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Indonesian Wonder (604)
October
For those of you who like water tourism, Curug Putri Kencana or in English means Putri Kencana waterfall can be the next tourism destination, especially if the visit to Indonesia hasbeen reopened. The location is in Karang Tengah, Babakan Madang, Bogor, West Java. From downtown Jakarta, this waterfall can be accessed in approximately 1.5 to 2 hours by motor vehicles. To enter Curug Putri Kencana, there is an entrance ticket worth Rp 25,000 per person, while the motorbike parking fee is Rp 10,000 and the car Rp 15,000 to Rp. 20,000. To arrive at the waterfall, you still have to take a walk about 15 minutes.
Putri Kencana waterfall is approximately 7 meters high. This waterfall is surrounded by high rock walls and wild forests. The water is famous for its blue-green color and it is very clear. The river that flows from the waterfall is only a few inches high. The clear water flow allows you to see the surface clearly. However, the lake around the waterfall is about 4 to 6 meters deep. If you want to swim, you have to be careful not to play or swim near the waterfall.
Besides swimming, you can relax in the lake or play in the river. You can also rent a float and try body rafting activities. Going down the river slowly while enjoying the fresh water is certainly challenging as well as fun. If you want to spend the night here, there is land for camping that can be rented. There are also various lodgings with varying costs. The facilities at Curug Putri Kencana are also quite complete with clean bathrooms, parking lots and restaurants.
October
This magnificent colonial-style building is a silent witness to the history of the development of Bogor City. Located next to the Bogor palace which is currently the official residence of the President of Indonesia, this old building did not just sit there. This historic building can be said to be luckier than other historical buildings, because until now it still has the same function, namely as a hotel. Salak Heritage hotel staff named Asha told a little about the history of this old building that was built in 1856.
In 1856, this Salak hotel was named the Binnenhof hotel which was owned by the family of the Dutch governor named General Charles Ferdinand Pahud. But in 1913, the hotel was in financial crisis and a few years later, it went bankrupt and the name of this hotel was changed to NV American hotel. And this hotel was liquidated by EA Dibbets in 1922 which is the largest shareholder of NV American hotel and the name of this hotel again changed to Dibbets Hotel. Then, the hotel changed the owners and the hotel changed its name to Bellvieu Dibbets in 1932. During the Japanese colonial period, this 54-room hotel was turned into the Japanese military headquarters, Kempatai from 1942 to 1945,”said Asha
After the Japanese colonial period ended, in 1948, this building was handed over to the Indonesian government for renovation and re-function as a hotel. Asha also said that this old hotel was one of the hotels that accommodated the delegates of the first Asian-African conference which took place in 1955.
Then, this hotel was handed over to the Indonesian government in 1948 and the hotel was renovated and changed its name to Hotel Salak which is taken from the name, Gunung Salak which means Silver. Then in 1955 it became one of the hotels used in the first Asia-Africa conference,”said Asha
Preserving historical buildings is one of the keys to the sustainability of culture in Indonesia. You can also participate in maintaining it.
October
Located in Petang sub-district, Badung Regency, Carangsari Tourism Village is the birthplace of one of the national heroes, I Gusti Ngurah Rai. He passed away when fighting against the Dutch colonists in the Puputan Margarana War on November 20, 1946. As the birthplace of I Gustri Ngurah Rai, there is also the I Gusti Ngurah Rai Monument in this tourism village. The tourism village is located 36 Kilometers from Denpasar, the provincial capital of Bali.
As a tourism village, Carangsari Tourism Village has 14 attractions for tourists, particularly millennial people who love natural tourism. The various tourism spots consist of artificial, cultural and natural tourisms. The artificial tourisms in the Carangsari Tourism Village are Bali Elephant Camp, Alam Tirta Carangsari Rafting, Ayung River Rafting and Triana Resort Bali. Then, at the cultural tourism, there are I Gusti Ngurah Rai Monument, Carangsari Mascot Dance, Puri Agung Carangsari, Puseh Kangin Carangsari Temple, Kampung Nyama Toko and Tugek Mask Dance. The Tugek Carangsari mask dance was created and popularized by Maestro I Gusti Ngurah Widya who is now 75 years old. He has worked in many countries since the 1970s.
