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Indonesian Wonder

Indonesian Wonder (592)

31
August

If the situation is getting better when we can travel again, please visit various regions in Indonesia, such as South Kalimantan. In addition to visiting beautiful tourist objects, in South Kalimantan, you can also enjoy a variety of special foods. You will find a variety of foods with the name Masak Habang.  There are Chicken Masak Habang, Egg Masak Habang and Snakehead Fish Masak Habang. Masak Habang is actually a seasoning. It is very commonly found in various kinds of cuisine typically Banjar tribe in South Kalimantan. Habang in Banjar language means red. Just like the name, Masak Habang seasoning is red-colored.

The red color of Masak Habang seasoning is produced from the main ingredient, which is dried red chili. This seasoning also uses shallots, garlic, ginger, cinnamon, terasi or shrimp paste, salt, and brown sugar. Even though it has a dark red appearance, Masak Habang seasoning doesn't taste spicy but tastes a bit sweet because it uses brown sugar as a food delicacy.

Various kinds of dishes can be combined with Masak Habang spices. The most common ones are hintalu (eggs), haruan fish (snakehead fish), chicken or chili sauce. Masak Habang dishes are often served at sultanate events, parties, weddings and formal events. As time goes by, this food can be enjoyed by all people and become a culinary heritage from Kalimantan. It is not difficult to find restaurants or food stalls that sell this menu in Banjar regency and other areas in Kalimantan.

30
August

Sipoholon hot spring in North Tapanuli is surrounded by white limestone hills. When you travel to Sipoholon hot spring, besides being able to feel the cool mountain air, you can also enjoy the beautiful scenery while bathing in hot water. The hot spring is located in Situmeang Habinsaran, Sipoholon District, North Tapanuli, North Sumatra. The location is very strategic and easy to access.

When you enter the Sipoholon hot spring area, you will see mountains of sand that emit a white color similar to cotton. It has a temperature of around 40 to 70 degrees Celsius; it’s appropriate for you to get relaxed. The sulfur content in this bath is said to be able to cure skin diseases and smooth the skin.  Besides being visited for health, this bath is also visited by tourists who like photography. They deliberately come to get the best photos in the most beautiful place in North Tapanuli. After bathing and soaking in warm water, usually the visitors feel hungry. They can go directly to the stalls or restaurants that are available not far from the hot spring.

To visit this place, you only take about 7 minutes by motor vehicles from Tarutung City. Meanwhile, to get to Tarutung, you take about 4 to 5 hours from Medan City, the capital of North Sumatra. To enter this tourism spot, you only need to pay a ticket worth Rp 5,000 per person. Sipoholon hot spring is a natural bath that was formed due to the eruption of Mount Marimbang which contains sulfur.

27
August

Lawang Sekepeng Tradition is one of the traditional ceremonies in the wedding stage of the Ngaju Dayak tribe, Central Kalimantan to welcome the groom's entourage and his family. The tradition has been performed since past times. In Ngaju Dayak language, Lawang means door or gate, while Sakepeng means one piece. So, Lawang Sakepeng means "One-Piece Door.”  Lawang Sekepeng is like a sturdy gate made of wood. The wood is approximately 1.5 meters wide and about 2.3 meters high.  Moreover, above the gate, it is usually placed carvings of vines and decorations of hornbills. On the side of the gate, it is decorated with coconut leaves or young coconut leaves. Some Talawang (Dayak shields) are also often used as decorations on the right and left of Lawang Sakepeng. In the middle of the gate, three threads are spread that have been decorated with colorful flowers, and it becomes a symbol of obstacles for the groom to enter the bride's house.

The attraction of Lawang Sakepeng is the performance of self-defense when welcoming and respecting guests who attend a traditional ceremony. Both the groom and the bride will send their Silator martial arts masters to face each other. When Garantung (a typical Dayak Ngaju gong) and Katambung (a typical Ngaju Dayak drum) are played, these martial arts masters, both male and female, will fight each other until the three threads that block the groom's entrance are cut off. By the breaking of the three threads, the Lawang Sakepeng ritual ends. The Lawang Sakepng tradition has a deep meaning related to the new life of the bride and groom. The three threads that hinder or become the boundary between the bride and groom have their own meaning. The first thread becomes a symbol of distress that is often present in personal and family life. The second one represents a symbol of a bad relationship when the bride and groom start their family life. Finally, there is a symbol of something related to death. The breaking of these three threads means that all dangers, disasters, and bad relationships that prevent the bride and groom from starting a new life as a family will disappear.

