Exotic Indonesia

Cukang Taneuh, The Green Canyon

noreply@blogger.com (Do) — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 17:10:00 +0000

Cukang Taneuh or also known as Green Canyon is one of beautiful tourism object in West Java which is located in the Kertayasa village, sub-district Cijulang, Ciamis regency.

The Green Canyon name was popularized by a France tourist in 1993. Actually the original name of this lovely place is Cukang Taneuh, meaning Land Bridge. That's because over the valleys and ravines of Green Canyon there is a bridge of land used by the local farmers to go to their fields and gardens.

This tourism object is the tosca green water of Cijulang river that flows penetrates the cave with fascinating views of stalactites and stalagmites flanked by two hills with rocks and thick trees presenting a unique challenging natural attractions.

At the entrance of the cave lies Palatar waterfall that makes this beautiful place atmosphere feels so fresh. Several adventurous activities can be done here are rock climbing, river diving, swimming, body rafting, and on boat fishing.

To reach this location the visitor can use the boats that plenty available at Ciseureuh pier, both outboard boats and paddle boats. The best time to enjoy the beauty of Green Canyon are a few moments after entering the dry season. During the rainy season, the river flows swiftly and the water color become brownish.

The Exotic Batik Fabrics

noreply@blogger.com (Do) — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 04:56:00 +0000

Batik is a fabric that is traditionally used hand wax-resist dyeing technique. The word batik derived from the word 'ambatik' which translated means 'a cloth with little dots'. Batik can also come from the Javanese word "tritik" which describes a method to resist death, where the patterns are reserved on the textiles by tying and sewing areas prior to dying, even to tie dye techniques.

Javanese traditional batik, especially Yogyakarta and Surakarta, has remarkable meanings rooted in the Javanese conceptualization of the universe. The traditional colors include indigo, dark brown and white. It is linked to the fact that natural dyes are the most commonly available in indigo and brown.

Some of batik patterns can only be worn by the nobility, traditionally more stripes or wavy lines widest range indicated above. Therefore, in the ceremonies of Java, we could determine the royal lineage by a person's cloth.

Although there are thousands of different batik designs, in general, there are two categories of batik design: geometric motifs (which tend to be older models) and free-form designs, which are based on reasonable stylized natural forms or imitations of texture fabric.

Other regions of Indonesia have their own unique patterns which usually takes the themes of everyday life, with motifs like flowers, nature, animals, folklore or humans. The colors in batik Pesisir, coastal cities in the north of Java, is particularly vivid and absorbing the influence of the Javanese, Arabic, Chinese and Dutch cultures.

Bill Gates with Batik shirt

Modern batik, although having strong ties with traditional batik, utilizes linear treatment of leaves, flowers and birds. These batiks tend to be more dependent on the designer's needs rather than rigid rules that have guided the traditional artisans. This is also evident in the use of color that modern designers use. Batik craftsmen no longer rely on traditional (natural) dyes, chemical dyes can produce any color you want to achieve. Modern batik still uses canting and cap to create intricate designs.

Fine quality handmade batik is very expensive and the production of these works is very limited. High couture designs drawn on silk are very popular among wealthy Indonesians. These pieces of exceptional quality can take months to create and costs hundreds of dollars.

The Amazing Wakatobi National Park

noreply@blogger.com (Do) — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 15:40:00 +0000

Wakatobi National Park is a marine national park located at South East Sulawesi province, Indonesia, between the Banda Sea to the north-east and the Flores Sea to the south-west.

The name of Wakatobi is an acronym of the four main islands in this archipelago are Wangi-wangi, Kaledupa, Tomia, and Binongko. Beside those four larger islands it also consists of many small islands such as Tokobao, North Lintea, South Lintea, Kampenaune, Hoga and Tolandono. The highest elevation is 274 metres (899 ft) on Wangi-Wangi, followed by Lagole Hill (271m) on Tomia, Terpadu Hill (222 m) on Binongko and Mount Sampuagiwolo (203 m) on Kaledupa.

Wakatobi National Park has very high marine resource potential, in terms of both species and uniqueness, with enchanting submarine landscapes. In terms of configuration, the marine waters of the park generally start flat and then slope seawards, with sheer precipices in some parts. The water depth varies, the deepest parts reaching 1,044 metres (3,425 ft) with sand and coral at the bottom.

