Seeking some rest and recreation in the hidden corner of Batam

Bali All TRAVEL-A little peace: Nongsa, on the coast of Batam Island, provides a place to get away from it all for a while, to enjoy comfortable resorts, water activites and restful ocean views. (JP/Simon Marcus Gower)

Let’s start by being brutally honest: At first glance, Batam Island does not really appear a great vacation proposition.

Parts of the island are best described as an eyesore, with highly utilitarian industrial and commercial premises stretching over large swathes of the land.

And let’s be frank about the land itself, too – flat for one thing, with soil – exposed through the island’s numerous excavations – in an unappealing orangey-yellowish color that looks infertile and grubby.

Now we’ve got that out of the way, there is one more thing to add: Better things lie ahead.

As you travel from the island’s Hang Nadim airport to the area known as Nongsa, the industrial and commercial buildings – and that grubby-looking soil – gradually give way to dense thickets of shrubs and low-lying plants.

Keep going. This unkempt shrubbery then gives way to something else – to signs of humanity taming this wilderness and making it into something lovely and fresh. You have arrived at the dreamy vacation area of Nongsa, Nongsa is in the northern coastal region of Batam Island, with attractive inlets and beaches that add up to an idyllic and tranquil setting for some rest and recreation. There are golf courses here for those so interested, but it is much more the coast, the beaches and the resorts along the waterfront that attract visitors.

The resorts at Nongsa range from the pristine and ultramodern to the more traditional and tropical made from timber and bamboo with thatched roofs. Some of the modern architecture is impressive but those who find all that concrete and steel clinical and cold with may prefer the more “traditional” architecture with its natural materials.

Regardless of the style of architecture, the common theme here is the sea and the Strait of Singapore that Nongsa looks out onto. The shores and skyscrapers of Singapore are visible in the distance – no prizes for guessing why Singaporeans account for many of the holidaymakers.

Singapore is but a 45-minute ferry ride away, making it all too easy for those city-dwellers to escape their crowded city-state for the tranquility of Batam’s resort, the ferry dropping them at the very well-constructed and -managed ferry terminal known as Nongsapura.

Thanks to Nongsapura, getting to and from the resorts is easy and comfortable, with ferries setting off at regular intervals to destinations in both Singapore and Malaysia. These speedy ferries deftly negotiate busy waters, weaving around the huge cargo ships and tankers that pass through the strait. Before all that, though, comes the Nongsa River.

The Nongsa River connects the island to the strait. Like much of the rest of Batam Island, it is surrounded by dense vegetation, which lends it a distinctly wild air. Trips upriver to view exotic birds and wild monkeys are possible, although most people find it hard to drag themselves away from the coast.

One of those coastal attractions is Nongsa’s impressive and expansive marina open to private vessels. Otherwise, there are plenty of watery activities to help while away the holidays: fishing, snorkeling, parasailing, water-skiing, jet-skiing and banana boating.

The downside of all these water activities is the water itself – or more particularly the clarity of the water. It is perhaps only to be expected that with this strait being a major marine thoroughfare – dozens of massive ships pass through the Strait and often time clouds of exhaust fumes can be seen belching from their enormous engines – the water is going to be on the murky side of pristine.

The problem of pollution is also evident in the work of the cleaners raking the beaches each morning, burying the less desirable offerings that have been washed up on the shore.

Never mind – there is no need to swim in the sea, as the resorts all have their own swimming pools replete with fountains and waterfalls, and a mix of depths to please everyone from children and the more serious swimmer. Given this, the sea may be better left alone as a backdrop for the resorts.

Otherwise, the environment in Nongsa is generally clean and well kept, creating great benefits for the local wildlife. In the thick lush forests, visitors can see exotic and colorful birds going about their business of foraging and nesting. At night, bats sweep across the sky, gorging themselves on the abundant fruit hanging from the trees.

Nongsa and its resorts may be quite different from the rest of Batam Island, but are created ideally for rest and recreation. The detail in the construction and management of the hotels and resorts means taking a vacation here can be very pleasing and satisfying – regardless of first impressions./TJP

Norway in a nutshell

Aurlandsfjord (JP/Arief Suhardiman)

Bali All Travel-"You're so lucky!" a fellow traveler from Bergen, Norway, told me moments before the train that was to take me and my companion entered the station of Myrdal to start my "Norway in a nutshell" adventure.

"The weather was really bad yesterday. There was a rainstorm so we couldn't go anywhere. But now the sun is shining and the sky so clear," said the woman, pointing at the panorama over the railcar window pane.

Upon hearing that, I couldn't help but smile. Jokingly, I responded to her and her two friends, "Our presence makes the sun shine." My comment set them off laughing. "Yes, yes... now you can see our beautiful landscape. I hope you'll enjoy it. Have a nice trip!" she remarked.

Our chat had to be cut short, as we were rushing for another train that would carry us to Flam, a town famous for its picturesque railway line. Out in the sunny, yet brisk pre-winter day, we sought information about our next train.

After being notified by station officers that the Flam-bound train was departing within 15 minutes, we hurriedly boarded one of the dark green carriages.

Not long after that, the series of coaches began to move ahead. Around a hundred passengers, mostly comprising tourists, were in high spirits despite the fact that some of them, like us, had just done the five-hours train journey from Oslo.

Over the train's loudspeaker, a woman began describing the stunning landscape along the trip from Myrdal to Flam. Sadly, much of what was said was indiscernible among the steady rumble of train engines.

In no more than five minutes, the passengers leapt from their bright red seats to line the carriage windows. All eyes gazed down from the height of 886 meters above sea level, onto a magnificent vista of steep valleys, snowcapped mountains and rocky waterfalls.

Some of the phalanx of amateur photographers opened their windows to get a better picture, without those annoying pane reflections. The clickity-clack of the train's wheels over the tracks created a distinctive ambience adding to my enjoyment of the awe-inspiring natural beauty.

The train slowed several times as we passed particularly gorgeous scenes. It was then, it seemed, that one side of the carriage was standing room only as camera shutters whirred and clicked, forever capturing the remarkable scenery.

Kjosfossen waterfall (JP/Arief Suhardiman)

As the train crept along near the Kjosfossen falls at the height of 93 meters, it was announced that we were allowed to get off and feel the cool spray that rose from the base of the falls as a fine mist, and settled on our faces.

The journey passes through a number of tunnels, and each time the train would burst into the light, revealing amazing views to be relished by the travelers who had been kept in darkened suspense.

After an hour, the 20-kilometer Myrdal - Flam scenic route was over. Once in Flam, we were guided to the conveniently located (adjacent) port and onto a waiting ship to cruise along Norway's famous fjords.

Aurlandsfjord & Naerofjord

Most of the passengers chose the outdoor seats aboard the vessel, Skagastol, to watch the marine panoramas as we cruised through the fjords. Some struggled to secure their best places for the rare spectacle.

The ship soon left Flam for Gudvangen. On its way, this boat was coasting along Aurlandsfjord and Naerofjord, which are the pride of Norwegian people. They constitute a conservation zone and have been on UNESCO's World Heritage List since 2005.

A fjord is formed when a glacier retreats after carving its typical U-shaped valley allowing the sea to fill the valley floor. This forms a narrow, steep sided inlet (sometimes deeper than 1,300 meters) connected to the sea.

Slicing through the turquoise seawater, the cold wind numbed our faces. Protected by my thick wind breaker I managed two hours out on the deck, snapping the splendid features of marine beauty comparable to the ice kingdoms of fairy tales, my mind began to wander back to the days of Vikings and the Ice Age.

The fjord, at times, soared to dizzying heights either side of us, dwarfing our ship and making me feel rather insignificant. The coral mountains, hundreds of meters high, were colored a mottled gray, and partially covered by greenery.

At certain places snow was trapped in crevices. Waterfalls carved into the sides of the fjords over thousands of years gushed down spectacularly. I began to wonder where the water pouring through steep coral mountain slopes had come from.