Allegedly,  it is said that for the Lawang Sakepeng silat style, the ancestors of the Dayak tribe at that time adopted animal movements and behaviors, for example, by imitating ferocious animals or endemic invaders that are widely inhabited in the forests of Borneo. They include Bears, Beruks (Bangkui moves) and other moves that are oriented towards attacking or predatory creatures. Traditional clothes in the Lawang sakepeng attraction usually use Ngaju Dayak traditional clothes, which is a vest made of bark called Sangkarut. The pants are loincloths with the front covered by a rectangular sheet of Nyamu cloth called Ewah. Currently, the vest has been made of light brown cloth like the original color of the wood. The head uses a headband (salutup hatue) for men and (salutup bawi) for women, and uses earrings (suwang), necklaces, bracelets and tattoos on certain body parts.

26
August

President Joko Widodo was acting as an inspector of the Commemoration of the Proclamation of Independence of the Republic of Indonesia at the State Palace in Jakarta on August 17, 2021. At the ceremony, he wore traditional Pepadun clothes from Lampung. The traditional clothes worn are dominated by red and white colors. President  Joko Widodo wore white long sleeves and pants. At the waist, it was wrapped with a typical red Lampung sarong and woven with gold thread. The President also pinned a red scarf with the same motif as the sarong. At the waist of the President, there was a red belt with gold-colored circle accessories. He also wore a red headband with a yellow pattern. Meanwhile, Vice President Ma'ruf Amin was present wearing blue Sundanese traditional clothes.

Lampung traditional clothes are known as Tulang Bawang clothes. Tulang Bawang clothes are usually worn on certain events, such as weddings. The Tulang Bawang clothes are divided into Lampung Pepadun and Lampung Saubatin.  The striking difference between the two traditional clothes is the dominance of color in which Lampung Pepaduan is more identical with white, while Lampung Saubatin is red. Basically, there are several main components of Lampung traditional clothes worn by men and women. For men, this traditional dress consists of a long-sleeved shirt, long pants, tumpal sarong, sesapuran, and khikat akhir.

The main point of Lampung traditional clothes is the sarong tumpal, which is a typical Lampung cloth woven with gold thread. On the clothes worn by President Joko Widodo, there is a red tumpal sarung with gold thread decoration in it. Then, there is also khikat akhir or bujur scarf. This scarf is draped over the shoulders to cover the shoulders. In addition to the main components, there are also supporting accessories that are usually used. They are a necklace from jakum fruit, papan jalar necklace, selempang pinang, various bracelets, and belts equipped with a dagger.

This traditional Pepadun clothing from Lampung has a very beautiful philosophical meaning. Clothing with a predominance of white color depicts the nature of wisdom, cleanliness and purity. The white color is also mentioned as a symbol that the people of Lampung are civilized and obedient to religious norms. Then, the gold color in these traditional clothes shows strength and prayer for abundance of sustenance. 

25
August

Walking on the white sand, looking at the vast blue water and sitting under the shade of the trees may be one of your dreams to spend free time. There is no need to dream anymore because you can do this at Torohudan beach in Yogyakarta. Torohudan Beach is located in Kanigoro Village, Saptosari District, Gunungkidul Regency, Yogyakarta Province. This beach is less popular. The place is hidden behind the fields and rice fields of residents. You could say that this beach is a new beach near Ngrenehan Beach.You can reach Torohudan beach by walking through a steep road and up and down for about 10 to 15 minutes to the beach. But for true adventurers, the path to the beach is able to provide adventure satisfaction with an extraordinary experience. Are you one of them?

The green view of the trees and plants in the fields will accompany your trip to get to the beach. When you enter the beach area, the grass and trees stretch out, directly adjacent to the sandy area of Torohudan Beach. The atmosphere is cool because of the trees that grow around it.

On both the left and right side of the beach, there are two cliffs flanking this beach. The sand is white, not fine and tends to be coarse. The waves are big enough to make this beach less appropriate for you to swim. You can only enjoy playing on the beach, fishing or just sitting and enjoying the beauty of Torohudan Beach. Because it is still a new beach and has not been managed well by the government and the facilities on this beach have not been built yet.

Torohudan Gunungkidul Beach is open 24 hours a day. However, you are recommended to visit during the day only because there are no lights around the road to this beach. Complementing supplies is highly recommended and the most important thing is not to forget to bring enough mineral water, because the trip to Torohudan beach will be very exhausting. You also need to pay an entrance ticket of Rp5000 per person. This fee includes the entrance fee to the Torohudan beach line, including Ngrenehan and Ngobaran beaches. Even though it's only you and your family on this beach, remember to always apply health protocols. Happy holidays!

