly USD 1.5 million), while in Perth, worth the price of one night room 184 Australian dollars (nearly USD 1.65 million) .

In the capital of two states in Australia, the demand for hotel rooms increased due to boom in the mineral. The workers earn high salaries - with a truck driver can earn a salary of Rp 1 billion a year - and the limitations of the available hotel room, make hotel room rates there rose more than 15 percent over the last year.

According to the Reuters correspondent Sastra Wijaya L, the average price of hotel rooms in Australia also rose to 166 Australian dollars a night, because of high demand. The most expensive hotel room prices in Australia are in the Whitsunday Islands is worth more than Rp 2.5 million rupiah per night.

While in the world, the price of the most expensive hotel rooms per country is in Switzerland and Brazil, with a mean of about $ 2 million. The cheapest hotel room rates are in Cambodia, with an average of about 600,000 rupiah.

For citizens of Australia, the strengthening Australian dollar also recently made a trip abroad is getting cheaper, and a looming economic problems of Europe also makes the price of hotel rooms there, according to Hotels.com, declined. Hotel room prices in Portugal fell 10 percent, as well as in Germany (7 percent), Belgium (7 percent), Finland (6 percent), and even the French are usually expensive also dropped five percent.

According to Johan Svanstrom of Hotels.com website news.com.au, the price of hotel rooms in Europe are now very affordable for travelers from Australia pockets. "Room rates in the region is still below the 2006 rates. It means a lot of Australians will be traveling and this trend will continue throughout 2012." Svanstrom said.

Hotels.com collects information from its buyers in 142 000 19 800 hotels around the world, so they can know the accurate price paid by all residents of the hotel. source: Kompas, pics credit: swiftcity, huno

Santika Premiere Jakarta – The Best 4-Star Hotel in Jakarta

2012-03-14T01:36:00.000+07:00

Santika Premiere Jakarta | This hotel is definitely more than able to give you the best. Santika Hotel is one of the most successful hotel owned by Kompas Group. On the last Indonesia Tourism Award, Santika Premiere Jakarta achieved the best 4-star hotel award.

As the winner of 5 star hotel category, we have Mulia Senayan Jakarta, and In the meantime, Mulia Senayan Jakarta as the Best 5-star hotel, and the Aroma’s Kuta as the best 3-star hotel. Bandar Jakarta Restaurant won the Best Restaurant award. While Plaza Senayan got the most favorite mall award. The Paris Van Java mall is the best mall outside Jakarta.

Garuda Indonesia got the Favorite Full Service Flight award. As the most favorite economic flight service, we got Sriwijaya Air. What about the best travel agent? Panorama Tour is the winner.

Some categories that have been surveyed in the Indonesia Tourism Award are including best supporting tourism industry that is divided into sub-sectors categories, such as star hotels, airlines, travel agents, taxis, restaurants, golf, spa, and shopping malls. In addition, there are also awards for the best county / city in travel services, favorite tourist destination, and favorite tourist attraction. There is also an award for the most supporting provincial government for tourism development.

SWA magazine acts as an organizer of the survey. The survey was conducted in 25 cities. The cities were selected from a list of cities in Indonesia with biggest income from tourism industry in the area.

Santika Premiere Jakarta

In addition to the survey, also conducted FGDs (focus group discussion). There were about 60-90 tourists that have been interviewed in each cities.

The 25 cities include Pacific Islands, Batam, Badung, Jakarta, Bogor, Cirebon, Denpasar, Jakarta, Malang, Makassar, Manado, Padang, Palembang, Pekanbaru, Tanah Toraja, West Lombok, Raja Ampat, Sawahlunto, Surakarta, Yogyakarta, Surabaya, Semanrang, South Jakarta, Samarinda, and Medan.

The survey of 1,500 travelers conducted consisting of 1350 domestic tourists and 150 foreign tourists. Also included 100 respondents from professionals and executives. Some aspects that are considered as the criteria includes hygiene, travel information, reasonableness of costs, promotion, the diversity of objects, security, the uniqueness of the object, and hospitality. Visit Santika Premiere Jakarta Website for more information. source: Kompas

Ubud: The Next Icon Of Bali

2012-03-02T14:03:00.000+07:00

Bali is not only Kuta and other beautiful beaches. However, Bali has other charms, which is a strong culture. One of them is Ubud which has offered cultural attractions for tourists since a long time ago. Ubud will become the next icon of Bali. This is a statement of the Chairman of Ubud Hotels Association, Heri Sumawan.

Heri said Ubud is the flagship product of cultural tourism. In contrast to the tourism which brings modernity, he said, cultural tourism is not going to change, but is deeply entrenched in local society.

The same thing is expressed also by Tjokorda Oka Artha Sukawati Ardhana. He said that the context of the Bali tourism is cultural tourism.

"Ubud is the center of Balinese culture. I dare say that the cultural center of Ubud Bali as we see from the history and civilization of Bali, Ubud sudat recorded since the 9th century," said Tjokorda.

He added Ubud area has developed into tourism since 1930. At that time, the people of Europe promoted Ubud to the world through art displays and cultural life of the people of Ubud. That is to say, the beginning of the Bali tourism promotion was originally through cultural tourism.

Ubud Hotels Association itself is an association of hotels, resorts and villas in Ubud tourist area. This association was formed in 2004 by the number of members of the 46 hotels and resorts.

The primary mission of Ubud Hotels Association is to voice as one tourist destination in Bali in a container. Arts and culture as the main focus of excellence destinations Ubud.