While at the natural tourism, there are Beji Samuan Park, Carangsari Village Cycling, Carangsaru Village Trekking and Lekaja Bali Swing. Apart from various tourism attractions, Carangsari Tourism Village also has tourism products consisting of educational and culinary tours. Moreover, educational tourism consists of the Pod Chocolate Tour, Tu Gex Hous Activity, Bokor Carangsari, We Love Carangsri Bali T-shirts and most recently RV University. Meanwhile, on the culinary side, there are Pod Chocolate, Honey Trigona Carangsari, Jajulikinian Carangsari and Bubuh Carangsari. Of course, you can also buy those as your souvenirs.
October
Bordering the Java Sea in the west and north makes Jepara Regency is awarded with many beautiful beaches. One of them is Blebak beach. The location is in Sekuro Village, Mlonggo District, Jepara Regency. The distance is 13 kilometers or one-hour drive by motor vehicles from Jepara City. The attraction of this beach is the stretch of white and soft sand. In addition, the view of the sea water is clean and transparent. To enter this attraction, you are only charged a vehicle parking fee of Rp 3000 for motorbike and Rp 5000 for the car.
Blebak Beach has calm waves with a stretch of yellowish and typical sand of the Jepara beach. The coastline is also quite long and it has characteristics like a bay. This beach is appropriate to swim or play in the water because it has a sea depth that is not too deep. In addition to swimming, you can fish on the beach. On the right side of the beach, there are usually many people fishing because that is the best spot for hunting fish on the beach. Blebak Beach is a right place to relax, even though it is day and heat, but the wind on the Blebak Beach feels so light and it makes anyone feel at home for long. Arriving late in the afternoon, do not immediately rush to leave Blebak beach, first enjoy the beauty of the sunset on this beach.
At Blebak Beach, there are several water rides that are quite interesting for you to try, such as the Sapta Pesona Boat, water tricycles, canoes, exciting banana boats, donut buoys (buoys in car tires), duck buoys (duck-shaped buoys), and parks. For children's play, do not worry about the availability of supporting facilities at the Blebak Beach. The reason is that this beach provides a prayer room for worship, trash cans at a number of points, a fairly large vehicle parking area, seating area, instagrammable photo spots, and lodging for those of you who want to spend the night at the Blebak Beach.
October
For those of you who love beach, visit West Lombok Regency, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB). There are many beautiful beaches. One of them is Elak-Elak Beach. Elak-Elak Beach is located in Sekotong area, West Lombok, precisely in Batu Putih Village. If you depart from Mataram City, the capital of West Nusa Tenggara province, it takes an hour and a half by driving to arrive at this place. If you are from Lombok International Airport, it takes about 3 hours by motorbike or private car. Access to the location is quite easy and convenient, because the condition of the main road to the location has been paved.
According to the Sasak language, one of the traditional tribes that inhabit the island of Lombok, Elak Elak means tongue. According to the story, this beach is called Elak Elak because it is a cape jutting into the sea which at first glance has a shape similar to a human tongue. This beach is classified as a beach that has not been visited by many tourists, so the atmosphere is calmer and quieter, suitable for those of you who are looking for solitude. To enter this attraction, you are charged an entrance fee of IDR 5,000 per person. If you bring a motorized vehicle, there will be an additional parking fee of IDR 2,000 for motorbikes or IDR 5,000 for cars.
Elak-Elak Beach has a very beautiful natural charm. The character of clean white sand, combined with the clear blue sea water. Along the shoreline, there are rows of trees that add to the shady atmosphere, making it very suitable as a place to relax and unwind or have a picnic with your beloved family. Elak-Elak Beach does not have high waves. Therefore, you can swim at this beach safely. In addition, Elak-Elak Beach also has an amazing underwater natural beauty where you can snorkel and dive to enjoy the beautiful underwater scenery. This beach also has another uniqueness, namely there is a coral island which is quite close to the beach. The island is actually a rock sticking out of the sea, forming a hill. At the top of the reef is overgrown with several trees. Coral Island can be visited. You don't need to rent a canoe, just walk, especially at low tide. You can take pictures or surround the coral island. You should still be careful not to slip and fall.