24
August

On August 16, President Joko Widodo delivered his state speech at the 2021 Annual Session of the People's Consultative Assembly of the Republic of Indonesia (MPR RI). Interestingly, at the event President Joko Widodo wore the traditional clothing of the Baduy Luar or outer Baduy tribe from the province of Banten. Jokowi often wears traditional clothes at every Annual Session of the Indonesian People's Consultative Assembly. Last year, he wore the traditional Sabu clothing from East Nusa Tenggara. Two years earlier, in 2019 the president wore the traditional clothes of the Sasak tribe of West Nusa Tenggara. At this annual session, Jokowi was seen wearing an all-black outfit with a blue headgear or telekung. In addition, the president also wore a sling bag made of woven bark and black leather sandals.

The Presidential Staff Office via its Twitter account explained that the preparation of this traditional clothes was assisted directly by Jaro Saija, Baduy community leader who is also the head of Kanekes Village. In the Twitter account of the Presidential Staff Office, it was also explained that the president chose to wear traditional Baduy clothing as a form of respect and appreciation for the nobility of the traditional values and culture of the Baduy tribe. The traditional clothes consist of Telekung, Kutung, Beubeur and Samping Aros. Telekung itself is a headgear. In his appearance, Jokowi wore a black telekung with a dark blue pattern. Telekung is often called as Koncer or Roma and it is the original woven fabric of the Baduy community.  Then, Katung or Jaman Sangsang, is a long-sleeved white traditional clothing without a collar. Jokowi chose to wear a black Katung, in line with his telekung color which is also dominated by dark colors. To complement the traditional clothes worn by President Joko Widodo, a beubeur is also seen. Beubeur is a belt draped around the waist, beubeur is made of cloth. Jokowi also perfected his look with Samping Aros, an indigo-colored sarong with white stripes worn to the knees.

A historian named Asep Kambali said the clothes worn by President Jokowi at the Annual Session was the traditional clothes of the Baduy Luar or outer Baduy tribe. Because the clothes worn are black and neatly sewn wearing buttons.  As quoted by dispar.bantenprov.go.id, the all-black color attached to the Baduy Luar traditional clothes symbolizes that they are no longer pure. This is because, unlike the Baduy Dalam tribe or inner Baduy tribe, Baduy Luar tribe is familiar with various innovations and technologies from the outside world, which are not allowed by the Inner Baduy.

23
August

Sikka Regency, East Nusa Tenggara is famous for its unique culture. In this region, there is a war dance called ‘Tua Reta Lou dance’. This traditional dance has existed since the 10th generation and is known from generation to generation. Tua Reta Lou is a traditional dance from Hewokloang-Seusina Raya village, covering Hewokloang, He'o, and Kewa villages, Sikka Regency, East Nusa Tenggara.

This dance depicts fighting techniques and how their ancestors at that time defeated their opponents, by using a stick of bamboo. The dance consists of 3 combined dances, namely Awi Alu, Mage Mot and Tua Reta Lou dance. The dance was danced in succession by a dozen male and female dancers. Usually, the dancers will be accompanied by the beat of the rhythm of the gong waning with various types of strokes. The three dances are related to the agility of war that must be owned by every man.

The Awi Alu dance describes lower body agility training. At this stage, the dancers jump between wooden or bamboo sticks that are bumped by other dancers.  Then, the Mage Mot dance is intended to train upper body agility. In the Mage Mot dance, the stick is placed parallel to the neck. The last one is that the dance of Tua Reta Lou demonstrates one’s snooping skills. In this session, a male dancer complete with his sword is raised to a bamboo pole by his friends. The dancer rests on the end of the pole with his stomach. He turns in all directions as if he is monitoring the situation while several female dancers dance around them.

20
August

Sining dance

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Published in Indonesian Wonder

Sining dance is considered to have existed in the 18th and early 19th centuries. In the life of the Gayo people in the past, the dance was held in two traditional processions: the procession when building a new house, and the procession for  bathing and acknowledging  the king (munikni reje). In the procession of building a house, the Sining dance is danced on wood (bere lintang) that crosses between two foundations with a height of 8 to 12 meters above the ground level. The day before, this dance is also performed on a tray or container carrying food in moving a closer position  to the ground.

Sining Dance is also played when inaugurating or crowning a king. The dance is held in the field or closely to a water source (lakeside). As part of the coronation procession, the Sining Dance is also held annually to the king as a symbol of self-ablution for any mistakes during his leadership. The Sining dance movement is very dynamic and heroic. It is not easy for people to do this dance on wood (bere latitude). Infrequently, the dancers do fasting one day before dancing so that magical-religious elements are also attached to this dance. The dancers of this dance are usually male. This dance is accompanied by mystical and powerful poetry. Sining dance can be described as a beautiful, dynamic, symbolic and an energetic dance which depicts and imitates the movements of the Ungau and Wo birds. The philosophy of this dance is as a symbol of strength, shade, peace and harmony between the occupants of the house and nature.