More recently, Ubud was named the best city in Asia by Conde Nast Traveller readers preferred version 2009. Ubud is also the more famous after a background where shooting film "Eat, Pray and Love" in 2010. source: Kompas

Is is Expensive To Visit Ubud?

2012-03-01T13:50:00.000+07:00

Is it really expensive to visit Ubud? Many are thinking that visiting Ubud is expensive. At least, that assumption is often heard from domestic tourists when they hear the Ubud as a tourist destination. However, is that assumption true?

"Indeed, if you want to compare it to Kuta or Legian, Ubud is a little more expensive. But it was very different. People come to Ubud to find peace," said Ketut Sumartono of Ubud Hotels Association (UHA).

However, he added, if you want to compare Ubud Nusa Dua resort area, then Ubud accommodation is much cheaper. Ubud gives you many choices of accommodation ranging from hotels, resorts, villas, houses to rent and homestay. This makes Ubud also interesting for visitors with low budget in their pocket.

There is a hotel with Hotel in Ubud that will cost you $500 thousand per night, but that’s for the starry one. In Ubud, hotel rates are stable, not too much fluctuation, because the competition is not as tight as in Kuta.

According to Ketut, domestic tourists have started to choose Ubud as a tourist destination in Bali. Especially for domestic tourists from Jakarta and Surabaya who used to come to Bali and want to avoid crowds.

“They went to Ubud to feel calm. People we usually are lively joy. So, if young children are still rare to Ubud. But a more mature age and economic well-established, begin to choose Ubud. Also the family has begun to select in Ubud," he explained .

While for the group, he admits, Ubud is still somewhat difficult to receive tourists in large quantities. Therefore, the hotels in Ubud does not provide a lot of room (over 100 rooms) per hotel. So, if there are large entourage to stay in Ubud, the group should be broken up and dispersed to several hotels.

"This does not mean not enough accommodation in Ubud. Very much room is available in Ubud. But scattered in many hotels. Every hotel in Ubud just have a little room," said Ketut.
Only, he continued, Ubud does have the feel calm and peaceful in contrast to the hustle of Kuta and Legian. Therefore, Ketut said, Ubud is suitable for tourists who want to avoid the uproar style nightlife of Kuta and Legian. Alternatively, suitable also for tourists who want solitude and contemplation, like Elizabeth in the Hollywood film "Eat, Pray, Love".

The film stars Julia Roberts and retrieve background Ubud as a shooting location. Not surprisingly, Ubud has also been named as the best city in Asia by Conde Nast Traveller readers preferred version 2009.

To further introduced to domestic travelers Ubud, Ubud Hotels Association (UHA) held a "Table Top Ubud Domestic Agent" which brought together a travel agency based in Jakarta and Surabaya with hotels that are members of UHA.

UHA itself an association of hotels, resorts and villas in Ubud tourist area. This association was formed in 2004 by the number of members of the 46 hotels and resorts.

900 Companies in Malang Not Manage Their Waste

2012-01-14T01:47:00.000+07:00

At least, there are 900 (large and small) companies that operate in Malang, East Java, do not manage their waste properly. Although those companies are threatened with sanctions imposed by the Environment Agency (BLH). The Head of Malang Regency, Cholis Bidajati, acknowledged, that from 1,300 companies in the area, about 900 dump their industrial waste into the river.

"The results of verification that we do in the field, about 900 companies dump their waste into rivers or other places without doing any proper management process," he said. In rainy season, he said, it is easy to see that the water has been mixed with waste.

Moreover, Cholis explained that most of the companies which do not properly managing their waste do not have Environmental Monitoring (IPL) and Environmental Management Effort (UKL). That means these companies do not take care of the document management wastewater or environmental impact assessment (EIA) that will be applied in the near future.

The application of EIA, he added, will be in the form of a written warning. The observation has been done so the companies which dispose their waste in any place, especially the rivers, will take the sanction. "Starting this year we started to apply this policy by providing a written warning and further sanctions in accordance with Law Number 32 Year 2009 about protection and management of the Environment," he said.

Cara Bakar Sampah Video

Makassar Trans Studio World Theme Park, South Sulawesi, Indonesia

2012-01-03T22:02:00.000+07:00

The Makassar Trans Studio World Theme Park is actually the biggest indoor theme park in the world. Your question is maybe why this indoor theme park is built in Makassar? As we know that Makassar is not that big compared to cities in Java. Well, her is the answer: it marks the country's attempt to spread its growth across thus huge archipelago. Indonesia is not only Java, Jakarta, or Bali. Hehe…

Today, Makassar is the largest city in eastern Indonesia. It has been a long time for this city to serve as the eastern gateway to the eastern part of Indonesia.

Trans Studio Resort is the area of integrated tourism in Makassar, Indonesia. This theme park was built of 12,7 hectares with investment of more than IDR 1 trillion. Equipped with many facilities in the shopping center which includes the Trans Walk and Rodeo Drive, and Studio Trans, Trans Hotel, and the office of Bank Mega. Trans Studio building is built around 22,000 m² with 20 meters high which is the largest indoor amusement park in and the biggest indoor theme park in Asia at this time.

Trans Studio World Theme Park has adopted the concept of Universal Studios in the United States. Contain spaces simulation program several television station, Trans TV, or events in Indonesia. The concept of a theme park in the Trans Studio World will provide the experience it self. Some of them are the Tsunami and earthquake, Magic Corner, Lost City, Terror Twister, Water Coaster, Magic Museum and many more.