Away from the fjords, I noticed very neatly arranged housing units of simple architecture, reflecting harmony between rural settlements and their natural environment. But in the several villages we sailed past, I could hardly see any people around.

At Aurlandsfjord port with hundreds of houses in its vicinity, I only spotted three people: a boat passenger and two port officers. Probably due to Norway's small population of 4.5 million, coupled with the approaching winter, keeping people indoors.

The fascinating scenery stretching throughout the journey along the fjords, where the Vikings once roamed, ended in Gudvangen.

A view from Stalheimskleiva (JP/Arief Suhardiman)

Stalheimskleiva Road

Voss was our final destination, and we took the bus. Pressed by time, we had to hurry.

Punctual is the most appropriate word to describe the public transport here. It's praiseworthy although the interval is short, no more than 15 minutes, forcing visitors to rush before it's too late. I chose to sit on the front seat.

Full to capacity, the bus began the trip to Voss. It plied the route via the valley of Naeroydalen. The sightseeing tour gave a heart-pounding experience as the bus was passing Stalheimskleiva, known for its extremely steep road (as if it was sloping by almost 40 degrees!) with 13 hairpin bends.

Unsurprisingly, this is lauded as one of the steepest stretches of road in Northern Europe.

"Wooowww...!" was the humming cry of several passengers. Nearly all those on the bus were looking ahead with their hands gripping the seats in front. I just smiled at their reflex movements, squeezing the seats as if trying to apply the brakes.

It requires a lot of skill and prime vehicle conditions to pass the road. It's scary to think what would have happened if any of the requirements were not met, but I managed to shunt that thought out of my mind.

The bus crept slowly along the narrow asphalt road. In spite of the strong heartbeats induced, the surrounding landscape was too wonderful to miss. The bus also paused for a while before Sivlefossen and Stalheimsfossen waterfalls, allowing us to steady our hearts.

This is only open from May to September. During the winter months buses between Gudvangen and Voss have to take another way.

I was reminded of what the woman from Bergen said in the beginning of this journey. I was lucky to be able to make the trip by mid-October so I could experience the sensation of this well known road.

After about an hour and a half, we arrived at Voss railway station. And we only had about 15 minutes to board the train that would take us back to Oslo.

I spent the little time left to go to a restaurant where I bought a salmon sandwich to relieve my hunger.

After everything was ready we all got on the train bound for the capital of the country boasting its slogan "See this small, but great country!"

Norwegian Embassy in Jakarta has invited The Jakarta Post to visit Norway recently.

The Gili Islands

Bali All Travel-The Gili Islands are a traveller’s haven located in the northwest tip of Lombok in Indonesia. The three islands boast pristine white-sand beaches and clear turquoise waters, and are a Mecca for beach and sun lovers worldwide. Small cafes and restaurants line the beaches, playing relaxing reggae music and serving cold drinks to the visitor. For those who wish to relax and enjoy beautiful landscape, Gili Islands is not a place to be missed.

To get to the Gili Islands, visitors must take a ferry or boat from Lombok or from Bali. The islands are a haven for those who wish to get away from it all, and enjoy life in a simple fashion. Motorized cars are banned from the Gilis, and getting around is restricted to horse-drawn carts or by foot. Getting between the three islands is done by various boats that plough the way throughout the day.

Snorkelling and diving are two very popular activities on the islands, with an amazing array of marine life to enjoy. Beautiful coral reefs teeming with fish are a site, and turtles and rays make frequent visits as well. There are several dive operators on the islands, and mask and snorkel sets can be rented on the beach.

Other than swimming and diving, there is not much to do on the Gili Islands. This is a destination for those who wish to get away from the hustle ad bustle of the cities, and relax to the full. For many these islands are a peaceful sanctuary; no traffic, beautiful beaches, good food, sunshine and clear waters.

Termez, Uzbekistan An Architectural Wonderland

Termez Archeological Bali All Travel-Museum gallery of stone architecture with objects from Ancient Bactria and the period of Alexander the Great.

Upon finally entering the Surkhadarya region of Uzbekistan, the air is noticeably warmer and the wheat-fields are a sea of gold. Here the harvest comes a full month before the rest of Uzbekistan.

To the west lies Turkmenistan and to the east, Tajikistan. Abror, my driver, maintains a course due south for Termez. Pine trees fringe the road and the carnations and wild roses are in full bloom.

Termez, located on the banks of the Oxus River between Uzbekistan and Afghanistan has attracted a veritable who’s who of history through its gates. Hakimai-Tirimizi, Genghis Khan, Alexander the Great, Amir Timur and Prince Babur have all passed through Termez, leaving their stamp on the city often referred to as the “Motherload of Antiquities”.

The mausoleum of Hakimai-Tirimizi is a place where Muslims from all over Asia make the pilgrimage to one of Islam’s holy sites.

Considered the crossing point into northern Bactria and the Hindu Kush since time immemorial, Termez is also recognized as the capital of the Greco-Bactrian Empire. Later, when the Kushan Empire solidified, trade between the Indus and Oxus rivers increased and the Silk Road’s traffic through Termez became greater than ever.

Before departing Tashkent for this trip, I pay a visit to Mr. Alisher Shamsiev, deputy chairman for international relations with Uzbektourism, the government’s department of tourism. He introduced me to Professor Zia Ul-Haq, who has spent more than 20 years traveling the Silk Road researching the origins of Buddhism in Central Asia, a contact that proved most valuable.

“The treasure trove of Buddhism in Uzbekistan is in the valley of Surkhadarya region,” Professor Zia explains. “Buddhism in these parts was influenced from the northern parts of India, present day Peshawar, then known as Gandhara.”

“[Termez] was an important Transoxian city of the Bactrian Kingdom constructed at a strategic point,” Professor Zia continues. “If you look at the geographical situation, right at the point where the Oxus [Amu Dayra] River is very narrow, this is the gateway to India. All the armies from the north invaded from here. The mughals started in the Ferghana Valley and passed here, the Aryans also entered at this point.”

It is Wednesday, and Muslims from all over Central Asia are making the pilgrimage to the mausoleum of Hakimai-Tirimizi, an important Islamic holy site. Tirimizi, a famous Sufi dervish and saint of Termez, was also the author of a number of compositions of mystic philosophy and was the founder of the dervish order. “Hakimi” is considered one of the 12 sects of mysticism.

With the banks of the Oxus River as a background, I was shooting photographs of an imam and his young followers when suddenly I was invited by a group of men to sit at their chaikhana (tea house) for some tea. The head of the clan, wearing a baby blue jacket, a white turban and proudly sporting a long, snow-white beard, said that his family had made the pilgrimage from Sherobod, several hours drive away. There were 47 members in his family and they had brought a sheep to be sacrificed and cooked into a plov (a local stew) in the communal kitchen. I called over Abror and we stayed with the family enjoying the food and the warm hospitality of the Uzbek people.

Interestingly, it is not only Muslim pilgrims that flock to Termez to worship; it also attracts also large number of Buddhist pilgrims, drawn to Termez’s ancient monasteries and stupas of Fayaz Tepe and Kara Tepe, both of which are considered holy sites.

Fayaz Tepe, 2,000 years old Buddhist monastery built overlooking the present day Afghan border, played an important role in the transmission of Buddhism from India to China.

“The Buddhist monasteries of Fazy Tepe and Kara Tepe have recently been re-excavated and undergone a lot of restoration work,” Professor Zia informs me.

The site of Kara Tepe is under a restricted radar station and can be accessed only with special permission from the Tashkent Foreign Ministry. I was denied access. Once, monks wishing to find spiritual awareness could look out over a vast delta at the Hindu Kush and Oxus River. Now, razor wire and electric fences, minefields and of course, a river patrol greet the eye. Welcome to Uzbekistan’s front line of defence against al-Qaeda and militant Islamic extremists from bordering Afghanistan.