The types of vegetation found in the Wakatobi National Park are mangrove forest, coastal forest, lowland swamp forest, riverbank vegetation, lowland rainforest, mountain rainforest and coral reefs. The Wakatobi Archipelago has 25 groups of coral reefs (the total circumference of the coral islands is 600 km) including fringing reefs, barrier reefs and atolls, which make this beautiful archipelago as one the best Marine Tourism object in the world.

The indigenous people who live around the Park belong to the Bajau tribe. Locals still commonly use spear-fishing. The uniqueness of the islands makes Wakatobi Archipelago as a perfect place for marine tourism activities such as diving, snorkeling, fishing, and swimming. It also a great place for camping and hiking. April to June and October to December is the best time to visit this amazing place.

The Breathtaking Views of Ijen Crater Lake

noreply@blogger.com (Do) — Sun, 10 Jul 2011 03:01:00 +0000

Ijen Crater Tourism Area is situated in the middle area of Kawah Ijen nature reserves that located in sub-district Klobang, Bondowoso regency and Sub-district Licin, Banyuwangi regency, East Java province.

Surrounded by a landscape of lush coffee plantations and dramatic volcanic surrounds, Ijen Plateau is a quiet but active volcano with a stunning natural beauty that draws in visitors from around the world. It is the spectacular turqouise sulphur lake which fills the crater of Ijen which is the main attraction. The magnificent lake is located 2148 meters above sea level and is surrounded by the volcano’s sheer crater walls. At the edge of the lake, smoke billows from the vent of the volcano and the water begins to bubble whenever the volcanic activity increases.

Kawah Ijen (Ijen crater) is the world’s largest highly acidic lake. The vent also produces sulphur so it is the site of a labor intensive sulphur mining operation. Workers climb the crater every day transporting the sulphur by hand. Sulphur collectors are paid by the weight of what they collect and can carry loads of up to 80kg.

To see the stunning lake, visitors are recommended to hike during the dry season between April and October. The starting point for the trek is Pos Paltuding. The 3 km hike is steep and will take around 1½ hours.

The best time to enjoy the crater scenery is at morning, when the yellow sunlight glows the yellow water and shines the surrounding mountain like mount Merapi (not to be confused with Mount Merapi, in Central Java aka Gunung Merapi), the sister of Mount Ijen. Morning haze is creating a tranquility with breathtaking views of the sun emerging over magnificently dramatic scenery. At 2 pm, the crater is closed for the reason that the thick smoke from the crater that is poisonous.

Nearby the volcano there are also coffee plantations, hot springs and waterfalls to explore.

Javanese Gamelan

noreply@blogger.com (Do) — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 01:57:00 +0000

Indonesia is a big country, consisting of many cultures with many musical traditions. The biggest culture, with the most highly refined musical tradition, is that of the Javanese. The island of Bali also supports a distinct classical tradition. The music of other cultures has also been recorded, but I will not be dealing with that, as it has more the character of folk art.

Since many readers are apparently less familiar with the Javanese cultural setting (as opposed to India, China or Iran), I will discuss this background before proceeding to the list of recordings. The language we call Javanese is spoken in the central and eastern parts of the island of Java. The western part is Sundanese (from which there are also a few recordings, not to be discussed). Javanese is a very complicated language, consisting of three distinct vocabularies and grammars to be used with those in superior, equal, or inferior social positions with respect to the speaker. The national language of Indonesia is a modern construction, designed for simplicity and easy use by the wide array of different cultures within its boundaries.

Prior to the European period, Javanese was the dominant culture of the region, at times holding hegemony in parts of the Asian mainland. For instance, in the early-medieval history of what is now Cambodia, a restoration of the traditional monarchy was heralded by the arrival of a prince from Java to take the kingship. During the Mongol era, a large invasion fleet (much larger than that sent to Japan) was sent to Java, only to be soundly thrashed at sea, without a landing. This will give the reader some idea of the Javanese strength, but it should also be noted that this hegemony was generally not expressed through military means (at least insofar as we understand it), but rather as cultural and trading superiority. Of course, this situation was drastically modified by the arrival of the Arab traders.

