East Nusa Tenggara –NTT is a paradise for nature lovers. Biodiversity, peace and beauty of NTT’s land that stretches from the air, land to the seabed seem to become everyone's dream. This natural charm is able to attract the attention of both domestic and foreign tourists. NTT as the most exotic province in Eastern Indonesia offers millions of biodiversity that is worth being explored. West Manggarai is also an area that offers a row of exotic tours. One of them is Koaba Island or also known as Kalong Island which is located not far from Komodo National Park. This island is included in the 7 wonders of the world and is a large habitat for giant bats or also called Kalong that inhabit a row of exotic trees on the island.
The detailed location of Koaba Island is located in Manggarai Regency, precisely in the Mbeliling protected forest area in Labuan Bajo. To get to the island, if you depart by plane, you can get off at the nearest airport or it is recommended to get off in Denpasar, Bali. From Bali, you can continue your trip by taking a long-distance ferry for approximately 4 to 5 hours to East Nusa Tenggara. Arriving there, take a public bus to the port of Labuan Bajo, then continue by speedboat or canoe to Koaba Island for about 8 km or it takes about 1 hour by sea transportation. Although it is a bit tiring on the way, when you get there, you will be presented with a very beautiful view. All your tiredness will be paid off with this beautiful view.
This small island with dense forest and surrounded by blue sea water containing millions of marine animals and plants is the home of thousands of large bats or Kalong that perch in the trees during the day and roam from evening to night to hunt. Even though it is inhabited by thousands of bats, many visitors say that it is a little difficult to find bats because the nocturnal nightlife is difficult to navigate. However, you can try to see them around 6 PM. There are no lodging facilities on this island. So, it is highly recommended that you enjoy some diving spots in the island area while waiting for the night creature to appear. Tour managers near the port have provided rental masks, fins, buoys, gas cylinders to diving and swimming suits. Spending time in natural tourism areas such as Koaba Island is the most appropriate choice to be able to see directly the greatness of God who has given privileges to Indonesia with its diverse culture, natural charm and biodiversity.
It seems there are only a few people who know or even hear about Haji Mangku cave on Maratua Island, Derawan islands. However, in the last three years the cave, which is located about tens of meters from the north coast of Maratua Island, has started to be visited by tourists.
Based on its name, this cave was discovered by Haji Mangku. Of several caves which have the same type in Maratua, the Haji Mangku Cave is the most accessible.
This cave is located in the middle of a forest which is surrounded by shady trees. Starting with light trekking through a small forest, visitors must be extra careful in choosing a footing because of the sharp rocky path.
Arriving at the location, after walking through shady trees, visitors will be greeted by a cave that forms like a natural pool, extending with clear bluish water. There are two ways to enter this brackish water cave, first jumping directly from the top of the cave or entering from the mouth of the cave which is half covered with water.
The best time to visit the Haji Mangku Cave is during the day, because at this time the sunlight will enter the cave and even penetrate into the inside of the cave. The appearance of the water will also look bluer than coming in the afternoon when the sun is almost setting. The water in this cave tastes salty because the passage in the cave penetrating to the sea.
Currently, there are no supporting facilities for visitors, such as toilets, changing rooms, food stalls or others at the area. So, it is highly recommended that visitors bring food and soft drinks that are purchased in Maratua before going to the cave.
For those of you who want to snorkel, free-dive or cave diving at the cave location, don't forget to bring your own tools, because there are no snorkeling or diving tool rental places around the cave.
It seems there are only a few people who know or even hear about Haji Mangku cave on Maratua Island, Derawan islands. However, in the last three years the cave, which is located about tens of meters from the north coast of Maratua Island, has started to be visited by tourists.
Based on its name, this cave was discovered by Haji Mangku. Of several caves which have the same type in Maratua, the Haji Mangku Cave is the most accessible.
This cave is located in the middle of a forest which is surrounded by shady trees. Starting with light trekking through a small forest, visitors must be extra careful in choosing a footing because of the sharp rocky path.
Arriving at the location, after walking through shady trees, visitors will be greeted by a cave that forms like a natural pool, extending with clear bluish water. There are two ways to enter this brackish water cave, first jumping directly from the top of the cave or entering from the mouth of the cave which is half covered with water.
The best time to visit the Haji Mangku Cave is during the day, because at this time the sunlight will enter the cave and even penetrate into the inside of the cave. The appearance of the water will also look bluer than coming in the afternoon when the sun is almost setting. The water in this cave tastes salty because the passage in the cave penetrating to the sea.
