Photo credit: faktakita.com

When you visit Magetan Regency in East Java, Sarangan Lake is a must-visit destination. In the area, there is the Geniangit tourist village, which has become a new icon of tourism in Magetan. The village offers stunning natural views of Magetan. After exploring and visiting various interesting tourist spots in Magetan, don't forget to buy some local souvenirs before you leave. One of them is Jerangking. Jerangking is a traditional snack from Magetan known for its savory and crispy taste.

Jerangking is made from simple ingredients: glutinous rice, grated coconut, salt, and tapioca flour. The process begins by mixing all the ingredients, and then cutting them into thin squares. These pieces are then dried in the sun. After that, Jerangking is grilled over charcoal until it is dry and turns brownish.

Jerangking has a crispy texture with a savory flavor. The snack is perfect to enjoy with coffee or hot sweet tea. If you're interested in buying Jerangking, you can find it at souvenir shops or traditional markets in Magetan. It's relatively affordable, priced at about 20,000 to 25,000 rupiahs, or about 1.3 to 1.6 US dollars per package.

There are many tourism villages in West Java. One of the most famous tourism villages is Mekarbuana Tourism Village in Karawang. This village has beautiful and calming natural scenery. Surrounded by lush green rice fields, fragrant coffee plantations, and dense durian orchards, it thrives due to its location at the foot of Mount Sanggabuana. Being in the mountains, the village provides a comfortable atmosphere and cool air. Mekarbuana Village, located in the southernmost part of Tegalwaru District, Karawang Regency, is a green oasis offering stunning natural beauty amidst Karawang’s industrial reputation.

Mekarbuana Village has a uniqueness not found in many other places in Karawang Regency. In this village, visitors can enjoy a contrasting experience of lush green natural beauty against the backdrop of a district known as an industrial area. The village's coffee and durian plantations offer not only beautiful scenery, but also an opportunity for travellers to learn about the planting and harvesting of these two popular commodities in Karawang.

When visiting Mekarbuana Tourism Village, located about 42 km from the center of Karawang city, be sure to explore the coffee and durian plantations, which are one of the village's main attractions. Don’t miss the chance to enjoy fresh durian, picked straight from the tree during the harvest season from September to March. In addition to natural and agro-tourism, culinary and cultural attractions are also abundant in this village. The top natural spots include Cigentis Waterfall, Bandung Waterfall, and the scenic Cigentis River in the rocky terrain of Mekarbuana Village. Moreover, there’s culinary tourism, such as Wakil Enim Café, offering authentic Sundanese cuisine.

Photo credit: dispar.kotawaringinbaratkab.go.id

West Kotawaringinregency in Central Kalimantan recently celebrated its 65th anniversary on October 3rd. In honor of this occasion, we recommend one of West Kotawaringin’s top tourist destinations, Kubu Beach. Kubu Beach is one of the most popular beaches in West Kotawaringin, offering stunning views with its white-brown sand. The seawater at Kubu Beachis brown affected by the surrounding peat forests. It takes around 5.3 kilometers or about 1.5 hours to reach Kubu Beach from the center of West Kotawaringin regency.

To enter Kubu Beach, visitors must pay an entrance fee of 5.000 rupiah or less than half a US dollar per pax. The area extends about three kilometers with two entrances, the Crocodile Gate and the Crab Gate. Those who enter through the Crab Gate can see a wooden pier 300 meters from the shore, and those coming through the Crocodile Gate will also find recreational activities such as banana boats and boat rentals. You can rent a boat for 10.000 rupiah or less than one US dollar per pax.

At Kubu Beach, you can cool off by swimming in the sea. If that's not enough, there’s also a freshwater swimming pool located by the beach. For those who prefer a more relaxing experience, there are pavilions where you can sit back and enjoy local cuisine. Several food stalls offer a variety of seafood, including squid, clams, crabs, horseshoe crabs, and fresh iced coconut water. Also, there are souvenir shops selling traditional Kalimantan crafts, and it’s perfect to take home a piece of your trip. If you wish to stay overnight, plenty of accommodations and homestays are available near Kubu Beach.

Photo source: Shutterstock/Bambang Wijaya/Kemenparekraf

Loksado is one of sub-districts in Hulu Sungai Selatan district, South Kalimantan province. It is located approximately 185 kilometres from Banjarmasin, the capital of South Kalimantan province. Loksado is located in the Meratus mountains and is one of the natural tourism areas with cultural attractions of the hill dayak community, the indigenous tribe of the Meratus mountains.