Indonesia is counted as the most populous Muslim nation in the world, but this is somewhat misleading. Islam is not a "state religion" as it is in many Islamic countries, and there is quite a bit of variety, although the majority of inhabitants do profess Islamic beliefs. Among the larger cultures, North Sumatra is the "most" Muslim; in fact, it was home to a major Islamic University (known, for instance, in China) during the later medieval era. Java is also Islamic, in the sense that the people believe in many of the tenets of Islam and identify themselves as Muslims, but there are also other simultaneous belief systems. Prior to Islam, Java was alternately Hindu and Buddhist (and Bali remains Hindu), and these beliefs continue to be important for Muslim people. There is also an older layer of native religious practice which is still alive and well. Javanese religion is termed "syncretistic" (i.e., combining various influences), and it is generally only our tendency to give priority to the monotheistic religions which yields the Javanese the designation of "Islamic" per se. Of course, the influence of Islam should not be understated either.

The gamelan orchestra, based on metallic percussion with some wooden xylophones and drums, is well-known to many readers. In various forms, it is ubiquitous to Southeast Asia. In Java, the full gamelan also adds a bowed-string instrument (the rebab, a name illustrative of Islamic influence), a bamboo flute (suling) and voices. The rebab is one of the main melodic instruments, together with the bronze xylophone "gender," and is often played by the senior musician to lead the ensemble. Voices consist of male (and sometimes female) choruses called gerong, together with female soloists called pesindhen. However, the voices are not used as "lead" instruments in court gamelan (as opposed to wayang kulit, shadow puppet theater) and blend with or complement the sound. More specifically, the chorus is very much a part of the texture, whereas the soloist has an almost-separate improvisatory role, including the use of notes outside of the mode of the piece. In these abstract pieces, mostly "gendhing" on the current list, the words are largely secondary to the music.

This list of recordings is devoted to court gamelan. There are four royal courts (kratons) in Central Java, two each in Surakarta (Solo) and Yogyakarta. Returning briefly to history... when the Dutch took over the Southeast Asian trade and established themselves in Java (Sunda, actually), their policy was not to destroy the royal court, but to isolate it. In other words, they did everything they could to remove any political influence from the sultans, but allowed the court to remain as a cultural institution (which had always been a large part of its role, perhaps analogous to the Chinese Emperor). Much later, the court (originally in Solo) divided into four, due to philosophical differences (of aesthetic) in the royal house, and with encouragement from the Dutch. The kratons continue to serve as cultural and educational institutions, and house the classical music tradition of Java. Each court has a huge roster of musicians and an extensive collection of historical instruments. Today many of these musicians also have jobs outside their kraton, but this was not true in the recent past. Despite what any of this discussion might imply, the music itself is extremely coherent. It shows no sign of mixed objectives, but is rather a "pure" style. The repertory is vast.

There are two scales in Javanese gamelan music, "slendro" (pentatonic) and "pelog" (heptatonic-pentatonic). Tuning is not standard, rather each gamelan set will have a distinctive tuning. A complete gamelan consists of a pair of sets, one tuned in each of the scales and intended to be played together in many instances. Different gamelan sets have different sonorities, and are used for different pieces of music; many are very old, and used for only one specific piece. Musical forms are defined by the rhythmic cycles. These consist of major cycles subdivided by smaller cycles, each marked by the striking of successively smaller gongs. The melodic interplay takes place within this framework (technically called "colotomic"). There are also distinct melodic modes ("pathet") within the division of scale, three for each of the scales. The modes are defined according to which notes of the scale are emphasized, much like the vadi/samvadi concept in Indian classical music.

Lake Toba, The Largest Volcanic Lake In The World

noreply@blogger.com (Do) — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 06:01:00 +0000

Lake Toba is the largest lake in Indonesia and the largest volcanic lake in the world. The lake is 100 kilometres long and 30 kilometres wide, and 505 metres (1,666 ft) at its deepest point.

Lake Toba located in the middle of the northern part of the Indonesian island of Sumatra with a surface elevation of about 900 metres (2,953 ft). Lake Toba is the site of a supervolcanic eruption that occurred 69,000-77,000 years ago, and which was the most recent super volcano eruption.