In addition to theme park, several other facilities that are built hotels, supermarkets, recreational beach arena, office facilities, and cafes. Some project will be completed in 2009 and the whole project completed in around 2012.

The Trans Studio entrance is 100,000 rupiah (about US$10) and this includes the cost of the plastic card and 90,000 rupiah worth of "free" rides. There are 15 rides which are included in this kind of fare. Probably half of these are children's rides. Then there are 5 or 6 rides which cost 25,000 rupiah (about US$2.50) which must be paid for separately. Inside there are also shops with fun souvenirs and a few places to eat. The food is mostly Indonesian, though there is a fried chicken place, Baskin Robbins, a coffee place with light snacks and sandwiches, and other items like popcorn and cotton candy are available. To buy all of these things inside of the park one must "top-up" the card. No cash or credit card is accepted for payment at anything in the park, though they can be used to top-up the card (this way if you have anything left on the card you simply forge it -- if you leave the park you have to buy a whole new entrance card for IDR.90,000 rupiah in order to enter again). In order to pay by credit card there is a 250,000 rupiah (about US$25) minimum. So all it is just fun and its ideal for children.

Inside the building there was Trans Studio Mall and it was completed on Aug 2010, so the visitor not only can ride the game inside Trans studio but now they can take a time to shopping.

Locations.
Trans Studio World Theme Park Makassar located in the Regions and the Global Tourism Business Tanjung Bunga, Makassar, South Sulawesi. Only about five kilometers from the City Center of Makassar.

Access
Trans Studio World Theme Park Makassar can be accessed with the city transportation, taxi, or Trans Studio Shuttle Bus.

Investment.
The Investment value of this project comes from 2 (two) big Company, its the Para Group of 55% owned and 45% owned by Kalla Group.

read Indonesia Theme Park list

source: Makassar News Travel

Corruption in Malang: Educational Institutions Are The Champion of All 2011

2011-12-15T02:12:00.000+07:00

Not only at the national level corruption is still a hot issue. In the districts / cities, corruption is still a big issue. As is the case in Malang (Malang, Malang Regency, and Batu). Cases of corruption that occurred in the area of Malang is still dominated the field of education, with a total of 35 reports of alleged corruption cases, and potentially cost the state about USD 4 billion.

The size of that figure, revealed in the annual activity reports submitted by Malang Corruption Watch (MCW) with Malang Education Coalition of Concerned Citizens (KMPPM), Saturday (10/12).

The Coordinator of MCW, Didit Muhammad Sholeh said, the total complaints of corruption presented in 2011 reached 44 cases, 35 cases including educational issues, and the remaining non-educational issues that include politics, Regionally Owned Enterprises, transportation, and social.

Didit added, in the education sector, total complaints reached 35 cases, and each case potentially cost the state up to Rp. 125 million, so that when totalized reached USD 4 billion more.

"This form of corruption in education is often reported to the public include extortion, the sale of Student Worksheet (LKS), textbooks, uniforms, buildings, making the trellis, the construction of mosques, charitable contributions and tuition fees," explains Didit.

These findings, he explained, according to the results of critical analysis conducted MCW and KMPPM, extortion and other forms of corruption there are 25 types, ranging from school enrollment fee, tuition fees, OSIS money, extra money, money and re-registration exam.

In addition, Didit admits, there is also a form of travel money, book money, community currencies, graduation and ask students to bring a cake and food when the next grade, and the existence of compulsory dues to buy a souvenir.

In the non-education sector, Didit explained, including a case of political corruption and potentially cost the state up to Rp398 million, 3 cases with community social state losses of Rp.11 billion, the transportation sector a case with potential state losses of Rp. 700 million.

With the unfolding of a number of data corruption in the region of Malang Raya, MCW plans to report to the Malang District Attorney (Kejari), so that could be followed up and revealed.

"In the near future we will report to the prosecutor, so that the data we have found can be quickly followed up," added Didit.

Technorati Tags: Malang,Indonesia

Kota Baru Malang Train Schedules

2011-12-10T01:04:00.000+07:00

Jadwal Kereta Kota Baru Malang Train Station | Looking for train schedules of Kota Baru Malang Train Station? As the second largest city in East Java, you can go to any big cities in Java by train from Malang. Here is the complete schedule:

NO KA	NAMA KA	RELASI	DARI		TUJUAN		TARIF
TUJUAN JAKARTA			STASIUN	JAM	STASIUN	JAM	EXECUTIVE	BISNIS	EKONOMI
31	GAJAYANA	MALANG - GAMBIR	MALANG	16.30	GAMBIR	07.10	270,000	-	-
32	GAJAYANA	GAMBIR - MALANG	GAMBIR	17.30	MALANG	08.59	270,000	-	-
141	MATARMAJA	MALANG - PASARSENEN	MALANG	15.00	PASARSENEN	09.01	-	-	51,000
142	MATARMAJA	PASARSENEN - MALANG	PASARSENEN	14.00	MALANG	07.41	-	-	51,000
TUJUAN BANDUNG
7061	MALABAR	MALANG - BANDUNG	MALANG	15.30	BANDUNG	08.37	220,000	150,000	90,000
7062	MALABAR	BANDUNG - MALANG	BANDUNG	15.30	MALANG	08.11	220,000	150,000	90,000
TUJUAN BANYUWANGI
179	TAWANGALUN	BANYUWANGI - MALANG	BANYUWANGI	05.00	MALANG	12.42	-	-	18,500
180	TAWANGALUN	MALANG - BANYUWANGI	MALANG	14.30	BANYUWANGI	21.47	-	-	18,500
TUJUAN SURABAYA
974	TUMAPEL	MALANG - SURABAYA KOTA	MALANG	04.25	SURABAYA	07.11	-	-	4,000
976	PENATARAN	MALANG - SURABAYA KOTA	MALANG	07.07	SURABAYA	09.57	-	-	4,500
978	PENATARAN	MALANG - SURABAYA KOTA	MALANG	10.00	SURABAYA	13.12	-	-	4,500
980	PENATARAN	MALANG - SURABAYA KOTA	MALANG	12.31	SURABAYA	16.05	-	-	4,500
982	PENATARAN	MALANG - SURABAYA GUBENG	MALANG	15.05	SURABAYA GUBENG	18.30	-	-	4,500
984	PENATARAN	MALANG - SURABAYA KOTA	MALANG	18.46	SURABAYA	20.50	-	-	4,500
TUJUAN BLITAR - KEDIRI - KERTOSONO
973	PENATARAN	MALANG - BLITAR	MALANG	04.40	BLITAR	06.59	-	-	4,000
975	PENATARAN	MALANG - BLITAR - KERTOSONO	MALANG	07.30	BLITAR	09.55	-	-	4,000
977	PENATARAN	MALANG - BLITAR - KERTOSONO	MALANG	10.25	BLITAR	12.40	-	-	4,000
979	PENATARAN	MALANG - BLITAR - KERTOSONO	MALANG	13.45	BLITAR	16.12	-	-	4,000
983	PENATARAN	MALANG - BLITAR	MALANG	19.11	BLITAR	21.33	-	-	4,000
TUJUAN MALANG
981	PENATARAN	SURABAYA KOTA - MALANG	SURABAYA	15.10	MALANG	17.50	-	-	4,000
985	PENATARAN	SURABAYA GUBENG - MALANG	SURABAYA	18.25	MALANG	21.05	-	-	4,000

tags: Jadwal Kereta, Malang – Gambir, Malang – Pasar Senen, Malang – Bandung, Malang – Banyuwangi, Malang – Surabaya, Malang – Blitar, Malang – Kertosono, Stasiun Kota Baru, Stasiun Gubeng, Stasiun Surabaya Kota, KA Gajayana, KA Matarmaja, KA Malabar, KA Penataran, KA Tumapel, KA Tawangalun

for further information you can call Stasiun Kota Baru Call Service at 0341-362208

Technorati Tags: Malang,Indonesia

Apartment in Malang: Menara Soekarno Hatta

2011-10-10T10:36:00.001+07:00

Need an apartment in Malang? Apartment is a smarter choice when you plan to stay in a long time. Staying in a hotel becomes too pricey. Although hotels in Indonesia are considered cheaper than in other countries, but still, the expense won't be able to beat what apartment offers. Malang also has many great hotels.
If you do want to have an apartment in Malang, Menara Soekarno Hatta is now your only choice. Although there has already some publicized plans of other apartments, but for now Menara Soekarno Hatta is still the one.
This Malang’s first apartment has 15 floors and 725 units. Along with those units, Menara Soekarno Hatta Apartment is also equipped itself with swimming pool, food court, fitness center, mini market, 7 ruko’s, and parking lots.

Menara Soekarno Hatta

This apartment is located in a very strategic spot. It is on the west side of Jalan Soukarno Hatta. It is just 100 meters away from the gate of Brawijaya University. Soekarno Hatta is one of the most important street in Malang, so you don’t have to worry to get any services here, from banks to restaurants, you can find them easily.

Where To Surf in Indonesia? Tanjung Setia Beach, The Surfer’s Paradise

2011-09-20T23:46:00.000+07:00

Indonesia is known with its beautiful beaches. The beaches are not only beautiful but also great for surfers. Some Indonesia’s beaches have already known among surfers. Today, I’d like to post about Tanjung Setia beach. Haven’t heard about it?

Tanjung Setia Beach is located in Desa Tanjung Setia, Kecamatan Pesisir Selatan, Kabupaten Lampung Barat, Lampung province, Indonesia. It is about 52 km from Liwa, the capital of Lampung Barat. You can go there from Bandar Lampung. Well, it is not a short trip, as you have to go for 273 km. You can easily find it, as the beach is not far from the main road.

Tanjung Setia beach has already known by surfers from US, UK, and other European surfers. They got the information about this beach from former visitors and also websites made by surfers. Those surfers are usually stay for a week or two weeks here.

What can you do in Tanjung Setia?

Well, if you are a surfer, of course you come to Tanjung Setia to surf. On a certain months, there are so many surfers here. What about the other? There are many things you can do here, like diving, swimming, enjoying the sands, camping, and don’t forget, Tanjung Setia has a very beautiful sunset.

Do you know that Tanjung Setia beach is the third best beach in the world?

On May to June, you can surf on 7 meters waves here. On the other months you can still be challenged by 4 meters wave.

Technorati Tags: surfing

Hotel Atlet Century Park: First Indonesian Non-Smoking Hotel

2011-08-14T06:35:00.000+07:00

It is not so common to find a non-smoking hotel, especially in Indonesia. Hotel Atlet Century Park, Jakarta, declared itself as a non-smoking hotel. According to its General Manager, Bilal Chamsine, this makes Atlet Century Park became the first smoke-free hotel in Jakarta.

