For the people of Blitar, East Java, Idul Fitri is not complete without serving Madu Wongso cakes. This coarse-textured snack with black sticky rice grains is a typical dish during Idul Fitri. The taste is sour mixed with sweet and colorful packaging that makes this culinary being liked by many people.
Madumongso comes from the word Madu Rumongso which tastes like honey. This food is sweet like honey, because it is made from black sticky rice mixed with sugar. While, the sour taste comes from the addition of pineapple in the Madu Mongso mixture. The process of making Madu Mongso is quite complicated and it requires special skills. It takes two days to create a sweet taste with sour one. It starts with cooking black glutinous rice into rice. Then, the glutinous rice is processed with tape yeast through fermentation for two days. Then, the mixture is added with coconut sugar and it is cooked on a stove for 7 hours.
After the dough-making process is complete, the dough, which has turned dark black, is left for one day. Then, it is cut into pieces to match the packaging. The uniqueness of these culinary delights is in the packaging. Madu Mongso dough is packaged in colorful oil paper. Even, some packs it with additional gold ribbons. Besides being present at Idul Fitri celebration, this dish is also usually present at important events such as weddings, proposals, or celebrations.
Depok M Block -
The Covid-19 pandemic situation has limited people's mobility. For the people of Jakarta, Bogor, Depok, Tangerang and Bekasi, activities in and out of Jakarta have begun to decrease. To avoid going farther to Jakarta, now Depok residents have an alternative "Instagrammable", a local hangout with the concept of one stop shopping, namely ’M District’ area.At this location, there is a restaurant with an Indonesian menu where you can enjoy a number of traditional food menus with special natural ingredients at affordable prices, a Muslim shop for Hajj souvenirs and a coffee shop.
There are many menus offered in the M District area, such as Penyet ribs, carp fillets, traditional rice-bowl, various herbs, and fruit juices at affordable prices, starting from Rp. 6,000 to Rp. 90,000. While enjoying your meal, you can take pictures in the area with beautiful lighting decorations, views of greenery, and an outdoor atmosphere. The decoration of this area is inspired by the beauty of Santorini, Greece. This restaurant, which can accommodate up to 400 visitors, can also be a location for breaking the fast or other meetings which, of course, still have to apply the Covid-19 health protocols.
M District which is located Jl Margonda Raya No. 488, Depok, West Java, can also be used to organize weddings with wedding package prices starting from Rp 19.5 million. To get to this location, you can use train transportation from Jakarta to the University of Indonesia Station. Then, the journey continues on foot through the pedestrian bridge towards the Evenciio Apartments. The implementation of strict health protocols must also be carried out at the District M to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 virus. Let's explore the M District.
Nirup Island is located in the southwest of Batam Island in Riau Province. In some areas of the coastal area, mangrove forests grow quite densely, and some areas are also grown with dense tropical trees that become the habitats for wildlife, such as monkeys, lizards and sea birds. Nirup Island also has a fairly long coastline with natural sand, making this island very appropriate to carry out various beach sports activities, such as beach volleyball and beach soccer. With such island topography, visitors can camp and spend the night on this island. If they want to do snorkeling, Nirup Island can also be a favorite place for them. Coral reefs grow well here and so do the marine habitats where colorful fish and other marine creatures live.
Nirup Island is actually located in bay-like waters, where in the northern part it is adjacent to Pucan Island. Because it is flanked by a cluster of islands; the waves and winds that hit the island are relatively calm. So, it doesn't endanger visitors who want to swim or do other activities. From the west part of Nirup Island, they can freely see Pemping Island, which is inhabited by several fishing families.
To go to Nirup Island from Batam City, visitors have to go to the ferry port at Sekupang. From there, they have to take a boat to the Belakang Padang district. The price of boat ticket is around Rp 10,000 per person for one way. From Belakang Padang, they can continue their journey by renting a boat to Nirup Island. The boat rental price can be bargained with the boatman. From Belakang Padang to Nirup, it takes about 20 minutes. Before going to Nirup Island, visitors have to bring their own food supplies, because there are no restaurants on this island. If they want to stay overnight, there are no hotels here, but they can set up tents near the beach. In addition, they also have to bring camping supplies.
