Tanjung Layar beach is a tourism object in Sawarna tourism village, Bayah, Lebak regency, Banten. The name of the beach comes from two giant rocks which have a shape like a sailing ship. At the East of the beach, there is a coral group like left footprint whose size is two times one meter. Its name is Jejak Kaki Kabayan or in English, it means Kabayan footprint. People say, the footprints of his brother are in Jampang, Sukabumi. Currently, Tanjung Layar beach and other beaches at Sawarna tourism village are managed by BUMdes Sawarna. In the era of Dutch Indies, the bay was known with the name, Java’s Eerste Punt or in English, it means the first end of Java Island. History of the beach is told in Sundanese chronicle and legend (fairy tales) of the south coast.
According to the history, two giant rocks at Tanjung Layar area were incarnation of two powers which would become Sangkuriang ship to sail across the Southern Ocean when going to get married with his mother, Dayang Sumbi, but Sang Hyang Widi of God Almighty did not allow the will of Sangkuriang, because of that he raged, and the ship was kicked to the North becoming Mt. Tangkuban Perahu. Meanwhile, the big sails which were thrown away to the South of Java Island became rocks that are sturdy and rigid at the Southern beach of Banten province. Actually, the twin rocks occurred because of a natural phenomenon which happened hundred years ago.
Besides beach, Tanjung Layar area also has thousands of caves which stretch along Pelabuhanratu until Bayah and Malingping. Over there, there is also a natural sea basin which contains of various kinds of marine animals that usually occupy the coral reefs. You cannot swim at Tanjung Layar beach but the beach is a heaven for those photography’s lovers. It is because the beach has many beautiful spots as photography’s objects. Tanjung Layar is also mentioned as a hidden heaven at the Southern coast of Java island by tourists.
Aek Manik bathing place has so clear and bluish water. Its water is natural and it is between small hills and lush trees. So during the daytime, the air around the pool is not so hot.
This bathing place is actually a river, but uniquely, the water in this pond does not seem to flow. At the bottom of this pool, there is a stretch of white sand such as soft beach sand and various sizes of mountain rocks. In addition, there are some relief carvings that decorate the walls of the pond and mountain shower which is very fresh.
With its blue and fresh water, of course, the Aek Manik bathing place is a favorite activity for tourists to swim. In addition, many people also camp in this tourism area.
At the end of the bathing place, there is indeed a camping area and a place to eat grilled fish that can be obtained by fishing at the edge of the river.
This natural Aek Manik bathing place is located in the PTPN Tea Plantation (PT Perkebunan Negara) Sidamanik in Sidamanik District, Pematang Siantar City, North Sumatra. You can go to this tourism destination around 4 hours by motor vehicles from Medan City, the capital of North Sumatra, through Pematangsiantar with a distance of 150 kilometers.
The distance from the gate of the PTPN complex to the bathing place is only 5 kilometers. Entering into Aek Manik bathing place is free of charge
Ratu Boko temple is an ancient site which is a complex of a number of remnants of buildings. It is located approximately 3 kilometers south of the Prambanan Temple complex, 18 kilometers east of Yogyakarta City or 50 kilometers southwest of Surakarta City, Central Java, Indonesia. The Ratu Boko site is located on a hill at an altitude of 196 meters above sea level. The total area of the complex is around 25 hectares. This site displays attributes as places for activities or settlement sites, but its exact function is not yet clearly known. The temple is predicted to have been used by people in the 8th century during the Sailendra Dynasty (Rakai Panangkaran) of the Medang Kingdom (Hindu Mataram). The name "Ratu Boko" comes from the legend of the local resident. Ratu Boko is a Javanese language that literally means the king of storks. The king is also the father of Loro Jonggrang and becomes the name of the main temple in the Prambanan temple complex. This building complex is associated with local folk legend, Loro Jonggrang.
Different from other ancient relics at the ancient Javanese era that are generally in the form of religious buildings, the Ratu Boko site is a residential complex, complete with gate, pavilion, residences, and bathing pool to protective fences. The Ratu Boko site is located on a high hill. This location indicates the presence of springs and the existence of a water management system that can meet daily needs. Bathing pool is a heritage of the system. Another peculiarity of the site is a place at the left of the gate which is now called “cremation place”. Viewing its size and position, it is a place to perform something or activities.
The Ratu Boko site was reported for the first time by Van Boeckholzt in 1790, stating that there are archeological ruins on the hill of Ratu Boko. A hundred year later, research was conducted and led by FDK Bosch. From this, it was concluded that the ruins were the remains of the palace. Today, the central government includes the Ratu Boko Site complex in a special authority along with the management of Borobudur and Prambanan Temples in a state-owned company called PT. Taman Wisata Candi. As a consequence, the Ratu Boko Site was reorganized in several places to be used as a place for education and cultural activities.
Ulu house is the traditional house of people at upstream area of Musi River in South Sumatera. The name "Ulu" comes from the word "Uluan" which means "rural". "Uluan" is also a term for people who live in the upstream of the Musi River.