For its own natural tourism, Loksado is blessed with at least 8 beautiful waterfalls. In this edition, we will introduce one of the eight waterfalls that have become the main destination in Loksado, namely Haratai Waterfall.

To get to Haratai Waterfall, which is quite far, you can use private vehicles or public transportation. If you are using public transport, just choose the one that goes to Kandangan, the capital of Hulu Sungai Selatan district. From Kandangan to Loksado, the journey takes about 1 hour.

After arriving in Loksado, the journey continues to Haratai village which is about 20 kilometres away. From Loksado to the location of the Haratai Waterfall attraction can only be travelled by two-wheeled vehicles. The terrain is also quite extreme. The 9-kilometre road climbs and descends with an estimated steepness of up to 60 degrees. The width of the road at some points is no more than 1.5 metres, with a ravine or river on one side. For those without a vehicle, you can rent a motorbike or use a motorbike taxi service. The car park is about 100 metres from the waterfall. From the car park, you have to walk and cross the suspension bridge until you reach the counter. You have to pay the entrance fee of IDR 5,000 per person.

Arriving at the location of Haratai waterfall, you will be amazed by its beauty. Haratai Waterfall is about 20 metres high and has three levels. The water discharge is quite large so it is very difficult to swim around the waterfall. Especially if it rains. During the dry season, the water discharge is not too heavy.

Below the waterfall, there is a lake that can be used for bathing or just soaking. For bathing, the tour manager provides tyres for visitors. For those of you who don't want to soak in the clear water of Haratai waterfall, you can take pictures with the background of the waterfall.

Haratai Waterfall is open daily from 7am to 5pm local time. At this tourist location, there is a gazebo to rest while enjoying the atmosphere, there is also a place to change clothes. If you want to spend the night, there are many inns around Loksado.

Photo source: mr. siraphol/freepik/RRI

The location of Torohudan beach in Kanigoro village, Saptosari sub-district, Gunungkidul district, Special Region of Yogyakarta, is hidden behind the fields and rice fields of residents. This beach can be said to be a new touris attraction but has become a favorite for anglers. One of the reasons why not many visitors come to visit this beach is because of its remote location and difficult access. Vehicles can only reach the parking area, beyond that visitors have to walk through fields or rice fields with steep and up and down roads for approximately 10-15 minutes to the beach.

As soon as you enter the Torohudan beach area, you will be greeted with a cool atmosphere thanks to the trees growing around it and the view of the blue and calming sea water. On the right and left sides of the beach there are two cliffs that flank this beach. The sand is white and tends to be rough. The calm waves are safe for swimming or just playing in the water. The calming sound of the waves, the wide expanse of sand and the gentle sea breeze really bring a peaceful sensation. The stunning natural beauty of the beach that spoils the eyes has a positive effect on mental and physical health.

Surrounded by cliffs and green trees adds to the beauty of the beach. In addition to taking pictures, visitors to Torohudan beach can also enjoy various interesting activities such as swimming, playing in the water and also camping. Torohudan beach is indeed an ideal place to enjoy the natural beauty at night. In addition, the view of the sunset at Torohudan beach is very beautiful and romantic.

If you want to visit this beach, you must pass through a path and rocks that are quite steep and extreme and take time because they require caution. However, the difficult journey will not be in vain when you reach the beach area, because you will be presented with the view of a very beautiful beach. It is better to avoid coming during the rainy season, because access is rather difficult to pass.

Torohudan Beach with its uniqueness and beauty, is about 50 km from the center of Yogyakarta. This beach is very suitable as a tourist destination for those who are looking for tranquility, as well as an exotic experience in Yogyakarta.

Photo credit: visitingjogja.jogjaprov.go.id

Jogja is not only famous as a student city but also known for its various natural attractions. In Gunung Kidul, there is a new beach that is still beautiful and decorated with corals, namely Mbuluk Beach, which is one of the beaches in Jogja that offers a calm atmosphere. The beach has a coastline of about 25 meters long and is considered a small beach in Kemadang village, Tanjung district, Gunung Kidul. It is hidden. Therefore, the atmosphere is still beautiful and calm.