Do you know that there is Kelapa Island in the Seribu Island or Thousand Island? If you are busy with routine work every day, and you need a short vacation, it looks like you don't need to go farther outside Jakarta or even outside the island, because in fact, Jakarta has a very beautiful view, namely Kelapa Island. Indeed, compared to other islands, the name Kelapa Island is not well known, even often drowning with other island destinations. But what you should know is that the beauty of Kelapa Island continues to offer a million of its charms. Kelapa Island is one of the inhabited islands. So if one arrives at this island, he or she will immediately be greeted by the friendly people here. Kelapa Island in the Seribu Island is indeed quite unique. Because many Bugis people inhabit Kelapa Island. The Bugis people came from the island of Sulawesi, who transmigrated long time ago.
Having an area of approximately 13 hectares, this island is amazing to visit its beautiful panorama. It has clear blue sea water. The wide expanse of white sand beach, combined with coral reefs, becomes a dish of beauty that may amaze and spoil your eyes. As the name implies, Kelapa Island has so many coconut trees lined up, adding to the beautiful view of this island. You can use various kinds of cool spots on Kelapa Island to take selfies. In addition, on Kelapa Island there is also a turtle breeding ground which is often used to educate marine animals. Usually, visitors come to Kelapa Island in the afternoon, and enjoy the beautiful sunset first, accompanied by a variety of seafood typical of Kelapa Island.
To go to Kelapa Island in the Seribu Island, you can travel from Pramuka Island with a distance of approximately 30 minutes by speedboat. The location of Kelapa Island is not far from other islands, so after returning from Kelapa Island, you can explore other islands, or enjoy all day long on Kelapa Island. If you only want to have a vacation on Kelapa Island, you can also go straight from Kaliadem Harbor in Muara Angke, North Jakarta. The access via Muara Angke to Kelapa Island is also often used by those who want to go directly to Kelapa Island. So, it is quite easy to go to this beautiful Kelapa Island. So what are you waiting for? Please spend your time on this island. But remember to avoid littering and don't forget to apply health protocols!
Lombok is an island that is a favourite tourism spot for domestic and foreign tourists. Although most of the inhabitants of this island are Muslims, they can live side by side with non-Muslims harmoniously. Because, the religious tolerance in Lombok is very strong. This proves that there are some places of worship for people of other religions besides Islam, such as Pura Lingsar.
Lingsar Temple is located in Lingsar Village, Narmada District, West Lombok Regency, West Nusa Tenggara -NTB. To go to the temple, you can use public transportation from Bertais terminal in the downtown to Narmada, then heading to Pura Lingsar. In this temple, there are 9 sacred water fountains as a symbol of the representatives of Walisongo. Walisongo means 9 people who spread Islam on the island of Java. This water is used by Muslims for ablution. People say, the water from this shower is also believed to bring about blessing, success and happiness.
Pura Lingsar is a combination of two religions: Hinduism and Islam. Because it contains a pavilion and a prayer room as a place of worship for Muslims. This temple was built by King Anak Agung Ketut Karangasam as a symbol of unifying the people of Lombok in 1741 and it is considered the holiest temple in Lombok. In this temple, booth followers of Hinduism and Islam worship together, especially the Muslims of the Sasak tribe. To continue to tighten the relationship between the followers of Hinduism and Islam, Pura Lingsar still holds ceremonies involving both religions. The ceremony is the War of Topat. In this ceremony, Muslims and Hindus will throw Ketupat at each other. This is a form of gratitude for the harmony that has existed so far and the abundant fortune. Ketupat is made from rice that has been wrapped in a woven palm leaf pouch and boiled.
Jemunak is a typical culinary for breaking the fasting of Magelang people. It is quite unique, namely Jemunak. Indeed, it takes much time to make the culinary. So, it is sometimes boring. Therefore, it takes patience and diligence in the process of making it. To make it, glutinous rice and cassava are grated, then it is cooked in a different place. After it is half cooked, the two ingredients are mixed and stacked until soft. Then, just cook them again until they are completely cooked. After it is well-cooked, the dough is given brown sugar and a sprinkling of grated coconut. If it is going to be marketed, this culinary is usually wrapped in coconut or banana leaves.
