Indonesia beautiful country

ACEH

Aceh

Nicknamed "Mecca's front verandah”, the special territory of Aceh, Indonesia’s nothemmost province, bears witness to many centuries of Islamic tradition. About 18 km east of Lhokseumawe along the Pasai Beach are the remains of the royal graves of Indonesia’s first Moslem kingdom. Today, Islamic predominance in Aceh is attested by the many mosques, of which the Baiturrahman Mosque in the heart of Banda Aceh, the provincial capital, is the most striking.

Indonesia’s largest national park, Gunung Leuser, located in Aceh, is accessible from Kotacane or Takengon, in south-eastern Aceh, as well as from Medan in North Sumatra.

RIAU

Traditional Clothes

The geographic location of the Province of Riau is quite strategic, particularly being on the commercial waterway of the Strait of Malacca, which also made aculturation with other cultures possible. There are several historic remains in Riau, such as the ancient "Muara Takus” Hindu temple dating back to the 9th century A.D., the old palace of Sultan Sri Indrapura built in 1832.

The island of Batam, apart from being built as an industrial complex, is also one of the tourist destination areas.

NORTH SUMATRA

Lake Toba

The most ancient cultures are found here dating back to prehistoric times which form the basis of the province’s cultural background and tradition.

North Sumatra and adjacent islands have many sites of interest, among others : Hilismatano, a village on the island of Nias with ancient traditional houses; the Sipisopiso Waterfall; Pematang Purba, a 200-year-old village, famous for the houses of its tribal chiefs; Lake Toba, one of the largest and highest inland lakes in the world; the island of Samosir in the middle of Lake Toba; Bawomataluo Village, 400 metres above sea level and accessible by 480 stone steps; and the Great Mosque in Medan.

WEST SUMATRA

Traditional Minang House

The home of the matrilineal Minangkabau people is the charming land of West Sumatra. It is a region of spectacular natural beauty. Scattered through its highland terrain are picturesque lakes, suitable for sailing, fishing and swimming. Bukittinggi the province’s lovelist city on the slope of the Bukit Barisan (Marching Mountains) is about 80 km from the coastal capital Padang. The region is also rich in specialities such as the horn-shaped museum, the magnificent Sianok Canyon, etc..

SOUTH SUMATRA

Ampera Bridge

South Sumatra province with its capital city Palembang is renowned as the center of historical remains of the Srivijaya Kingdom. Musi, the second longest river of the country, flows across the center of Palembang and divides this provincial capital city into two parts. These parts are linked by the Ampera bridge, under which a traffic of passenger as well as freight vessels continuously go through. This province offers visitors a variety of traditional art and culture, such as the Gending Srivijaya, Tanggai, Dana and Sekapur Sirih dances or the Ibung-ibung, Kabile-bile. Dulmuhik and Batang Hari Sembilan folksongs.

Lake Ranau, Mt. Dempo, Pagar Alam Waterfall, Matras coast and Tanjung Kelayang coast offer scenic beauty and fresh air, aside from ar-chaeologic sites. Other tourist attractions in this province show very promising.

JAKARTA

Jakarta

The capital of Indonesia, with more than 7 million people on the island of Java, is one of the country’s major destination areas for foreign tourists. It is also the center of the country’s government, trade and commerce.

Jakarta is a living manifestation of Indonesia’s past and present, reflecting the nation's historic, cultural, political and economic aspects.

WEST JAVA

Rice plant

It is a land of peace and scenic beauty and within easy reach from Jakarta. West Java’s soil is fertile, and its northern plains are dotted with rice granaries and with tea, rubber and quinine estates and plantations. It has several nature reserves; one of them, Ujung Kulon, is the home of the nearly extinct one-homed Java rhino. Pulau Dua, another reserve, is a sanctuary for migrating birds.

The capital of West Java is Bandung, a hill station with its impressive panorama of sloping mountains and the crater of Mt. Tangkubanperahu (upturned boat), an active vulcano.

West Java's popular arts include the Angklung music (played on unique bamboo instruments), the Wayang Golek (costumed wooden puppets) and several traditional dances.

CENTRAL JAVA

Buddhist temple

Central Java is renowned for its landscapes and temples. Its most famous temple is the Buddhist temple of Borobudur. Located on a hill overlooking lush green rice fields outside Yogyakarta, the temple built in the eighth century, contains an impressive collection of Buddhist reliefs.

Besides, on the Dieng plateau at an altitude of 6,880 feet above sea level stand the ruins of centuries-old Hindu temples named after heroes of the Mahabharata.

YOGYAKARTA

Batik maker

Famous for being the cradle of Javanese art and culture. Tradition comes to life at festivities like the Grebeg and Sekaten celebrated in all grandeur. They bring about a serene atmosphere of centuries-old-Javanese customs and rituals.

Tourists visiting Yogyakarta usually make it a point to visit the Batik Research Center, where the unique techniques of batik manufacturing are studied and improved, and the Prambanan Hindu temples with the main Shiva temple forming the natural setting of the "Ramayana Ballet” performance at moonlit nights.

