Batam City held an event on the visit of Muhibah Bugis Melayu Serumpun on 27 April 2019.The event took place successfully because it was attended by 219 foreign tourists from Singapore. Head of Area II, Deputy Regional Marketing Assistant I of the Ministry of Tourism, Trindiana M. Tikupasang said that the visit of the Muhibah Bugis Melayu Serumpun is one of ways to preserve culture and revive the glory of Bugis-Malay. The event was also to preserve the history of the Bugis-Malay that has been glorious through culinary, musical performances and dances. One of the cultures shown is the Bugis and Paduppa Dance.The dance was also performed beautifully by Sanggat Wan Sendari. Moreover, Malay and Bugis songs were also played namely l Balo Lipa, Tak Akan Melayu Hilang di Dunia, Tana Ogi Wanuakku, and Zapin Pusaka songs. Related to the activity, the Indonesian Wonder for today’s edition introduces you one of the Malay cultural arts, namely Paduppa Bosara Dance. It is a welcoming dance of Bugis-Makassar people when guests arrive. In the past, the dance was often performed to entertain kings, to welcome noble guests, traditional parties, and wedding parties. Bosara itself is a typical plate of the Bugis-Makassar tribe in South Sulawesi. The basic material of Bosara is from iron and completed with a distinctive cover like a large drum which is wrapped in brightly colored fabrics, such as red, blue, green or yellow, with golden flower ornaments around it. Besides being used as one of the instruments by regional dancers, Bosara also usually becomes a crock for serving various traditional cakes as traditional symbols, especially at sacred events such as traditional weddings. Paduppa Bosara dance is a dance that is performed by women by bringing cakes delivered to guests as a sign of honor. Now, it has many creations. Paduppa bosara dance uses traditional attire of Bodo clothes with complete decoration such as flower chain necklaces, bracelets, hair ornaments or headbands, earrings and wrist ornaments.
Tourism industry is developing in Indonesia nowadays. Every province in Indonesia begins to show its own tourism potential. Natural or artificial tourism objects become the main destination to attract both domestic and foreign tourists to make a visit. Uniqueness becomes one of the main terms of tourism objects. One of the unique tourism destinations, which can be visited by the tourists in Malang, East Java is colorful village. If the tourists arrive at this village, comfort and curiosity immediately can be felt immediately. A group of women welcome them at front of the village’s gate while giving entrance tickets and souvenirs produced by local people. Various kinds of bright colors make the tourists’ eyes fresh when exploring the village. Comfort, beauty and freshness are the first impression which comes to one’s mind. The village which previously was not attractive because it was slum, changes to be a beautiful place which is appropriate to be visited. According to the local people, initiative to color and to clean the village was from students who were conducting real work college practice. Besides being beautiful, every corner of the village becomes beautiful spot to take picture. This beautiful spot makes the local people to start promoting their village through social media. Bright colors are chosen to be beautiful background to take picture. In a short time, various photographs with colorful village as the background become viral on social media and attract both foreign and domestic tourists to visit the village. The local people keep going to make their village more beautiful and they develop glass bridge to connect the two villages which are separated with a river. So, set your time to come to the colorful village in Malang, East Java.
Malam Badendang which means in English ‘Singing at night’ appropriate with its meaning namely “Malam Bergoyang” meaning “Dancing at night” is a tradition from generation to generation of Maluku people. The tradition is enlivened by singing and dancing along with family and relatives. Usually, the tradition starts after 12 pm and lasts overnight. It also becomes media to family’s gathering and creates intimacy in their life. Maluku people mention that Malam Badendang tradition is diverse, because almost tribes in Maluku perform it. The tradition is usually performed in religious holidays, either Islam or Christ. However, Malam Badendang tradition is not identic with religious ritual tradition. The tradition is usually carried out by young people to create family nuance in certain moments such as Christmas, Idul Fitri, and sacrificial feast, including enlivening wedding ceremony or family’s gathering. The songs, which are sung in Malam Badendang tradition, are songs of passion and energy. Besides singing, the family’s members also dance regional dances such as Katerji and Orlapei. During the event, the participants of the tradition are also served with Maluku typical foods. Malam Badendang becomes long night feast for Maluku’s families, which is full of happiness and togetherness.