Jemunak tastes sweet, because there is a liquid brown sugar called 'Kinco'. This sweetness is mixed with the savory taste of the dough made of yams and glutinous rice. This combination of flavors makes Jemunak taste more delicious. Besides being delicious, this culinary is liked by many people, because it can immediately restore your stamina after a day of fasting.
Previously, Jemunak was only made in one place, namely at Mbah Mulyodinomo's house in Karaharjan Hamlet, Gunung Pring Muntilan Village, Magelang. From generation to generation, the grandfather's family inherited the Jemunak-making skills. However, now Jemunak is completely produced by many residents of Magelang. Thus, it is easy to find out this culinary in the month of Ramadan. The price of Jemunak is Rp. 2000 to Rp. 3000 per pack.
Talaga Bodas Garut is a mountainous tourism attraction in the form of a lake created in a mountain crater. The name Bodas is used because the lake water with a diameter of 2 kilometres looks white. This is because the water content of the lake that is formed from this crater contains sulphur. Talaga Bodas crater is located on the slopes of Mt. Galunggung at an altitude of 1,512 meters above sea level. An area of 23.85 hectares is directly adjacent to forests and beautiful verdant mountains. The water is widely used by local residents as a source of hot water and health treatment.
Talaga Bodas Garut is one of the craters of Mt. Galunggung which erupted hundreds of years ago. The temperature of the crater tourism area on the north side of the mountain is cold. The best time to visit this spot is during daytime to enjoy a million charms of the crater. This crater is elongated with views of the hills around it. Many tourist activities can be done in this tourism area, such as trekking and hiking, walking around the crater, bathing in hot water pools, and taking selfies. On the lower right side of this tourism attraction, there are three natural hot water soaking pools. Two pools are available for children and one for adults. The water temperature in this pool is relatively warm, so it is quite comfortable for tourists. This natural hot spring pool is located adjacent to the Talaga Bodas crater. Tourists can soak free of charge in the pool for relaxation. Soaking in this hot pool makes the body feel fresh.
There are several routes that can be accessed to get to this tourism destination which is located in Sukamenak Village, Wanaraja District, Garut, West Java. If you depart from Garut, you can use the Suci, Karangpawitan, to Wanaraja routes which are about 27.6 kilometres away. If you drive a personal motor vehicle without getting stuck in traffic, it may only take about 1 hour and 10 minutes. This is because Karangpawitan and Wanaraja areas often become congestion points, especially during rush hours. At the end of the crater road, there are several huts and toilets. The parking area has been well managed and organized. A prayer room and a row of culinary stalls complement the facilities in this area. Arrangements are also carried out at the entrance gate, making a fence between the lake area and the mainland. As well as repair and manufacture of pipes from springs in the area around the lake. There are toilets and places to change clothes around the hot water soaking pool. The local staffers continue to develop existing facilities to support tourists’ comfort. You can visit this tourism spot every day from 7 am to 5 pm by paying an entrance ticket for Rp. 10,000.
The great mosque of Al-Falah or it is well known as Seribu Tiang mosque is the biggest one in Jambi. It was established in 1971 and finished in 1980. It was also inaugurated by President Soeharto on 29 September 1980. This mosque is located at Sultan Thaha Syaifuddin street No 60 in Legok sub-district. The mosque land covers 26. 890 meter squares or more than 2,7 hectares. Meanwhile, the building area of the mosque is 6,400 square meters with a size of 80 meters x 80 meters. This mosque can accommodate 10 thousand jamaahs or worshipers.
The great mosque of Al-Falah was completely built with a large dome and high tower. The entire mosque building uses reinforced concrete material. In spite of getting the epithet of the mosque with one thousand poles, the number of poles is not so many as its name. The great mosque of Al Falah has only 232 poles divided into two poles. First, smaller poles support the outer roof of the mosque. Two pillars with a golden color support the center of the mosque.