Considered by most experts as the finest and most unique museum in all of Central Asia, the Termez Archaeological Museum is alone worth the entire trip. The amount of information the museum contains is incredible to say the least. You could spend days inside the museum and still find something new to capture your imagination. There are nine main halls and a gallery of stone architecture, a library of thousands of volumes of ancient maps and books. And in the basement a heavily guarded bank full of coins and other prized antiquities from the Hellenistic period. A large relief map of the Surkhadarya region shows reference points to the different periods of history in the region.

The Zumala Tower, built by Buddhist monks and standing 16 meters, is the oldest construction left in Uzbekistan.

Guiding me through the museum is director Ismoil Botirov who has served his post proudly for eight years now. His enthusiasm is contagious as he leads me to the Stone Age display in the first hall, then through the separate halls of other periods: Bronze, Ancient Bactria, Northern Bactria in the period of Alexander the Great and Hellenic States, Kushan Epoch, Early Middle Ages, Amir Timur and Timurids Epoch, and Khanates Epoch. Coins, textiles, statues and tools add life and color to the museum.

“Predominately a Turkic people, the Uzbeks have been significantly influenced through the immigration of both Mongol and Persian races,” Botirov says. “However, the invasion of Mongol troops under the authority of Genghis Khan inflicted enormous damage on the city of Termez.”

For my last night in Termez, Abror guided me to a local restaurant. There the hostess, smiling with a mouth full of gold-capped teeth, escorts us to a dense grove of pine trees where a chaikhana full of carpets and blankets stands in peaceful solitude.

An Uzbek family, who has made the pilgrimage to Termez and brought a sheep to be sacrificed, worship at the Hakimai-Tirmizi mausoleum.

A pot of black tea and still hot, round bread, baked like a wheel, was brought out.

With the wind rustling the branches of the pine trees it is cold eating out under the stars. Smoke billows from the brazier like a fog through the night air. We relaxed quietly, each absorbed in our own thoughts by the light of torches, much like the caravans following the Silk Road must have done centuries ago.

For the historian, aficionado of Islamic and Buddhist architecture, student of culture and passionate explorer, Uzbekistan offers a splendid experience of the fabled Silk Road and the ancient cities along its sprawling paths.

— Photos by Robert Davis

Integrated spiritual tourism at Mt. Selok, Srandil

Bali All Travel--A view of Cilacap’s coastline from the top of Mount Selok. (JP/Agus Maryono)

Mount Selok in Karangbenda village, Adipala district, Cilacap regency, Central Java, comprises more then 126 hectares of land and rises 150 meters above sea level.

Located along Cilacap's coastal area, the mountain is a perfect lookout spot to view the waves of the South Sea breaking on the foothills below.

About one kilometer to the east of Mount Selok, stands Mount Srandil. Although the two mountains are relatively of equal height, Mount Srandil comprises less than half the land area that Mount Selok does.

In the past, mounts Selok and Srandil make one tour package that blends the amazing beauty of the mountains and the sea. In addition, these two mountains are also very popular as places for Kejawen (Javanese) spiritual pilgrimage.

Unfortunately, the two mountains are now barren as most of the large trees that were once found there were felled illegally between 1999 and 2000. The mountain areas are no longer green and cool and only a number of caves and graves that the pilgrims hold sacred are left.

Mounts Selok and Srandil have been closed as tourist sites since the year 2000. The Jakarta Post, accompanied by a staff member of the local district government, toured the area to observe the many tourist facilities that had been damaged and neglected.

A number of bathrooms and a prayer house in the location were found in disrepair and looked like ghost houses. The paved road crossing Mount Selok area was also in a very condition.

"Given the present condition, we are trying to change the tourist concept at Mount Selok and Mount Srandil so that the two mountains will be the centers of integrated spiritual tourism," Budi Santoso, the district head of Adipala, told the Post recently.

According to Budi, the local administration could easily develop Islamic, Buddhist, Hindu and Kejawen spiritual tourism at these two mountains.

"Kejawen spiritual tourism has been very popular for a long time. Islamic and Buddhist spiritual tourism is less popular but the potential for such development is great," Budi said.

At the top of Mount Selok, he added, was the grave of Kyai Somalangu, one of the disciples of Prince Diponegoro. This, he said, made it an appropriate place for a Islamic spiritual tour site.

He said former president "Gus Dur" once went on a pilgrimage to the grave. "This is evidence that Kyai Somalangu was not just anybody," Budi said.

Buddhists, he added, could visit Padepokan Biksu, or a Buddhist monk dormitory, which is also located at the top of Mount Selok, about 2 km from the grave of Kyai Somalangu.

Built two years ago, the Buddhist dormitory is frequently visited by people from Cilacap and other surrounding areas.

The gateway leading to Padepokan Jambe 7 at Gunung Selok was inaugurated by former president Soeharto in 1979. It was here Soeharto went to meditate. (JP/Agus Maryono)

At the gateway to Mount Selok, a temple can be found where followers of Hinduism can perform their religious services.

"This mountain area is a center for Kejawan spiritual tourism. The most popular site is Padepokan Jambe 7, which was built by former president Soeharto in 1979. Soeharto often went to meditate there," said Budi.

There was also Padepokan Jambe 5, he said, which Mayangsari, a famous singer from Purwokerto, was also known to visit for meditation.

Since the demise of president Soeharto, Padepokan Jambe 7 had been neglected, Budi said, adding the local administration wished to once again open it up to the public.

Besides Padepokan Jambe 5 and Jambe 7, there are also caves that are popular among pilgrims, especially on certain days such as Kliwon Friday and Kliwon Tuesday, and in the month of Syura on the Javanese calendar.

These caves, or goa, include Goa Rahayu, Goa Naga Raja, Goa Bolong, Goa Paku Waja, Goa Putih, Goa Grujugan, Goa Tikus, Goa Lawa and Goa Kaendran.

Meanwhile, the grave of Kyai Somalangu, which is located on a former Japanese fort, is usually visited by people from Kebumen, Central Java.

The introduction of spiritual tourism in Mount Selok, Budi said, could restore its position as an alternative tourist site.

Karangbenda village head Umar Said, who is also a community elder in the Mount Selok area, confirmed that Mayangsari had visited the area for meditation purposes.

"Yes, Padepokan Jambe 5 was the special meditation place for Mayangsari," Umar Said said.

When the Post met the gatekeeper of Padepokan Jambe 7, Toto, he confirmed that Soeharto performed his meditation there together with his master, the late Romo Diyat.

"Yes, Romo Diyat built the Padepokan Jambe 7 meditation site in 1979. Until now, it has never been open to the public," said Toto, who lives in a house located behind Padepokan Jambe 7.

Toto said that behind his house, which he inherited from his grandfather, also a gatekeeper, there used to be a helipad.

"Now it is in disrepair as it has not been used for quite some time," he said.

Budi said the local administration would need the participation of investors to develop the two mountain sites into spiritual tourism centers.

Among other things, the roads leading to the two mountains must be resurfaced to attract more visitors, he said./Jp

The friendly Sunset Gecko at Gili Meno

Bali All Travel-The turquoise-colored water on the shore of white sand beach at Gili Meno, backdropped by the vast blue sky. (JP/Prodita Sabarini)

Frolicking on the beach of a small secluded island might be the holiday dream of most work-drenched men and women.

Away from the noisy, clogged and polluted city streets, one can warm their tired feet on sun-baked sand, swim above coral reefs and laze in a bale bengong (stilted open-air wooden hut) with a good book while feeling the delicious sea breeze against their skin. Looking up, instead of a hazy gray sky, one can see the blue of the sky during the day or the twinkling stars at night.

It is definitely my kind of holiday.

So, when I had the chance to escape the capital, I grabbed it and without hesitation I headed to Lombok's Gili Meno.

Some 30 kilometers east of the tourist island of Bali, Gili Meno is the smallest of the three small sand islands northwest of Lombok, in West Nusa Tenggara.

The bigger Gili Trawangan is more famous and has been dubbed the party island by visitors for its lively night life. Gili Air is the biggest and most populated.

All three islands have no motor vehicles roaming the streets. Horse drawn carts called Cidomo and bicycles are the only means of transportation around.

