Batam Island

May 20, 2014 | admin

Batam Island is part of Indonesia, and is located about 40 km south of Singapore. There are several hotels and resorts on the island, as well as plenty of tourist attractions, 7 international golf courses, shopping centers and restaurants, and a few nice beaches for swimming or taking the kids to.

SIGHTS & ATTRACTIONS

Most of the attractions that Batam Island has to offer to its visitors include fine beach resorts, natural wilderness, breathtaking landscape and exotic nightlife. Apart from the typical luxury, however, there exist several places that are among the landmarks of the island and are worth visiting.

• Maha Vihara Duta Maitreya Buddhist Temple is a major attraction in Batam as being one of the biggest Buddhist temples in South-East Asia. Located in Batam Centre the temple hosts one statue of Buddha as well as two other statues of the Goddess of Mercy. There is a souvenir shop and a restaurant within the temple’s district.
• Vihara Buddhi Bhakti Temple is a typical Chinese temple in the town of Nagoya. At present it is used by the locals for their daily prayers and religious rituals.
• Waterfront City is among the nicest resort areas on Batam Island. It is situated on the west coast and it mainly attracts visitors from Singapore. The resort is famous not only for its beaches but also for the variety of sports and water sports that are available there, including cable water skiing, Step 1 Go Karts and many others. Most of the hotels offer spa treatment and massages that continue to astonish their guests.
• Vietnamese Refugee Village can be visited in Pulau Galang. It was the home to many Vietnamese refugees who escaped from their county between 1972 and 2001 and sought shelter in Batam. The Indonesian government allowed them to live in the region, where they developed their own town by building a school, hospital, cemetery and temples. What is left of their lifestyle can still be seen almost intact in the area.
• Jembatan Barelang Bridge is actually a chain of bridges that connect the 6 islands of Batam. The view from all of them is magnificent and many tourists visit the bridges exactly for the sake of aesthetics and in order to take some pictures of the nature on the island.

AIRPORT or FERRY

Reaching Batam is possible by either flying there from Jakarta or Malaysia, or by using the ferry services that provide transportation from Singapore or Malaysia.

• Hang Nadim International Airport is an airport located at the east side of the island and serves mainly domestic flights to and from other Indonesian destinations. The airport is only 30 minutes drive from Nagoya, the capital of the island. The easiest way to get to the city centre is by taking a taxi. Taxis from the airport are not metered but the drivers have a list of destinations for fixed prices.
• Penguin Ferry and Batam Fast are the most frequent ferry companies that operate between Singapore and Batam every hour for a price of $ 30 and additional 3 dollars for insurances. There are five ferry terminals in Batam, the major one of which is Batam Centre. The journey takes about 45 minutes. Upon arrival you may be confronted with taxi drivers trying to offer you a ride to the city centre. Bargain the price before you agree to it.

LOCAL TRANSPORTATION

Several means of transportation are available in Batam:

• The local buses operate in fixed directions and can be stopped on the street as a taxi. Make sure that the bus is going into your direction before you take it.
• Damri buses are the cheapest way of getting around, though unreliable from a frequency point of view. Fares start at Rp.1000.
• Taxis are metered but you should negotiate the price in advance because most drivers in Batam don’t use the meter. Unless you tell the driver you don’t want to share the cab, he will pick up other passengers. Prices for a shared taxi vary from Rp. 8000 to Rp. 10,000. It is also possible to hire the car for the whole day. Prices: around Rp.150,000 to Rp. 200,000 per day.
• Ojek is another cheap means of transport, namely a motorcycle taxi. Bargain the price before you get on. It is usually around Rp. 3000 Rp. 6000 for short distances.

HISTORY

The settlement history of Batam as well as that of its adjacent islands goes back to 231 A.D. as some Chinese chronicles state. The region has been under the influence of different kingdoms, beginning with the Malacca Kingdom from the 13th century. Later, in 1824 the Dutch and the English split the area and ruled it until it became under the power of the Riau Lingga Kingdom. The trajectory of the Batam history absolutely changed its way when in 1969 the island became a base for the oil exploration of a state-owned oil company. Two years later it was designated an industrial area and since the Batam Authority was formed in 1975, it has continually grown into a duty-free zone with expanding industrial business and great seafood for its visitors.

Island In The Sunda Strait

May 5, 2014 | admin

Krakatoa, also spelled as Krakatao, is an island in the Sunda Strait in Indonesia. It is a volcanic island, and its name is used for the volcano, the island and the island group as well. In 1883, the most well-known eruption of Krakatoa cemented its place as one of the most famous volcanoes in history. This eruption was among one of the most violent anywhere in human history. This eruption had the explosive power equivalent to 13,000 times the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima. It ejected about twenty-one cubic kilometers of ash, rock and pumice.

The explosion was heard as far away as Perth in Australia, which is 1930 miles away, and on the island of Rodrigues, about three thousand miles away. Near Krakatoa, 166 towns and villages were destroyed, and 130+ cities severely damaged. More than 36,000 people were killed, with many thousand others having been injured. Tsunamis after the eruption caused many of the deaths.