The Seribu Tiang Mosque was designed as an open building without doors and windows. This is in line with the name of this mosque “Al-Falah“ which means Victory in Arabic language. The victory means having freedom without the shackles. This philosophy is considered to be the basis for the construction of the mosque with an open concept. So, any Muslim community is free to enter and carry out worship in this mosque. Meanwhile, the inside part of the dome is decorated with symmetrical ornamentation. The large ring under the dome is decorated with gold colored Al-Quran calligraphy paintings. A very large chandelier made of copper beautifies the appearance of the space under the dome.
Pesisir Selatan is one of the regencies in West Sumatra. This regency is located on the coast, with a coastline of 218 kilometers long. The topography consists of plains, mountains and hills which are an extension of the Bukit Barisan cluster. With a diverse topography, Pesisir Selatan offers the beauty of nature. There are five tourism objects that must be visited. One of them is the Langkisau Hill.
The Langkisau Hill is a hill that extends along the northern side of Painan City. This hill is only about two kilometers long or 10 minutes by motor vehicles from the Painan City, the capital of the South Coast. Many people admire the natural beauty at the top of the Langkisau Hill. The beauty of nature on the top of the Langkisau Hill will even look more beautiful, when the sun sets and rises. In addition, on top of the peak, you can enjoy views along the coast of the southern coast of West Sumatra and the residential areas of Painan City and the long stretch of the South Barisan Hills. The top of this hill has a height of approximately 400 meters. Going to Langkisau peak, you can use a motor vehicle, because the road is well-paved. This certainly makes it easier for tourists to come to the top of the Langkisau hill. Arriving at the parking location, you still have to walk about 25 meters up the stairs to the top of the hill.
Apart from being known for its beautiful natural scenery, the Langkisau Hill Area is also known as one of the most popular Paragliding arenas for Indonesians and world gliders. Various paragliding sports activities have often been held in Langkisau. An activity that is routinely carried out every year is the Langkisau Festival.
In addition to paragliding sports, the Langkisau Hill is also equipped with outbound facilities in the form of a flying-fox, as well as food and snack stalls. The local residents also provide lodging for tourists who want to spend the night here. On its peak, there is a parking lot that has been arranged and also a garden and a small gazebo as a place to sit around enjoying the view. Visitors only need to pay a parking fee of approximately Rp. 2,000 without the need to pay an entrance ticket.
Gesing Beach in Yogyakarta
Yogyakarta is one of the cities on the island of Java, which is quite famous among foreign tourists. Besides its cultural and historical tourism, Yogyakarta’s natural charm also attracts the attention of the tourists. One example is Gesing Beach in Girikarto Village, Panggang District, Gunungkidul Regency. This beach is 45 km from Yogyakarta City. If you depart from Yogyakarta City, there are three routes to get to the beach, namely Jalan Wonosari, Jalan Imogiri, and Jalan Parangtritis.
Gesing Beach has white sand and small waves. The sea surface is dangerously beautiful, because there is a gradation of the water surface from bright green to blue. Because the water is quite calm, this beach is a comfortable place to swim. You can also snorkel on this beach to see the underwater charm. This beach is in the bay, and is flanked by cliffs. If you like photography, you can capture the charms of Gesing Beach both from the top of steep cliffs and from white sandy beaches. If you like fishing, Gesing Beach is also a quite challenging place because there are many favorite fishing spots. One of them is above steep cliffs. There are lots of mackerel, Layur fish, squid and lobster here.
Gesing Beach is not too big. With its characteristics, this beach is a place for fishermen to anchor. On Gesing Beach, there is also a Fish Auction Place, so it's no wonder, if on Gesing Beach there are many stalls lined up selling processed fresh fish. Around this beach, there are also inns if you want to spend the night around Gesing Beach. The cost of admission to this beach is also not too expensive, you only need to pay Rp5,000 and plus a parking fee of 2 thousand rupiah for motorbikes and 5 thousand rupiah for cars.