October
Puncak Bila Tourism Park is located in the mountains of Bila, Bila District, Sidrap Regency, South Sulawesi. The location is 215 kilometers from Makassar, the capital of South Sulawesi, while from the district capital of Sidrap, the distance is about 36 kilometers from the east. This tourism attraction combines modern tourism with a blend of natural beauty. This is the main attraction for tourists who want to visit. A tourism park that has been named the Best Tourism Destination in South Sulawesi 2016 and has a variety of interesting rides. Visitors who want to swim can try the water-boom. In addition, they can also challenge the adrenaline by riding the flying fox. Enjoying the natural scenery while sliding will certainly provide an unforgettable experience. There are also relaxing activities that can be done while enjoying the panorama, namely by riding a water bike.
Each ride at the Puncak Bila tourism park has its own tariff to be able to enjoy it. Traveling to Puncak Bila Tourism Park is now getting more and more fun, especially when the park manager makes interesting photo spots, in the form of a giant bicycle with a length of 14.71 meters and a height of 7.15 meters. This giant bicycle is claimed to be the largest bicycle in the world and has become a new icon for the Puncak Bila tourism park.
During the trip to Puncak Bila Tourism Park, your eyes will be spoiled with rows of green rice fields and plantations. To enter the tourism location, you are charged an entrance ticket of Rp 15,000 for weekdays. For weekends, you will be charged an entrance fee of Rp 20,000. Meanwhile, during national holidays, you have to pay Rp 25,000. After getting tired of walking around and playing at the Puncak Bila tourism park, you can rest in the available gazebo.
October
Ranupani is the most popular area for climbers of Mt. Semeru. Being located at an altitude of 2100 meters above sea level, the Ranupani village is the last village to climb Mt. Semeru. Every day, many tourists come by car, jeep, and motorbike to Ranupani village. Ranupani Tourism Village can be reached in several ways. For tourists from Lumajang City, they can go to Senduro and pass Alas Burno to arrive at this tourism village. Meanwhile, tourists coming from Malang can pass through the Tumpang market. They can also go through National Road III by taking a private vehicle or public transportation.
If you travel to Ranupani, you can also visit the lakes of Ranu Regulo and Ranu Kumbolo. Apart from traveling the natural tourism, you can also taste culinary of various foods, including potato chips, stir-fried Tumewu, Tropong chili sauce, pre-onion chili sauce, Semenan nuggets, Semenan spring rolls, cement chips, and Tengger eggplant jam. If you are looking for souvenirs to take home, you can buy handicrafts made of bamboo as well as woven fabrics and batik.
Ranupani Tourism Village has also cultural performances, such as Jaran Kepang which has become one of the cultural attractions in the Ranu Pani area. To preserve culture, the tourism village has also built an amphitheater as a place for performing arts and cultures. For you who want to stay here, don't worry, there are 41 homestays available. There are also restaurant facilities and clean toilets. If one day you will go to Ranupani when the pandemic is over, don't forget to capture the natural beauty of this tourism village with your camera.
September
Fulan Fehan is a valley at the foot of Mt. Lakaan with a very wide savanna or grassland. This valley is located in Dirun Village, Lamaknen District, Belu Regency, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), about 26 Km from Atambua, the capital of Belu Regency. The attraction of the Fulan Fehan grassland is that there are many free-roaming horses, thriving cactus trees and a vast expanse of savanna that the eyes cannot reach. In addition, not far from this valley, there are several historical objects.
To reach Fulan Fehan grassland, there are two routes to be chosen. First, it’s through Dirun Village and second, it’s through Maudemu Village. From these two villages, someone can go to Fulan Fehan by walking for approximately 4 kilometers. When they get there, they will see a vast meadow as far as the eyes can see. The eyes are increasingly spoiled by the presence of a group of horses that are free to roam. There are also cows, goats, and buffalos that are deliberately grazed. There, there is a kind of natural spring that is a source of life for the livestock. Uniquely, despite having a temperature that tends to be cold, reaching 21 degrees Celsius, many cactus trees thrive here. In this tourism attraction, tourists can enjoy the view by sitting and relaxing on the grass and they can run after hordes of farm animals.