At this time, there are no supporting facilities for visitors, such as toilets, changing rooms, food stalls or others at the area. So, it is highly recommended that visitors bring food and soft drinks that are purchased in Maratua before going to the cave.
For those of you who want to snorkel, free-dive or cave diving at the cave location, don't forget to bring your own tools, because there are no snorkeling or diving tool rental places around the cave.
PESONA INDONESIA/VOI/ SENIN/16 NOVEMBER 2020 / IHSAN
Analisis : ika
Judul : Gua Haji Mangku, Kalimantan Timur
…..Tune Buka Pesona Indonesia…..
Pendengar, jumpa lagi dalam Pesona Indonesia bersama saya _____. Seperti biasa Anda dapat mendengarkan program kami via streaming di www.voinews.id. Hari ini kami akan memperkenalkan Gua Haji Mangku di Kalimantan Timur. Jadi tetaplah bersama kami hanya di RRI World Service Voice of Indonesia.
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Pendengar, mungkin tak banyak yang tahu atau bahkan mendengar tentang sebuah gua yang berada di Pulau Maratua, Kepulauan Derawan yang bernama Gua Haji Mangku. Gua yang terletak sekitar puluhan meter dari bibir pantai utara Pulau Maratua ini mulai ramai dikunjungi oleh para wisatawan sekitar 3 tahun belakangan ini.
Berdasarkan namanya, gua ini ditemukan oleh seseorang yang bernama Haji Mangku. Dari beberapa macam tipikal gua sejenis yang terdapat di Maratua, Gua Haji Mangku merupakan salah satunya yang paling mudah diakses.
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Pendengar, lokasi gua ini berada di tengah-tengah hutan yang dikelilingi oleh pepohonan rimbun. Dimulai dengan trekking ringan melewati hutan kecil, pengunjung harus lebih ekstra hati-hati dalam memilih pijakan karena jalurnya yang berkarang tajam.
Sesampainya di lokasi, setelah berjalan melewati pepohonan rindang, pengunjung akan disambut oleh bibir gua yang membentuk seperti kolam alami, memanjang dengan airnya yang jernih berwarna kebiru-biruan. Untuk memasuki gua berair payau ini, ada dua cara yaitu, loncat terjun langsung dari atas gua atau masuk dari mulut gua yang setengahnya sudah tertutupi air.
Waktu terbaik untuk mengunjungi Gua Haji Mangku adalah di siang hari, karena pada saat itu cahaya matahari akan masuk menyinari gua dan bahkan menembus hingga ke bagian dalam gua. Penampakan airnya pun akan terlihat lebih biru jika dibandingkan datang pada saat sore hari ketika matahari sudah hampir tenggelam. Air dalam gua ini berasa asin karena lorong dalam gua tersebut tembus sampai ke laut.
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Pendengar, di tempat wisata ini belum terdapat fasilitas penunjang bagi para pengunjung, seperti toilet, ruang ganti baju, warung makanan ataupun yang lainnya. Sehingga, sangat disarankan pengunjung membawa bekal makanan dan minuman ringan yang dibeli di Maratua sebelumnya.
Bagi yang ingin snorkeling, free-diving ataupun cave diving di lokasi gua, jangan lupa untuk membawa alat-alatnya, karena di sekitar gua belum terdapat penyewaan alat untuk snorkeling ataupun diving.
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Pendengar, demikian Pesona Indonesia edisi kali ini tentang Gua Haji Mangku di Kalimantan Timur. Kita akan berjumpa kembali esok dengan topik-topik menarik lainnya. Sampai Jumpa.
……….Tune Tutup Pesona Indonesia…….
Hundreds of mothers came down to Cimadur River located on the northside of Ciusul Village, Citorek Kidul Village, Cibeber sub- district, Lebak regency, Banten province on November 5th 2020. They bathed together to carry out a tradition called ‘Seren Taun Kasepuhan Ciusul’ which is held once in a year. Bathing together carried out by the women is called the Neres tradition. The tradition has been done for hundreds of years and it is still continuously preserved up to now. Besides being a ritual event, this tradition has also become a tourism attraction in Kasepuhan Ciusul.
The Neres Tradition is part of a series of Seren Taun ceremony held as a form of gratitude after the harvest is over. Neres is a ritual performed to get rid of harmful diseases, such as the spread of disease outbreaks, famine, every time to plant rice or trees with poor results. Besides bathing, in the Neres Tradition, every day women also bring household utensils to clean. They come from a village in Kasepuhan Ciusul. In the Neres tradition, not all women are allowed to participate; they must fulfill certain conditions, including the menstruating women. Interestingly, the Neres tradition also uses natural elements for bathing, for example, using rice stalks or burnt straw for shampoo.