My companion and I took the night flight from Jakarta to Bali on a Friday night and continued to Trawangan on a fast boat, Saturday morning. From there, we hopped on a chartered boat and arrived at Meno around 11 a.m.

A boat towed on the white sand beach shore. (JP/Prodita Sabarini)

When we arrived, little did we know that apart from the expected relaxation time in that tranquil spot, we would be inspired by our environmentally conscious host.

Based on a friend's recommendation, we looked for a place called Sunset Gecko. Our boatman pointed out the resort, which had no signboard but a big, wooden gecko on the wall of the dining place.

Situated on the beach, the resort has a number of small cottages and a main building for dining and the kitchen. The small resort boasts a beautiful garden, with blossoming plants and banana trees. Four comfy bale bengong look over the sea and Gili Trawangan with its tall telecommunications tower.

A Japanese man in his early 40s Hiro Tanaka, who we later found out was the owner of the place, greeted us. After we checked in, we made ourselves comfortable in the shady huts looking out to the sea.

Always intrigued by cool Japanese people, we speculated about Tanaka's story. Looking at the beautiful and tidy resort, I guessed he had a degree in hotel management. My travel partner disagreed, guessing that Tanaka was a well-traveled and highly educated person, who for one reason or another decided to open a resort in a small island in Indonesia.

A two-story wooden house if Sunset Gecko. (JP/Prodita Sabarini)

The latter guess was closer to the truth. In one conversation, I found out that he was one of the few idealists who wanted to save the earth, but was obstructed by the politics of the world.

Tanaka is a businessman who set up an alternative energy conversion company with his business partner in Canada. Their product was a patented pyrolysis machine that can transform plastic waste into its former form: oil.

After two years of lobbying city administrations to use the technology without giving money under table, he decided to quit and start making change on a smaller scale.

He grew up in the arid desert of Quwait, while his father worked for a Japanese oil company, Tanaka says that he always dreamed of having a place to share with people.

Three years ago, with friends from different parts of the world, he opened Sunset Gecko, which adheres to eco-friendly practices.

More than often, tourists looking for unspoiled nature to escape the city's pollution end up damaging the environment of their holiday destination. Beautiful spots in Bali have become testament of this, with overdevelopment resulting in beach erosion.

Stilted open art wooden huts are the perfect spots to enjoy the beach. (JP/Prodita Sabarini)

Tanaka witnessed environmental degradation in Northern Thailand, when six years ago he visited a pristine beach with only two hotels. Three years later, 30 new ones have mushroomed, with mounting piles of garbage.

He says that as he got older he realized that he was part of the problem as he too created garbage. "We always say 'this shouldn't be like this. Oh, you shouldn't burn the plastics' dadadada.

"But when you become an adult, you start to think 'Hey, whose responsibility is this?'. It's easy to say (for an example), *This is the Balinese government's problem'. But then the government doesn't do (anything) and we just keep doing the same troublesome things," he says.

"We just keep messing, creating more garbage, buying chocolate (and throwing away the wrappers), smoking cigarettes and throwing the ash on the street. No, it shouldn't be like this," he says.

So, he opened Sunset Gecko with the hope that he can make a difference.

The resort recycles the water from the dishwashing, laundry, and showers to water the plants. Hiro says that they used a three-step filtration system he learned from reading books and internet sites. He mixed the organic solid residue and organic waste from the kitchen to make compost.

Sunset gecko also makes natural soap in the kitchen. This too he learned from books and the internet. He uses palm and coconut oils for the soap and leaves it to harden as soap bars for six weeks. The soap was one of the highlights of the resort for me. It didn't leave the skin dry and was even great when I used it to wash my hair.

Apparently, the news of the natural soap from Sunset Gecko has traveled around. Two Japanese women that stayed at Gili Trawangan traveled to Gili Meno to purchase the soap.

Tanaka says that it was not for sale as it was for guests to use. Eventually, the women left with two soap bars each.

Blossoming plants next to a wooden hut on the beach. (JP/Prodita Sabarini)

Another impressive part of Gecko was the beautiful garden, with various plants. Hiro says that once local island residents came to the resort and marveled at the banana trees.

"They were really surprised. *A banana tree on the beach? How come?' they asked. I told them that we make compost for the soil and villagers have started to copy that," Tanaka says.

In Gili Meno, where fresh water is shipped from Lombok, eco-friendly practices are not an option. It is a necessity.

While Sunset Gecko is alive and kicking, walking around Gili Meno I found a number of accommodations seemed to be out of business. I passed an abandoned desolate place with an overturned table which seemed to had been a restaurant. Another resort looked closed an empty.

Sunset Gecko has a friendly atmosphere with guests greeting each other and sharing their latest experience in the water. Just dipping to waters in front of the beach of the resort will lead you to nice coral reef and sightings of beautiful sea creatures.

Sea turtles with their ancient look swim around the sea. One guests says that he went snorkeling and saw a Manta ray.

As the sun sets, the sky turns into a purplish color. Guests would hang around the open air dining room with drinks chatting, while sounds of geckos joining the chatter.

As the night grows late, the sight of Trawangan with its colorful lights looked like a big ship. A staff commented that it looked like the Titanic ship.

The best part was lying in a wooden beach chair and looking up to the sky. The stars twinkling and I started to fall asleep. Kontributor- Prodita Sabarini

On the Net:
www.thesunsetgecko.com

The lost fortunes of Kemarau

Happy face: A corpulent, happy Golden Buddha suggests prosperity may lie on the island.

Bali All Travel-Tales about the island of Kemarau, located near Palembang along the 800-kilometer Musi River that meanders across South Sumatra, are abound, with two of the most recounted riches-to-rags stories involving Chinese ships sailing down the river.

Both regrettably tragic tales could easily pass for mythology rather than straight history. The most popular one about this low-level island — often described as “the island that floats the river” as it mysteriously never seems to flood despite heavy rainfall — recounts the story of a Chinese commercial ship sailing down the river after its captain earned a fortune trading goods in Palembang.

Inebriated from celebrating his success, the captain neglects his sailing duties, sinks his ship near the island and spills all his riches into the river there. Since then, people have been searching the river to recover the fortunes believed to have sunk around the island.

In the second tale, which claims to explain how the island came to exist, a Chinese man by the name of Tan Bu An comes to Palembang to study and falls in love with a local princess called Siti Fatimah.

He asks for her hand in marriage but her parents insist upon gifts to allow the wedding to go ahead.

Tan Bu An sends a messenger back to his father in China asking for such gifts to be provided. When the messenger returns with fruits and vegetables, Tan Bu An is so disgusted he throws the gifts into the river, not realizing his father had placed money inside the edible gifts.

Upon finding out about the subterfuge, the enamored Chinese man frantically jumps into the river to find the discarded treasures, but soon drowns. Siti Fatimah, who rushes to the river the instant she finds out her love is lost in the river, also sadly drowns.

It seems however she had a premonition about her fate, so before entering the river’s waters, she leaves a message saying land may form in the place she will die, and the tree that will grow will be one of love.

Spell of beauty: The tall pagoda is the most outstanding feature of the island.

The land that emerged is said to be Kemarau Island. It is also believed the spirit of Tan Bu An remains on the island and over the years, the local Chinese community has consequently come to see Kemarau as a special place.

Nowadays, the main attractions are a Chinese temple and pagoda, built as a result of those mythical stories.

The Taoist temple, dedicated to a deity that protects homes, villages and rural areas on the island, was erected in the 1960s and receives a fairly constant flow of worshippers. Those visitors usually brave the murky waters of the river by slow sampan (a flat-bottomed skiff usually propelled by two short oars) or fast speedboat to make offerings and say their prayers.

A tall Chinese pagoda erected in 2006 is now the most distinctive feature of this otherwise flat island.

Many Chinese figures are represented in relief or statues, with the most alluring of these being a huge venerable golden standing Buddha, seemingly laughing out loud looking across the river. The island tends to fill up during festival times such as the Chinese New Year, but otherwise remains a haven of peace the rest of the year.