Further eruptions at the site since then have actually built up new land in the same area as the original island. Its name is Anak Krakatau, which is Indonesian for “Child of Krakatoa”. This island is about two kilometers around, and at its highest point, is 300 meters high. The island grows at a rate of 5 meters a year. In an area with many destructive and famous volcanoes, Krakatoa still stands alone. The strait in Indonesia has over 130 active volcanoes, by far the most of any nation in the world. The volcanoes make up the axis of the island arc system of Indonesia. Most of the strait’s volcanoes lie along the two largest islands, Sumatra and Java.

Volcanologists have put forward the belief that a violent eruption of Krakatoa in 535 A.D. may have been the catalyst for a global climate change that took place in 535 and 536 A.D. There isn’t any datable charcoal from that eruption that has been found to date. But this could speak of the size of Krakatoa’s caldera. Krakatoa, one of the most famous volcanoes, is also called “The Fire Mountain” by early historians, with seven eruptions tentatively dated from 850 to 1530 A.D.

Since 1950, Anak Krakatau has grown at a rate of five inches per week. The island is still very active; its most recent eruption began in 1994. Quiet periods numbering days have alternated with continuous Strombolian eruptions, and occasionally larger explosions. The most recent eruption started in 2008, when lava, rocks and hot gases were released. Volcanologists who monitor the volcano have warned area residents, boaters and tourists to stay out of a three km zone around the island.

5 Most Beautiful Beaches In Indonesia

May 5, 2014 | admin

Indonesia offers everyone the best available choices of the most beautiful beaches in the world. Here are five most beautiful beaches in Indonesia:

1. Balikpapan

Is an Indonesian seaport located in the eastern coast of Borneo island. This is small city that is clean with its clear blue skies and a secluded city. Not of the city life is seen so one can always enjoy a peaceful and quiet visit in this lovely place. The can be reached via plane, or car rides and ferry rides. There are lots to be seen in the place including the beautiful and attractive beaches together with the other establishments found in the place. This is a very ideal place for people who wants a fun beach vacation but wants to have a serene and quiet time without the may noise.

2. Manado

the capital of one of Indonesia’s provinces which is the North Sulawesi. This is a very beautiful beach bay that is a resident area for many locals. There are also other attraction sites here apart from the coast. There are lots of tarsiers found here that makes the place very well known. And everyone will enjoy seeing these animals once they visit Manado beach bay.

3. Makassars

the capital of South Sulawesi and is the largest city in the island. The beaches are here are pretty crowded during weekends that make this beach very well known. Visitors of the beach can enjoy picnics and a swim to the waters with their family and friends.

4. Jayapura

where the best beaches in Indonesia are found specially the amazing Amai beach that is a famous beach in Indonesia and a perfect getaway place for lots of beach and nature lovers.

5. Ambon Island

Part of Indonesia’s Maluku Islands that is mountainous and very attractive. During the months October and April are the best time to go for a beach trip in Ambon when the summer heat is on without the heavy rains and cloudy skies. This is a perfect place for families to spend their summer vacation trips.

Here are the top five most beautiful and must see beaches in Indonesia. There are other beautiful and attractive beaches in this wonderful country that will surely delight everyone who visits the. Explore them all when you visit Indonesia and have the best vacation of all.

Places To See In Indonesia

February 17, 2014 | admin

Dreaming of getting in one of the beaches in Bali? If you love nature and unforgettable and romantic beach expertise, Indonesia is the optimum place for you. Character and culture include the highlights of Indonesian tourism. The country’s tourism is focused on tropical destinations that’s why the accommodations and resorts are becoming developed. The region is in addition a residence to 7 entire world heritage web sites declared by UNESCO.

The natural ecosystem on the land is well-preserved due to the fact among the 17,000 islands, the only inhabited islands are 6,000. Diving and surfing will be the pursuits that most tourists do in a rural area. Since Indonesia has 17,000 islands, there are many diving and surfing internet sites all around the nation. A few of the diving internet sites are Bunaken at the tip of Sulawesi, Tulamben Bay in Bali, Nusa Lembongan, and Nusa Penida. As for the surfing web sites, there are lots of surf breaks along Sumatra, Aceh, Bali, Banten, Sumbawa, and Mentawai Islands. G-Land inside Bay of Grajagan and Lagundri Bay in Nias island are the two popular surf breaks in Indonesia.

Except for the diving, surfing, and beach hopping, there are many our natural resources in Indonesia by which six of them are listed as entire world heritage sites. The largest our natural resources in Sumatra include the Gunung Leuser National Park which is 9,500 sq km, Kerinci Seblat Nationwide Park that is 13,750 sq km, along with the Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park which is 3,568 sq km. The nature preserve the endangered animals like Sumatran elephants, Javan rhinoceros, and Orangutans.

Borobudur Temple Compound in Central Java constructed throughout the 8th century is one of the heritage websites. Other heritage sites are Prambanan Temple Compound, and Sangiran Early Man Website. These are the areas that you shouldn’t miss when you are in Indonesia. You should also pay a trip to Yogakarta where lots of galleries are located for you to check out the Indonesia art and lifestyle.