Lake Toba has an island in the middle, named Pulau Samosir, was joined to the caldera wall by a narrow isthmus, which was cut through to enable boats to pass; a road bridge crosses the cutting. Samosir island is the cultural centre of Batak tribe who are mostly Christians in the modern days.

There are three megalithic sites on Samosir island bear witness to the glory - and horror - of Batak history. The three consist of 300 year old stone seats and benches arrayed in a circle. The first set of ruins was used as a conference area for Batak kings. At the second site, the king would sit in judgment of a criminal or enemy prisoner. If the accused were found guilty, the assembly would move to the third set, which features the ghastly addition of a central stone execution block.

The Air Panas (hot springs) is on the other side of the island to Tuk-Tuk. The hot springs are not on Samosir Island but it's no need to take a ferry off the island to see them. On the opposite side of the island from where Tuk-Tuk is there is a town called Pangururan. There is a small isthmus that connects the island to the mainland. On the other side of this isthmus the hot springs is located. It takes about 1 hour to ride the local bus to Pangururan from Tuk Tuk or shorter by a motorbike that can hire from the rentals around the island.

Kick back and relax after the frenetic atmosphere of Indonesia. Swim in the volcanically warmed waters of the lake or arrange an overnight 'party' boat out on the lake. A beautiful place to do nothing at all.

The Wonder Komodo Islands, Home of Living Dragon

noreply@blogger.com (Do) — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 04:38:00 +0000

Komodo island lies between the substantially larger neighboring islands Sumbawa to the west and Flores to the east. Administratively, the Komodo Islands belong to Manggarai Barat District, East Nusa Tenggara province.

The Komodo Islands are home to the world`s largest living lizard, locally named as `ora`, Komodo Dragon or Komodo Monitor (Varanus komodoensis) that is found no where else but on the Islands.

Komodo is part of the Lesser Sunda chain of islands and forms part of the Komodo National Park. The park includes three major islands, Komodo, Rinca and Padar, and 26 smaller islands together totaling 603 km² of land. The total size of Komodo National Park is presently 1,817 km². Proposed extensions of 25 km² of land (Banta Island) and 479 km² of marine waters would bring the total surface area up to 2,321 km².

The topography of the Komodo National Park`s islands are generally undulating to mountainous with steep slopes, where the hills are rounded and rocky, often barren and dry resulting in a very hot surroundings with the mean daily temperature of up to 40^oC during the dry season.

As well as being home to the Komodo dragon, the Park provides refuge for many other notable terrestrial species such as the orange-footed scrub fowl, an endemic rat, and the Timor deer. Moreover, the Park includes one of the richest marine environments including coral reefs, mangroves, seagrass beds, seamounts, and semi-enclosed bays. These habitats harbor more than 1,000 species of fish, some 260 species of reef-building coral, and 70 species of sponges. Dugong, sharks, manta rays, at least 14 species of whales, dolphins, and sea turtles also make Komodo National Park their home.

Beside popular with Komodo Dragon Safari, the islands also a popular destination for diving. Scuba diving is popular because of the park's high marine biodiversity.

The Great Borobudur Temple

noreply@blogger.com (Do) — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 13:20:00 +0000

Borobudur temple is one of the greatest Buddhist monuments in the world. Founded by a king of the Saliendra dynasty, it was built to honour the glory of both the Buddha and its founder, a true king Bodhisattva. The name Borobudur is believed to have been derived from the Sanskrit words vihara Buddha uhr, meaning the Buddhist monastery on the hill. Borobudur temple is located in Muntilan, Magelang, and is about 42 km from Yogyakarta city.

Borobudur temple was built in three tiers: a pyramidal base with five concentric square terraces, the trunk of a cone with three circular platforms and, at the top, a monumental stupa. The walls and balustrades are decorated with fine low reliefs, covering a total surface area of 2,500 m². Around the circular platforms are 72 openwork stupas, each containing a statue of the Buddha. The monument was restored with UNESCO's help in the 1970s.