"We became the first hotel in Jakarta, which became nonsmoking hotel. I know that smokers do not like this, but we love it," he said in Kridangga Ballroom.

In addition to this announcement, Bilal also explained the change of name and logo of the hotel. Hotel Atlet Century Park changed the name to remove the word "Athletes" and the Century Park Hotel. Substitution has been made since June 2011.

"Previously, this hotel was known that it was only for athletes, but it is not. So, we changed the name and logo," said Bilal. However, in areas of the hotel building still uses the old name.

Century Park Hotel, Jakarta, is also celebrating the success of 100 percent occupancy in July that occurred yesterday. It has occurred for the fifth time.

Malang Tempo Doeloe VI 2011

2011-05-16T09:22:00.000+07:00

Malang Tempo Doeloe VI 2011 is going to be held on this May 19-22, 2011. The Inggil Foundation is still managing this greatest annual cultural event this year. Despite of the cracks in the Dewan Kesenian Malang (The Malang’s Arts Council) recently.

This year the Malang Tempo Doeloe VI taking “Discovery Heritage” as the theme. It offers an opportunity to know more about the richness of Malang’s cultural heritages. There are some activities that you can join during the festival, such as cultural tour, study group, workshop, arts performance, and traditional markets where you can find many traditional food and crafts. They are all offered to make visitors come closer to Malang’s culture, people, history, and arts that live harmoniously in Malang.

Malioboro Yogyakarta, is Still The Most Favorable Spot to Visit in Yogyakarta

2011-05-01T15:46:00.000+07:00

Malioboro street in Yogyakarta is still considered as the most favorable place to visit in Yogyakarta.

Malioboro is so famous as the place in Yogyakarta where you can buy cheap gifts from Yogyakarta. But that is only one reason why people love to go to Malioboro. There are other things that make Malioboro so interesting to visitors. Here you can see the Office of Daerah Istimewa Yogyakarta’s Government, Benteng Vredeburg Museum, and the Gedung Agung.

On every holidays and week ends, Malioboro is crowded with people from other cities who love to spend their free time in Yogyakarta. They feel like they are not yet visiting Yogyakarta when they haven’t visit Malioboro.

It is so easy to get to Malioboro. It is located at the center of the city, that’s why you can get there from almost every place in Yogyakarta with ease. There are many city transportation vehicles to choose. Beside that you can find the Tourism Information Center to give you information and direction to go to every tourism objects you would like to visit in the area.

Malioboro is a legend. Now it depends on the local businessmen and the tourism agents to develop and make Malioboro better by giving their best services.

photo: KOMPAS/FERGANATA INDRA RIATMOKO

Saparua: The Maluku Travel Favorite

2011-03-22T08:08:00.001+07:00

After ten years of conflict in Maluku, the tourism sector in Saparua, Central Maluku, Maluku, slowly evolves to something greater than before. The small island covering an area of 247 square kilometers is not only offering natural charm, but also traces of historical arrival of Europeans in the archipelago.

Saparua, which is about 50 miles from Ambon, the capital of Maluku, can be reached by speedboat for just an hour from Tulehu, a port in Central Maluku, Ambon Island.

Saparua has a population of 36,698 local inhabitant. Along with two other islands nearby Haruku and Nusa Laut, Moluccas tour had been a favorite, before the riots in 1999.

Chairman of the Maluku Travel Agents Association, Tony Tomasoa, said that before 1999, Saparua competed with Banda Saparua island - other tourist icons in the spice islands of Maluku as tourism destinations. Two of these sites have always been a reference for tourists who spend their vacation in the Moluccas.

Saparua, surrounded by the Banda Sea, offers beauty through beaches. Ranging from white sandy beaches, such as beach next to Fort Duurstede and Kulur, up to a beach full of rocks, the Tanjung Ouw.

The beautiful Tanjung Ouw even immortalized through song called "Tanjung Ouw" by the Indonesian famous singer Bob Tutupoly.

Tourists usually spend time in Tanjung Ouw to relax by enjoying the beauty of a long reef or swimming in the crystal clear sea. It feels good stretching out under a palm tree when the wind blows.

Not far from Tanjung Ouw, we can see the skill of Oya Pelupessy (72) to process the clay into sempeh or pottery. "Tourists love to see the making of sempeh. Some of them also eager to try making it them self. , "said Oya. The Guest book he has indicated the number of tourists from the Netherlands, Britain and Switzerland who visited this great Indonesian tourism destination.

Saparua is not only beautiful on its land, it’s submarine also has a dazzling charm. According to the manager of Village Lodge in Mahu Mahu, Paul Tomasoa, there are at least six points that are so popular among the tourists as diving sites. For example, Tawaka, Molana Island, and around Nusa Laut. "Coral reefs rise. In addition, various types of fish can be found there. It is not difficult to find fish that are marching in storey formation, " he said.

Saparua Heritage

Saparua is also full of historical heritages. Duurstede Fort, this Dutch fort was built in 1676, is one of them. The fortress is on a hill, about 20 feet high, and is still standing strong. Kapitan Pattimura or Thomas Matulessy expelled the Dutch colonialists from the fort on dated May 16, 1817.

From the top of the fort, visitors can see almost the entire island up to the Saparua’s sea in the east of Saparua. No wonder, that the fort is "hunted" by foreign tourists.

In a house that was once occupied by Pattimura, in the land of Haria, visitors can see relics of the padrone. In the buildings that are still inhabited by Matulessy’s family, you can find framed woven pants, woven sash, and red headband, which had imposed Pattimura while struggling against the Dutch. A number of documents about the struggle Pattimura. According to the family, all of these documents were obtained from the Netherlands.