A peaceful moment: Worshippers make their offerings and say their prayers at various locations around the island.

Pilgrims — local and sometimes from Singapore and Malaysia — who come to pay respect to their deities, leaving the sweet smell of their burning incense sticks to waft across the island.

How much truth there is to the tale of Tan Bu An and Siti Fatimah cannot really be said, but hopefuls can still be seen scouring the river looking some of the lost riches of that wedding gift.

With many believing the island is still haunted by the spirit of Siti Fatimah’s suitor, Kemarau remains a sleepy little outcrop of Indonesia, enveloped by the Musi River’s murky waters.

While much of the surroundings are industrial, the island remains a charming get away for those seeking quietness.

— Photos by Simon Marcus Gower

Friday, November 6, 2009 7:56 PM Be a member & get the benefits! Register or login Traveling in a rundown taxi and exhausted at Jesus' feet

Mass plain at the final stop of Via Dolorosa

Bali All Travel-Beyond the white-sand beaches and vestiges of colonial legacy left by the Portuguese, Dili boasts few places of interest for those traveling to Timor Leste.

The country has a long history of colonization and war, with the Portuguese ruling over the barren territory for 450 years until Indonesia assumed control in 1974.

The former port city is bordered by a mountain range to the east, south and west and the sea to the north. Many of the old colonial buildings, including the old government offices and the post office, still retain their original architectural design. Like many old buildings in the city, particularly around the beachfront, most remain in use and cannot be visited by tourists.

The government complex boasts vast gardens and roads with wide, well-paved walkways. The breezy Dili beaches are a favorite hangout for residents who love to relax under the shady banyan trees sipping locally harvested Arabica coffee or drinking coconut water.

The most renowned is Pantai Pasir Putih (white sand beach), situated about four kilometers east of Dili. As the name suggests, this lazy getaway charms visitors with its white sand and clear, calm water. With just a few minor ripples in the sea, the location is ideal for children.

Tourists at Pasir Putih beach near Dili

Famous as a family picnic spot, visitors to Pantai Pasir Putih can enjoy the gorgeous view of tall, arid hills and the beach itself. During the working week, the spot is very quiet.

Nightlife is virtually non-existent, so don't come expecting a discotheque or movie theater. There are red-light districts disguised as massage parlors, which locals claim cater mainly to expatriates.

With tourist facilities still very rudimentary, Dili has a long way to go before it will attract global travelers seeking out a classy holiday.

At Hotel Lus Clarita, just a stones throw from the post office, expatriates hold parties regularly on Friday and Saturday nights.

Los Palos, at the eastern tip of Timor Island, is becoming a more popular spot for tourists. Around six hours by car from Dili through bumpy roads and seemingly endless hills, the area features some fantastic beaches and a glimpse into local culture.

Timor Leste is acclaimed for its indigenous woven cloth that can be easily found in major shops or being sold on Dili's roadsides, most likely by the villagers who made it.

Jesus Christ the King

A trip to Dili without visiting the Jesus Christ the King statue is like going to Italy without dropping by the Vatican. Or at least that is what my local friends say.

Visiting the giant religious landmark, built by the Indonesian administration during its occupation, is truly worth the exhausting trek through scrub areas and along the ridges of barren hills.

Along the one kilometer paved pathway leading to the statue are small grottos depicting the Via Dolorosa. Beginning with Jesus being condemned to death at the lowest grotto, the frieze finishes toward the top of the path with Jesus being resurrected from the dead. It's a shame the many of the grottos have been vandalized.

If and when you decide to go to the monument, don't forget to double your portions of breakfast that morning and take along extra water. All vehicles have to park by the beach at the foot of the hill, so you must continue by foot. On a hot day, you would be advised to take an umbrella or wide-brimmed hat to avoid sunburn.

People relax under the shade of an old banyan tree by the Dili beach.

The tall bronze statue perches on top of a limestone cliff, which majestically overlooks Dili and the still, clear beaches. The capital's main buildings and mooring ships at the port can be made out in the distance, beyond the wide ocean.

Every Easter, around 5,000 people gather for mass in the large open area surrounding the statue. One final push is needed to actually reach the base of the monument, but it is certainly worth it. The breathtaking view of the blue sea in all directions quickly overcomes feelings of exhaustion.

The gargantuan statue was built in 1996 by the Indonesian colonial administration as an effort to win over the people of Timor Leste.

Transportation is a major headache for visitors, with taxis virtually the only option. Minibuses are available, but learning the routes, switching buses and waiting for long periods is a hassle.

Even though taxi drivers are generally very friendly, some provide terribly poor service. The cars are mostly run-down with no air conditioners or meters. Officially, the fare is supposed to US$1 per in-city trip, but the driver may charge you up to $5 on the pretext that your destination appears to be "farther than he thinks".

Our driver charged us an additional $10 for each hour he waited without telling us beforehand. Another interesting thing about the taxi service in Dili is that they become extremely picky after sunset. Although the streets may be empty, drivers will sometimes flatly refuse to take you, without providing a reason. Later, I learned that they avoid certain areas notorious for crime. Pointing at his broken windshield, a driver said he had had it pelted with stones by drunken youths.

When and if you travel to Timor Leste, bring your sense of humor. It's a lovely country.

More than a gateway to Angkor

Bali All Travel-Thinking of visiting Cambodia? You’re likely picturing the serene faces of the Angkor temples. Possibly even the sandy beaches of Sihanoukville. But what about Phnom Penh?

I’ve met countless people who have either entirely bypassed Cambodia’s 143-year-old capital city in their quest for ancient empires and beach parties, or merely considered it a stop-off point, a place to quickly view the tragic remnants of the Khmer Rouge regime. Which is a shame, as Lady Penh (the city’s founder and enduring spirit) is a charming hostess – give her the chance, and she will make you feel right at home, offering an intoxicating, accessible mix of rich culture, fine cuisine and aesthetic delights.

Pathway to the past: The gardens behind the National Museum, which houses a vast array of Angkorian artefacts and Buddhas. (JP/Sara Veal)

In a single day you can visit elegant pagodas, inspiring exhibitions, learn Khmer cooking, browse markets for silks and keepsakes, watch traditional dance and cruise along the Mekong. Punctuated this with mouth-watering meals and cap it off with hours of dancing at a sardine-packed nightclub and you may never want to leave.

Holly and I touched down in Phnom Penh International Airport in the early evening. After breezing through customs, we took a taxi into town – a flat US$9 to anywhere in the center – along the way admiring the eye-catching blend of reinvigorated yellow French colonial buildings, art-deco structures, Khmer temples, glassy office buildings and tacky, cake-like residences.

We stayed at the Blue Dog Guest House (#13, St. 51). Owned by newlyweds Ty and Hun, it’s within walking distance of one of the city’s key sights, the Independence Monument. Launched just over a year ago, it offers eight rooms priced between US$5-12 a night, as well as a limited but cheap and delicious menu.

If you fancy something more upscale, Phnom Penh is full of boutique hotels and 5-star luxury, such as the Frangipani Villa 90s ($25-60) or the Amanjaya ($155-250). If on the other hand you’re really trying to save, look around the Boeung Kak lake area for rooms as low as $3.

It is easy to get around Phnom Penh, as there is little traffic and most drivers know the city like the back of their hand. Pick up the free The Phnom Penh Visitors Guide as soon as you see it, for maps and tips; its usually available at eateries and guesthouses.

Visitors mostly travel via tuk-tuks (motorcycle trailers), which offer a surprisingly quiet, pleasant ride. I recommend committing to one tuk-tuk driver. Tuk-tuk drivers, who mostly have impressive English skills, can help you with booking bus tickets, arranging river cruises and even getting a SIM card ($10) for your cell phone.