This colossal temple was built between AD 750 and 842: 300 years before Cambodia's Angkor Wat, 400 years before work had begun on the great European cathedrals. Little is known about its early history except that a huge army of workers worked in the tropical heat to shift and carve the 60,000 m3 of stone. At the beginning of the 11th century AD, because of the political situation in Central Java, divine monuments in that area, including the Borobudur Temple became completely neglected and given over to decay. The Sanctuary was exposed to volcanic eruption and other ravages of nature. The temple was not rediscovered until the 19th century. A first restoration campaign, supervised by Theodor van Erp, was undertaken shortly after the turn of the century. A second one was led more recently (1973-1982).

A harmonious marriage of stupas, temple-mountain and the ritual diagram, this temple complex was built on several levels around a hill which forms a natural centre. The first level above the base comprises five square terraces, graduated in size and forming the base of a pyramid. Above this level are three concentric circular platforms crowned by the main stupa. Stairways provide access to this monumental stupa. The base and the balustrades enclosing the square terraces are decorated in reliefs sculpted in the stone. They illustrate the different phases of the soul's progression towards redemption and episodes from the life of Buddha. The circular terraces are decorated with no fewer than 72 openwork stupas each containing a statue of Buddha.

Stylistically the art of Borobudur is a tributary of Indian influences (Gupta and post-Gupta styles). The walls of Borobudur are sculptured in bas-reliefs, extending over a total length of 6 km. It has been hailed as the largest and most complete ensemble of Buddhist reliefs in the world, unsurpassed in artistic merit, each scene an individual masterpiece. The narratives reliefs on the main walls read from the right to left, those on the balustrade from left to right. This was done for the purpose of the Pradaksina, the ritual circumambulation which the pilgrims make moving on the clockwise and keeping the sanctuary to the right.

Karimunjawa Islands, A Virgin Tropical Paradise

noreply@blogger.com (Do) — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 00:03:00 +0000

Karimunjawa Islands are located in the Java Sea approximately 83 km northern Jepara city, Central Java. This tourism object are an archipelago designated as Karimunjawa Marine National Park with land area consist of 7120 hectares with a total of 27 islands, but are inhabited only 5 islands are Karimunjawa island, Kemujan island, Parang island, Nyamuk island and Genting island.

Karimunjawa Islands is an exquisite tropical islands with warm weather, bright sunny blue sky, crystal clear sea water, and breathtaking views.

With only five islands of the archipelago are populated and mostly by local traditional fisherman, this could show how close the islands to the term of "a virgin tropical paradise". The quiet and peaceful surrounding is the perfect hideout for those who wish to escape from the hectic and frustrating high-speed city life.

Karimunjawa Islands are home to coral reefs, mangroves, coastal forests, and nearly 400 species of marine fauna, including 242 species of ornamental fish. Some of the rare fauna that live in here is the sea eagle and white chest, hawksbill and green turtles.

Most of the beaches in Karimunjawa Islands are white sandy beaches. It's a perfect place for leisure to enjoy and relax while swimming, sunbathing, and snorkeling.

G-Land, A World Class Surfer Paradise

noreply@blogger.com (Do) — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 03:50:00 +0000

Located on the south coast of Banyuwangi, East Java, G-Land is a very long, world-class, barreling left hand reef/point break breaks along the east side of Grajagan Bay. It has long been considered one of the world's best left hand waves. The correct name of the point upon which the main wave breaks is Plengkung Beach. The wave becomes shallower and more critical the further down the point one rides the wave. It is one of the most consistently rideable waves in the world in season, with offshore winds and often plentiful swell between the months of, roughly, mid April to mid October.

G-Land was first discovered in 1974 by Bill Boyum. Bill saw the break from the window of a flight he was on to Australia from Vietnam. When you see G-Land from this perspective, it is easy to see why Bill suggested to his brother, Maui surfer Michael Boyum, that he put together an expedition to find this amazing wave.

Soon after the discovery, Bill and his brother Mike Boyum helped set up the first surf camp at G-Land, which was possibly the start of the surf camp concept that has since spread across the globe. Balinese surfer Bobby Radiasa took over the operation in the late 70s and still runs it today. From the days of the original Boyum/Bobby's camp other camps have opened at G-Land offering various standards of accommodation and facilities to suit a range of holiday budgets, with Bobby's Camp the premier camp.