All parts of the house are from the woods and at the bottom, it is supported by Unglen trunk. Unglen tree is believed to last until hundred years. The house is also resistant to the earthquake.
The design of the house structure is a key factor that makes it strong with the possible earthquake. Its pole is put on a pile of stones, which has a function as wheel. Therefore, if there is an earthquake, the house only will sway, not collapse.
The construction of Ulu house must follow some rules which have been agreed. The construction must face to the line of water flow. This is intended that the house is free from flash floods that could come at any time.
In addition, the construction also must follow an Ulu-ulak system. This means that if the land to be built is large and the next Ulu house is planned to build, the housing construction must be carried out from the most upstream part.
The Ulu-ulak system is not only the rules of the housing construction, buy also the rules of the rooms in a social manner. The font house is for those who are older in the family line, and the most downstream of the house is occupied by the youngest descendants. This system also applies in the division of space in the house.
Nowadays, the Ulu house is rarely found in South Sumatera. If you are interested in watching the uniqueness of this traditional house, please come to Balaputra Dewa Museum in Palembang City, South Sumatera province.
This traditional house still can be watched at the backyard of the museum and becomes one of the biggest collections of the museum. According to the record, this traditional Ulu house is 200 years old and taken from Asemkelat village, Pangandonan, Ogan Komering Ilir regency.
Kiluan bay is a tourism object located in Bumi Sari Natar, Tanggamus regency, Lampung province with marine tourism potentials and well known with many dolphins and whales around the bay. Kiluan bay is also well known with its natural beauty and heaven for fishers. Annually, at the bay, fishing competition is held and participated in by the fishers throughout Indonesia. The bay has a distance around 73 kilometers from Bandara Lampung and takes around 3 hours by motor vehicles. One of the bay’s peculiars is dolphins’ attraction at the sea.
At the Kiluan bay, you can watch dolphins’ groups whose number is in hundreds. Kiluan bay is a migration line of two kinds of dolphins, namely bottlenose dolphins with a bigger body and have gray color and smaller long beak dolphins. The two kinds of the dolphins are a lot and hundreds or even thousands of dolphins pass the bay. Those dolphins are quite familiar with human beings. They like to approach the boats or ships which pass at the sea. If you want to see those dolphins, it is better at 6 am of local time.
At Kiluan bay, there is also Gayau lagoon which is located behind the hills of the bay. To go to the lagoon, it takes around 30 minutes. There is also a tour guide for tourists who visit the bay for the first time with an entrance fee Rp 50,000 per trip. To enter the lagoon complex, you must buy a ticket worth Rp 5,000 per person. Going to the lagoon, tourists will pass a beautiful beach with many large rocks scattered, but you have to be careful with its wave which is quite big. After passing the beach, you can watch the lagoon’s beauty which is shaped like a basin at the beach and bounded by coral walls. The water in the lagoon is very clear and transparent with a greenish blue color. The depth of the lagoon is around 1 until 3 meters so that it is safe for swimming or soaking. At Kilauan bay, tourists can also do snorkeling. The edge of the beach varies, ranging from white sandy beaches with sloping coastal contours to rocky cliffs.
Good news comes from the borders of India and China, when the world is still struggling to overcome the Covid-19 pandemic. India, which is working hard to overcome the Corona virus in the country, is getting a breath of fresh air in its recently strained relations with China. After a bloody conflict which did not involve any exchange of gunfire between the two sides last June, a peace agreement was finally reached.
The Chinese began to withdraw their troops from the border with India. This was marked by the dismantling of military camps and several facilities in the Galwan valley. The place is often the location of military clashes between the two countries, as happened on 15 June.
The Chinese Indian feud began 50 years ago due to border disputes in the Himalayan highlands. Peace measures took place in a meeting between Indian Security Adviser Ajit Goval and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. The talks, which took place on Sunday, July 5, resulted in an agreement regarding the withdrawal of military forces from the disputed border zone.
From the Chinese side, information was obtained that effective steps would be taken to ease tensions at the border. The two sides also agreed to continue the dialogue to follow up on the peace talks. Both China and India said they agreed to withdraw the troops significantly.
Trying to find a solution through negotiations to reach an agreement is a very good way. There is no solution that can be achieved when differences of opinion and principles are pursued through violence or war. For India and China the resolution of border disputes, which has lasted half a century, through negotiations, is the best way. Moreover, without having to include foreign parties to interfere. Of course further steps are still needed to achieve a permanent settlement of the conflict between the two neighbors, India and China.
Sendari Village is a bamboo craft based tourism village. The bamboo handicrafts from this tourism village have been exported to foreign countries such as Italy, Singapore, Saudi Arabia and the Netherlands. The bamboo industry center at Sendari village is located at Sendon, Tirtoadi, Mlati sub-district, Sleman Regency. It takes approximately 45 minutes by motor vehicles to get to Sendari village from downtown of Yogyakarta. The expertise in making handicrafts from bamboo is continuously done by the local community from generation to generation. The majority of villagers at Sendari worked as bamboo craftsmen.