Lombok is an island which becomes favorite tourism destination of foreign and domestic tourists. Although most of Lombok people are Muslims, they can live in harmony. Because religious tolerance in Lombok is very strong. This can be proven at Lingsar temple. Lingsar temple is located at Lingsar village in Narmada district, West Lombok regency. To go to the temple, you can use public transportation from Bertais terminal at center city to Narmada. Then, you transit by using bus to Lingsar temple. At the temple, there are 9 sacred fountains as symbol of representatives of Wali Songo. Walisongo were 9 persons who spread out Islam on Java Island. The fountains are used by Muslims for ‘Wudhu’, purifying themselves with water. People say that these fountains are also believed to bring about blessing, success and happiness. Lingsar temple was built in 1741 by King Anak Agung Ketut Karangasam, as unifying symbol of Lombok people and it is considered as the holiest temple in Lombok. At this temple, Hindu people and Muslims of Sasak tribe worship together. To strengthen relations among the followers between Hindu and Islam, the people use the Lingsar temple to hold ceremony which is called ‘Topat war’. In the ceremony, Muslims and Hindu people throw 'Ketupat' each other. This is as gratitude on harmony which has been established so far and it is abundant fortune.
Like an incident in a science fiction, Batu Cermin cave which is also called Watu Sermeng by local people, is able to reflect light on the stone’s wall to another area in the cave, like a miror. The cave is unlike other caves, is able to muffle sound, so there is no echo which is caused by the sound. The cave can be accessed from Labuan Bajo and takes around 15 minutes by using car or motorcycle. Its road is relatively smooth.Along the street, your eyes will be spoiled with green hills and trees. At Batu Cermin cave, visitor can find a restaurant and parking area which is quite wide. After buying ticket, visitor should walk around 300 meters to access the cave. You do not have to worry to get bore because there is a cluster of shady bamboo trees which will spoil your eyes. Sometimes, the visitor will see monkeys which are hanging on tree or sitting at the left and right of the road.Batu Cermin cave got attention for the first time by the world in 1951 due to archaeologist research who was also missionary from the Netherlands, Theodore Verhoven. Million years ago, the cave’s position was under the sea. In the past, there was earthquake, so that some regions on Flores island sank. But there was also some regions arose to the surface, one of them is Batu Cermin cave. The reflection of the sun at the valley can light up around 60 percent of the cave. But this moment does not happened every day, it depends on the movement of the earth and position of the sun. The reflection of the light which enters the cave becomes original name of the cave. A 20-30 minutes tourism activity in Batu Cermin cave will make the visitor to rememember the past story of Flores by witnessing historical heritages such as animals’ fossil and coral reefs that are still protected. This uniqueness makes this tourist attraction never empty of visitors, both domestic and internatonal.
Selayar Island is located in Selayar Island regency, South Sulawesi Province, Indonesia. The island is one of islands which is separated from South Sulawesi land with around 2,000 square-kilometers (km2) extending from the North to the South between Sulawesi and Takabonerate island. The western and northern coasts are rocky and steep. Meanwhile, the east coast and part of the south coast are flat and with forest product area and people’s plantation. The characteristic of Selayar Island is to have various kinds of endemic and interesting fauna such as Tarsius tarsier. This animal has brown reddish body with grey skin, big eyes with ears facing to the front and has wide shape. The peculiarity of the island is that there are almost all ethnics, religions, tribes and cultures which are in Sulawesi. Most of the tribes who live in the island are Makassarese, Bugis, and Mandarese. Besides its natural beauty, Selayar Island also has historic heritage such as Gong Nekara, The Home of the Selayar Regent and Pakarena dance. From Makassar City, Selayar Island regency can be accessed by land transportation and then crossing by Ferry in Bira port, Bulukumba regency to Pamatata port in Pamatata village, Bontomatene district. From Pamatata port to Benteng, it can be accessed around 1 hour.