Even though Mbuluk Beach is hidden and not many people know its existence, the panoramic beauty of Mbuluk Beach is so stunning and worth exploring. With its beautiful natural scenery and serene atmosphere, this beach is the perfect choice for tranquillity seekers and nature lovers. This beach tourism attraction is decorated with two large corals. One of the rocks is shaped like a cave with sharp rocks.In this beach, besides having white sand, and many coral reefs, here you can also find lighthouses. Visitors can also get to the top of the cliff by climbing the stairs and from the top, you can see an enchanting view that can also be used as a good photo background. To enjoy the view from the top of this cliff, visitors have to pay an additional fee of Rp 3,000. In the beach area, there is also access in the form of a wooden bridge as an exploration path, which will invite visitors to feel a different sensation of adventure. Besides, the scenery here is also Instagramable for taking pictures.

Its exotic coral rocks are also the main attraction of Mbuluk Beach. These coral rocks also create a natural ornament that is amazing. In addition, the rock caves in this area also offer an unforgettable exploration experience. For those of you looking for tranquillity and want to forget your daily routine for a moment, this cave is the perfect place to enjoy the peaceful atmosphere and beautiful natural beauty. To get to Mbuluk Beach, you can drive a car or motorcycle with a travel time of approximately 2 hours. The facilities are also complete so that you don't have to worry if you are hungry or thirsty. Mbuluk Gunung Kidul Jogja Beach can be visited every day because it never closes.

Photo credit: travellingindonesia.com/Istimewa

Jakarta in the past had a variety of culinary delights. Along with the development of the times, many of them are increasingly rare or even starting to become extinct. Setu Babakan, one of the tourist attractions in South Jakarta which is also the center of indigenous Jakarta known as Betawi culture, has a mission to maintain all the culinary riches that Jakarta has, one of which is es goyang.

Es goyang is actually not an original Betawi culinary delight, but comes from Bandung, West Java. According to the story, around the 90s, this es goyang migrated from Bandung and then became popular in Jakarta. Indeed it is somewhat similar to the world famous popsicle. It is called es goyang (es means ice, while goyang means to shake) because it comes from the process of producing it  which is by shaking the ingredients.

The es goyang seller's cart is equipped with a cooler in the form of a room or box underneath, filled with ice cubes. This cooler is then shaken by the seller while  pushing the ice cart everywhere. So an es goyang seller must be strong because in addition to pushing his ice cart he must also shake it from time to time. This es goyang is sometimes also called es lilin, because its long shape resembles a lilin or candle.

The ingredients for making es goyang consist of coconut milk, granulated sugar, food flavorings and color and the main ingredient is hunkwe or mung bean flour. This type of flour is widely sold in traditional markets in Jakarta.

In its development, to attract buyers, es goyang was made with various flavors. To get a variety of flavors, hunkwe flour is added with other ingredients such as avocado, durian, chocolate, strawberry and pandan.

The method of making es goyang is also not complicated. The ingredients are mixed until they reach a certain thickness, then the mixture is poured into a mold. The mold is then put into a cooler containing chunks of ice. Ice goyang seller carts usually have a fairly large cooler in the middle.

Before the ice mixture freezes, the es goyang is equipped with a skewer as a handle like a popsicle. After that, the cart is shaken so that the ice mixture freezes evenly. After choosing the flavor, you are given a choice for the es goyang topping. For example, sweet melted chocolate or savory roasted peanuts. Today, to preserve es goyang, now in shopping centers you can it put in the freezer.

Photo credit: dunia.indra.com/bob.kemenparekraf.go.id

Goa Kreo or Kreo Cave is one of many hidden cave sites in Indonesia. It offers an adventure into a fascinating underground world. Goa Kreo  is located in Dukuh Talun Kacang, Kandri Village, Mijen Sub-district, Semarang, Central Java. It is a tourism spot located in the hilly area of Mount Krincing. This area is a natural tourism destination with cool air.

Goa Kreo is a tourism destination located in a forest area with an area of five hectares. In this forest, there are a lot of trees that make the weather around cool. The Kreo cave tourism area has hundreds of monkeys of theMacaca Fascicularisethnicity or long-tailed monkeys which are the legend behind the name Kreo cave. Goa Kreo is unique, because although it is not so big, it is quite long and there are several more caves in it. Kreo itself means “take care”. It is considered that the monkeys guard the area from criminals.  The interesting part of this place is that tourists will pass a number of stairs surrounded by the Jatibarang reservoir. These stairs are the access to the cave.