Sining dance is now rarely performed. It has never been staged in quite a long time. Therefore, in 2017 the Directorate General of Culture of the Ministry of Education and Culture through the Directorate of Arts revitalized this dance. One of the efforts is to reconstruct the dance based on continuous research and long discussions with the local cultural experts and academicians. In spite of being rarely performed, Sining dance is not considered almost extinct completely, because the elements of the Sining dance movement are still used in other traditional dances in Gayo, although it is not comprehensive.

18
August

Sunset is one of the sights awaited by tourists when on vacation to Pulau Merah beach that presents a beautiful moment. This beach, which is located in Sumberagung Village, Pesanggaran District, Banyuwangi Regency, provides an unforgettable twilight experience. The orange sky surrounded by blue clouds at dusk makes this beach the target of photographers and domestic tourists from all over Indonesia.


White crystal sand combined with a beautiful small island creates a dramatic effect when dusk falls on the beach of this Pulau Merah. With an entrance ticket price of 10 thousand rupiah per person, this beach is a paradise for twilight hunters.


The waves on this beach of Pulau Merah are quite high, ranging from 3-5 meters and areappropriate for surfing sports lovers. According to the local residents, tourists from France, Germany, and Australia often visit this place. In addition, Pulau Merah is also more easily accessible with smooth road conditions and close to residential areas. This beach, which does not have a lot of corals, is also safer for surfers. The perfect roll of the waves on this beach gave the idea for the Regent of Banyuwangi, Abdullah Azwar Anas to hold an international surfing competition in 2013 which was attended by 25 participants from 20 countries and approximately 100 local surfers from various regions in Indonesia.


The Pulau Merah area, which was badly damaged by the tsunami in 1990, is now a popular tourism destination that is able to attract 4.000 tourists per day. The name Pulau Merah itself refers to a small hill on the beach which has a height of about 200 meters. The hill has red soil and is covered by green vegetation. So, it doesn't really look like its true color. This hill can be accessed at low tide. On Pulau Merah itself, visitors can find a lot of homestays. The price is also relatively dependent on the facilities in the homestay. There are cheap ones for backpackers, such as villa-class complete with ac and TV. Along the beach, there are also guesthouses or some kinds of huts for relaxation  with family.  Complete enough right? Amid the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, the manager of Pulau Merah Beach also applies strict health protocols for its visitors. So, it's a good idea to prepare all the necessary health documents before going on vacation to the Pulau Merah beach.  

19
August

Jepa

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Published in Indonesian Wonder

Jepa (or read Yepa) is a typical food of the Mandar Tribe, West Sulawesi. This food is inherited from generation to generation. Jepa is round in shape and made of cassava and grated coconut which is cooked on a special pan made of clay (panjepangan). The local people of Mandar call it, "Pizza Mandar", because of its flat round shape. In addition to being a daily food, Jepa is also a provision for the Mandar people who make a living as fishermen when they go to sea.

The Mandar tribe recognizes 3 types of Jepa, namely Jepa katong, Jepa golla mamea, and Jepa-jepa. Jepa katong is a type of Jepa made from sago; Jepa golla mamea is a Jepa made with a mixture of palm sugar or brown sugar, and Jepa-jepa with smaller sizes.Jepa-jepa is usually prepared for fishing, because it is smaller in size and sufficient as a substitute for rice. To make Jepa, the peeled cassava is then grated and squeezed until the juice comes out. The cassava pulp is then sifted and mixed with grated coconut mixture. This dough in the form of cassava and grated coconut is then cooked using panjepangan (a special pan made of clay) on a wood-burning stove.

When eaten, Jepa tastes so delicious. This culinary is very delicious when eaten with bau peapi, namely a typical Mandar fish dish. The fish used are usually tuna, skipjack or milkfish, cooked using various spices and using a clay cauldron. It tastes sour and savory. Besides being enjoyed with Bau peapi, Jepa is also delicious eaten with Tuing Tuing Tapa or grilled flying fish. But, there are also those who enjoy Japan by adding palm sugar in the middle, so that when eaten, it will cause a sweet taste sensation. If the pandemic is over and you travel to West Sulawesi, don't forget to taste this typical Mandar cuisine. It's not difficult to find it in various restaurants there. The price is also relatively cheap, about Rp 5000 per 3 pieces.