The sub district officer of Saparua, Ferry Siahaya, said, it needs about five years for Saparua to improve its tourism potential. "The average foreign tourist arrivals in Saparua is about 20 people every month. In December, the number could rise into around 50 people," he said.

Mostly they come from Netherlands, especially those that still have a kinship with the people in Saparua. "Some are coming from Britain, France, Switzerland and the United States," said Ferry.

"Tourists from Netherland usually come with their family in December. Christmas is a moment to gather with family overseas, including those in the Netherlands."

However, in December 2010 the new Itawaka Affairs held a Christmas celebration worldwide. At that time, there were 30 tourists from Netherland join the celebration.

The increasing number of tourists could be because now the access to Saparua is much more easier from Ambon Saparua. There are speed boats with a capacity of 200 passengers to encourage tourists to come to Saparua. Those ships has been operating since last year on twice a day schedule from Ambon.

In addition, there are also direct flights from Amsterdam, the Netherlands, to Ambon, via Jakarta, Garuda Indonesia has been making it possible since the meddle of last year.

No need to wonder if some new inns are now popping up there. Two of five inns that had ceased operations due to the riots, are now also operating again. "There will be two more lodgings in the near future," said Ferry.

Paul Tomasoa is optimistic, that Saparua tourism will recover very soon, as it was before the riots of 1999. However, he warned, the recovery of tourism itself which is now felt should be followed by improvement of human resources and additional support facilities for tourists.

"Without improvement, conducting a vigorous campaign could be a boomerang, because there are conditions in Saparua that are not the same as those which are being promoted," said Paul again.

Robbie Pickering (30), a British tourist who was traveling in Saparua, said something similar. "Places like Saparua much sought-after European tourists at this time. Because, there is winter, while in Saparua the air is hotter and you can see the sun every day. But, with the lack of facilities, tourists can find another place that has better facilities," he said. The Maluku Travel.

Picture Credit: kompas

Malang – Denpasar Cheap Flight From Wings Air

2011-03-19T09:53:00.001+07:00

Wings Air began operating the new route today from Malang - Denpasar, pp every day with the flight number IW 1841, departs from Abdul Rahman Saleh Malang Airport at 14:25 pm. While the flight number IW 1840 departs from Denpasar Ngurah Rai Airport at 14.00 pm.
In February 2011, Wings Air has been carrying out orders for purchasing 15 ATR 72 - 500 series units. Between Wings Air and the ATR (Avions de Transport Regional). Thus, Wings Air will operate 30 planes.
Wings Air started operating ATR 72 series 500 with 72 seats in Indonesia in January 2010 and until February 2011 had been received and operates 10 planes. Expected five more planes will gradually be received until August 2011.
With the addition of a new fleet, Wings Air wants to improve its services, especially the comfort and security of the flight, as well as developing markets and increasing revenue to the airline to grow in line with the development of Lion Air.
Achmad Hasan - Wings Air CEO - says that this new route from Malang to Denpasar is to facilitate traveler and tourists to travel to all parts of Indonesia, including to Malaysia, Singapore and Jeddah. "Of course, by utilizing the Lion Air flight from Denpasar and well in other cities and so on," he said.
It will also make easier for the Indonesian and tourists from neighboring countries to come to Malang because the network between Wings Air and Lion Air has reached all areas of the archipelago.
Hasan continued, Malang - Denpasar flight tariffs are still on promotions time, ranging from Rp 300,000. Although in this first flight it only had 30 percent passengers, this is a good start. Hasan is so optimistic that this flight will encourage tourism businesses in both cities. Because Denpasar is more well known compared to Malang. Now, Aremania (a call to the citizen of Malang) do not need to go to Juanda Airport when they wnat to fly to Denpasar. Apart from tourism, the increasing mobility of society, is expected to increase the growth of economic and social sectors in both cities.

10 Beautiful Places To Visit in West Nusa Tenggara

2011-03-16T09:51:00.000+07:00

I bet you know Bali very well. What about West Nusa Tenggara? Do you know there are many places you can visit? Well, some Indonesian Travel Agents include one or two days spent in Lombok in their Bali travel package. Some tourism destinations have been well known among domestic and foreign tourists. But, in general, those tourists only know the Senggigi beach, and those three Gilis – Gili Trawangan, Meno, and Air (Water).

But of course, West Nusa Tenggara has many other places to visit. There are 10 beautiful places to visit. The West Nusa Tenggara local government commits to do whatever it takes to develop those great tourism spots.

Here they are:

Mataram Metro. This spot is developed to be the central of culinary and cultural tourism spot in Mataram.
Senggigi Beach and the three Gilis (Gili Trawangan, Meno, and Air). The local government wants to develop these spots as MICE Center (Meeting, Incentive, Convention, Exhibition)
Rinjani National Park.
Tano Corridor, Empang, Gili Kramat, Alas Utan and Agrotamase.
Moyo Island and Saleh bay.
Tambora.
Dompu-Sape corridor.
Sekotong-Kuta corridor on the southern of Lombok.
Mataram-BIL.
Selalu Legini.