The wind at G-Land blows offshore between the months of April and September, which also happens to be when the swells are at their largest and most consistent. Since the swells are generated by low pressure systems circling Antarctica, their regularity coincides with the passage of these lows. So, the swell arrive in pulses, each lasting for a couple of days, with a couple of days between each swell. Waves tend to be bigger and better at high tide, so it's best to plan a surf trip for the week following a full or new moon, since this is when the tide is high during the middle of the day.

The G-Land surf break has been divided up into several sections. The first, at the top of the point, is called "Kongs," which breaks up to several hundred metres in length, and can hold quite large sizes (from about 2 to 12 feet+, Hawaiian scale). It is not usually a barrel, nor genuinely world-class, but more a series of takeoff zones with some long wall sections, although it can also barrel on occasions. This section picks up a lot of swell, and is rarely less than 3 feet, and can be a saviour when the rest of the point is too small. This wave can sometimes link up with the next section called "Moneytrees." Moneytrees works from about 2 to 10 feet (Hawaiian scale, or about 4 to 20 feet wave faces), usually breaking over several hundred metres, and is a long, testing, barreling, world-class wave. The barrels become more critical the lower the tide and the larger the swell. Moneytrees may also occasionally link up with the next section called "Speedies," with an outside takeoff section between the two called "Launching Pads." "Launching Pads" can catch the surfer offguard, as it can break a significant way out to sea in larger swells. "Speedies" is the heaviest wave at G-Land, but can be a perfect, very round barrel for several hundred metres, rideable from about 2 to 8 feet+ (Hawaiian scale). It usually needs larger swells, and low tide can be very dangerous. Most severe injuries at G-Land have occurred at "Speedies."

The dry season (May to October) is the best time to go. That is when the offshore southeast trade winds blow and the swell, pouring out of the Southern Ocean, is at its biggest and most consistent. In other word, G-Land is definitely a world class surfer paradise.

The Magnificent Raja Ampat Islands

noreply@blogger.com (Do) — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 06:23:00 +0000

Located off the northwest tip of Bird's Head Peninsula on the island of New Guinea, in Indonesia's West Papua province, Raja Ampat, or the Four Kings, is an archipelago comprising over 1,500 small islands, cays and shoals surrounding the four main islands of Misool, Salawati, Batanta and Waigeo, and the smaller island of Kofiau.

The name of Raja Ampat based on the legend. This area had begun with 6 eggs that found by King Waikew in Waigeo Island. But from the 6 eggs, just 5 eggs had crack. The last was become an egg stone till now on.

From the fifth eggs that had cracked, the 4 eggs was become men who become King of four big islands that is Waigeo, Batanta, Salawati and Misool. While the one egg became a woman, had wash away and stranded in Biak Island. That woman was born a child named Gura Besi that known as the historical man of Raja Ampat, because of his heroic story.

Raja Ampat Islands encompasses more than 40,000 km² of land and sea, which also contains Cenderawasih Bay, the largest marine national park in Indonesia. It is a part of the newly named West Papua (province) of Indonesia which was formerly Irian Jaya. The islands are the most northern pieces of land in the Australian continent.

According to Conservation International, marine surveys suggest that the marine life diversity in the Raja Ampat area is the highest recorded on Earth. Diversity is considerably greater than any other area sampled in the Coral Triangle composed of Indonesia, Philippines and Papua New Guinea. The Coral Triangle is the heart of the world's coral reef biodiversity, making Raja Ampat quite possibly the richest coral reef ecosystems in the world

The area's massive coral colonies along with relatively high sea surface temperatures, also suggest that its reefs may be relatively resistant to threats like coral bleaching and coral disease, which now jeopardize the survival of other coral ecosystems around the world. The Raja Ampat islands are remote and relatively undisturbed by humans.

The high marine diversity in Raja Ampat is strongly influenced by its position between the Indian and Pacific Oceans, as coral and fish larvae are more easily shared between the two oceans. Raja Ampat's coral diversity, resilience, and role as a source for larval dispersal make it a global priority for marine protection. 1,309 fish species, 537 coral species (a remarkable 96% of all scleractinia recorded from Indonesia are likely to occur in these islands), and 699 mollusk species, the variety of marine life is staggering. Some areas boast enormous schools of fish and regular sightings of sharks, such as wobbegongs.