Besides the Neres tradition, the community of Kasepuhan Ciusul has various other tourism attractions. For natural tourism, there is charm of the country above the clouds of Mt. Luhur. The cultural tourism is also various. To know the local culture, you can go around Kasepuhan. The right time to visit Ciusul Citorek is when Kasepuhan is holding a big harvest and Seren Taun. On the occasion, tourists may witness various cultural and traditional attractions.
The charm of hollow rocks with a unique, natural and beautiful beach should be visited when you want to enjoy vacations to Sukabumi, West Java. Karang Hawu Beach, which is located in Sukabumi, has a unique, exotic and natural beauty. This beach is one of the famous beaches in Sukabumi with the distinctive beauty of cliffs jutting into the sea. In addition, this beach has a mystical story that has been well known and recognized by the local residents. If you come to have holidays in this location, you will be presented with a beautiful view, which is a soft stretch of sand with brownish colors, cool air and big waves that hit the cliffs. All of these add to the charm of the beauty of this Karang Hawu Beach.
According to the story of the local people, this beach is named Karang Hawu because there are holes in the cliffs or rocks so that it will look like a stove. "Hawu" which in Sundanese means stove. So, this beach is named Karang Hawu. In addition, this beach is also famous for its myth in which it is said that the cliff that juts into the sea is Nyai Roro Kidul's throne, the Ruler of the South Sea.
The length of this coastline reaches 4 kilometers. If you are at the top of a hill, you can enjoy a clear view of Karang Hawu Beach. The view of the high seas until the big waves hitting the rocks is a very beautiful scenery here. Uniquely, in this location there is a simple bridge which was made of bamboo, so you can take a walk through the flow of sea water to another end of the reef.
Taking a walk along the beach with the occasional play with the crashing waves or even sitting relaxedly while enjoying the waves and sunshine is a fun activity on this beach. Even though the waves on this beach are quite large, don't worry because on the sandy side, the waves are getting smaller gradually. If you like surfing, you can try it at this location. If you do not bring your own surfing equipment, this area also provides surfing equipment rental.
This beach is located in Cikakak Village, Cisolok District, Sukabumi Regency, West Java and is close to the tourism area of Pelabuhan Ratu, approximately 16 kilometers from Pelabuhan Ratu Fish Market. Access to this location is quite easy, because you can use public or private transportation. If you use public transportation, you can take a bus or public transportation from Pelabuhan Ratu Terminal around 20 minutes. If you use a private vehicle, you can adjust the public transport route to this location.
Siti Nurbaya Bridge is a bridge that stretches 156 meters over the Batang Arau River, Padang City, West Sumatra. This bridge connects between downton and Seberang Padang. By taking the name from the title of a classic novel, Siti Nurbaya as Marah Rusli’s creation, the bridge is an access to Mount Padang. It was built in 1995 and inaugurated in 2002.
The Siti Nurbaya Bridge connects Padang City with the old city which is in the area of Mount Padang. The old city contains old buildings from the Dutch era, Chinese villages with lots of traditional houses with distinctive red colors and large statues. Under the bridge, there is the Batang Arau estuary, which ends at the Padang beach itself. There are old ships and boats that are leaning on the edge of the bridge making this location very interesting to visit, as if you were somewhere else outside Indonesia.
The Siti Nurbaya Bridge is not too far from Minangkabau International Airport, because it can be accessed in 30 minutes by public transportation or private vehicles. By visiting this bridge, you can also enjoy the old town across the bridge and enjoy the sunset from Padang Beach which is not far from the Siti Nurbaya Bridge.
Ciletuh Geopark area offers a number of interesting tourism attractions that are located close to each other. Walking around this tourism area is an interesting activity that can be done on weekends. If the trip starts from Jakarta, the distance to the first tourism spot by car is 161 kilometers, or about 4 hours 36 minutes. To avoid congestion, it is better if the trip starts in the morning at around 06:00 WIB. Don't forget to have breakfast and check on your private car to keep your trip safe. You can start a road trip at Geopark Cileuteuh the next day at Puncak Darma and enjoy the sunrise which makes the road trip experience even more enjoyable. From there, various views can be seen from Ciletuh Bay, which is shaped like a horseshoe, rows of cliffs, rice fields to Ciletuh Geopark beach.