Raw materials for making bamboo handicrafts are purchased from Kulon Progo. The bamboo handicrafts center at Sendari village has been supported by the local government. There are many seminars and briefings purposed to craftsmen, so that the bamboo crafts center can grow continuously. In the Sendari tourism village, you can find various forms of bamboo handicrafts such as household equipments, tables, chairs and room dividers. There are also various home accessories such as lamp decoration, calligraphy and many others. The price is also varies based on the quality and complexity of the manufacturing.
Besides buying various bamboo handicrafts, you can also see the bamboo processing from beginning to the end. Starting from washing bamboo, then dried for durability. The drying process is still carried out traditionally by utilizing sunlight.
Coto Mangkasara or usually called Coto Makassar is a typical soup dish from Makassar, South Sulawesi, which has many lovers in Indonesia, even it is quite well known abroad. Visiting Makassar is not complete if you do not taste Coto Makassar. The main agenda of some tourists who come to Makassar is to taste Coto Makassar.
The raw stuff of Coto Makassar is from cow or buffalo meat consisting of lungs, liver, intestines, and tongue. All of them are boiled for a long time. Meanwhile, the sauce seasoning is a combination of a number of spices and peanuts that have been fried and grinded. The boiled meat is then sliced into small pieces and mixed with the blended seasoning.
To make the sauce seasoning, we need some spices, such as garlic, red onion, and boiled red chilli, hazelnut, coriander, roasted cumin, pepper granules, salt and tauco. Tauco, Taucu, Taotjo or Tauchu is a paste made from preserved fermented yellow soybeans. All of the ingredients must be grinded until smooth and then fried. If the fried seasoning smells fragrant, the seasoning is entered into the broth of the boiling beef and adds peanuts that have been fried and grinded. After that, the broth is cooked to boil.
Nowadays, Coto Makassar can be enjoyed throughout Indonesia. We can find it not only at the food stalls along the roadsides, but also at five-star hotel. If you visit Makassar, we suggest you try this food. You can find the food at almost every food stall in Makassar with prices around Rp 20.000 – Rp. 25.000 per portion.
If you travel to Nangro Aceh Darussalam province, please try its typical various culinary. One of them is Beulacan, a typical food of Aceh which has been inherited from generation to generation by every family in Aceh. Beulacan is usually served in various special ceremonies such as wedding, circumcision or Islamic holidays. However, many people also make it as their daily food dish at home.
Beulacan is made from several spices which are around the houses of the local people. The ingredients consist of grated coconut, chili, lemongrass, coriander, turmeric, garlic and onion. Sometimes, to give more flavor Beulacan is also added with salted fish. But in ancient times, some people also make Beulacan using shrimp paste which is made from udang sabe (kind of shrimp), and salted fish. Then Beulacan is wrapped in banana leaves with a small size then is roasted on the stove. Beulacan is usually eaten with rice and other side dishes.
When eaten, Beulacan is tastful and delicable especially if it is eaten with hot rice. This food is very popular, especially in holy month of Ramadan as iftar dish. During Ramadan, there usually a lot of traders who sell this culinary in Banda Aceh and other regions in Aceh. The taste is delicious and suitable to eat with rice when breaking the fast. The price is relatively cheap, about Rp. 5,000 to Rp. 10,000.
Istano Basa, better known as Pagaruyung Palace, is a palace located in Tanjung Emas district, Batusangkar City, Tanah Datar regency, West Sumatra province. The Istano Basa which stands now is actually a replica of the original one. The original Istano Basa is located on the hill of Batu Patah and was burned down in 1804 by the Paderi who at that time were fighting the nobles and the custom community. The palace was later rebuilt but it was burned again in 1966. The palace was rebuilt in 1976 as a replica of the original Pagaruyung palace. The palace was built after the eradication of the Republic of Indonesia's Revolutionary Government movement in 1958 that centered in West Sumatra.
The rebuilding process of Istano Basa was carried out by laying the tunggak tuo (the main pillar) on December 27, 1976 by then Governor of West Sumatra, Harun Zain. This new building was not built on the site of the old one, but in a new location to the south. In the late 1970s, this palace could be visited by the public. After being completed, the palace is known to the public as a tourism destination and museum. The Istano Basa is located approximately 5 kilometers from Batusangkar. This palace is well known for its cultural attraction in West Sumatra.
The original Pagaruyung Palace was built entirely with wooden sticks.However, the latest building was built with a modern concrete structure. Istano Basa Pagaruyuang was built by maintaining traditional techniques and wood materials which were decorated with 60 carvings that explain the Minangkabau philosophy and culture. This palace has three floors with 72 pillars and Gonjong as in general of Rumah Gadang, which is arched like a horn of 26 tons of fibers. The palace is also equipped with more than 100 replicas of Minang antique furniture and artifacts, which aim to revive the palace as a cultural center of Minangkabau and a tourist attraction in West Sumatra.