Monument to past and future glory: The Independence Monument, which was inaugurated on November 9, 1962, to celebrate Cambodia’s independence from colonial rule. (JP/Holly Kosmin)

All the city’s major points of interest can be visited within a day, but its best to set aside at least two or three. The Independence Monument, an architectural celebration of Cambodia’s independence from foreign rule in 1962; Wat Phnom, a small hill that marks the city’s legendary founding site; the National Museum ($3 entrance); the Toul Sleng Genocide Museum; the Killing Fields; and the Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda, the King’s residence, should all be checked out. A market visit to either Phsar Toul Tom Poung, the Russian market, which offers a large selection of souvenirs, silks and curios, or Phsar Thmey (Central Market), a striking art-deco building, which specialises in jewels and gold, is also a must.

Beyond the obligatory sights, the city centre has much to offer in the way of shopping and dining. There are four main areas for these more leisurely pursuits: Street 178 or “Art Street”; Street 240; the Riverfront area and the Boeng Keng Kang area or “The Foreigner’s Quarter”.

Street 178 is right by the National Museum, so after I had spent the morning browsing Angkorian artefacts, I wandered around “Art Street”. Most of the artists can be seen at work and are happy to answer any questions you might like to bother them with. Chea Hak, of shop Hak Rachana, was working intently on a wood carving, which he said would take a week to complete. He can sell it for $100.

The best place to eat near Art Street is Friends (#215, St. 13), a delightful tapas restaurant that is run as part of a program to teach street youth marketable skills. Holly and I feasted on several dishes ($2-5), including mango coleslaw and zucchini fritters.

My favourite place in Phnom Penh is Street 240, a tree-lined avenue near the Royal Palace, which boasts excellent boutiques, unique handicrafts, second-hand bookstores, delectable eateries and the best spa in town (Bliss, #29). I splurged at Mekong-Quilts (#49, St.240), a non-profit organisation that aims to provide employment and increase family incomes for communities in the remote villages of Svay Rieng province.

I returned to haunt Street 240’s cafes several times, enjoying Mediterranean tapas at Tamarind (#31), burgers at Freebird Bar and Grill (#69) and cakes at The Shop (#39).

The Riverfront is a great place to spend the evening, affording a view of the Mekong sunset. It is home to many of Phnom Penh’s most enduring institutions, such as the famous Foreign Correspondents Club and the original Happy Herb Pizza. Cantina, a popular “gringo” haunt decorated with onset photos from Matt Dillon’s City of Ghosts (2002) had excellent Mexican food. Most of the best places to boogie are nearby too, such as the Riverhouse Lounge (#6, Street 110).

A thing of beauty: Street 178 artist Chea Hak at work, in front of his shop, Hak Rachana. He is carving an intricate, decorative wooden piece that will form part of a door. (JP/Sara Veal)

“The Foreigners’ Quarter”, near the Independence Monument, is rife with embassies, hotels and expatriate residences. I frequented the Java Café and Gallery (#56, Sihanouk), a must for lap-top addicts, sampling a range of teas and fresh salads.

Nearby was Romdeng, a sister-restaurant to Friends, which offers Khmer specialities like fried spiders, as well as a fascinating exhibition “Imagine That” that showcased pictures street kids had taken of tourists in Siem Reap. The infamous Heart of Darkness nightclub is around here (#26, St. 51), where you can dance until dawn.

Besides all this, you can also take cooking classes at Khmer restaurant Frizz (#67, St. 240), watch shadow puppet performances at the Sovanna Phum Art Association (#111, St. 260), and Apsara dancing at Bopha Phnom Penh Titanic (Sisowath Quay). And no trip to Phnom Penh is truly complete with a boat ride down the Mekong, perfect around sunset ($5).

After a week of such delights, I felt relaxed, exhilarated, inspired and fatter. As the airplane took off, I watched the city disappear into the patches of green and brown paddyfields that dominate the Cambodian landscape, watching the ever-present Mekong shrink into a shimmering, twisting snake… and planned my next visit.

The gateway to the rest of Cambodia

Roads have been greatly improving in Cambodia, making it increasingly easy to travel from Phnom Penh to other Khmer cities. Buses are a (usually) comfortable and affordable way to get around, with one-way tickets starting from $5. You can also hire private cars from $25. There are several bus companies dotted around the city, especially near the Riverfront and Boeng Kak lake area. I visited Sihanoukville and Kampot.

Sihanoukville: (Paramount Angkor Express, $11 return, 4 hrs each way) Cambodia’s premier beach town. Stay in Ochheuteal beach or Serendipity beach if you’re the dance-til-dawn type… if you’d prefer a blissful getaway, try the more low-key Otres beach or Victory beach. Sample fresh seafood, scuba-dive and take day trips to exotic islands. Stay at the Beach Road hotel ($10-45) and dine at Cambodge Garden ($2-5 per dish).
Kampot: (Phnom Penh Sorya, $10 return, 3 hrs) A quaint, sleepy town, with few tourists, colonial architecture and breathtaking views of the river and surrounding mountains, sheltering ghostly hill stations. The perfect place to truly get away from it all. Stay at the Bodhi Villa ($3-8), which offers an excellent mix of homemade comfort food and Khmer specialities, and a friendly bar.

Flights: Ours were $170 there and back thanks to Air Asia – book in advance and be prepared for two check-ins

Visa: $20 one-month tourist visa available on arrival. Can be extended for a further month. Good to have a passport photo ready.

Airport Tax: $25 – payable upon departure.

Currency: US dollars and Khmer Riels (about 4000R to US$1).

Accommodation: From $3, depending on where you’re staying

Meals: Expect to pay $4-7 a meal, minus alcoholic drinks, at popular eateries. Water is usually provided for free.

Transport: Tuk-tuks ($1-2 for short trips, $10-15 all day), motos and cyclos (1500-4000R, $8/day), taxis ($4-5, $35/day). You can also rent a bicycle, motorcycle or car for your trip – inquire at your guesthouse.

Language: Khmer. Most people you will encounter speak reasonable English, and don’t expect visitors to understand Khmer. French can also be useful.

Wi-Fi: Many cafes and guesthouses offer Wi-Fi access, either free or available through Hotspot cards (starting at $5 for 5 hours), which you can buy from most supermarkets.

Sewu Temple

Bali All Travel-Sewu temple is located just several hundred meters north east of Prambanan Temple.
It is a large and vast Buddhist temple including several other small temples like Lumbung, Asu, Bubrah and Lor Kulon Temple.

Sewu Temple complex located in the area of Prambanan Temple Park, about 800 meters to the north of Rara Jongrang Temples. Sewu Temple is the second largest Buddhist temple in central Java after Borobudur. The fact that this temple was built near Prambanan Temple, which is a Hindu temple, indicated that the Hindus and Buddhists lived in harmony.

It is believed to be a royal temple and was one of the religious activity centers in the past. Based on the inscription dated back to 792 AD which was found in 1960, the name of the temple complex was probably "Manjus’rigrha" (The House of Manjusri). Manjusri is one of Boddhisatva in Buddhist teaching. Sewu Temple was probably built in the 8th century at the end of Rakai Panangkaran administration. Rakai Panangkaran (746 AD – 784 AD) was a popular king from the old Mataram kingdom.The temple was studied firstly by HC Cornellius in 1807. The first archeological study was done by NJ Krom in 1923.

The massive restoration was carried out from April 1, 1983 to 1993 costed 3 billion rupiah.Sewu Temple complex has 249 temples, consists of one main temple, 8 "Apit" temples and 240 "Perwara" temples. The main temple forms a polygon of 20 corners with 29 meters diameter and 30 meters high. Most of the structures were made up of andesit stone.

The main temple has 1 main room and 4 small rooms of which are doorways to the temple. The east door serves as main door to the main room. That way, the main temple faces to the east. The structure has 9 ‘roofs’, each of them forms a stupa on the top.

Borobudur Temple

Bali all Travel--Borobudur temple is the biggest stupa ever created on earth. It was built in the most glorious time of the Syailendra dynasty.

Borobudur Temple is one of the greatest Buddhist monuments in the world. This colossal relic of Borobudur Temple was built by Sailendra dynasty between 750 and 842 AD; 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 tropical heat to shift and carve the 60,000 Cu m of stone.Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles revealed Borobudur Temple in 1814.