After enjoying the view at Puncak Darma, you can continue your journey to Curug Dogdog which is only 1.5 kilometers or about four minutes by car. Curug Dogdog is located in Cimarinjung Village, Ciemas District. This tourism spot has a beautiful rock formation. However, you are not recommended to climb these rocks because the rocks are very slippery. There is a small pool with a very beautiful waterfall. You can enjoy the beauty of the waterfall while enjoying your lunch at a stall that is available in the area. The next tourism spot that can be visited is Cimarinjung waterfall in Ciemas District. The distance from Curug Dogdog is 800 meters or about two minutes by motor vehicles. Even though the location is more remote, the waterfall which is on the border of Girimukti Village and Ciwaru Village has its own charm. Being in a remote area makes Cimarinjung waterfall has fresh water. However, you are advised not to play its water because the water flow is quite heavy. To end the first day of the road trip, you can stay at Vanada Bugeul on Jalan Cimarinjung, Ciwaru, Ciemas District.
The second day, you can start your trip to Palangpang Beach to see sunrise, go fishing or buy fresh fish from the local fish auction or take pictures at the Ciletuh Geopark monument. This tourism spot is located 850 meters from the lodging or about two minutes by car. Then, you can continue your adventure to cross to Kunti Island by renting a boat for Rp 400,000. The boat can accommodate more than seven people. Boat rentals can be found in the Ciwaru area. The scenery on this island is extraordinarily beautiful. The island faces directly to the Indian Ocean and has a beautiful stretch of white sand. There are also rocks that arise on the sand. After enjoying lunch in the Ciwaru area, you can go straight to Ujung Genteng Beach, located in Gunung Batu Village, Ciracap District. This sloping beach is surrounded by trees that makes the tourism area look beautiful. Apart from playing the sea water or relaxing on the beach and enjoying the beautiful stretch of white sand, you can also do selfies in a number of ruins of the buildings that were left over from the Dutch era.
After playing at the beach, you can go directly to Teletubbies Hill which is located only 4 kilometers or about 13 minutes from Ujung Genteng Beach. The panorama of the beautiful green hills is similar with the hills in the children's film television series, Teletubbies. The difference is that there is a lake there which makes the expanse of the savanna look more attractive. While you are there, besides being able to take pictures, you can also have a picnic around the lake while enjoying the view. In addition, you can also set up a tent if you want to take a break before starting your trip to the next tourism spot. During a pandemic like this time, make sure that when you visit, you still obey the health protocols to prevent Covid-19, namely by wearing a mask, washing your hands with soap, keeping your distance, and not traveling if you have a fever or body temperature above 37.3 degrees Celsius.
Padar Island is the third largest island in the Komodo National Park area, after Komodo and Rinca Island. The island is relatively closer to Rinca Island than to Komodo Island, which is separated by the Lintah Strait.
Padar Island is not inhabited by Komodo. However, it is accepted as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, because it is within the Komodo National Park area, along with Komodo Island, Rinca Island and Gili Motang.
The island's topography is rugged with volcanic mountains in the sea and hills facing a deep sea bay. Padar Island has a dry climate with grassland bushes and trees covering the island, creating beautiful savanna hill.
Padar Island Labuan Bajo has four deep bays and beach sand in various colors, mostly white sand beaches. In addition, there is a sand beach which has gray and pink sand.
When you visit Padar Island, you can take part in hiking activities to the top of the hill. From the top of the hill, you can see the whole view of Padar Island.
If you want to visit Padar Island, from Denpasar, Bali, you can go by plane to Labuan Bajo for 30 minutes. Then, you continue the journey to Loh Liang dock, Komodo Island, and then use a speed boat to Padar Island. Padar Island tourism area opens 24 hours a day. Therefore, you can visit this tourism spot at any time.
To enter Padar Island, tourists only need to pay an entrance ticket to Komodo Island of Rp150,000. This fee does not include snorkeling, trekking or diving activities.
When traveling to Riau province, I suggest you to taste its special culinaries. One of them is “Asam Pedas Ikan Baung”. Spicy acid taste becomes one of the characteristics of dishes in Sumatra island. For example in Minangkabau, there is a typical dish called Asam Padeh. While in Aceh, there is Asam Keueng. “Asam Pedas Ikan Baung” is a culinary of Riau province which strongly influence by Malay culinary taste. This culinary is a mandatory dish in almost every houses and it is also served at many local traditional events such as wedding ceremonies, Eid el-Fitr, and circumcision.