Before the construction of the Jatibarang reservoir, which was built to overcome flooding in Semarang City, the hill where the monkeys live was integrated into the surrounding areas. But after the reservoir was filled with water, it looked like a small island. The cave area is usually used to shelter the monkeys when it rains. Kreo Cave has a wide room at the mouth of the cave and gets narrower as it is explored into the interior. Travelers exploring the cave must squat to reach the end of the cave which is a monkey statue. After exploring Kreo cave, you can immediately enjoy the beauty of Jatibarang reservoir.  In this area,  tourists can do activities, such as walking along the river, traveling by speedboat, riding a tour boat or fishing. Besides,  in the area,  you can also enjoy the sunrise and sunset.

Goa Kreo tour is open every day, Monday to Saturday from 6 AM to 6 PM. The ticket price for adults is Rp 4000 on Monday to Saturday and Rp 5000/person for Sunday and holidays.

Photo: RRI/Istimewa

If you are a culinary lover, the city of Makassar in South Sulawesi, Indonesia should be your travel destination, because the city is rebranding itself as the city of Eating Good. Makassar Mayor Danny Pomanto recommends a 24-hour culinary tour if you come to Makassar.

Danny further explained, in the morning around 5am to 6am is the time to eat songkolo. This dish is made from rice mixed with dried fish and roasted coconut. From 6 to 8 am is the time to eat Yellow rice. Then 8am-10am forcoto Makassar beef soup. Then 10am-12pm it's time for pallubasa (offal soup).

From 12-15pm, there are various seafood dishes for lunch. At 15 -17 pm it's time for konro rib soup. Then for dinner there are various dishes, such as sup saudara (spicy beef soup) and Mi Titi noodle. For those who like to stay up late and want to eat coto, there is coto Bagadang.

From the various food specialties of Makassar, this time we introduce one of them, namely sup konro or pallu konro (rib soup). It originates from Bugis and Makassar traditions.  The word konro itself in Makassar language means ribs. This soup is usually made with beef ribs or beef. The colour of the soup is blackish brown, because it uses kluwek (black nut) as a seasoning. Besides kluwek, konro soup also uses other spices, such as coriander, a little nutmeg, turmeric, kencur (kaempferia galangal), cinnamon, tamarind, lemon leaves, cloves and salam leaves.

When eaten, konro soup is savoury, herb-rich and spicy.  This Makassar culinary speciality is usually eaten with burasa and sliced ketupat rice cake.

Nowadays, you can find a dry variation of konro called konro bakar, which is grilled beef ribs with konro's signature spices. Konro bakar is usually served with a separate soup. Konro is easily found in many restaurants in Makassar. The price is relatively affordable, around 30 thousand to 50 thousand rupiah or 1.95 to 3.25 US dollars per serving.

There are many ways that people find their life partners. Nowadays, many people use social media to find their soulmate. But in the past, some indigenous people in Indonesia held various arts and traditions to find a life partner, such as the indigenous people in Central Buton Regency, Southeast Sulawesi. They held a Kamomose dance to find a life partner.

In the Buton language, 'Kamomose' comes from the words 'komomo' and 'poose ose'. 'Komomo' means a flower, which is about to bloom, while 'poose-ose' means lined up in an orderly fashion. So, the 'Kamomose' dance is a traditional dance where teenage girls sit in an orderly row, then young men come and look at the girls. If one of the young men is interested in one of the girls, then the young man will fill the tray, which is prepared in front of the girl with fried peanuts.

This unique tradition begins with a traditional Linda dance performed by a number of girls accompanied by traditional music. After the dance performance, a number of young men queue in an orderly line around dozens of the girls, who are already waiting with a container in front of them to collect the peanuts thrown by the young men. Apart from fried peanuts, young men may throw other objects, such as gold or silver coins. However, if a young man is not interested in any of the girls, he may not fill the tray.

Actually, the fried peanuts used in the Kamomose tradition are just a substitute. In the past, in this tradition, young men would put coins into a basin. The parents of the girl who already know the code will then follow up in a traditional manner.

Usually, the family would immediately communicate with the girl's family to hold a proposal, followed by marriage. Now, this local wisdom of the Central Buton community is being developed by the Central Buton Regency government so that it continues to be sustainable and becomes an interesting cultural attraction for tourists visiting there.