He found the temple in ruin condition and ordered that the site be cleared of undergrowth and thoroughly surveyed. The massive restoration project began from 1905 to 1910 led by Dr. Tb. van Erp. With the help of UNESCO, the second restoration to rescue Borobudur was carried out from August 1913 to 1983.The overall height of Borobudur was 42 meters, but it is only 34.5 meters now (after restoration), and has the dimension of 123 x 123 meters. The building has 10 floors or levels: Hhumtcambharabudara, the mountain of the accumulation of virtue in the ten stages of Bodhisatva. Borobudur is located 41 km northwest of Yogyakarta, 7 km south of Magelang, Central Java.

Parang Tritis Beach

Bali All Travel--Parang tritis beach located about 27 kilometers from Yogyakarta. Parangtritis is an enchanting sloping beach combined with rocky hills, dunes and white sandy beach.

Beside being famous as recreational spot. there also a sacred place. Many people come to the beach to do meditation.
In the western part of Parangtritis, Labuan ceremony is held every year in Parangkusomo beach.

Local people believe that the beach is the meeting place between the kings of Mataram and Kanjeng Ratu Kidul, the Goddess of the south sea.

Above Parangtritis in the direction of Panggang, you can find Gambirowati Plateau
This spot provides very beautiful view of endless horizon. Another attraction place near Parangtritis beach is Langse Cave.
Langse Cave located in the eastern side of Parangtritis and used to be a meditation place too.
The mouth of the cave is under a steep clifd, facing the open sea.

In south of Yogyakarta you can found many beautiful beaches. There are Baron Beach (about 60 kilometers from Yogyakarta), Krakal beach (9 kilometers from Baron beach), Wediombo Beach (eastern side of Krakal Beach), Glagah beach (40 kilometers south west of Yogyakarta) and Congot Beach (45 kilometers of Yogyakarta) at the western side of Glagah beach.

Bali and its culture

Bali All Travel-The culture of Bali is unique. People say that the Balinese people have reached self-content. It is not an exaggeration that when a Balinese is asked what heaven is like, he would say, just like Bali, without the worries of mundane life. They want to live in Bali, to be cremated in Bali when they die, and to reincarnate in Bali.

It does not mean that the Balinese resist changes. Instead, they adapt them to their own system. This goes back far in history. Prior to the arrival of Hinduism in Bali and in other parts of Indonesia, people practised animism. When Hinduism arrives, the practice of Hinduism is adapted to local practices. The brand of Hinduism practised in Bali is much different from that in India. Other aspects of life flow this way.

Traditional paintings, faithfully depicting religious and mythological symbolisms, met with Western and modern paintings, giving birth to contemporary paintings, free in its creative topics yet strongly and distinctively Balinese. Its dance, its music, and its wayang theaters , while have been continually enriched by contemporary and external artistry, are still laden with religious connotations, performed mostly to appease and to please the gods and the goddesses. Wood and stone carvings, gold and silver crafts parallel the development of paintings, gracefully evolving with external forces to enhance their characters. The batik of Bali owes its origin to Java, and inspired the development of ikat and double ikat.

Parangtritis

Bali All Travel--The images we have of gorgeous beaches everywhere in the world are similar: rocky cliffs and sand hit regularly by rolling waves under a clear blue sky. On a clear morning or evening, the beaches are a great place to stroll while watching sunrise or set. Not all beaches, however, have a unique tale behind them. One of the few that does is Parangtritis Beach in Yogyakarta, Central Java, Indonesia.

Located about 35 km to the south of Yogyakarta, Parangtritis Beach has long been famous, not only as a beach resort where sand-dunes, sandy beaches and rocky cliffs meet, but also as a historical place closely linked to the mysterious legend of the Queen of the South Sea, "Kanjeng Ratu Kidul". Together with her confidant, the feared Nyai or Nyi Roro Kidul, the ever youthful and beautiful queen, Kanjeng Ratu Kidul reigns over sea-nymphs and spirits.

The legends say that Kanjeng Ratu Kidul was married to one of the Mataram Monarchs, Panembahan Senopati, whom she visited and communed with on certain occasions.

On certain days known as Suro in the Javanese calender, locals have a ceremonial procession, with many seen presenting offerings on the beach in honour of the Nyai Roro Kidul and Queen of the South Sea. During the day, many visit the beach and hold what is known locally as tirakatan (one-day fasting) as they pray for their wishes to be fulfilled. People in black are frequently seen sitting on the beach in a meditating pose the whole night. Locals who have meditated on the beach have said that through meditating they could see a green dragon and Nyi Roro Kidul, who remains young and beautiful. "The dragon danced before my eyes," one local said in a convincing voice. Another admitted that he meditated there so that he could meet the ever-youthful and beautiful Nyi Roro Kidul. "I can even communicate with spirits here," he added.

The legend of Nyi Roro Kidul herself is very popular. Before turning into a nymph, Nyai Roro Kidul was a young princess named Dewi Kandita, the daughter of King Mundangwangi and his first wife. The popularity of Dewi Kandita and her mother Dewi Rembulan was beyond doubt. They were known for their beauty, kindness and friendliness, and people loved them. However, the misery of their lives began when Dewi Mutiara, another wife of King Mundangwangi, known locally as selir, became green with envy and grew ambitions to become the first wife, thereby deserving full affection and attention from the king.

Dewi Mutiara's dream came true when one day she bore the son that the king had long been yearning for. Through the assistance of a witch, Dewi Mutiara made the king's wives Dewi Rembulan and Dewi Kandita suffer from 'strange' disease, with their bodies covered with scabies that created the odour of fish. The disease led them to be sent into exile in the forest where later Dewi Rembulan died. After a long, hard and helpless journey, the scabies-covered Dewi Kandita eventually arrived at a beach where she met a young, handsome man who promised to cure her illness. At the request of the young man, Dewi Kandita chased after him as he ran along the beach. When she reached the water, the man disappeared and, to her surprise, all the scabies had disappeared but, strangely, she could not move her legs. Half her body, from the waist down, had turned into the body of a fish.

Since then she became a sea-nymph, and the locals believe that Nyi Roro Kidul is the manifestation of Dewi Kandita. Want to see Nyi Roro Ridul? Then try meditating the whole night there as locals have suggested.

Freediving Clearwater Beach Florida is my new life

Bali All Travel--Yeah I know that the surf has been going off in SoCal and the DP crew has been representing, I also know that Stefan rolled into SD just in time to connect with a small leftover swell and a new Arakawa. I still am adjusting to Florida, but I do have something new to be excited about.

FREEDIVING

It is the shit. It is my new deal. Scuba is cool, and spearfishing while scuba diving is cool, but free diving is unreal. It's gangster, it's raw, and it is physically demanding.

Me (Indian Rocks Beach) and the crew: Travis Ward (Belleair), Hassan (Clearwater) and Mike Cantonis (Tampa) rolled out to a reef off of sand key fl for what was originally planned as a kingfishing trip. When we got the boat all geared up we also threw some spearfishing gear on board just in case, god I am lucky we did. We set out on our journey with a visit to the mile marker off of clearwater beach to get bait with the castnet. After two big hauls of whitefish bait and one shredded net after a greedy toss, we headed out to one of the many offshore reefs of pinellas county. This particular reef is about 9 miles off the beach and it sits in about 42 feet of water. When we arrived, there were about 6 boats on the reef so I did not really expect to do much freediving. To me 42 feet seemed like an impossible depth to dive on my first freediving trip, and we were loaded down with bait and fishing gear.

We looked around for a few minutes and dropped a few lines in the water with little success, and decided to wander further over on the reef to get away from the crowd. Hassan (aka) Hoss jumped in with speargun in tow and was scouting from the surface and quickly landed a massive amberjack while just snorkeling. When we pulled it into the boat the rest of us were so amped to get into the water, but the thing about AJ's is, they just don't want to die, that fish roared back to life and gave cantonis and ward-o a good smackin before going in the ice box.