From the look Asam Pedas Ikan Baung culinary has a reddish orange color with an appetizing aroma. The reddish orange color comes from turmeric. Asam Pedas Ikan Baung also uses other ingredients such as chilies, ginger, galangal, lemongrass, shallots and garlic. The sour taste comes from kandis tamarind or java tamarind water. While the main ingredient is Baung fish. Baung fish with the Latin name Mystus Nemurus, is the same species to catfish. This freshwater fish can be found on rivers, swamp, lake and reservoir. Baung fish that has white flesh with soft and dense texture without fine spines, makes the fish mostly liked by people.
The spicy, sour, savory, and fresh flavors are mixed in Asam Pedas Ikan Baung. This culinary is very delicious when it is eaten with hot rice. For those who are interested to enjoying it, this culinary is easy to find in Riau. Many restaurants sell Asam Pedas Ikan Baung with Rp. 100,000 per portion.
The dilemma that is often faced by tourists is to choose the perfect tourism destination for vacation. The choice is between mountains and beaches, but are there any tourism destinations that cover both? Yes, there are. On Lombok Island, there is a destination, called Mount Tunak Natural Tourism Park. This place is a complete package for both mountain and beach lovers. The location is located in Mertak Village, Pujut District, Central Lombok Regency, West Nusa Tenggara. Mount Tunak Natural Park is 1,200 hectares promontory jutting directly into the Indian Ocean which has hilly plains and cliff islands around it. The promontory is flanked by Bumbang bay in the West-North and Awang bay in the East. At the first glance, Mount Tunak is similar to the Twelve Apostles in Victoria, Australia. Although there are not 12 cliff islands in this area, this destination still has extraordinary beauty.
To enter Mount Tunak tourism area, you will go through a number of protected forest areas which are inhabited by endangered species such as foot-birds, Timor deer and many types of butterflies in the captive park. After passing through the forest area, you will find a hidden beach. Its name is Bilayasak Beach, which is a virgin beach with white sand directly facing the Indian Ocean. The sea water is dark blue which looks very beautiful when the sky is clear with thin clouds above it. This beach is also surrounded by circular limestone cliffs, from a distance it looks golden. On top of the cliff, there are green hills that can be climbed, and from above, you can see the natural panorama of Mount Tunak which has cliff islands lined up in the ocean. Every now and then, the big waves swept the cliffs, giving rise to the distinctive sound of the ocean. At Mount Tunak area, there is also a 20-meter high lighthouse. From the top of the lighthouse, you can see the entire area of Mount Tunak which stretches without any obstructions. The blue sea, cliffs, beaches, hills and sky, all these sights make anyone amazed by their beauty. Moreover, this tourism park is a quiet area and not many tourists know about it, so that anyone who comes will feel spoiled like being on a private island.
The location of Mount Tunak is about 85 kilometers from Mataram City and takes about 2.5 hours by motor vehicles. The road condition is not extreme and has used asphalt to access these tourism sites. However, there is no public transportation yet. You can rent a car or preferably use a travel service from Mataram City with a price range of IDR 300,000. Mount Tunak opens every day from 07.00-16.00 local time. The ticket price is Rp 5,000 for local tourists, and Rp 10,000 for foreign tourists. The facilities in this tour are very minimal because it is still under construction. There is only a parking area, protected forest and butterfly breeding. There are no traders, food courts or souvenir centers around the location.
Lokale Cave is located at Woslimo village, Baliem Valley, Jayawijaya Regency in Papua. This cave was first opened in 1992. It is believed to be the longest cave in the world, because until now, the end of this cave has not been found.
The farthest journey in this cave is only 3 kilometers. Because of the length of this cave, many academics estimate that Lokale Cave can penetrate into the Jayapura area. In 1992, Lokale Cave was opened by the local government as a tourism spot and nature reservation.
The cave is formed from limestone rocks.Around Lokale cave, there is a pine forest. To enter the Lokale cave, you have to pass a narrow slit, and there is a stairway to enter the cave.
Although the end of this cave is not known, it is not a scary place. You will easily get a pleasant impression when you enter this cave. One thing that makes this cave fun is that there are several points on the cave wall with hollow space and melodious sound when knocked.
If you knock gently, you will hear a sound. The sound is in regular tone and able to form a unique musical composition. Inside the cave, it is very dark. When entering this cave, you are highly recommended to bring a flashlight.
Lokale cave is about 25 kilometers from Wamena City. Access to this cave is quite easy because the asphalt road is quite good and it can be accessed by motor vehicles.
Lokale Cave is located on the edge of the regency's main road. So, you do not need to walk far or climb to get there. Its strategic location makes this cave a good family tourism spot and is often visited by a lot of tourists in various groups.