Ngarot tradition is a traditional ceremony at Lelea village, Lelea district, West Java. It has a meaning being ‘grateful’ on planting season. The ceremony is usually held on Wednesday, the third week in November or December. It is conducted because Wednesday is considered holy and good day to plant rice. Ngarot comes from Sundanese language meaning drinking. While, in Sanskrit “Ngaruat” means free from the God’s curse or sin. The first Ngarot culture was conducted by Ki Buyut Kapol, a figure who was loyal and influential in Lelea village. He was willing to give his rice field as wide as 26,100 square-meters as realization of Ngarot event and welcomed by Lelea villagers. The ceremony is usually conducted by youths of the Lelea village. Ngarot ceremony consists of three parts, namely parade, giving and performance party. The participants, who take part in Ngarot, must wear typical clothes. The girls wear Kebaya with shawls and accessories such as necklace, bracelet, ring, bros, gold safety pin, and hair ornament. While, the young men wear Komboran clothes and Gombrang pants or loose pants and head-bands. The ceremony begins at 08.30 A.M. and all the participants of Ngarot gather at house of village’s head to be made over. Thus, the youths parade to go around the village. Afterwards, the participants enter village’s hall and they are welcomed by regional dances. Then, they start performing the main event by first opening, reading Ngarot history, welcoming speech of Village’s head and handing over process to the youths.
Watotena beach is located at the Southeast of Adonara Island, precisely in Nelerereng village, Ileboleng district, East Adonara, East Flores. The beach is still visited by few tourists so that the beach is appropriate to enjoy relaxation and beautiful scenery. Besides white sand and blue sea, the interesting beach has black stones or magma stones with various kinds of shapes and formations which decorate the seashore that add the beauty of Watotena beach and this beach is quite different from other beaches in Flores land. The name of Watotena means boat from stone, or stone which has shape boat. It can be seen from magma stone which has shape like boat. There are a lot of magma stones which appear on white sand surface. The exotics of the beach is more beautiful with Mt. Ile Boleng scenery behind it. You can do many activities over there, beginning from going down the beach, playing sand or water and looking for interesting spots to take picture. To play at the sea water, you should be careful because sometimes its wave is quite big. To get access to Watotena beach, you can use motor boat from Larantuka and anchor at Terong or Waiwerang port on Adonara Island. The beach has a distance around 6 kilometers from Waiwerang port and takes around 30 minutes from Waiwerang and entirely takes around 3 hours from Larantuka port. The most important point is that the tourists should pay attention to the cleanliness. They are prohibited to throw away garbage carelessly. Smoking is forbidden and no littering on the beach. This is certainly aimed at making the beach very clean without pollution.
East Nusa Tenggara -NTT has not only amazing natural tourism object, but also cultural tourism object, such as Mbaru Embo Traditional House which is located at Mok hamlet, Mbengan village, Komba district, East Manggarai regency, Flores, East Nusa Tenggara province. The Traditional House is unique because it is never occupied by human beings. Mok hamlet is a place where Mbaru Embo Traditional House is old hamlet which is occupied by Nanga tribe. The villagers believe that Mbaru Embo is a house for the ancestors. Couples of Embo Lenang and Embo Teje were believed as the main elders of the ancestors of the traditional house’s occupants. In accordance with traditional demands, Mbaru Embo stands on hill, part of hamlet’s upstream. Its building has hollow, circle shape with one point which is peak of its roof. The situation of the ancestors’ house is always silent because it is unoccupied and its location is a little bit separated around 50 - 200 meters from residential area. The location of Mok hamlet has a distance 30 kilometers in the North of Borong, the capital city of East Manggarai regency. Visiting the hamlet is not difficult because its road has been paved. If you visit Mbaru Embo Traditional House, there are 5 rules which must be obeyed. Firstly, the visitors must be at the outside of the house. Secondly, they are allowed to smoke. Thirdly, they do not wear red clothes. Fourthly, the visitors are allowed to take picture of traditional house. And the last rule is that the visitors are allowed to carry out lighting tools.
Sontiri hill is a regency which consists of 29 districts and it some beautiful natural sceneries. Not many people know that the heaven of the world is hidden in this regency. Sontiri hill is one of tourism destinations which should be visited.The best time to visit Sontiri hill is in the morning and evening. You can see the beauty of the nature. Green grass is always decorated with spider’s net every day, so that there is beautiful white color on it. Sontri hill is also known as Teletubies hill, kids’ figures on television.The hills stretches like a green carpet, moreover when glow of light illuminates the hill, it will add to the beauty of the scenery. Interestingly, Sontiri hill will be more beautiful in the morning or evening. Sontiri hill is usually visited by a lot of local people to spend their time to enjoy sunset.Sontiri or teletubies hill is located not far from Sentani city. It has a distance around 15 kms and takes around 20 – 30 minutes through Jalan Kemiri. If you are on the hill, you will see amazing scenery of Sentani lake. Besides, you can also see Sentani original houses at the shore of the lake, precisely under the hill.