Indonesia Travel Blog

This week Komodo Dragon is on the lowest rank of Most International Votes for the New 7 Wonders of Nature. You can see the detail at rank page of new7wonders.com, just click here!

Therefore, we need more International votes... more votes from all of you who stay outside of Indonesia (the original country of Komodo). To vote, just go to voting page of new7wonders website, just click here!

Bangka Belitung Island is a province with archipelago nomenclature. Broadly regional entirely 81, 725, 14 km sq, land width is 16, 424, 14 km sq and wide territorial water is 65,301 km sq, 20% among others represent territorial water of rock. 

Consist of 2 big islands, Bangka Island and Belitung Island and also 254 isletssurrounding them with coastal length is 1,200 kmsq, divided in 7 sub-provinces. 

With excellence of comparability and supported by regional ecosystem of archipelago, coastal area and the island with the other, Bangka Belitung present marine tourism (diving, scuba, snorkeling, fishing and sailing). 

Jambi Province with total area of about 5,343,700 hectares consists of 9 regencies and one municipality. The Topography of Jambi provinces generally vary from low land areas in the east and hills and mountainous in the west.  Mountainous areas are mostly in Kerinci regency. 

The natural resources with wealthy biodiversity are represented in four national parks such as Kerinci Seblat National Park, Berbak National Park, Bukit Dua Belas National Park, and Bukit Tiga Puluh National Park. Each of the national parks has own characteristic and typical biodiversity.

Saturday was Kuningan, an important holiday in Bali. Kuningan takes place ten days after Galungan, and represents the day when the spirits ascend into heaven. Kuningan takes its name from the fact that special offerings of yellow rice (nasi kuning) are made by coloring ordinary white rice with tumeric (kunyit). 

It is a happy holiday, with everybody visiting the temple dressed in their best finery. Elaborate offerings of food and drink are brought to the temple, as well as placed in the many shrines in homes, restaurants and stores. Everybody is in a pretty good mood; most people have the day off, and kids have been on school holiday for the past ten days. Most stores and restaurants are closed, at least until the afternoon. 

This was also the day I visited the Ubud Palace. While Indonesia is now a republic with democratically elected leaders, Balinese royalty is still viewed with respect. The royal family stills lives in the palace, though with little real power. 

The Monkey Forest in Ubud is mentioned in just about every travel book or article about Bali. It wasn’t far from where I was staying, the entrance fee was modest, and monkeys are cute, right? 

I’d been warned to not bring anything with me into the park. Some things, like plastic bags, might be harmful to the monkeys. Other things, like backpacks, water bottles, and hats, the monkeys might steal from you. I left my hat at the hotel, my water bottle at the gate, and kept my camera firmly clutched in my hot little hand. 

Shortly inside the gate I came across a German woman who had not heeded the warnings. A young monkey had grabbed onto the hanging strap from her backpack and quickly scampered up her back onto her shoulder. That was all well and good until said monkey proceeded to try to eat her hair. (Note to self: When visiting monkeys, do not use shampoo that smells like fruit.) 

One of the greatest kingdoms in Indonesian history, the Buddhist Empire of Sriwijaya, prospered along the banks of Musi River in South Sumatra over a thousand years ago. Located on the southern-most rim of the South China Sea, close to the one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes linking the Far East with Europe, the Region’s historical background is rich and colourful. 

The Sriwijaya kingdom practised a bustling and incrative trade with ancient China during its era of powerful dynasties. In 672 the Chinese scholar, I Tsing, recorded that a thousand monks and scholars could be seen translating and studying Sanskrit in Palembang. 

Riau Archipelago with Tanjung Pinang as the capital  city Is blessed of a lot potential tourism objects, beautiful beaches, and culture attractions. It is located at the crossroads of one of the world’s oldest and busiest maritime routes and well reputes as an ideal stop over for trade and commerce. 

Riau Archipelago was once home a sea gypsies cruising its rich mangroves forest and waterways. Moreover, it was on this island that the Sultan of Malacca found refuge from Portuguese attack in the 16th century, mapping tales of the legen dary importance when Bintan thenceforth grew as the center of the powerful Johor Riau Sultanate.

The Raja Ampat, or "Four Kings," archipelago encompasses more than 9.8 million acres of land and sea off the northwestern tip of Indonesia’s West Papua Province. Located in the Coral Triangle, the heart of the world’s coral reef biodiversity, the seas around Raja Ampat possibly hold the richest variety of species in the world. 

Four large islands of Waigeo, Batanta, Salawati, and Misool, plus hundreds of smaller islands area known as the Bird’s Head functional seascape, which also contains Cenderawasih Bay, the largest marine national park in Indonesia.

Located off the northwest tip of Bird’s Head Peninsula on the island of New Guinea, Raja Ampat, or the Four Kings, is an archipelago comprising over 1,500 small islands and encompasses more than 9.8 million acres (40,000 km²) of land and sea.

Local people drag stone grave to go up to their village. This is a part of Sumba traditional funeral ceremony.
Waikabubak - West Sumba, Nusa Tenggara Timur, Indonesia.

Much of its highland formed by the Bukit Barisan Mountain range; virgin jungle inhabited by elephants, tigers, leopard and rhinos. Minang people has firey hot dishes and ancient matriarchal customs. The women own property and the men leave home to seek their fame and fortune. Travelling is considered a mark of success, Padang restaurants are found in all major towns across the nation. 

The people are hospitable and eloquent; primarily speak bahasa Minang, with poetic style of speech. West Sumatran days are filled with colourful ceremonies and festivals. Legend has it the Minang kabau are descendants of the youngest son of Alexander the Great, King Maharjo Dirajo. During the early 19th century, the area was disrupted by wars between the followers of the traditional Islam or Padris, and those adhering to the traditional law (Adat) of the Minangkabau.