Arts and crafts flourish in Yogyakarta, as skilled craftsmen produce leather wayang puppets, leather parchment carvings, bamboo handicrafts, silverware, batik and various other handicrafts and souvenirs, using centuries-old techniques.

EAST JAVA

Bromo Mountain

It offers to tourists many objects of historic interest. Buddhist Sanctuaries and Hindu temples comprising many architectural splendor are impressive legacies of past empires including the powerful and extensive Majapahit Empire of the late 13th century. Indeed almost every village, town and city in East Java seems to have its own unique historic relics and legends.

Famous for their magnificent scenery in this province are Mt. Bromo and the Sand Sea, and the Mountain resorts of Tretes and Pandaan.

The otherwise tranquil island of Madura is disrupted occasionally during each year by the bull races or "Karapan Sapi."

NORTH SULAWESI

Minahasa traditional clothes

The province comprises the northeastern arm of the island of Sulawesi, and Manado, the capital of the province, which is relatively a sophisticated town. There are good beaches, coral reefs and plenty of speedboats or sailing-boats for rent.

Centuries of foreign influence has resulted in a fascinating conglomerate of traditions and cultures. The Spanish and Portuguese traders of the 16th century brought the first European influence to the Minahasan people.

BALI

Bali

This "Island of thousands Temples" is also frequently referred to as an island of unending festivals. Bali is a lush, exotic and extremely colorful island that has attracted both domestic and foreign visitors for centuries.

Religion and art form the core of the rich Balinese culture, and village life take place around them. Almost everyday there are temple festivals (there are about 20,000 temples) > and visitors will see women wearing colorful costumes carrying in procession bountiful offerings on their heads for religious ceremonies.

Bali is famous for its shops and galleries, and its artists who produce stone and wood carvings, highly ornamental gold and silver jewelry, traditional paintings and women "songket” fabrics in bright • colors.

SOUTH SULAWESI

Toraja village

The mountains of South Sulawesi present a fantastic panorama of nature’s beauty and the long drive from Ujung Pandang to Tana Toraja has its rewards. Further north through a rugged country is 'Tana Toraja" the land of the Toraja people known for their grand and unique burial ceremonies and cliffs of hanging graves.

The most elaborate ceremony on the island is the "Feast of the Dead", a lavish and expensive funeral event which lasts several days and is accorded only to people of the nobility.

EAST KALIMANTAN

Mahakam river

East Kalimantan’s main attraction is the culture of its Dayak tribes who live in long houses along the rivers which crisscross the province.

One of the most scenic trips in East Kalimantan is the sailing up of the Mahakam river. The people, who live in remote areas along the rivers maintain their beliefs in the supernatural and ancestral worship.

Kersik Luway is known for its orchid forest which is supervised by the Nature Preservation and Conservation Directorate. Of particular interest is the black orchid which blooms between September and December.

WEST NUSATENGGARA

West Nusatenggara traditional clothes

Part of West Nusatenggara, Lombok, lies across the Strait of Bali. Still unspoilt, it has some of the culture and arts of the Balinese and is easily accessible by ferry and by air from Bali and Surabaya.

The island's attractions are its white sand beaches, the summer palace at Namada and the floating court of justice of Taman Mayura.

The summer palace dates back to 1805, built by the Balinese king of Karangasem and has beautiful terraced gardens, bathing pools and a lake.

MALUKU

Maluku

Relics of the old days of the Spice Trade are found on Banda, Saparua and other islands of Central Maluku. The old Dutch fortress "Duurstede” on Saparua was the site of batdes during the 1817 popular uprisings led by Thomas Matulessy against the Dutch East India Company. The Banda islands were famous during the 16th and 17th centuries for their nutmeg plantations. A former mansion of East India Company governor generals, an old Lutheran church, old stately houses and a fortress are among the island's reminders of the days of the spice trade.

Ceram is one of the largest islands of Maluku (Moluccas), and on this island is the Musela National Park. The sea gardens of Banda are especially famous.

EAST NUSATENGGARA

Komodo

Komodo is a small island of 280 square km, located between the islands of Sumbawa and Flores. Barren except for palm trees, Komodo Island is famous for its pre-historic giant lizards which are considered the last of their kind remaining in the world today. The Varanus Komodoensis can grow to a length of three metres and lives on carrions of goats, deer and even the carcases of its own kind.

Flores island has good beaches and a unique tourist attraction, the three crater lakes of Kelimutu mountain each having different color.

TRANSPORTATION

Garuda Indonesia

Air services are available to all provincial and district capitals and other remote areas operated by Garuda Indonesia, Merpati Nusantara Airlines, Lion Air, Mandala Airlines, Batavia Air, etc.

Garuda Indonesia, the national flag carrier, operates both international and domestic scheduled services. In Indonesia it serves 33 cities including all the provincial capitals. The only airline using jet aircraft on domestic routes, it has several flights daily from Jakarta to destinations of commercial and touristic importance, such as Bali, Medan, Ujungpandang, Manado and Yogyakarta.