Things You Should Never Do On Your Trips

2011-03-15T08:21:00.002+07:00

It is a common thing to make mistakes on our trips. It can happen to anyone, even to a man who calls himself a travelholic. Participants of Fodors discussion forum shared their experiences on what you should and what you shouldn’t on your trips. Things you should prepare before spending money for fun.
Here are things you have to make sure before starting your trips:

Read the exact time and date of your flight before you confirm buying it. Make sure the time and date are exactly like what you are expecting. “I bought a flight ticket to Peru, a trip that I have been expected in my life. I got a good price from Delta, $808 for a two way ticket from Washington. Three days after that I realized that I would be back here on Sunday’s midnight instead of Saturday’s midnight. I contacted Delta, and asked them to reschedule my flight. I had to pay $500 then.” Tips: Sometimes, even if we have checked two or three times, we could still make mistakes. Find a flight that make you possible to ask for rescheduling your trip without having to spend extra money. Those which are also responsive to any request and complaint are also greatly recommended.
Always make sure that you get the seat as you reserve it. If you don’t get it, don’t be angry, try to calm yourself and check your seat number.
Never delay a trip to a place that now having a lower currency rate than yours.
Never deactivate your credit card that you use to pay the tickets. Tips: use one credit card to pay all of tickets, from flights, hotel, to car rent. Make sure you have the print out of all reservations you make, and take a note on which credit card you use to pay.
Pay attention to local weather. Don’t mess your travel with any natural disturbance that actually can be predicted before. Let’s say that you are going to visit Australia, in August, you can’t expect to meet a warm weather there, as it is their winter.
Don’t think that any hotel near the beach is good. When you visit a totally new place, a recommendation from a friend about certain hotels will do you a good thing. Make sure that you are not wasting your money on bad hotel service. Beaches are good, but there are bad hotels also. Tips: find where the hotel really is using Google Maps. At least you got the picture.
Make sure that you’ll have a hotel room to stay during your travel. Don’t just make plans. Something bad can happen.
Never think that the room rates never change. The price you got from the internet can change easily because of some unpredictable causes, like a temporarily local sport events.
Make sure that you have your newest driving license. It is dealing with local rent car service. They can refuse you from renting their car because you show them an outdated driving license.
Always bring the local map with you.

Read another sources:
Incentive : Managing & Marketing Through Motivation
Travel Without the Stress (The 10-Minute Guide to Managing Stress)
Incentive : Managing & Marketing Through Motivation
Traveling with Pomegranates Reprint edition
Recommended gadgets for your trips:

Samsonite Comfort Grip Travel Umbrella
Zadro LEDT01 LED Lighted Travel 1X/10X Makeup Mirror
European Travel Water Heater
Garmin nüvi Accessory Travel Pack
Travelon Hanging Toiletry Kit, Leopard, One Size

UNESCO Rescues Borobudur Temple After Merapi’s Eruption

2011-02-24T10:16:00.000+07:00

Unesco keeps on assisting the Indonesian Ministry of Culture and Tourism in an attempt to rescue Borobudur Temple. The project is titled "Save the World Heritage Sites Borobudur - Emergency Operation to Save the Borobudur temple area of the damage Caused by Eruption of Merapi and the Revitalization of Public Life Through Local Cultural Industry and Tourism World Heritage".

It was stated in a press release signed by the Director of UNESCO in Jakarta, Hubert Gijzen via email. He states that the purpose of this project is to protect the area of Borobudur Temple and to strengthen and promote local community after the eruption of Merapi.

A tree planting activity had been held at Borobudur archaeological park. Hubert Gijzen says it helps rehabilitation Borobudur after the eruption of Merapi by a grant of three million dollars for the cleaning process from the ashes of volcanic on the temple up to the economic recovery of the surrounding community.
"Mr. Hubert Gijzen didn’t say that UNESCO provided $3 million as mentioned by some previous media," according to a press release clarifying that the written statement in several media.

Furthermore, the press release stated that the position of UNESCO is to coordinate the emergency operation to assist in rescuing Borobudur. The Indonesian Ministry of Culture and Tourism is as well as to coordinate and raise funds together with the "Friends of Borobudur". It is through close consultation with the ministry, Indonesian National Commission for Unesco, and PT Taman Wisata Candi Borobudur, Prambanan, and Ratu Boko.

Unesco has received $73 thousand from several partners and further commitments have been made by the international community. But there are still major shortcomings in the budget required. Therefore, UNESCO is still negotiating with other donors and international community.

"So it is clear that we still need contributions from donors for the rehabilitation of the temple and increase local people's lives. To meet the above goals, UNESCO is still trying to coordinate the funds needed," writes the press release.

UNESCO opens the opportunity for anyone who wants to donate in protecting the Borobudur temple via the website www.unesco.org.

Cell Phone Service in Indonesia

2011-02-17T09:10:00.000+07:00

Cell phone service in Indonesia is now much better than some years ago. Now you have many choices to pick up when deciding which cell phone service for you when you are travelling across the country.

Here is the list of Indonesia’s cell phone service provider:

GSM

Telkomsel: Simpati, As, Halo
Indosat: Im3, Mentari, Matrix
Excelcomindo Pratama: XL
Hutchinson: 3
NTS: Axis

CDMA

Telkom Flexi
Mobile 8: Fren
Indosat: StarOne
Smart
AHA

Are you a Blackberry user? Don’t worry, you can still hang around with your BlackBerry in Indonesia. Almost all those providers have agreement with BlackBerry.