The Bunaken Marine National Park

noreply@blogger.com (Do) — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 05:49:00 +0000

The Bunaken Marine National Park was formally established in 1991 and is among the first of Indonesia's growing system of marine parks. The park covers a total surface area of 89,065 hectares, 97% of which is overlain by sparkling clear, warm tropical water. The remaining 3% of the park is terrestrial, including the five islands of Bunaken, Manado Tua, Mantehage, Nain and Siladen. Although each of these islands has a special character, it is the aquatic ecosystem that attracts most naturalists.

The waters of Bunaken Marine Park are extremely deep (1566 m in Manado Bay), clear (up to 35-40 m visibility), refreshing in temperature (27-29 C) and harbor some of the highest levels of biodiversity in the world. Pick any of group of interest - corals, fish, echinoderms or sponges - and the number of families, genera or species is bound to be astonishingly high. For example, 7 of the 8 species of giant clams that occur in the world, occur in Bunaken. The park has around 70 genera of corals; compare this to a mere 10 in Hawaii. Although the exact number of fish species is unknown, it may be slightly higher than in the Philippines, where 2,500 species, or nearly 70% of all fish species known to the Indo-western Pacific, are found.

Oceanic currents may explain, in part, why Bunaken Marine Park is such a treasure trove of biodiversity. North easternly currents generally sweep through the park but abundant counter currents and gyros related to lunar cycles are believed to be a trap for free swimming larvae. This is particularly true on the south side of the crescent-shaped Bunaken Island, lying in the heart of the park. A snorkler or diver in the vicinity of Lekuan or Fukui may spot over 33 species of butterfly fish and numerous types of groupers, damsels, wrasses and gobies. The gobies, smallish fish with bulging eyes and modified fins that allow them to attach to hard surfaces, are the most diverse but least known group of fish in the park.

Biologists believe that the abundance of hard corals is crucial in maintaining the high levels of diversity in the park. Hard corals are the architects of the reefs, without them, numerous marine organisms would be homeless and hungry. Many species of fish are closely associated with particular types of corals (folious, branching, massives, etc.) for shelter and egg-laying. Others, like the enormous Bumphead Parrotfish, Balbometopon muricatum, are "coralivores" and depend on hard corals for their sustenance. Bony mouth parts fused into an impressive "beak" allow these gregarious fish to crunch corals like roasted peanuts.

Some 20,000 people live on the natural resources of Bunaken Marine Park. Although there are inevitable conflicts between resource protection and use by people, the Indonesian government is taking a fairly unusual and pragmatic approach to park management. The idea is to promote wise resource use while preventing overexploitation. Local communities, government officials, dive resort operators, local nature groups, tourist and scientists have played an active role in developing exclusive zones for diving, wood collection, fishing and other forms of utilization. Bunaken Marine Park has become an important example of how Sulawesi, and the rest of Indonesia, can work to protect its natural resources.

Nusa Dua Beach

noreply@blogger.com (Do) — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 04:42:00 +0000

Nusa Dua Beach is located approximately 40 km south of Denpasar, the provincial of Bali, Indonesia.

The place name Nusa Dua can be used in two ways: either it can refer to the entire eastern side of the Bukit Peninsula at the southern tip of Bali, or it can refer to the purpose-built, safe and rather sterile tourist enclave (Kawasan Pariwisata, quite literally Tourism District) at the southeast side of this peninsula.

As well as a host of luxury hotels, Nusa Dua is home to the most popular golf course in Bali and the main convention centre on the island.

The Nusa Dua understandably gets a lot of bad press amongst travelers as it is so artificial and sanitised. That does not change the fact though that the beaches here are glorious - white sand, deep, long and safe for swimming. The public beach at Geger is the best to head to if you are not staying at Nusa Dua. This is also home to one of the best museums in Bali. The fact that it is nearly always empty is testament that most visitors who stay here in the least Balinese part of the island are, not unsurprisingly, rather disinterested in learning much about Bali.

The Nusa Dua enclave has three manned gates and everyone entering is subject to a security search. This can have a slightly claustrophobic effect, and only contributes further to the impression that you are in an artificial location.