We anchored up: hoss, wardo and I got into the water and cantonis line fished off the boat.

I was nervous and excited as I swam around looking into the blue sapphire sparkling abyss.

Hoss and ward were disappearing into the depths for what seemed like an eternity and returning with all sorts of gilled prey at the end of their spears (more aj's, grouper, hogfish, some type of snapper). I could not get my ears to clear at first, and honestly my heart was beating so fast I could not hold my breath that long. I was hitting around the 18ft mark looking around and heading back to the top. I knew it was going to take allot more for me to make it down. I started to think about the hypnosis tracks that I listen to before bed, and tried to visualize what I would do at the bottom and how comfortable I would feel down there. I settled down emotionally. Now it was time to do some work.

Attempt after attempt I came closer and closer to the bottom meanwhile the boys were pillaging. After some effort I finally found my way to the bottom. I can't accurately describe how far the surface seems from that depth, but for me it looked like 400ft not 40. After a few more successful touch and go's I started to cruise down there and actually hunt for fish. The trick is to not look up while you are hunting on the bottom, because for me, as soon as I looked up I saw how far it was to the top, and then I dart for the surface. So I think you have to chill out, hunt, and then head for the surface when you body tells you to get air, not your brain.

http://www.donkeypatrol.com/2008/1

Jimbaran,Bali

Restaurants on the beach near Jimbaran
Jimbaran Location in Indonesia
Coordinates: 8°46′10″S 115°10′26″E / -8.76944, 115.17389
Country	Indonesia
Province	Bali

Bali All Travel-Jimbaran is a fishing village and tourist resort in Bali, Indonesia. Located just at the south of Ngurah Rai International Airport, the beach is cluttered with seafood restaurants and some of the finest luxury hotels in the world. Tourism in Jimbaran has increased rapidly that has boosted local economy, but it suffered by the 2005 Bali bombings where the bomb exploded in one of the restaurants in Jimbaran.

Jimbaran lies on the 'neck' of the southern peninsula in Bali and is widely known for the fresh seafood kiosks that are scattered along the beach. Diners select the live seafood that they wish to eat, and it is immediately prepared, generally grilled over a fire of coconut husks rather than charcoal.

Senggigi Beach - Lombok

Bali All Travel--The town of Senggigi spreads out along nearly 10 kilometers of coastal road. This road continues north to Bangsal, port for the Gili Islands. Along the way be in store for winding turns, steep hills, and a fantastic scenery of the coast.

GETTING AROUND

Coming from airport, taxi service available at the counter desk of the arrival gate. Fares are fixed.

Coming from Lembar harbour, you can pre-order a metered taxi service (Lombok Taxi tel: 627000 or Lendang Express Taxi tel: 644444).

There are plenty of activities you can do to complete your holiday. Sightseeing or touring organized by reputable local tour operators is the best option to discover what Lombok has to offer. Renting a car or motor cycle is also good alternative to get around, either self-driving, or with a driver so you can relax and enjoy the view. Car rental in Lombok is more expensive than Bali. Tip driver pocket money for meals if you stop for lunch or diner. If you are pleased with service, tip the driver or local guide at the end. If you collide with anything, or it collides with you, you are responsible for all costs.

Self drive cars are available in Senggigi and Mataram. You must have a valid Tourist, Indonesian or International Driving License. Test drive the car before paying in advanced. Take the Insurance coverage for vehicle damages. Book a car through reputable Car rental which includes insurance coverage in the price. TRAC (Toyota Rent a Car) located near Mataram Airport if you wish to get a good condition (well maintained) of car + full insurance.

INFORMATION

Senggigi Post Office located on the main street of Senggigi, opposite from Pamour Art & Antique shop. Health Centre or Puskesmas located near Hotel Puri Saron. Drugstore or Apotik available next to the gate of Intan Lombok Hotel. Dentist available at Meninting Puskesmas 10 minutes drive from Senggigi towards direction to the airport.

Bank BNI available during office hours 5 days a week located near the Post Office. ATM's (Automatic Teller Machine) are easy to find. ATM BCA, ATM BNI, ATM Mandiri are available, you can swift your credit card and withdraw local currency IDR (Rupiah).

Police office located in Senggigi Art Market, near The Sheraton Senggigi Beach Resort. Telephone Service (Wartel) available near Melati Dua Hotel. Internet Cafes are: Millenium Internet (opposite Papaya Restaurant) and Star Internet Service located in Senggigi Plaza with dedicated broadband speed at reasonable rates. Cellular phone in Indonesia is GSM and CDMA. If you have brought your cellular handphone, you can purchase prepaid calling cards to make outgoing calls at lower cost than calling on your home SIM. Shops which sell these cards are prolific. Major service providers are: Telkomsel, Satelindo and XL Ritel. Look for signs and banners with those markings.

Money changers are available almost in every corner of Senggigi. Double count your money before leaving the money changers to get the accurate amount. Hotel reception also change foreign money with lower rates.

Mini markets are located next to Bank BNI and near the Papaya Cafe.

Local Indonesian Foods sells nasi campur and warung Padang can be found right opposite from Taman Restaurant and another one is Rumah Makan Senang next to Bank BNI. During the night time, you can find the famous Nasi Goreng at Warung Cak Poer.

Tipping

Most larger hotels and restaurants automatically add Government Tax and Service charge up to 21% to the bill. Tipping is expected in main tourist area, but you're not compelled to tip at restaurants. If you like your driver or local tour guide, a tip of 10-15% is appreciated. Carry small changes with you as taxi drivers often have none. Airport or hotel porters expect Rp. 2000 - 10,000 per bag depending on the size and weights.

Disabled

Wheelchair ramps and van lifts are non existent. Many major hotels have limited handicapped facilities and accommodation. Advise your tour operators or hotel for special assistance.

Source: http://www.lombok-network.com/senggigi/

Kuta is a town in southern Bali, Indonesia.

Kuta mainstreet
Location in Bali
Kuta Location in Indonesia
Coordinates: 8°44′S 115°10′E / -8.733, 115.167
Country	Indonesia
Province	Bali

Bali All Travel-Kuta is a town in southern Bali, Indonesia. A former fishing village, it was one of the first towns on Bali to see substantial tourist development, and as a beach resort remains one of Indonesia's major tourist destinations. It is known internationally for its long sandy beach, varied accommodation, many restaurants and bars, and substantial Australian population. It is located near Bali's Ngurah Rai Airport.

Kuta was the site of the October 12, 2002 Bali bombing (202 killed) and the October 1, 2005 Bali bombing (26 killed).

Kuta is now the center of an extensive tourist-oriented urban area that merges into the neighboring towns. Legian, to the north, is the commercial hub of Kuta and the site of many restaurants and entertainment spots. Most of the area's big beachfront hotels are in the southern section of Tuban.

Legian and Seminyak are northern extensions of Kuta along Jl. Legian and Jl. Basangkasa. They are somewhat quieter suburbs with cottage-style accommodations, where many of the expat crowd live. Also to the north are Petitenget, Berawa, Canggu, and Seseh - new and quieter continuations of Kuta's beach. They are easy to reach through Abian Timbul or Denpasar and Kerobokan. Several large hotels are located in this area: the Oberoi Bali, Hard Rock Hotel Bali, the Intan Bali Village, the Legian in Petitenget, the Dewata Beach and the Bali Sani Suites in Berawa.

To the south, Kuta Beach extends beyond the airport into Jimbaran. Other nearby towns and villages include Seseh (6.4 nm), Denpasar (4.5 nm), Ujung (1.8 nm), Pesanggaran (2.0 nm), Kedunganan (2.9 nm) and Tuban (1.0 nm).

The Balinese Provincial Government have taken the view that the preservation of the Balinese culture, natural resources and wildlife are of primary importance in the development of the island. To this end they have limited tourist development to the peninsula on the extreme southern aspect of the island; Kuta beach is on the western side of this peninsula and Sanur is on the east. To the north of the peninsula no new tourist development is supposedly permitted.