Cell Phone Service in Indonesia: History

The first thing you need to know about traveling to Indonesia and looking for cell phone service is the region’s wireless history. Back in 1998, Indonesia was in financial crisis which was the cellular boom for most of the developing world. The local currency in Indonesia, rupiah, fell by more than 90% which left Indonesia’s telecos in financial mayhem and unable to fund expansion. To make matters worse, the government capped call rates which limited the potential earnings of the telecos and eventually culminated in 6 of the 9 cellular carriers failing and foreign investors such as At&t Wireless Services and Notherlands’ KPN bailing out.

By 2001 only 1.7% of Indonesians had cellular phones and today there are 40+ million subscribers which brings up the total to 18%. With new lincenses being offered and some of the old players coming back to life the market is now hot with 42 million cellular subscribers using third generation wireless (3G) thanks to a 2003 license given to Orange cellular network in Thailand.

Presently Excelcomindo Pratama is heavily invested by Verizon Wireless VZW while Telekom Malaysia and China Telecom are bidding for Verizon’s share of the market. The two market leaders are Telkomsel and Indosat which control around 50% of the market thanks to restructured debt and consolidated subsidiaries when creating a national brand.

The biggest aspect to take away from the history of Indonesia cell phone service is that the market is hot with fast data perks found here in the states and essentially all services roam off two major carriers: PT Excelcomindo and PT Indonesian Satellite Corporation.

Cell Phone Service in Indonesia: Cheap Carriers

As we mentioned above you have a choice of two carriers when traveling through Indonesia and looking for solid coverage. The good thing about using cell service in Indonesia is that everything is relatively cheap compared to US standards. It is also worth noting that pre-paid SIM cards are also a viable option in the area, but they will end up using service off one of the two major carriers so why not skip the middle man? Reality Check.com has some interesting details to put the cost of wireless service in Indonesia into perspective for the United States:

To put this in American pesos dollars, a minute of calling to a landline costs less than $0.06 a minute, a minute of mobile calling costs less than $0.09, SMS costs $0.03 within Indonesia, $0.05 outside. The access fee is nearly $0.04. And, of course, these costs are for outbound only calls/SMS, incoming calls/SMS are free as they should be.

Cell Phone Service in Indonesia: Why is it so cheap?

The simple answer here is that US carriers overcharge for most services they offer and the rest of the world (particularly Indonesia) has a much more accurate pricing structure. A good example of this drastic difference is the cost of sending an International text from the US versus sending an International text from Indonesia. If you were using Verizon Wireless and sent an International text message to a friend in Indonesia you would spend $0.25 cents while your friend in Indonesia would only spend $0.05 cents to reply to your message.

Cell Phone Service in Indonesia: What phone should I get?

There are many options when purchasing a phone for International travels to Indonesia, but clearly the most critical piece of information is GSM. You must purchase a GSM phone which supports 900MHz and 1800MHz bands (referred to as a dual-band phone), but the best and easiest option is to purchase a phone that is labeled “quadband”. A quadband device will support all 4 major worldwide GSM bands and give you the most versatility when using your phone in the US or Internationally.

source: cellfanatic

Best Online Hotel Reservation Service

2011-02-06T00:05:00.000+07:00

What is the most crucial problem we are dealing with when we are traveling? The answers may vary, from reserving a hotel, getting the best travel service, finding the best hotel to stay, to finding the best restaurant that suit to our taste. Well, those problems are mostly solved by our self, as the destination is really our decision to make. Is there anything out there that can give us a help to make our trip more comfortable?

Accommodation is always dealing with hotel. Finding the best hotel for us to stay in a foreign country can be frustrating. But now you can use any online hotel reservation service that can give you more options. They will give you the most suitable hotel based on your need. All you need to do is just full filling a kind of sheet and voila! You have the name, address, and of course the room’s rate for that hotel. If you don’t want to take that hotel you can fill the sheet once again. If fulfilling a sheet is not your style, then maybe you’d like to read hotel reviews through well compiled hotel catalogue right there.

Finally, you can book hotel right from that site. There are many online hotel reservation websites. Having the best one right on your finger would be a great advantage. From that website you can set up your trip without spending too much time and money. A good online hotel reservation service will give you almost any information. It will help you to find a hotel’s room, book the hotel’s room, suggest you some great places to visit, and if you are lucky, you’ll have a discount.

Indonesia Has Everything To Develop Its Tourism Industry

2011-02-05T08:01:00.000+07:00

Indonesia has what it takes to to get its tourism industry grow better. Jurgen Nauber – the Coordinator and Consultant of Tourism and Biodiversity Unit of UN’s World Tourism Organization stated. Jurgen said, every time you come to Indonesia, tourists are greeted with a smile, the people are friendly, open, and impressive. According to Jurgen, Indonesia could become an example of a country where people are so openly welcoming guests or tourists. "I find the hospitality, people are friendly, open, and rescue each time to come to Indonesia," he said.

Jurgen has been visiting Indonesia for more than 10 times. Indonesia has the capital to assess potential to be developed in terms of tourism, including natural and cultural diversity. "Currently all countries in various parts of the world, including Asia and Africa, want to advance their tourism sector. Therefore, Indonesia must be competitive," he said.

He argues, Indonesia should be able to perform better and more competitive in order to attract more tourists to visit. "Indonesia should be better. For that reason the design of tourism that will be the value chain and for this we are ready to lead Indonesia," he said.
Indonesian’s Tourism is predicted to be able to have or even exceeding the target that has been set this year, 7.7 million visits. It can be done if Indonesia can build a strong structure of tourism planning as a foundation. Jurgen added, a strong structure is the key to success in building things, including a more advanced world of tourism.

source: Kompas.