Not far from Fulan Fehan, there are also several other interesting attractions to visit. There is Kikit Gewen Fort which is covered in a kind of small forest. In the past, this fort was used as a place to set strategy.
There is also Fort Rana Hitu or known as Fort Lapis 7. This fort was used during traditional wars between tribes in the interior of Timor (now Timor Leste). It’s known that this fort was made in just seven days and seven nights. To be able to enjoy the green grass of Fulan Fehan, visitors may come here during the rainy season from November to April. This is the best time. During the dry season, the grass dries up and the temperature is a bit hot. So, if you can have time for vacation, you are recommended to visit Fulan Fehan grassland in East Nusa Tenggara.
September
Batu Cermin Cave is located in Wae Sambi Village, West Manggarai, East Nusa Tenggara and only 4 Km from Labuan Bajo, the capital of West Manggarai. The discoverer of this cave was Theodore Verhoven, a Dutch priest who was also an archaeologist in 1951. According to Theodore Verhoven, this cave was under the sea which, after millions of years, it was lifted to the surface of the land. Because the mirror stone cave is a place that was once under the sea, on the walls, you can see some fossils of coral, and turtles. This 19-hectare tourism attraction with a cave height of about 75 meters is usually crowded during the day. When you enter the cave, you will feel your body is flanked by towering cliffs. The deeper you enter the cave, the cooler you feel and less light you will get. Before entering the cave, you will usually be provided with a flashlight by a tour guide. This is because Batu Cermin Cave is very dark and narrow inside.
To be able to see the turtle fossils on the walls of this cave, you have to walk in about 20 meters and because it is narrow and the air is limited. The number of tourists who enter the cave is also limited; only 10 people may enter once for 30 minutes only. This cave is named Goa Batu Cermin because inside the cave, there is a hole at the top, so that during the day, sunlight can enter the cave through the narrow gap. When it rains, rainwater will enter the cave and cause puddles. The puddle water, which exposes to sunlight, will allow you to see your own face in the puddles that inundate the cave. That is why, this cave is called Batu Cermin Cave.
Getting to the Batu Cermin Cave is not difficult and it only takes about 30 minutes from Labuan Bajo port by public transportation or motorbikes. This transportation can only take you to the front entrance of this area. Afterwards, you have to walk for approximately 10-15 minutes to the Batu Cermin information post. To enter this Cave, you have to pay a ticket worth Rp 10,000 plus fee for a guide while in the cave of around Rp 20,000.
September
Indonesian Wonder for today’s edition would like to introduce you to one of the typical traditional snacks of Betawi people, namely Dongkal cake. The cake is made from rice flour and palm sugar. At first, Dongkal is made from cassava flour stemming from the cassava tuber. The snack has been introduced since 1940 and it is famous as a breakfast menu. Then, cassava flour began to be difficult to find in the 1970s. So, many people preferred to use rice flour as the main ingredient of making Dongkal cake. In the past, the dish was usually used as a reception when making Gedeng or ties of harvested dry rice. Dongkal is also often served at traditional events or community mutual assistance. But now, this sweet-savory snack can be enjoyed every day.
Dongkal is made from rice that is pounded until it becomes flour. Then, the flour is filled with palm sugar and steamed. The container for steaming Dongkal is a steamer made of woven bamboo like a cone. In Sundanese language, the steamer is called ‘Aseupan’. Then, the steamer is inserted into a steamer called a ‘Seeng’. Its shape is like a cormorant, but its center part is slender. While the neck and base are wider.
After it is well-cooked, the surface forms a mottled pattern of white and brown and it is formed from the rice flour and palm sugar. Before it is eaten, the Dongkal is cut into small pieces in order to enjoy it more easily.
Then, the Dongkal will be given a sprinkling of grated coconut, so that it tastes more delicious with a combination of sweet and savory. Usually, Dongkal is eaten as a breakfast menu or an afternoon snack with a cup of warm tea. This dish is relatively cheap. One portion is usually packaged in a box container and it is sold for Rp 10-15 thousand.